The Impact of a Drama-Based Instructional Program on the Speaking Performance of Jordanian EFL Learners

This study examines the effect of a drama-based role-play instructional program on the speaking performance of EFL Jordanian ninth-grade students. It aims to determine whether there are any statistically significant differences in students' speaking performance attributed to the drama-based instructional program (specifically, the role-play technique) in the post-test mean scores. A total of 40 participants were randomly assigned to two groups: the control group and the experimental group at That Rass Secondary School for Girls in the Southern Almazar Directorate of Education, Jordan, during the second semester of the academic year 2017-2018. For data collection, a pre/post speaking test and a rating scale were used. The collected data were analyzed using appropriate statistical measures such as One-Way ANCOVA. The results revealed that the drama-based role-play instructional program had a significant effect on the five skills of speaking performance (pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, fluency, and comprehension) in favor of the experimental group. The researchers recommended conducting training workshops on role-play and drama-based instructional programs for EFL teachers. Additionally, drama techniques should be infused into the speaking activities in textbooks.