Improvisation is in human nature. We improvise frequently when we have to solve problems in every day life, react to unforeseeable events, and communicate with others, especially through spoken language. Communicative competences are the key to speaking a language. Fluency plays an important role in communication. While as teachers it is our goal to enable our pupils to communicate in the new language, we are free in the choice of methods with which we want to accomplish this goal.
Overall, classroom games and drama teaching are widely explored in literature from the mid 20th century until today and positive effects on learning and teaching have been reported. However, the mixed form of “improv games” did not receive much attention and therefore still leaves room for further investigation.
Successful communication requires “turn-taking”-skills. These can be trained through improv games because turn-taking is an essential mechanism of improv. Two or more players interact with each other, reacting to expressions and comments, posing questions or solve a task together. The following sections give an insight into what improv games are, how they work and whether they should be used in teaching for different levels of language classes. They key features will be compared to classic teaching methodologies to see how they can integrate into or enhance given techniques.
For easy reading I have alternated the use of male and female pronouns, although every he and she includes both genders, if not explicitly stated to be gender specific.
Table of Contents
1 Introduction
2 Methodology – What is Improv and What are the Benefits?
2.1 What is Impov?
2.2 History of Improvisation
2.3 Rules of Improv Games
2.4 Personal Benefits from Improv Games
2.5 Social Benefits for a better classroom atmosphere
2.6 Using Improv Games for Teaching English
2.6.1. Train Listening and Speaking Skills
2.6.2. Trigger Competition as a Motivation
2.7 Connection to Different Teaching Methods
3 Analysis – The Game 'What are you doing?' for ELT Classes
4 Conclusion
5 Works Cited and Additional Resources
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