PASAA
Publication Date
1989-01-01
Abstract
William Shakespeare was clearly aware of the role language plays as we pass through his seven ages from childhood to adulthood. While there is some overlap of language between and among the roles we manifest as we mature, there is a core of language common to all speech acts. Part of L1 proficiency involves learning the sociolinguistic rules as well as the language per se. Little direct instruction is given to children as they learn their cradle tongues, yet they learn. Not all children learn the same linguistic roles because the ones they do learn are a function of their station in life. The roles we learn to play on the world's stage are communicative roles—language used for a purpose, and roles differ in their complexity and seriousness of purpose. The use of drama addresses the question of ways to help L2 learners use their L1 knowledge and skills as they learn an L2. It recognizes that L1 native speakers are already skilled users of a language and that they do not approach the learning of a second with a linguistic tabula rasa. Much of language is learned without direct instruction using the context in which the language is used as a model from which to extract the rules of usage. These context-rich situations are not normally available to the L2 learner. Therefore, the classroom serves as the place for most L2 learning and the argument is made that this environment should be as stress-free and as communicative as possible. Drama helps reduce the fear factor in L2 learning if appropriate context-rich materials are used. From this "data" learners can learn ways of using their L2 in a variety of social situations. Successful actors use language in ways that are believable to their audiences. It is argued that L2 "actors" be afforded the opportunity to do likewise.
DOI
10.58837/CHULA.PASAA.19.2.3
First Page
27
Last Page
32
Recommended Citation
Plaister, Ted and Via, Richard A.
(1989)
"All the World's a Stage,"
PASAA: Vol. 19:
Iss.
2, Article 4.
DOI: 10.58837/CHULA.PASAA.19.2.3
Available at:
https://digital.car.chula.ac.th/pasaa/vol19/iss2/4