ESOL students are introduced to the world of pantomime
20 January 2012
On Thursday 15th December, the ESOL team (English for those who speak other languages) invited travelling theatrical company ‘Theatre Presto' to perform a pantomime to ESOL students and staff at the College.
The aim was to introduce ESOL students to a very British, seasonal tradition and to raise their awareness of British culture and artistic expression (all with tongue firmly in cheek of course).
Lecturers who had previously seen the show thought ESOL students would benefit from the experience in many ways; the story of Snow White is widely known across various countries and it would be easy for students to follow the plot, the jokes were witty and inoffensive, the singing was cheerful, the audience involvement was well balanced and the themes were relevant and of a familiar nature (parody of the royal family, popular TV shows, technology, etc).
Performers were also easy to understand as they had no particular regional accent (ESOL learners often find that they struggle with the Scottish accent).
So did the ESOL students enjoy the experience? "Oh yes they did!!" Their comments included:
"I am an ESOL student and the dialogue was easy for me, the jokes were really funny and the actors were really good!"
"It was fantastic and we learned a lot of new words too!"
"It was the first time I've seen a pantomime in Scotland. In Poland, pantomimes are different because artists don't speak. But here, it is more like a musical!"