Elis, Franziska: Playfully Moving Towards Each Other: the Potential of Drama Methods to Faciliate the Transition from Primary to Secondary School in the English Language Classroom

The transition from the 4th to the 5th grade is often a very dramatic experience for pupils, also concerning the English language classroom. They are confronted, for instance, with a stronger focus on written language use and grammar as well as explicit vocabulary work and they experience a sudden break in the way the foreign language classroom is methodically designed. This thesis attempts to find ways to transform this break into continuity by suggesting the use of drama methods as an integral part of teaching in both types of school. Key interests in this are the following: How to keep up students’ pleasure in learning and their motivation? How do drama methods contribute to learning progresses? Can artistic-playful approaches in the English language classroom in secondary schools improve the measurability of students’ achievements?