Dance Curriculum Toolkit

Title of Resource: Boosting Language Skills of English Language Learners through Dramatization and Movement

 

Target Audience: Educators, Administrators, Parents

 

Description of Resource: This resource is designed for student K-2 students.  This scholarly article focuses on curriculum integrations methods in the classroom for ELL students with little to now proficiency in the English Language.  The primary focus of the article lies in the effectiveness of integrating dramatization and movement into the classroom with ELL students.  The article states,"Oral practice in the classroom serves both students and teachers, affording students the opportunity to learn and demonstrate language skills and providing teachers a means of gauging student vocabulary, syntactic skills, and comprehension. Monolingual learners benefit from oral language practice; ELs need such practice even more (Castro, Páez, Dickinson, & Frede, 2011) because they have limited opportunities to use English at home and therefore rely on classroom experiences." (PG 172)  Students are able to connect with the English language by completely embodying language through a dramatic context.  This dramatic context builds a relationship between the students experience and the English language in the student's brain that overtime will provide the student with the tools necessary to apply what they have learned to a real-life scenario.

 

Appropriateness for High School Students:  I am aware that this article was written in regards to success for K-2 students.  I believe that with the appropriate modifications, the dramatization and movement framework for ELL students presented in this article can be a successful program for ELL high school students as well.  The article, Educating English Language Learners at the High School Level reports, "In 2005, 36.5% of Hispanic 16- to 24-year-olds born outside the United States, most of whom spoke English as a second language, were high school dropouts." (Pg 1)  ELL students in high schools are not necessarily functioning at a high school grade level in all if any academic subjects due to the language barrier.  In order to decrease the high percentage of high school dropouts in the USA, ELL teachers need to connect with students at an academic level that is achievable for them.  I am not suggesting that teachers "dumb" down these lessons, but rather adjust their pedagogy to fit the needs of their students.

 

Use of Resource in Classroom/Ways to Implement this Resource in my Classroom:  The article, Boosting language skills of English language learners through dramatization and movement, suggests a positive approach to connect with ELL students and provide them with an artistic outlet and theatrical environment in which ELL students can learn and improve their English language skills.  The article states, "By using their bodies and voices to dramatize the characters’ words and actions, children gain a sense of how interactions among the characters shaped the events described in the story. “In this way they can touch, see, and experience the meaning of the words in the text” (Mages, 2006, p. 335)."  (PG 173)  It also explains, "Arts lessons also provide students with the opportunity to practice pronunciation, tone, and gesture, helping them learn to “speak audibly and express thoughts, feelings, and ideas clearly” (a Common Core Standard for kindergarteners)." (PG 174)  The statistical support in regards to the success of this program has teaching boasting, “It’s the kinesthetic piece…ELL students are hearing it. They’re doing it. They understand it. It’s huge. It’s hearing it and doing it themselves. This is how people learn. It’s different from sitting at the table.” (Pg 175)  Teachers can utilize this structural framework with their own curriculum as I would, in order to build a trusting relationship with ELL students as a means for improving their English language skills overall.

 

Strengths of Resource as a Teaching Tool (Purpose, Value, Uniqueness, Positive Aspects):  The purpose of this article is to provide ELL students with a pedagogical focus on drama and movement as a way of improving their English language skills.  I found this article to be unique because it not only addresses ELL students but it is directly in association with a performing arts curriculum, specifically drama and dance.  This framework allows students to connect with the English language in a different context by fueling the whole student as they embody the language. 

 

Possible Modifications to Resource (Weaknesses, Limitations, Supplemental Resources):  As I previously stated, this curriculum framework is designed for students in grades K-2.  I believe that with appropriate modifications, this pedagogical structure has the potential to provide students with the tools necessary to become proficient in the English language.  One possible modification might be the content and level of the theater scripts used in class.  These scripts should be at a level that is attainable for the ELL students.  Some ELL classrooms are multi-level depending on the school districts resources and funding.  If multiple levels exist in a classroom, providing students with a script that is individualized to fit their individual skill level is a great solution for teachers to ensure they are providing their students with the best education possible.  I have provided a supplemental article, Educating English Language Learners at the High School Level, as the strategies and tips in this article support the framework from the article, Boosting language skills of English Language Learners through dramatization and movement.  For example, in the article, Educating English Language Learners at the High School Level, the authors provide a list of, Ten Tips From the Successful Principals Interviewed for This Study.  Tip #7 says, "Emphasize literacy: “In our school, everything is based on language. Schools are language places. If kids are going to do well in schools, they have to be good at language. Everything is based on language. You have to work on language composition. We have put most of our eggs on reading and comprehension. The library here is a hoppin’ place, and it is well used.”  The dramatization and movement of the English language enhances ELL students literary competency overall.  The solid foundation that they are able to build in this kind of classroom environment can be translated to their everyday lives in the real-world.

 

Resource Citation:

Brouillette, L., & Greenfader, C. M. (2013). Boosting Language Skills of English

Language Learners through Dramatization and Movement. The Reading Teacher, 67(3), April 21, 2015. doi:10.1002/TRTR.1192

National High School Center. (2009). Educating English Language Learners at the High School Level: A Coherent Approach to District- and

School-Level Support. American Institutes for Research,