Abstract:

The modern world requires new techniques of teaching a foreign language at schools. Pupils should be motivated and inspired. By setting a definite aim it is possible to overcome several stages of education, giving children interesting and challenging tasks. This approach includes performing different sketches based on communication in a foreign language, learning grammar structures by finding them in the text of a play, enlarging vocabulary of a foreign language by learning words from a play.

This paper highlights the experience of teaching English at secondary school by means of drama classes. Practice showed that, being given the final goal (to stage a performance in English), children learn easily and feel deeply involved in the process of studying. They are also more interested in active games than in studying in classes, thus a foreign language becomes an interesting and exciting subject.

The methodology is based on the drama teaching system of K. Stanislavsky (2008), studies of V. Meyerhold (1998), G. Tovstonogov (1984) and M. Chekhov (1995). Grammar teaching system is based on R. Murphy (1991) and M. Hewings (2013) approach.

The results of the study show that children get vast knowledge in both drama and foreign languages.

The method, described in the paper, can be used in primary and secondary school, as well as with older pupils. The results of the study contribute to the theory of education and pose vast challenges for further development.

Keywords:

Theatre, English, drama, teaching, education, school, foreign language.