THE ROLE OF DRAMA IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF COMMUNICATIVE COMPETENCE AMONG PRIMARY SCHOOL PUPILS IN NAKURU MUNICIPALITY, KENYA

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CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION AND CONTEXT OF STUDY

1.1 Introduction

This chapterprovides a background that is important in understanding the entire thesis. It discusses the background of the study, states thestudyproblem, gives the purpose of the study, outlines the objectives, raises  the  research  questions,provides the justification,scope, limitations and assumptions  of  the study, outlines the theoretical and conceptual framework and finally gives the definitions of operational terms.

Background of the Study

  1. Importance of CommunicativeCompetence

Communicative competence refers to a language user‟s grammatical knowledge  of syntax, morphology, phonology as well as social knowledge about how to use utterances appropriately.This study was carried out against a background of the primary school English syllabus in Kenya. The curriculum has been designed to offer a variety of experiences that will lead to an all-round learner in terms of mental, social, physical and moral  development. This learner is supposed to have   a good mastery of the English language for effective communication. Effective communication enables one to convey thoughts, feelings and ideas successfully. Lack of effective communication skills is an impediment to one‟s personal development. According to Marie, 1997, many people do not get jobs despite

thefact that they are capable, hardworking, talented and even suitable for the job. One of the likely reasons is that one does not have effective communication skills. Oneisnot able to communicate effectively in front of the employer. Besides using appropriate words, effective communication entails the use of paralinguistic features such as body language and facial expressions.

In the corporate world, every job entails establishing many relationships that demand for particular communication skills. Therefore, it is very crucial for every individual to understand the importance of effective  communication  skills  and how they affect our lives. Effective communication is an essential skill for successful business and personal relationships. „Man is not an island‟, communication has the power to destroy or build relationships.

The ability to connect and build rapport with other people is  a foundation  life  skill, and should ideally, be actively developed from an early age. The earlier an individual acquires effective communication skills the better it is.

  1. Role of drama in communicative competence

Dramaisan activity where the participant portrays himself/herself in an imaginary situation providing an opportunity for the learner to listen, speak, read and write. Dramais consideredto have a positive impact on participants‟ communicative competence. It provides an opportunity for participants to learn the language as an enjoyable experience.

Mounkoro (2005) suggests that drama can be a very valuable tool to encourage participatory learning where effective communicative competencecan be acquired. People often hold back from saying things, for fear of losing favour or looking spiteful after making mistakes (Mounkoro, 2005). Drama gives an opportunity for actors

to share messages without having to worry about its implications. It helps people learn how to participate in open discussions without fear of  tempers  flaring.  Drama can provide a situation where ordinary people can feel at ease in sharing their true feelings, laying a basis for understanding their motivation and concerns.  It encourages children to use their imagination and creativity. In drama opportunities arise for role-play, expression of own identity and how each individual views the self, teamwork and story generation. Linguistically there are opportunities for descriptive language, storytelling, verbal prediction, giving directions, verbal negotiation, expression of feelings and emotions, use of abstract concepts and use of auditory and visual memory (Chatterton & Butler 1994). All these contribute towards the development of communication competence amongst learners.