Writing Within the Drama Worlds:The Influence of Drama on Children’s Chinese Writing Process

• Main Authors: Kai-yin Loh, 盧嘉艷
• Other Authors: Li-yu Chang
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2012
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/3g6z76

碩士 === 國立臺南大學 === 戲劇創作與應用學系碩士班 === 100 === This research aims to examine the course implementation of integrating drama into the Chinese writing process of Primary Three students in Singapore. It studies too the students’ behavior in learning and the impact produced by these lessons. This study adopts action research methodology, and details the course implementation using narrative inquiry. The research target was a group of 30 Primary Three students from Singapore. The course was divided into three cycles, implemented over a period of 10 weeks. Each cycle was designed to use children’s stories like “Where the Wild Things Are”, ” The Selfish Giant” and “The True Story of the Three Little Pigs” as a pretext. Helping students to build up writing source material and vocabulary were the main teaching aim in each cycle. At the same time, it provides students with opportunities to create writings of different text forms and lengths, and to share them in various ways. The students’ writings include journal entries, letters, comics, mini story books, captions, announcements and notices. The forms of sharing these writings were class/small group appreciation, exhibit displays and sharing circle. Teacher-in-role/student-in-role, freeze frame, thought tracking, interviews and meetings were the main drama conventions adopted in this course. The research findings show that in the students’ learning process, drama and writing complemented each other, helping to establish a writing purpose and a sense of authenticity. Not only did drama effectively integrate into the writing framework, combining both allowed students to complete their works in a progressive manner. Through the process, students demonstrated their individual creativity in writing contents which were rich and varied. Apart from enhancing their imagination, confidence and interests in writing, students recognized that “writing is not frightening”, “writing can be fun” and “writing is closely related to daily life.” Both students and parents alike expressed that drama was a “live” medium for learning, helpful in developing the imagination and growing the vocabulary. It created a fun-filled, relaxed environment, and built up motivation and joy for learning. Through this course of learning, students became spontaneous, self-directed, and active meaning-makers.