UCLA

This study examined the use of improvisational theater (improv) to assist newcomer English-learner (EL) students with language acquisition. The study was conducted in a high school in a large, urban school district located in southern California. Throughout a 6-week intervention of 45-minute weekly improv classes, 11 students engaged in spontaneous listening and speaking activities over Zoom (during the COVID-19 pandemic). Participants reflected on their experiences through daily journals that focused on feelings of comfort and anxiety as well as engagement. To capture engagement and participation data, the study also included observations and field notes. Finally, 10 of the student participants engaged in exit interviews of roughly 25 minutes each. Stories emerged that suggest some interesting findings about how EL students experience improv activities. Most students felt they were “part of a team” when they played improv games, and many felt more comfortable volunteering to participate after watching more advanced peers play a game first. The current study’s author calls for further research into improv’s use with Long-Term English Learners (LTELs), students who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH), students with autism and other unique student populations. In addition to further research, the current study also suggests that partnerships between improv training centers and public school districts may have beneficial outcomes for Newcomer ELs and other unique student populations.