Developing Primary EFL Students’ Multiliteracies Competence Through Drama Teaching: A Case Study in China

Yuanyuan Chen

doi:doi:10.11648/j.ijla.20200802.13

| Peer-Reviewed

Developing Primary EFL Students’ Multiliteracies Competence Through Drama Teaching: A Case Study in China

Yuanyuan Chen

Published in International Journal of Literature and Arts (Volume 8, Issue 2)

Received: 27 February 2020 Accepted: 10 March 2020 Published: 31 March 2020

Views: Downloads:

Download PDF

Share This Article

Twitter
Linked In
Facebook

Abstract

Multiliteracies competence has emerged as an important research field, yet it remains a great challenge for primary EFL teachers in China to develop students’ multiliteracies competence. With the implementation of educational reform in K12 education in China, the importance of cultivating multiliteracies competence for primary school students has become increasingly prominent. Meanwhile, in the current K12 education curriculum in China, the practice of offering English drama courses caters to the needs of enhancing students’ multiliteracies competence. This qualitative study aims to exlore: (1) how are dramas taught in primary EFL classes in China? (2) how is students’ multiliteracies competence developed through learning drama? The participant of this longitudinal narrative inquiry is an EFL teacher at a primary school in Southern China. Data include two-semester-long observation of the English drama classes in the school, weekly meetings on drama teaching, workshops with foreign drama experts and interview narratives, as well as documents such as the participants’ lesson plans, journals and students’ feedback. Findings show that EFL drama teaching in the primary school adopts multiliteracies pedagogy, drawing on a range of media and aiming to develop students’ all-around skills. Findings also reveal that students’ language competence and multiliteracies competence are indeed greatly enhanced through drama teaching and learning. Implications for further teacher development are discussed, including offering English drama education in pre-service programs, enhancing acting skills mentoring in internship and in-service training, and observing and reflecting on one’s own and their peers’ drama teaching practices and raising their multiliteracies awareness and intercultural awareness.

Published in	International Journal of Literature and Arts (Volume 8, Issue 2) This article belongs to the Special Issue Humanity and Science: China’s Intercultural Communication with the Outside World in the New Era
DOI	10.11648/j.ijla.20200802.13
Page(s)	46-51
Creative Commons	This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright	Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Multiliteracies Competence, Multimodality, Drama Teaching, Primary EFL Student

