Two new classes offered in 2007
ELI faculty developed two new course offerings in the regular program in 2007.
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| Drama class students with teacher Debra Darrell (center) at the close of their final performance |
Drama class reprised
“Ladies and Gentlemen, sit back and enjoy the show.”
Unlikely words before a final exam. Yet they were spoken before the final performance by students in a new class at ELI -- English through Drama.
There has always been plenty of drama at ELI, but this past January a formal class using drama as a means for learning and improving spoken English returned to the regular program after a long hiatus. Taught by Debra Darrell, the course is based on the approach developed by Dr. Scott Stevens and used successfully in the International Teaching Assistant program since 1986.
“Many experts in the field believe drama is a great way to develop confidence in speaking along with improving the ability to communicate accurately, clearly and easily,” said Darrell.
Unique features of the class are the relaxation and physical warm-up activities that begin each day, the voice warm-ups and improvisational activities that follow and the performance activities, which can take a variety of forms. One popular activity has been the storytelling and story sharing at Newark Center for Creative Learning, a local elementary and middle school. The drama students shared tales from their cultures in story theater format and were then treated to stories offered by the young students of the school.
The climax of the class has been the Daystar Drama Performance which consists of short plays, original skits, poetry, singing and lots of humor. “We all worked together and created something really good,” said one student actor. • DD
English as an International Language
What happens when Chinese, Turkish
and Brazilian business executives meet with their clients in France? The
answer, of course, is that they all speak English. This unprecedented phenomenon
of English becoming an international lingua franca is now being explored
in a new ELI listening/speaking class, English as an International Language.
Developed and taught by Assistant Professor Grant Wolf, the class offers
advanced students the opportunity to more fully develop their skills in international
communication.
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| Students studying English as an International Language held a travel fair to "sell" international tours they planned to prospective "customers" (visiting students from three other classes). |
“These students are entering a world where they will function more and more as international citizens, with English as the key element allowing them to do so,” said Wolf.
Class activities include extensive listening to the various world dialects of English (British, Australian, Indian, Irish, etc.), increasing awareness of culturally different communication styles, developing crosscultural negotiation strategies and researching fields in which English is now widely used for international communication, such as tourism, NGOs, the Internet and the United Nations. • GW