Drama as an educational tool
Joseph Mees, language teacher, leader, teacher trainer and co-founder of Dramalang, still vividly remembers a history lesson he had while in primary school, when his teacher was in role as a 1940's character. His class was taken to a make-shift air-raid shelter to act out what it was like during the bombings in the Second World War.
All these years later, he explains how the power of drama enabled him to remember this lesson. Understanding this power, coupled with the desire to promote it, has been the driving force behind Dramalang, a company founded in 2018 by Mees and Christian Bullen, aiming to unlock the value of drama within education, work and life.
Dramalang focuses on the language classroom, hoping to ‘create a platform that up-skills educators to feel confident in using drama as a tool for teaching.’ Since 2014, the pair have been bringing their techniques and methodology to China, working with Bullen's Superstars in the Making Academy to provide drama courses for children.
With more than 26 years of teaching experience in the UK between them, they are now expanding Dramalang to the British market. They admit, ‘In the UK context, languages are often perceived as very difficult and are in decline.’ Dramalang hopes to counter this, with the core belief that drama can be used in interactive and creative ways to build confidence in the language classroom.
The founders’ skills and experience have formed a strong base for Dramalang, a self-funded project, currently working with a variety of educational establishments and businesses to secure future funds. Bullen is an international drama educator and theatre practitioner, having studied drama at the University of South Wales, while Mees is a French and Spanish graduate from Cardiff University and has a PGCE in Modern Foreign Languages from University College London.
© TONG FU
Above: Dramalang use song, mime and improvisation among other techniques to inspire their learners.
Acting a new language
‘We love language, culture and the arts and we wanted to contribute to education and society in a positive way, through extending social cohesion, cross-cultural collaboration and artistic expression.’ Outside of schools, Dramalang partners with businesses in the UK and beyond, working with employees to develop key skills in language, communication, collaboration and innovation.
‘With learners who are self-conscious … it's important to build their confidence gradually’
Mees and Bullen point out the similarities between speaking a foreign language and performing, ‘You need to almost take on another identity, change your accent and be confident enough to take risks when expressing yourself.’ They currently focus on English, French, Spanish and Mandarin, but believe that their techniques can be used to teach any language or, indeed, any subject.
At the core of their work are Dramalang's Five Cs, which the founders see as fundamental to thriving in our modern and globalised society: communication, creativity, culture, confidence and collaboration. They explain that these values offer a holistic approach to education, ensuring that learners are equipped with skills beyond academic qualifications. In today's competitive and fast-paced world, in which having a formal education is no longer an automatic precursor to a job, this seems more relevant than ever.
Confidence building
In his teaching practice, Mees has implemented the Dramalang techniques, seeing improvements in his students’ ability to retain and recall language. These techniques are led by the Five C's and form six practical methods of drama that help engage learners: Song, mime, improvisation, learning games, expression and stagecraft – making up the Dramalang SMILES method.
While the theory appears sound, drama does not come naturally to everyone. ‘With learners who are self-conscious or nervous, it's important to build their confidence gradually, as a lack of confidence can prevent [them] from wanting to communicate through fear of making a mistake.’ Bullen and Mees encourage a classroom culture in which mistakes are accepted, examined and corrected, while small steps are celebrated.
Finally, what can teachers do in their classrooms on a day to day basis to foster the Five C's and engage with performative techniques? ‘Always be creative, imaginative and open to new ideas – encourage your learners to do the same.’
The Dramalang team have written a KS2 Scheme of Work for this issue of Drama & Theatre, turn to page 64 to find out more.