Reading Drama in the EFL Classroom : An Analysis of the Potentials in Using Drama in the Swedish EFL Classroom

Abstract: This study aims to examine the potential of reading dramatic scripts in the Swedish EFL classroom, using the play Top Girls by Carol Churchill as an example. In particular, it focuses on how literary theory and different aspects of feminism can be taught through the use of the play. The study is conducted through a textual analysis of the play’s main characters and the Swedish National Syllabus. The results show that there is a great potential in working with dramatic literature in the EFL classrooms. Using drama is effective in the way it covers several aspects of the core content of English in upper secondary school, and may be used to develop language skills, cultural understanding and critical thinking. The play contains complex ideas about different types of feminism, and the two main characters Joyce and Marlene represent two ways of striving for equality between men and women. These ideas are, in other words, represented by and embodied in the two main characters, which could make the ideas easier for students to understand.