The Act of Transitions: Exploring Cultural Aptitude Through Drama for Language Development

The use of drama pedagogies in language education has fast become internationally recognised for its unique, synthesised approach to language learning. For this reason, the field has experienced large-scale growth, as evidenced by drama and non-drama specialists bringing applied and educational linguistics and drama together. This paper aims to interrogate drama's ability to develop context-driven learning in the language classroom and looks more deeply at the affective embodied dimensions of drama for language development as a precursor to cultural aptitude. Data collected from a targeted drama program in Australia is used to discern patterns establish findings which contribute to linguistic and non-linguistic outcomes. This study suggests that drama helped students become more communicatively competent within an Australian secondary schooling environment, assisted by the cultural aptitude and skill development embedded within the program. This paper goes on to argue that that cultural aptitudes and skills can be developed as a result of the intertwinement of linguistic and cultural skills within the affective interactional contexts created by drama.