Drama activities to create a positive language learning environment in higher education

Abstract

In Freedom to learn, Rogers (1969) presents the results of studies that shed light on the positive effects of teachers' empathy on learning environments. Rogers explains that in providing a positive learning environment by being emotionally involved, teachers invite their students to learn better and be more motivated. The empathetic attitude of teachers is one of the conditions that motivates students, but it is not enough (Viau, 2009). Relying on the neuroscientific enaction paradigm (Varela, 1993; 1996), Aden (2017) studies the pedagogical value of drama in language learning and shows how emotions, body and mind all contribute to language acquisition through the emergence of empathy among the participants. Further research on the cognitive development of language learners in higher education shows that drama facilitates the development of linguistic and general competences. In this paper, we aim to demonstrate how, from psychological and neuroscientific standpoints, drama activities can create positive language learning environments and facilitate learning.