The effect of using drama on improving preparatory year students' oral proficiency at al-Imam Muhammad Ibn Saud Islamic University

Abstract EN

This study aims at investigating the effect of using drama as a teaching technique on improving the oral proficiency of the preparatory year students in the applied sciences stream at Al-Imam Muhammad Bin Saud Islamic university.

The sample of the study consists of 42 male preparatory year students distributed in two sections, one constituted the experimental group, and the other constituted the control group.

A pre-post test was used to measure the oral proficiency of the two groups.

The experiment took place during the first semester of the academic year 2011/ 2012.

In order to answer the question of the study, the researchers used the Oral Interview test as an eliciting tool.

The interview was scored according to an oral assessment criteria designed by the researcher, based on the Foreign Service Institute Oral Interview (FSI) (Oiler, 1979).

After going through the dramatization and improvisation techniques, the two groups were post tested using the same oral proficiency test.

The means of the pre and post tests for the two groups were calculated.

A t-test was applied to analyze the results of the subjects on the pre¬test and post-test at the level of significance (Q= 0.05).

The findings of the study revealed statistical significant differences in the oral proficiency favoring the experimental group who was taught according to dramatization and improvisation techniques based on dialogue formats.

In the light of these findings, the researchers presented some conclusions and recommendations.