Process drama as a dynamic method for a deeper understanding of Chinese culture: An exploration with students learning Chinese as a foreign language

Abstract

As the international exchange and cooperation opportunities are increasing，it is important to promote cultural understanding and exchange between people from different cultural backgrounds. Especially, stimulating cross-cultural understanding and exchange into ordinary education could enrich students’ horizon and insight for the world, and facilitate their knowledge about history and cultural diversity. Under this background, this thesis conducts a research about how process drama can contribute to a deeper understanding of Chinese culture for Chinese learners. Process drama is structured and developed in the same way that dramatic worlds occur in theater, and participants in the creation of these worlds can be intrinsically satisfying, educationally worthwhile, and dramatically significant (O’Neill, 1995, p. XX). In this research, the researcher has studied both theoretically and practically. The researcher focuses on finding the significant connections between process drama and intercultural understanding. A deep understanding requires the students to have the capacity to confront the complexities of a subject, solve real problems, and create further contemplation. This research presents that the application and the purpose of process drama could be according with stimulating a deep understanding of culture. The finding of the research suggests that: The episodic form of process drama involves different drama strategies and conventions could provide multiple perspectives for the participants to view the subject comprehensively. Meanwhile, process drama also provides an opportunity for the participants to explore and contemplate the motivation of the behaviors that could benefit the intercultural awareness. Moreover, role play as an indispensable part of process drama could also promote an internal emotional engagement that could assist a deeper understanding of Chinese culture.