Theater Activities

Contributions to the pragmatic development in children’s language

Abstract

Introduction: The process of acquisition and development of language skills occurs from the interaction between neurobiological and environmental aspects. Scholars believe that theater, being an art that stimulates the most varied expressions, favors this process. Objective: To investigate the influence of theater activities on children’s linguistic development at the pragmatic level of language. Methods: Observation of ten students of a private school located in São José - Santa Catarina, aged between five and seven years old, organized in a research group (GP) and a comparative group (CG). The research was conducted in three phases: evaluation, intervention and reassessment. In the first phase, which took place at the beginning of the school year, both groups were subjected to a pragmatic evaluation through the Children’s Language Test - ABFW - part D. The intervention phase, during which the GP students participated in drama classes, was implemented throughout the course of the school year. At the end of the school year, in the third phase of the research, both groups were evaluated with the same methodological rigor applied in the first stage. Results: It was found that GP students exhibited better performance in the linguistic competence in the post-intervention period when compared to the CG students. Conclusion: Drama classes can stimulate pragmatic skills and children’s language development.