Westminster-Kingsway College

College ESOL learners participate in drama project at the Hampstead Theatre in North London

Adult learners from Westminster Kingsway College have taken part in a 10 week educational drama project with the prestigious Hampstead Theatre in North London. The adult learners are all studying ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) courses at the College’s Soho Centre.

The theatre project was designed to help learners improve their communication skills and overall confidence as well as improving vocal strength and fluency, and analysing body language. Learners devised six stories, written by the ESOL learners themselves, and then worked with a playwright to adapt the stories into six short plays. The ESOL group worked with two theatre actors from the Hampstead Theatre to rehearse these plays and to understand the language they used. The project culminated in a special performance at the Hampstead Theatre – where the ESOL learners gave a live performance in the theatre workshop with sound and lighting effects in front of a specially invited audience of other ESOL students and teachers from the College.

Many of the ESOL learners were pleased to have been part of the theatre project as it had developed their confidence, communications skills and vocabulary.

ESOL learner Michele Iovino from Italy said: "I really enjoyed this project as reading the plays was great to practice my English. My pronunciation has also improved."

Joao Delgado from Brazil said: "When I first heard about this project I didn’t think it would help us but now that I have done it I am really happy. I am more confident and have learnt about grammar – past, present and future. I speak better in class and have learnt a lot from the teachers."

Ana Delgado from Spain said: "I really enjoyed the theatre class as it was not only speaking. We learnt about body language and visual communication. You learn from the class and it is nice to play another personality. You also learn to listen in English which is very important."

College ESOL Lecturer Octavia Haure said "This project at the Hampstead Theatre was hugely beneficial to our ESOL learners at Westminster Kingsway College and we are very grateful for the support of the theatre and their education team. The objective of the activity was to continue to develop the ESOL learners speaking skills in English and watching the performances today, I think that this has been a resounding success. The scripts were challenging and reflected the learners’ real-life experiences."