The March Hare Café: Educational play

Abstract

‘The March Hare Café’ is an educational play designed for adult foreign language learning at level C1 of the Common European Reference Framework for Languages with a focus on Language for Specific Purposes (LSP). What makes a play educational? The educational play is like a drama play in all respects except for two – for one, it has a learning focus, and, two, it has a soul to empathise with. The educational play, as a representative of the Educational Theatre tradition, opens up a space for creativity, trust, and empathy. Educational Theatre or Educational Drama is a method, a medium, and a subject. In foreign language teaching, Educational Drama can be used as a powerful communicative approach to Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL), especially relevant in the context of Language for Specific Purposes (LSP) learning and teaching.

The book also contains Language Practice Activities based on the educational play, with a focus on vocabulary, grammar, speaking and writing skills for classroom or self-study use.
In addition to English for Specific Purposes (ESP), the play may be implemented in different subjects—legal and business terminology, business communication, marketing studies, contextual studies, discourse analysis, psychology, philosophy, cognitive sciences, stylistics, and law, among others. It offers a suitable basis for discussing related topics, brainstorming, and sharing experiences professionally in a formal-informal context.