References

[1]	Zhu, Y. (2008). Research on Multiple Literacy and Its Enlightenment to China’s Teaching Reform. Foreign Language Studies, (2).
[2]	The New London Group. (1996). A pedagogy of multiliteracies: Designing social futures. Harvard Educational Review, 66: 60-92.
[3]	Cope, B., and M. Kalantzis.(2009). A grammar of multimodality. The International Journal of Learning, 12, no. 2: 361-425.
[4]	Ntelioglou, B. (2011). “But why do I have to take this class?” The mandatory drama-ESL class and multiliteracies pedagogy. Research in drama education: The Journal of Applied Theatre and Performance, 595-615.
[5]	Kress, G., & Van Leeuwen, T. (1996). Reading Images: The Grammar of Visual Design. London: Routledge.
[6]	Kress, G. (1997). Visual and verbal modes of representation in electronically mediated communication: The potentials of new forms of text. In Page to screen: Taking literacy into the electronic era, ed. I. Snyder, 53-79. St. Leonards, Australia: Allen & Unwin.
[7]	Kress, G., & van Leeuwen, T. (2001). Multimodal Discourse. London: Bloomsbury Academic.
[8]	Williamson, B. 2005. “What are multimodality, multisemiotics and multiliteracies?--- A brief guide to some jargon.” NESTA Futurelab [EB/OL]. http://www.futurelab.org.u/viewpoint/arr49.htm.
[9]	Hu, Z. (2007). Multimodality in Social Semiotics Research. Language Teaching and Research, (1).
[10]	Suhor, C. 1984. Towards a semiotics-based curriculum [J]. Journal of Curriculum Studies, 16, 247-257.
[11]	Gu, Y. (2007). Analysis of Multimedia and Multimodal Learning. Foreign Language E-learning Teaching, (2).
[12]	Zhang, D.(2009). Exploring the Comprehensive Theoretical Framework of Multimodal Discourse Analysis. Chinese Foreign Languages, (1).
[13]	Stein, P. (2000). Rethinking Resources: Multimodal Pedagogies in the ESL Classroom. TESOL Quarterly, (34).
[14]	Liu, X. (2012). Investigation and Analysis of College English Audiovisual Teaching from the Perspective of Multimodality. Exams and Evaluations: College English Teaching and Research Edition, (3).
[15]	Huang, X. (2011). Cultivation of College Students' Multiple Reading Ability in Multimodal Teaching Mode Research. Higher Education Research in Southwest University of Science and Technology, (9).
[16]	Kao, S., and O’Neill, C.(1998). Words into worlds Learning a second language through Process Drama. London: Ablex Publishing.
[17]	Bolton, Gavin. (1992). New perspectives on classroom drama. Hemel Hempstead: Simon & Schuster Education.
[18]	Bolton, Gavin. (1998). Acting in classroom drama a critical analysis. London: Trentham Books.
[19]	Bolton G. (2007). A History of drama education. A search for Substance. International handbook of research in arts education. Ed. Bresler L. Springer International Handbooks of Education, Vol. 16.
[20]	Neelands, J. (1984). Making sense of drama. A guide to classroom practice. Oxford: Heinemann Educational Book.
[21]	Booth, D. (2005). Story drama: Creating stories through role playing, improvising, and reading aloud. 2nd ed. Markham, UK: Pembroke Publishers.
[22]	Edmiston, B., and P. Enciso. (2002). Reflflections and refractions of meaning: Dialogic approaches to classroom drama and reading. In The handbook of research on teaching and the English language arts, ed. J. Flood, D. Lapp, J. Squire, and J. Jensen, 868-80. New York: Simon & Schuster Macmillan.
[23]	Wilhelm, J. D., and B. Edmiston. (1998). Imagining to learn. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
[24]	Byram, M., and M. Fleming, eds. 1998. Language learning in intercultural perspective: Approaches through drama and ethnography. New York: Cambridge University Press.
[25]	Culham, C. (2002). Coping with obstacles in drama-based ESL teaching: A nonverbal approach. In Body and language. Intercultural learning through drama, ed. G. Brauer. Westport, CT: Ablex Publishing.
[26]	Holden, S. (1981). Drama in Language Teaching. Harlow: Longman Group, United Kingdom.
[27]	Mackey, S., and S. Morrison. (2014). Drama Teachers: Global Encounters. Research in Drama Education: The Journal of Applied Theatre and Performance, 19 (4): 366–372.
[28]	Nicholson, H. (2011). Expert Interview with Helen Nicholson Editor of RiDE: The Journal of Applied Theatre and Performance. London: Taylor & Francis.
[29]	Davis, S. (2015) Drama, education and curriculum: alive, kicking and counting, Research in Drama Education: The Journal of Applied Theatre and Performance, 20: 3, 327-330.
[30]	Wang, W.-J., T. Po-Chi, B. J. Kim, and H. L. Kok. 2013. “New Imaginings and Actions of Drama Education and Applied Theatre in NIE4 in Asia.” Research in Drama Education: The Journal of Applied Theatre and Performance, 18 (1): 79–93.
[31]	Kavakli, N. (2016). A gimmick for mimmick: the ELF student-teachers’ attitudes towards drama course. International Online Journal of Education and Teaching, 3 (2), 122-130.
[32]	Connelly, M., & Clandinin, J. (2006). Narrative inquiry. In J. Greeni, G. Gamilli, & Elmore (Eds.), Handbook of Complementary Methods in Education Research. Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.
[33]	Chen, Y. (2019). Enhancing EFL Students’ English competence Through Drama: A Case Study in a Primary School in China. English language teaching, (6), 68-74.
[34]	Chen, Y. (2014) Cultivation of Multiliteracies Ability of Freshmen in Multimodal Perspective: An Empirical Study of EFL Teaching in English News. Overseas English, (6).
[35]	Corbin, J., & Strauss, A. (2015). Basics of qualitative research: Techniques and procedures for developing Grounded Theory (4th ed.). Thousand Oaks: Sage.

