Empowering, inspiring, transformative and fun are words that come to mind when thinking about the Language in Context 3 week online course facilitated by the very gifted and talented Jodie Whitehurst.

The peaks of heightened aesthetic and whole body engagement Jodie Whitehurst created online was expertly facilitated to explore the what and why of language learning by using the conventions of drama as a conduit for imagination, creativity, safety, fun, confidence building and cooperative/collaborative learning.

The power of storytelling not only comes alive in process drama to learn language, but the collaborative learning is at the heart of our humanity and communication. Whilst now I have strengthened these skills myself, with the support of Jodie and her resources, I miss the online sessions with Jodie. However, I am now equipped to be the facilitator of learning with my own students using the power of process drama to empower language learning.

Jodie is an amazing facilitator!
The Process drama workshop was very engaging and hands-on. There were lots of opportunities for participants to do process drama throughout the course alongside explanation of the purpose of the strategies.

My initial self-consciousness was alleviated by seeing other participants involve themselves fully. The energy was contagious. This was important since as a teacher, I could understand how the students might feel when we use process drama for the first time.

I was fortunate enough to take part in the Dramatically Grammatical workshop in January. It was one of the best professional development sessions I’ve taken part in. So interactive and engaging and I walked away with a stack of resources and ideas to energise my teaching practices. Cannot recommend more highly and can’t wait to do more professional learning with The Language Scene in the future!

Jodie’s workshop is fun and enlightening. Teachers learn practical drama techniques to use in face to face and online teaching. The easy to apply activities create a student-centred and contextualised learning environment, that has great scope to enhance fluency and confidence in language learners of all levels.

Jodie creates such a welcoming, inclusive, non-threatening space in which to creatively play with, and embody language. English language concepts sink in deeper this way, through play, not effort. So much more effective than just more words on a page.

It was so much fun to learn through playing a role with others and creative problem-solving. I tried it out with my students online and it was so beneficial for them to get out of their seats, deeper into their imaginations and bodies.

Jodie’s workshops are very energetic, refreshing and engaging! The ideas are relevant for all EAL classes, both online and face to face. The drama activities can be used on a daily basis and incorporated into each lesson. They provide students with creative opportunities to express themselves confidently in English.

“A fantastic workshop! Jodie has a wonderful and warm presence in her delivery. The activities were fun, engaging and created a good deal of spontaneity and improvisation. It gave me more confidence and ideas to use with my students in class. Thank you for the experience Jodie! “

“Jodie’s workshop was fun and practical. I was more energised afterward than I am in regular workshops. This one gave me tools which I was able to implement straight away – and I did, to the delight of my students. When everyone stood up in front of their computer screens it made it feel like a regular face to face class again, in a small way!”

“After having participated in Jodie’s 90 minute workshop I would very highly recommend it to any EAL teacher. Jodie is enthusiastic, warm and competent and has devised an action packed workshop with plenty of practical activities to use in classes. This method taps into the inherent emotional and physical aspects of communication and encourages uninhibited involvement and connection between classmates. I am excited about the possibilities I can see now. Plus- it’s so much fun, and we all need that!! Do yourself a favour and book in to the workshop when you can!!”

“What an incredible workshop! Jodie brought language teaching to LIFE! Jodie shared her expertise and experience and at the same time engaged all the participants throughout the workshop with lots of practical tips and exercises. A wonderful experience. Something I would highly recommend if you want to enhance your teaching practice.”

“The energy and enjoyment of teaching that Jodie presented to us from the very first moment was so affirming. Suddenly I was in a place where everyone was positive, open, excited and stimulated (something that is very rarely felt these days in EAL). Immediately we were drawn into her classroom and enthusiasm and reminded of why we teach. We were given a chance to think about our practice, not our paperwork, to explore and try new things that, dare I say, might even take us away from compliance for a while and give us a space just to contemplate our practice. It gave us a much-needed chance for renewal”. *

“Jodie took me on a fun and mind-opening journey exploring language teaching through drama. Although I don’t know much about drama, through her sessions I not only got to see the immense benefits of drama pedagogy in language classrooms, but also realise the multiple possibilities drama can open up for students. I can’t wait to try it with my own students.”

“Jodie’s workshop for DUELI Deakin was a wonderful addition to our professional development day program.  The workshop was engaging and energising, and gave us all some great ideas for how to work with students through drama.  Teachers enjoyed it so much that there were requests for more!”

“Jodie’s 3 hour workshop was wonderful. The room was choc a bloc with teachers so keen to engage in activities that used the body, the emotions and the senses and were immediately transferable to our language classrooms. The 3 hours passed too quickly and my only regret was that we didn’t have a follow up session. These techniques need to be incorporated into every EAL teacher’s bag of tools. Well done Jodie!”

“I attended Jodie’s drama for teachers workshop and got so much out of it. I saw how people really came alive when they were given an opportunity to play a role outside of themselves, and that their personalities really came out as well. It was an exercise in strength based teaching that I can’t wait to apply to my classroom.

The VALBEC committee was so thrilled with the feedback from Jodie’s workshop, Drama for EAL teachers. All attendees were very positive about the new skills they gained – Jodie’s energy was infectious and had everyone up and participating with gusto.”

“It is with great fortune that I have attended two professional learning sessions presented by the inspirational and talented Jodie Whitehurst. Jodie has developed a range of drama-based techniques to teach oral language skills to EAL adult learners. Her innovative and collaborative approach is immediately useful in the classroom setting and provides authentic, energising, and empowering activities to encourage risk-taking and full participation of learners.

Jodie was awarded an ISSI Fellowship to observe best practice drama techniques for adult EAL learners. She presents her learnings in a highly engaging presentation, inspiring teachers to focus on these important linguistic skills in new and creative ways.”