School Drama: Using drama for oracy in an EAL/D classroom
Olivia McAtamney
Sydney School of Education and Social Work, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
‘Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn’. – Benjamin Franklin
Summary
This article by Olivia McAtamney explores how drama-based pedagogy can enhance oracy skills in English as an Additional Language or Dialect (EAL/D) students, particularly those from refugee backgrounds. Drawing on a qualitative case study of the School Drama™ program—an initiative by the Sydney Theatre Company and University of Sydney—the study examines its implementation in a western Sydney Intensive English Centre. Through drama-infused lessons, students showed notable improvements in vocabulary, creativity, and confidence. Despite behavioral and structural challenges, the program proved effective in supporting language development and student engagement in a collaborative, imaginative, and supportive learning environment.
