Page 92 - Diversity in Action

Lorena Lazarić and Kristina Riman

cludes an introduction to the dramatic world, plot development, and reflec-
tion, adapted to the learners’ age. For younger children, the introduction can
includeastory,asong,orvisualaidslikepictures,whileforprimaryeducation
pupils, the introduction can involve a group discussion or a short video. Plot
development includes short, playful episodes for younger children that en-
couragelinguisticinteraction andcollaboration,andmorecomplex episodes
for older children that involve decision-making and problem-solving. Reflec-
tion is key for both groups: for younger children, it is conducted through sim-
ple discussions or creative tasks like drawing, while for older children, it in-
cludes structured discussions, written assignments, or creative activities like
making posters, where learners connect their experience with linguistic and
cultural learning.
Practical tools for teachers include picture cards with universal symbols
and audio recordings with phrases or songs in multiple languages for youn-
ger children, and illustrations, videos, and prepared scripts with more ad-
vanced expressions for older children, along with interactive materials like
cards with questions that encourage reflection. These steps make process
drama a powerful tool for enhancing plurilingualism and multiculturalism,
enabling teachers to easily integrate linguistic and cultural diversity into ed-
ucation,preparingchildren foradaptabilityandinterculturalcommunication
in diverse communities.

Examples of Process Drama Implementation
Example 1: Planning a Process Drama Activity for Children of Early and
Preschool Age
Following the steps from the previous section, here is a concrete example of
planning a process drama activity for children of early and preschool age (3–
6/7 years). This activity, titled World Friendship Day, is focused on introducing
multilingualism and multiculturalism through a playful exploration of greet-
ings and friendship customs from different cultures. The activity is designed
to be simple, engaging, and adapted to the children’s developmental level,
fostering spontaneous language acquisition and the development of empa-
thytowardsculturaldiversity(Kao&O’Neill,1998).Thedurationoftheactivity
is 30–45 minutes, and it can be conducted in a group of 10–15 children with
the help of a teacher or educator.

1. Selectingatheme. The theme WorldFriendshipDay was chosen because
it is close to children’s experiences (friendship, play) and allows for the
introduction of multiple languages and cultural elements in a playful

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