Utilizing drama has long been an innovative and dynamic concept as a part of a communicative approach in English classrooms around the world. Teaching languages through drama offers many beneficial opportunities for learners. Nevertheless, traditional methods are still the widely held teaching structures across the globe, which results in an increase in the number of demotivated learners who often hate and fear to practice one of the challenging skills when learning a foreign language- speaking- as it is a productive language skill. Not only do the traditional methods bring negative emotional and psychological outcomes, but it also causes a gradual slowdown in the language acquisition process. The aim of this study was to exclude these problems and to provide a learner–centered atmosphere. This study is intended to gain insights, analyze and better understand the use of script-based and improvisational drama to develop oral proficiency by taking student motivation and attitudes into consideration. The study addressed the following questions: 1) What are learners’ motivations and attitudes toward developing speaking skills before the intervention and after the intervention?; 2) What unique roles do the script-based versus improvisational drama play in fostering learners’ development of oral proficiency?; 3) What are the participants’ reactions to script-based and improvisational drama instructional techniques before and after the intervention?; and 4) How do they make sense of their oral proficiency gains as they reflect on the experience of participating in the creative dramatic activity? In order to investigate these questions, 2 sessions of script-based and 2 sessions of improvisational drama, total of 4 sessions of drama intervention were offered to learners, and the researcher conducted interviews, video recordings, and field observations and notes throughout the intervention. Findings indicated that script-based and improvisational drama helped learners improve their oral proficiency, decrease their negative motivations, reduce their stress, anxiety and shyness levels, and increase their positive motivations. This study contributes to our understanding of the role of script-based and improvisational drama in language learning process.

Deutschlandweit nehmen die Schulen zahlenmäßig von Jahr zu Jahr zu, die ein bilinguales Angebot z.B. als Zweig oder als Modul in ihr Unterrichtsprogramm aufnehmen. Die meisten Angebote sind in englischer Sprache, aber auch andere – vor allem europäische Sprachen – spielen eine Rolle. Mittlerweile gibt es bilinguale Angebote in fast allen Fächern, wobei die gesellschaftswissenschaftlichen Fächer wie z.B. Geschichte und Geographie nach wie vor dominieren. Überraschenderweise spielt das Fach Darstellendes Spiel in der Diskussion um potenziell geeignete bilinguale Fächer weder in der Theorie noch in der Praxis eine nennenswerte Rolle. Mit der Wahl dieses Themas für die vorliegende Dissertationsschrift wird der bilinguale Sachfachunterricht Darstellendes Spiel erstmals in das Blickfeld der Forschung gerückt. Damit werden sowohl dem Sachfach als auch dem bilingualen Unterricht neue Perspektiven eröffnet. In der vorliegenden Dissertation wird folgenden übergeordneten Fragestellungen nachgegangen: Wie kann das bilinguale Sachfach Darstellendes Spiel für die Sekundarstufen I und II der allgemeinbildenden Schulen konzipiert werden? Worin liegt das besondere Potenzial des bilingualen Sachfachunterrichts Darstellendes Spiel? Welches sind seine spezifischen Merkmale? Dabei soll aufgezeigt werden, wo und in welchem Maße der Einsatz der Fremdsprache die sachfachliche Arbeit positiv oder negativ beeinflusst bzw. welche Auswirkungen der Unterricht im Sachfach auf den Fremdsprachenerwerb hat. Zur Beantwortung dieser Fragen wurde eine Auswahl existierender Ansätze zum szenischen Spiel im Fremdsprachunterricht unter Einbeziehung allgemeiner Überlegungen zur Funktion von Theaterspiel analysiert und zu den Besonderheiten des bilingualen Sachfachunterrichts in Beziehung gesetzt. Das auf dieser Basis erstellte Konzept wird in seinen vielfältigen Potenzialen analysiert und ausgelotet und mit Hilfe eines Praxisbeispiels in englischer Sprache veranschaulicht. / The number of schools in Germany which offer to teach one or more subjects in a foreign language (content and language integrated learning = CLIL) is still growing. The subjects often chosen for this type of instruction are Geography and History. Other subjects are less frequently taught in a foreign language. The courses vary in length (a number of school years or only some weeks). Drama is very rarely chosen as a CLIL-subject, and there are hardly any reports of successful teaching of or scientific literature about CLIL Drama. This thesis puts CLIL Drama for the first time in the centre of scientific research, thus opening new prospects for Drama and CLIL. The main questions this thesis attempts to answer are the following: What could a concept for CLIL Drama look like for pupils at state schools aged between 13 and 18? How can the potential value added of CLIL Drama be described? What are its key features? This thesis also points to the advantages and disadvantages of CLIL Drama. In the search for an answer to the above questions the author has analysed existing approaches to teaching a foreign language (mainly English, but also German and French) with the help of drama, including the current German discussion about bilingual teaching at state schools. Furthermore, the author presents an alternative look into what theatre is about in this context. On the basis of the results of her research the author draws up a broad concept for CLIL Drama at German secondary schools. The thesis concludes with an illustration of a CLIL Drama project (in English) launched among 14-year-olds at a German gymnasium.