Tellers, Makers, and Holders of Stories: A Micro-Analytic Understanding of Students’ Identity Work in Drama-based Adult ESL Classrooms

Despite a wide-spread pedagogical interest and scholarly conviction in the possibilities of educational drama for creating more contextually-situated, engaging, multi-modal L2 learning experiences (Piazzoli, 2018; Stinson & Winston, 2011), there is scarce empirical evidence concerning what actually taking place interactionally classrooms adults. This article presents bottom-up microanalysis classroom interaction an ESL class Canada with over 16 adult learners designed to explore potential actual impact on discourse students’ experiences. Using analytic approach (Antaki Widdicombe, 1998; Goffman, 1981), I analyze dynamic identity work participants. The empirically-grounded research findings that illustrate instances through which drama-based pedagogy contributes development dialogic democratic fosters transformative empowering interpersonal space (Cummins, 2011).