Cite This Article

Plain Text BibTeX RIS

APA Style

Yuanyuan Chen. (2020). Developing Primary EFL Students’ Multiliteracies Competence Through Drama Teaching: A Case Study in China. International Journal of Literature and Arts, 8(2), 46-51. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijla.20200802.13

Copy | Download

ACS Style

Yuanyuan Chen. Developing Primary EFL Students’ Multiliteracies Competence Through Drama Teaching: A Case Study in China. Int. J. Lit. Arts 2020, 8(2), 46-51. doi: 10.11648/j.ijla.20200802.13

Copy | Download

AMA Style

Yuanyuan Chen. Developing Primary EFL Students’ Multiliteracies Competence Through Drama Teaching: A Case Study in China. Int J Lit Arts. 2020;8(2):46-51. doi: 10.11648/j.ijla.20200802.13

Copy | Download

@article{10.11648/j.ijla.20200802.13,
  author = {Yuanyuan Chen},
  title = {Developing Primary EFL Students’ Multiliteracies Competence Through Drama Teaching: A Case Study in China},
  journal = {International Journal of Literature and Arts},
  volume = {8},
  number = {2},
  pages = {46-51},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ijla.20200802.13},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijla.20200802.13},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijla.20200802.13},
  abstract = {Multiliteracies competence has emerged as an important research field, yet it remains a great challenge for primary EFL teachers in China to develop students’ multiliteracies competence. With the implementation of educational reform in K12 education in China, the importance of cultivating multiliteracies competence for primary school students has become increasingly prominent. Meanwhile, in the current K12 education curriculum in China, the practice of offering English drama courses caters to the needs of enhancing students’ multiliteracies competence. This qualitative study aims to exlore: (1) how are dramas taught in primary EFL classes in China? (2) how is students’ multiliteracies competence developed through learning drama? The participant of this longitudinal narrative inquiry is an EFL teacher at a primary school in Southern China. Data include two-semester-long observation of the English drama classes in the school, weekly meetings on drama teaching, workshops with foreign drama experts and interview narratives, as well as documents such as the participants’ lesson plans, journals and students’ feedback. Findings show that EFL drama teaching in the primary school adopts multiliteracies pedagogy, drawing on a range of media and aiming to develop students’ all-around skills. Findings also reveal that students’ language competence and multiliteracies competence are indeed greatly enhanced through drama teaching and learning. Implications for further teacher development are discussed, including offering English drama education in pre-service programs, enhancing acting skills mentoring in internship and in-service training, and observing and reflecting on one’s own and their peers’ drama teaching practices and raising their multiliteracies awareness and intercultural awareness.},
 year = {2020}
}

Copy | Download

TY  - JOUR
T1  - Developing Primary EFL Students’ Multiliteracies Competence Through Drama Teaching: A Case Study in China
AU  - Yuanyuan Chen
Y1  - 2020/03/31
PY  - 2020
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijla.20200802.13
DO  - 10.11648/j.ijla.20200802.13
T2  - International Journal of Literature and Arts
JF  - International Journal of Literature and Arts
JO  - International Journal of Literature and Arts
SP  - 46
EP  - 51
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2331-057X
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijla.20200802.13
AB  - Multiliteracies competence has emerged as an important research field, yet it remains a great challenge for primary EFL teachers in China to develop students’ multiliteracies competence. With the implementation of educational reform in K12 education in China, the importance of cultivating multiliteracies competence for primary school students has become increasingly prominent. Meanwhile, in the current K12 education curriculum in China, the practice of offering English drama courses caters to the needs of enhancing students’ multiliteracies competence. This qualitative study aims to exlore: (1) how are dramas taught in primary EFL classes in China? (2) how is students’ multiliteracies competence developed through learning drama? The participant of this longitudinal narrative inquiry is an EFL teacher at a primary school in Southern China. Data include two-semester-long observation of the English drama classes in the school, weekly meetings on drama teaching, workshops with foreign drama experts and interview narratives, as well as documents such as the participants’ lesson plans, journals and students’ feedback. Findings show that EFL drama teaching in the primary school adopts multiliteracies pedagogy, drawing on a range of media and aiming to develop students’ all-around skills. Findings also reveal that students’ language competence and multiliteracies competence are indeed greatly enhanced through drama teaching and learning. Implications for further teacher development are discussed, including offering English drama education in pre-service programs, enhancing acting skills mentoring in internship and in-service training, and observing and reflecting on one’s own and their peers’ drama teaching practices and raising their multiliteracies awareness and intercultural awareness.
VL  - 8
IS  - 2
ER  -

Copy | Download

Author Information

Yuanyuan Chen

Education Group, Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, Guangzhou, China; School of English Education, Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, Guangzhou, China

Download PDF

Sections

Plain Text BibTeX RIS

APA Style

Yuanyuan Chen. (2020). Developing Primary EFL Students’ Multiliteracies Competence Through Drama Teaching: A Case Study in China. International Journal of Literature and Arts, 8(2), 46-51. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijla.20200802.13

