Using creative drama as a method in teaching German to adults

As it is known, various factors such as age group, educational level, learning domain, and others significantly influence the pace of learning and the efficiency of education. Consequently, instructional techniques, materials, and approaches vary accordingly. Upon reviewing the literature within the scope of this research, it was observed that many scholars believe that the existing methods have not made significant progress in solving the issue of foreign language learning in our country. In consideration of multiple intelligences theory, it was concluded that a different approach is necessary. The research is based on the premise that if topics in foreign language education are made more concrete and expressed simply, success will increase proportionally. The aim of this thesis is to address the teaching of German as a foreign language to adults through the Creative Drama method, in addition to traditional language teaching methods, and to examine the views of German language teacher candidates on the impact of creative drama on foreign language skills development. The research is limited to 1st-year students (n=60) of the German Language Teaching Department at Trakya University during the Fall semester of the 2023/2024 academic year. A Likert scale questionnaire consisting of 30 questions was prepared for the purpose of obtaining students' attitudes and opinions about Creative Drama. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected from participants regarding the advantages and disadvantages of the Creative Drama method after the pre-test and post-test application of the Likert scale questionnaire. The Creative Drama method was applied in language skill development classes between the pre-test and post-test. Considering that adults learn more slowly and with greater difficulty compared to children, it was observed that this method makes the process easier and more enjoyable for adults. The impact of the Creative Drama method on language teaching is best explained by the Chinese proverb: "I hear, and I forget. I see, and I remember. I do, and I understand." The thesis consists of five chapters. The first chapter is the introduction, which includes subheadings such as the purpose, importance, constraints, definitions, and related studies. In the second chapter, a compilation is made under headings such as the Definition of Education, Types of Education, Culture and Communication, Foreign Language Education, Foreign Language Teaching Methods, and Definition and Types of Creative Drama based on the information obtained from the literature review. The third chapter explains the research methodology, including subheadings such as "Research Model," "Study Group," "Data Collection," "Data Analysis," and "Validity and Reliability." The fourth chapter includes pre-test and post-test results, as well as application examples and the outcomes of the application with pre-planned session examples. The fifth chapter is the Conclusion and Recommendations section. At the end of the thesis, in addition to the bibliography, there are also documents such as "Ethics Committee Decision," "Likert Type Pre-test Example," "Likert Type Post-test Example," and 10 examples of session outlines. Keywords: Teaching German as a Foreign Language, adult foreign language education, creative drama method