Abstract:

A review of literature has indicated that drama is an effective tool for improving students’ language learning by helping to reduce their anxiety (Mohd Nawi & Ng, 2010) and enhancing their self- awareness, self-esteem, self-confidence and motivation (Maley, 2005) while developing their problem solving skills and autonomous learning (Kelin, 2006). Drama is incorporated in Foundation English, a course offered to students of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia who fall into the category of Limited English Proficiency. For the past several semesters, drama was executed by having the students read some storybooks and selecting a story which they would transform into a drama. The students planned everything from the conceptualizing to the performing of the drama in big groups. Upon reviewing, it was found that a more structured process is necessary to enhance or develop the abovementioned characteristics. Drawing on drama approaches, which emphasize structured processes in drama, by Bowell & Heap (2001), the 5Ss Drama Process (5Ss) is formulated and implemented into this drama component. The 5Ss structure consists of: Scaffolding Drama Activities; Storyboarding; Script Writing; Script Reading & Staging Drama. Our study focuses on the use of 5Ss in helping students to improve their language learning and to investigate to what extent the effects of 5Ss on students’ confidence. The findings show that 5Ss has beneficial effects on students’ overall confidence where they perceived that they have improved in their language proficiency. Students also have a better understanding of the literary text, they develop vocabulary and they improve on language skills. The students demonstrate these when they move through the different stages of the 5Ss in the process of producing the drama.