Copy | Download

ACS Style

Yuanyuan Chen. Developing Primary EFL Students’ Multiliteracies Competence Through Drama Teaching: A Case Study in China. Int. J. Lit. Arts 2020, 8(2), 46-51. doi: 10.11648/j.ijla.20200802.13

Copy | Download

AMA Style

Yuanyuan Chen. Developing Primary EFL Students’ Multiliteracies Competence Through Drama Teaching: A Case Study in China. Int J Lit Arts. 2020;8(2):46-51. doi: 10.11648/j.ijla.20200802.13

Copy | Download

@article{10.11648/j.ijla.20200802.13,
  author = {Yuanyuan Chen},
  title = {Developing Primary EFL Students’ Multiliteracies Competence Through Drama Teaching: A Case Study in China},
  journal = {International Journal of Literature and Arts},
  volume = {8},
  number = {2},
  pages = {46-51},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ijla.20200802.13},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijla.20200802.13},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijla.20200802.13},
  abstract = {Multiliteracies competence has emerged as an important research field, yet it remains a great challenge for primary EFL teachers in China to develop students’ multiliteracies competence. With the implementation of educational reform in K12 education in China, the importance of cultivating multiliteracies competence for primary school students has become increasingly prominent. Meanwhile, in the current K12 education curriculum in China, the practice of offering English drama courses caters to the needs of enhancing students’ multiliteracies competence. This qualitative study aims to exlore: (1) how are dramas taught in primary EFL classes in China? (2) how is students’ multiliteracies competence developed through learning drama? The participant of this longitudinal narrative inquiry is an EFL teacher at a primary school in Southern China. Data include two-semester-long observation of the English drama classes in the school, weekly meetings on drama teaching, workshops with foreign drama experts and interview narratives, as well as documents such as the participants’ lesson plans, journals and students’ feedback. Findings show that EFL drama teaching in the primary school adopts multiliteracies pedagogy, drawing on a range of media and aiming to develop students’ all-around skills. Findings also reveal that students’ language competence and multiliteracies competence are indeed greatly enhanced through drama teaching and learning. Implications for further teacher development are discussed, including offering English drama education in pre-service programs, enhancing acting skills mentoring in internship and in-service training, and observing and reflecting on one’s own and their peers’ drama teaching practices and raising their multiliteracies awareness and intercultural awareness.},
 year = {2020}
}

Copy | Download

TY  - JOUR
T1  - Developing Primary EFL Students’ Multiliteracies Competence Through Drama Teaching: A Case Study in China
AU  - Yuanyuan Chen
Y1  - 2020/03/31
PY  - 2020
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijla.20200802.13
DO  - 10.11648/j.ijla.20200802.13
T2  - International Journal of Literature and Arts
JF  - International Journal of Literature and Arts
JO  - International Journal of Literature and Arts
SP  - 46
EP  - 51
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2331-057X
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijla.20200802.13
AB  - Multiliteracies competence has emerged as an important research field, yet it remains a great challenge for primary EFL teachers in China to develop students’ multiliteracies competence. With the implementation of educational reform in K12 education in China, the importance of cultivating multiliteracies competence for primary school students has become increasingly prominent. Meanwhile, in the current K12 education curriculum in China, the practice of offering English drama courses caters to the needs of enhancing students’ multiliteracies competence. This qualitative study aims to exlore: (1) how are dramas taught in primary EFL classes in China? (2) how is students’ multiliteracies competence developed through learning drama? The participant of this longitudinal narrative inquiry is an EFL teacher at a primary school in Southern China. Data include two-semester-long observation of the English drama classes in the school, weekly meetings on drama teaching, workshops with foreign drama experts and interview narratives, as well as documents such as the participants’ lesson plans, journals and students’ feedback. Findings show that EFL drama teaching in the primary school adopts multiliteracies pedagogy, drawing on a range of media and aiming to develop students’ all-around skills. Findings also reveal that students’ language competence and multiliteracies competence are indeed greatly enhanced through drama teaching and learning. Implications for further teacher development are discussed, including offering English drama education in pre-service programs, enhancing acting skills mentoring in internship and in-service training, and observing and reflecting on one’s own and their peers’ drama teaching practices and raising their multiliteracies awareness and intercultural awareness.
VL  - 8
IS  - 2
ER  -

Copy | Download