The
successful speaking English is the
ability to demonstrate interactive conversation with
other speakers of the language (H. Douglas Brown, 2001). But, All students of senior high school graduated in Indonesia
have studied about English about 9 years but the result is they still can’t speak
English fluently. This is happened because it doesn’t have any balance both in
theory and practice in learning foreign language, including speaking (Chaedar
Alwasilah, 2008). In the contrary, drama is the useful speaking activities but
it is seemed rarely used in Indonesia primary school curricula. Based on Eduardo Encabo (2008), drama helps the acquiring and
development of all the necessary tools to improve oral expression in elementary
school because drama provides many learning activities
that need both theory and practice. Also, teaching
drama through performance will make students automatically do both reading and
speaking skills without disturbing
their enthusiastic of the subject. Drama activities make students more active
in the class and build the situation between students and teacher closer (Joon
taek Jun, 2000).
Drama
is one of the ways in learning activities in the class. Cecily O’Neill and Alan Lambert
(1982, p. 13) said that, “Drama is essentially
social and involves contact communication and the negotiation of meaning”. According to Wendy, “Speaking is the most
demanding skill so that the students are able to express emotions, communicate
intentions and reactions, explore the language and make fun of it like they use
their own language” (Wendy A. Scott and Lisbeth H. Ytreberg, 1990, p. 33).
Then, “Primary school is commonly taken to mean the first stage of compulsory
education, from the age of 5 until transfer to secondary education. It may be
given in a primary school (with infant and junior departments) or in separate
infant (5-7) and junior (7-11) schools, or in the first schools (5-8) (5-9)
(5-10), middle schools (8-12), or combined schools (5-12)”. (R. J. Campbell,
1988, p.3).
Many
characteristic of students in primary school is suitable to drama
activities. Young learners can use their vivid imaginations, understand
situation more quickly than they understand the language used and also they use
language skills long before they are aware of them. Drama can be fundamental in
establishing better communication, because it shows many aspects of life and
includes also elements related to creativity and fantasy. (Wendy A. Scott and
Lisbeth H. Ytreberg, 1990). According to South
Lanarkshire Council (2003), Children of 5 and 6 also recognize and respond
to familiar stories and these can be very useful for drama activities. They will
be more enthusiasts to take an individual role in activities, and this can be
encouraged through drama and it will develop the confidence that is required
for their future learning.
Abdulhak
Halim Ulas (2008) suggested that there are six learning principles when students
learn speaking through drama. First, meaningful content can be learned by students better than
other content. Second, learning occurs as a result of a student’s interaction
with his environment. Third, the more sensory organs a student uses while
learning, the greater the absorbtion
of the lessons. Forth, a student can
absorb all the materials by learning and doing. Fifth, effective participation is important
in controlling
learning and emotional. The last is learning becomes easier and
more permanent in educational environments where there is
more than one stimulus.
Drama
activities have positive contributions to the general education process and
these activities can improve speaking skills. According to
Makita (1995), drama and role-play activities
are a classroom techniques that
encourage students to
participate actively in the
learning process. It is important to know
that drama activities take different
forms and the teacher can provide
students with a variety of learning experiences
by developing different methods according
to individual needs,
interests and learning levels.
In addition, these
role-play activities enable the
teacher to create
a supportive and enjoyable
classroom environment where students are motivated to learn the target
language. Another who agree with drama which can improve speaking skills is
Wessels. Wessels (1987) said
that drama
activities help to bring written materials to reality life by implanting the
feeling of imagination and knowledge for the learner and make them more active
participant in the learning process. Students will improve
their comprehension because drama also provides the opportunity to place
students directly in learning experience.
It is concluded that drama activities
are useful in motivating students, holding their attention and
stimulating their creativity. Goodwin (2001) on Abdulhak Halim Ulas research,
also stated that the various components
of communicative competence (discourse intonation, pragmatic awareness,
nonverbal communication) can be practiced at the same time in drama activities
so that drama can be an effective tool for pronunciation teaching.
According to the material of Art On The Move (2003), teacher can do
some drama activities such as: drama games – these are excellent for teaching a
number of skills and abilities, including negotiation, concentration, speaking
and listening skills, name learning, cognitive ability, team work and many others. Play physical games
are to establish rules and codes of conduct – any tag games or simple
running-around games are excellent. Teacher also can use clapping games to
develop speaking and listening skills. Simple movement exercises, such as
mirrors, robots, statues, etc., will increase spatial capability and develop the concentration. Another is Musical
Statues is an example of a movement game. The others are Follow-my-leader and
copying games are good for building confidence and introducing work in a
non-threatening way. Mime work is an activity which introduces the concept of
‘pretending’. Teacher can use many
stimulus
like: familiar stories, music, pictures, sounds, etc. The children will respond
well to have their drama activities through a ‘forced’ idea or subject.
So,
Through the use of drama activities in the class, students not only improve
their oral skill structured but also their principles of language and knowledge,
their body (dance is
included in drama), their voices, rhythm (exercises with songs are able
to improve phonetics or reading), their attitudes of aesthetics (theri creativity of texts, verbal improvisations) and their knowledge and
comprehension of reality, which helps them to solve concrete problems in a
clear way.
Refferences
:
Alwasilah,
Chaedar (2008). Perspektif Pendidikan
Bahasa Inggris di Indonesia dalam Konteks Persaingan Global. Bandung: CV.
Adira.
Arts on the
Move, South Lanarkshire Council (2003).
Drama in the Primary Schools. Available at: www.artsonthemove.co.uk
Brown, H.
Douglas (2001). Teaching Principles: An
Interactive Approach to Language Pedagogy, 2nd Edn. New York: Addison
Wesley Longman, Inc.
Campbell, R.
J. (1988). The Routledge Compendium of
Primary Education. London: Rouledge. p.3.
Encabo,
Eduardo, et all. (2008). Drama as a
Resource to Improve Oral Expression (Verbal and non-verbal) at Elementary
School: A Study Through Different Disciplines and Teaching Suggestions.
Available at: http://74.125.153.132/search?q=cache:DKNidL_mBRMJ:
www.hltmag.co.uk/jun08/mart01.doc+Eduardo+Encabo,+drama+helps+the+acquiring+
and+development+of+all+the+necessary+tools+to+improve+oral+expression+in+elementary+school&cd=1&hl=id&ct=clnk&gl=id
Jun, Joon Taek (2000). Drama and EFL. Journal. Available at: http://pc171115.pc.waseda.ac.jp
/ccdl/cl_korea/0626_handout.html
Makita, Y., (1995). The
Effectiveness of Dramatic/Role-Playing Activities. In: The Japanese Language
Classroom. Available at: http:// journals2.iranscience.net:800/mcel.pacificu.edu/
mcel.pacificu.edu/aspac/papers/scholars/makita/makita.htm.
O’Neill,
Cecily and Alan Lambert (1982). Education
and Dramatic Art, 2nd Edn. USA: Heinemann Educational Books, Inc, p. 13
Scott, Wendy
A. And Lisbeth H. Yteberg (1990). Teaching
English to Children. London: Longman, p. 33
Ulas, Abdulhak
Halim (2008). Effects of Creative,
Educational Drama Activities on Developing Oral Skills in Primary School
Children. American Journal of Applied Sciences.
Wessels, C., (1987). Drama.
Oxford: Oxford University Press. Available at: Googlebook
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