School Theatre or One More Way of Teaching the English Language
All the world’s a stage,
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances;
And one man in his time plays many parts,
His act being seven ages.
William Shakespeare
Language is perhaps the most ancient heritage of the human race. It is a means of communication which has great power. Language can bring people together, delight and inspire. It is the most basic and marvelously complex instrument of culture. By teaching the English language we introduce students to the varied cultures of the English-speaking world.
The process of teaching a foreign language is rather complex. Working mostly with seniors, our colleagues try to modify methods to meet the students’ needs. One such method is staging plays in the school theatre, which has become an important and integral part of learning English. School theatricals stimulate the students’ interest in the work and make them highly motivated. In Lyceum No. 1525 we are fortunate to have polite and intelligent kids, but their level of English varies. In this situation a school theatre becomes an ideal place for teaching English. Those students who might have had some difficulties before can easily overcome them by playing for instance, the part of Romeo or Juliet, and being emotionally involved in the process of studying. The whole atmosphere of creativity helps them feel relaxed and work as a team where everyone is heard, respected and, at the same time, responsible for the success of the final result.
The primary task of teachers is to promote communication and develop learning and language skills; to give the students a deeper understanding of cultural diversity and widen their field of vision. This method of work has a number of benefits. On the one hand, children become familiar with some authentic texts of major British and American writers of different periods. They explore the literary world in the English language. In order not to be frustrated when studying, students are often provided with a clear glossary. They enrich their vocabulary through memorizing collocations and set expressions. The vocabulary is seen in a functional and meaningful context. On the other hand, students can develop their pronunciation. They are taught to recognize the sounds, intonations and rhythms of spoken English, and reproduce these correctly. Moreover, students can actively develop such language skills as listening and grammar. At the same time, when collecting material for the performance, they become familiar with thematic music, visual and cross-curricular links.
On December 23, 2008 the students and the teachers of Lyceum 1525 held a great performance devoted to British Literature. More than 50 students of grades 8, 9, 10 and 11 were involved in the activity. The audience was enchanted by the sounds of medieval Irish ballads; spellbound by the spectacular views of Great Britain; impressed with the reciting of beautiful poems written by the masters of British literature such as William Shakespeare, Robert Burns, William Wordsworth, Thomas Moore, Robert Louis Stevenson, Charles Dickens and others. The participants read their own translations, sang songs and danced. The students of grade 8 staged a play “The Princess and the Four Gifts”. The students of the 9th grade presented a modern version of “Sleeping Beauty”. Older students showed some scenes from “Three Men in a Boat” by Jerome K. Jerome and “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens. Showing the writers’ portraits and explaining the English origin of a well-known Russian song “The Evening Bells” turned out to be very educational. The final part of the performance described customs and traditions connected with the celebration of Christmas in English-speaking countries. It was accompanied by showing scenes of the Nativity and the singing of carols.
All the participants got genuine pleasure in being educated in such an enjoyable way. As for the teachers, we were deeply satisfied with the achieved results and are looking for other creative methods of teaching the English language.