Playing with Shakespeare's Language

Shakespeare! Oh, how we teachers love wooing our students with the witty prose and complex language whispered between Romeo and Juliet. We delight in casting the leads and watching as our students stumble through a language that means absolutely nothing to them. I personally love Shakespeare for a variety of reasons. I also feel that Shakespeare's works can be introduced to children as young as five, and that waiting until high school to expose students to this type of complex language is a disservice.

Giving Students Comprehensible Input

Stephen Krashen is well known in the educational community for his theories on language acquisition, which provide ELL students a successful way to learn English as a second language. The key to Krashen’s theory is called comprehensible input: the idea that language is arbitrary, and has no meaning unless meaning is assigned to it. This is true when we are referring to any language (Old English, Spanish, German). Unless a person understands what is being said, the words mean nothing. With this in mind, teachers need to provide something to help students understand the meaning of the spoken language for the learner who is hearing it. For example, if I look my ELL student in the eye and say, “Wash your hands," they will become uncomfortable and confused. If I say, “Wash your hands,” and then gesture the hand washing process at the same time, the ELL student will have a context for the words and be able to extrapolate a loose meaning through deductive reasoning. Now, let’s talk about how using comprehensible input can help elementary-aged students understand Shakespeare's language.

Shakespeare in the Elementary School Classroom

Shakespeare is speaking in a foreign language as far as elementary school students are concerned. His works should be taught by giving students the tools to help them contextualize the language and extrapolate meaning. I have done this; it takes time, a lot of preparation, and is not easy in a large class setting. That being said, students can learn to understand Shakespeare's language using realia and comprehensible input. I enjoy using Barbie and her plastic companions to provide insight into Shakespeare and his works.

Enjoying a "Midsummer Night's Dream"

"A Midsummer Night's Dream" is a hilarious, beautiful and fun play to act out with young students. I would suggest procuring an abridged version of the play that contains slightly less arduous language. Have your students bring in a Barbie, or other types of doll-like figures, and tell them that they are going to put on a play. Give students some background on Shakespeare, discuss the play they will be putting on, and preview the vocabulary. You can then hold a casting session and have students choose which doll would be best in each part.

Then you can work through the play with your students, read the language of Shakespeare, help them comprehend it by directing them to direct their dolls, excite them to a whole new world of understanding, and inspire them to read by allowing them to enjoy the art of language. There is nothing better than hearing a child laugh when they see Barbie asleep as Titania and GI Joe creep up behind her as Puck; not only is it rewarding academically, it also builds a strong classroom community.

The Value of Providing Comprehensible Input

In short, we can engage our students in challenging and rigorous content if we use comprehensible input and innovative modes of content delivery. Whether we are  teaching our students about Shakespeare or square roots, our students are capable of amazing things, sometimes it just takes a while to facilitate complete and full understanding. Choosing to teach elementary school students about Shakespeare’s works is the same as choosing whether or not to use manipulatives when teaching math. True, it is beneficial to use these tools, and it may help students have a deeper understanding of the curriculum, but it takes extra time that may not be available or worth giving up.  I implore you, however, to take the time to engage in structured and meaningful play, it’s worth every second. Here are some additional lessons you may find interesting.

Providing Comprehensible Input:

Phonics: Reader's Theater

This lesson first previews phonic expectancies and then has students engage in a reader's theater session to aid in overall text comprehension.

Reader's Theater with a Twist

This lesson has students read a story, act it out, and then use their critical and creative thinking skills to make an original movie based on their reader's theater experience.

Reader's Theater King Lear and the Language of Gesture

This lesson emphasizes contextual understanding through group interpretation. Students read a passage from King Lear, put together a short play focusing on using movement to convey meaning, and then put on a performance for their peers.