Advantages of extracurricular drama activities in foreign language teaching

Abstract

Culture is a very valuable part of society. The study of a foreign language not only teaches the language itself, but it also introduces information on another culture, moral values and attitudes. Improving the quality of foreign language education is important. Demanding course content, low proficiency and foreign language learning anxiety discourage students from learning. Difficulty in communicating in the target language reduces their self-confidence. The use of drama could be one of the possible means to increase motivation and self-esteem and to improve foreign language skills and cultural awareness. The authors share their experience in using drama in extracurricular activities with students studying English as a foreign language at the Institute of Non-Destructive Testing, National Research Tomsk Polytechnic University.