DRAMA SKILLS IN EFL SPEAKING INTONATION PRACTICES

A significant part of speaking English as a foreign language involves the ability to use it as a means to interact and communicate with others. However, many EFL students tend to think that connecting words to form sentences is enough to speak English. The reality is that intonation and articulation are equally important factors to this dimension of the language, given the fact that English has a variety of intonations depending on the type of oral expression form that is used. Additionally, spoken English is not meant to sound plain; to avoid this, it is often required to exaggerate or ‘act’ to achieve certain intonation. The objective of this study was to determine the role that certain drama skills play when certain register requires a particular kind of intonation. In this study, six different speaking exercises were done, each one requiring a specific intonation; these included the reading of texts, the impersonation of characters and the singing of karaoke-style songs. The results, following the reflection process made at the end of each one of the exercises, evidence the usefulness of drama skills to achieve a greater awareness of intonation and articulation in speaking practices.

Adolfo Camilo Gómez Márquez

Drama skills in EFL speaking intonation practices.pptx