Archive | Artistic Voice

Learning in the arts allows ELL students to use English in an authentic context that holds personal meaning for them because it:

• Lowers the affective filter (Krashen, 2003). Working in the performing arts is intrinsically collaborative and does not privilege language over other ways of knowing. Students engage in the creative process and develop a personal stake in the outcome, which levels the field of participation and helps them take greater risks.

• Provides opportunities for authentic use of English. Language use becomes increasingly nuanced as students participate in self-generated conversations that are not facilitated by an adult and hold personal meaning for students collaborating in the creation of a work of art.

The videos in this section offer examples of strategies that help students make artistic choices and build an artistic voice.

19Q ocean dance 3

Creating a Culture of Collaboration through Small Group Work in Dance

The students in Jennifer Golonka’s dance class are beginning to choreograph in small groups. They invent movements and spatial pathways using language to negotiate and problem solve as they work. The dance-making provides an authentic opportunity for the students to communicate, and the supportive collaboration provides a safe space to try something new.

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