Teachers will be trained to take full advantage of the wide range of theatre activities available to enhance ESL/EFL instruction for fluency, accuracy, and agency. Learning by doing, we'll engage in performance activities that can be used with all ages and levels. This workshop will provide clear instructions, language supports, and physical examples, where even the most timid or nonverbal language learners may forget inhibitions, take risks, and have fun in the target language.

Melisa Cahnmann-Taylor, a U.S. Fulbright Scholar Ambassador, is Professor of Language and Literacy Education at the University of Georgia. She’s authored five books addressing intersections between language education and the literary, visual and performing arts including one book of poems, Imperfect Tense, and her newest book, Enlivening Instruction with Drama and Improv. Supported by grants and prizes from the National Endowment for the Arts, Fulbright, and Beckman Award for Professors Who Inspire, her work narrates the heartache and joy of teaching and learning language. She lives in Athens, GA with her husband and two children and their rescue dog, Bagel.

About Kathleen McGovern

Dr. Kathleen McGovern, Assistant Professor of Literacy, Language & Culture at the University of Southern Maine, is co-author of the book, Enlivening Instruction with Drama and Improv: A Guide for Second Language and World Language Teachers. Dr. McGovern also serves as a TESOL Specialist with the U.S. Department of State, through which she recently developed and implemented a program for Iraqi and Kurdish university teachers of English, focused on student-centered approaches to language teaching online.