DRAMA

Drama

In English Studies Program, Drama subject will surely be thought during one of the semesters. What is the importance of drama subject in this program? What is the significance of learning it for Language students? How can we benefit from this subject?

During Drama classes, what are being done are dramatizing, reading of scripts or lines from plays, learning how to blend the emotions into acting, how to do voice projection, leveling and blocking on the stage and many more. Students’ assignments comprise of their drama presentations in classes and in big productions, storytelling etc.

Why do language students need to learn these? When I was a student of Foundation in TESL program, we had our big drama production as our final Drama assignment. We prepared the scripts, got approval from the lecturers, build the settings, made the props, and made the final drama days a success. What did we gain from this activity? From my experience, I can say we gained a lot. And recently, the new batch of Foundation in TESL program students just finished their drama presentations and I guess right now they also feel what I felt when my group and I ended ours a year ago.

Studying drama, the outcomes are, 1. You feel highly motivated, although there are many obstacles before, during and after the productions 2. Drama production unites people and 3. Drama lessons could help students release their stress.

How to encourage students to talk in front of the class

Teachers often face students who are quiet, shy or afraid to speak in front of the class. It is important for students to actually speak in front as it will show their level of understanding during lessons in class. There are many ways to encourage students to be outspoken in class;

1. Teachers should conduct frequent ice breakers. Ice breakers are a great way to get people comfortable with each other. Ice breakers should be done on the first day AND throughout the course. This keeps students in their seat yet they have to say something. By doing them throughout the course, this could also breaks up the learning and re-energizes the class.

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   Secondly, expand their safe zone-ease into the presentations. After successful ice breakers, teachers should expand that idea slowly over the first 2 weeks of class. For example, after a brief ice breaker on day 1, students then are needed to do presentation on day 4 or day 5 on their friends' favorite food or shirts or animals. This activity keeps the students actively speaking.
   
   

   After single presentation, teachers should group the students respectively and do any activities that involve interpersonal and intra-personal skills. This activity would help students feel comfortable working with other people (classmates) and increase the confidence of students to talk in front and make them more comfortable to talk as they discuss their topics with one another.

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   Students should also be given motivation (extrinsic) by giving them praises, compliment etc anytime they finish talking or presenting.

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Introducing sports to students is very important as it is essential not only for the physical fitness and growth but also their mental growth besides help inculcating values such as discipline, dedication and responsibility. That is why schools, colleges and universities assign sports as an important curricular for students.

Sport such as soccer or tennis involve many physical movements. Many physical movements keep the body in shape. The importance of sports for students is to keep them in a healthy shape and help in strengthening and toning the muscles and bones in the body.

Sports involving team work such as football, baseball, hockey etc make students learn the importance of team spirit. They will learn how to work in group and building relationship with their team mates.

Sports have always being a topic of challenge for students' mental strength. Sports make them mentally strong. Students know what will make them win or lose. They may learn to be mentally prepared of any consequences, failures, winnings etc.