Abstract:

Readers theater is not only a proven method to foster the reading fluency of native speakers as well as foreign language learners, but it is also generally recognized as a fun and socially nurturing experience for students (Worthy & Prater, 2002. P.295-296; LaVon Bridges, 2009, p.27). The foundation of readers theater is repeated oral reading, a rather monotonous method, which faces difficulties in keeping students motivated for a longer period of time (Worthy & Prater, 2002, p.295). To avoid either of these issues, readers theater embeds repeated reading in a meaningful activity that allows for social interaction and aims at the eventual presentation of the repeatedly read material (Worthy & Prater, 2002, p.295). As readers theater primarily targets one language, it fails to recognize multilingualism in the heterogeneous classroom. To allow for more language sensitivity, Kutzelmann et al. (2018, p.111) suggest a multilingual version of the method, referred to as Multilingual Readers Theater or MELT. MELT allows one to include multiple languages in the theater script, including the school language, other foreign languages, and students' native tongues (Kutzelmann et al., 2018, p.111). Kutzelmann et al. (2018, p.125) propose several areas in which the method can benefit foreign language learning, including listening comprehension, pronunciation, and vocabulary training. It also promotes social learning, allows students to practice speaking in front of larger groups, and aids in the reduction of anxiety associated with speaking a foreign language. However, a comprehensive evaluation of MELT is still missing to date.

While MELT appears to be of great benefit to the foreign language classroom and beyond, teachers must familiarize themselves with the method, step out of their comfort zones, and be open to implementing other languages in their teaching. They would also have to dedicate a significant amount of their teaching time to MELT. The aim of this research project is to evaluate whether pre-service teachers are willing to overcome these difficulties to use MELT in their own teaching in the future. The research outcome may serve as a starting point for further evaluation on the Multilingual Readers Theater.

Within the study, participants in a seminar on the methodology behind teaching reading took part in a multilingual readers theater themselves. Afterwards, they reflected on their experience in a questionnaire, targeting the students’ individual perception of the method. While they underwent the eight steps of readers theater, suggested by Kutzelmann et al. (2018, p.119-123), the researcher observed the situation to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the method. Within the seminar, a multilingual script by MELT was used. The script included text in English and German, centered on B1-Level speakers. The participants were German natives who speak English at a B2 to C1-level. The participants were pre-service English teachers, aiming for a bachelor’s degree. None of the students were familiar with the method beforehand.

Keywords:

Readers theater, multilingual readers theatre, English language education, English as a second language, ESL, TEFL, English learning, language learning, MELT.