From Fear to Fluency: Examining the Role of Drama and Communicative Play in Addressing Social and Foreign Language Anxiety Among Students

This thesis explores the issue of student anxiety, focusing first on social anxiety and then on foreign language anxiety as two distinct but often interrelated phenomena affecting learners in educational contexts. Although these forms of anxiety are common, they often go unnoticed by teachers as they tend to manifest in subtle ways, such as avoiding group interaction and hesitating to speak. The first and second chapters of the study explore the nature of social anxiety and foreign language anxiety, examining how they manifest in the language classroom, where students may feel particularly exposed and judged. Building on these concepts, the third chapter examines how alternative approaches, specifically drama-based methods and communicative strategies, can foster a more inclusive and safe environment. In the final part of the thesis, a case study is presented, taken from a recent teaching experience and accompanied by lesson plans developed to reduce anxiety and enhance student motivation and engagement. The proposed activities incorporate elements of drama, role-play, and interactive games, shifting the focus from linguistic accuracy to authentic communication and self-expression. The results suggest that when learning is perceived as enjoyable and not stressful, students are more willing to participate and show increased self-confidence and motivation. In light of the above, the aim of this thesis is to highlight the importance of addressing learner anxiety through creative and student-centered classroom practices that foster both emotional well-being and meaningful language learning.