Process Drama and Additional Language Teaching: Reflections on the Dante Alighieri Immersion Weekends

Abstract

This article considers process drama as a medium for teaching additional languages (AL). The Immersion Weekend is an intensive workshop of Italian organised by the Dante Alighieri Society. Traditionally, it featured a themed workshop where students created and performed theatre sketches. In 2008 and in 2009, I was asked to redesign the format of this event, using process drama to train the ten teaching staff and facilitate the workshop with 50 students. In this article, I reflect on the experience of training, designing and facilitating the dramas. I analyse the strengths and weaknesses of each workshop and reflect on three key features of AL process drama: the importance of an educational focus with intercultural potential, the value of a visual pre-text and process vs product-oriented language. In describing these issues, I reflect on the needs of AL teachers new to process drama, in terms of teacher training and support. My reflections point to the importance of the artistry of drama teaching in order to embrace the medium.