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"Many pedagogical experts argue that schools should switch to teaching ‘the four Cs’ – critical thinking, communication, collaboration and creativity. Most important of all will be the ability to deal with change, to learn new things, and to preserve your mental balance in unfamiliar situations."

Yuval Noah Harari / 21 Lessons fosr the 21st Century

Master the art of drama-led teaching

Whether you’re new to drama pedagogy or seeking to broaden your approach, this course shows how to combine drama with soft skills development in innovative and engaging ways. You’ll experiment with a range of drama-based activities, and explore effective teaching methods to enrich communication, teamwork, creativity and critical thinking in your classroom.

What you'll learn

Develop essential soft skills through drama

  • Strengthen communication and teamwork.
  • Encourage empathy, emotional intelligence, and confidence.
  • Promote problem-solving and reflection through interactive activities.

Bring lessons to life

  • Lead energising warm-ups, scenescapes, and role-plays.
  • Use teacher-in-role for immersive storytelling.
  • Blend drama approaches with language objectives and cultural elements.

Practical strategies for any classroom setting

  • Adapt activities to various levels, from beginner to advanced.
  • Combine verbal, non-verbal, and movement-based techniques.
  • Access real-world lesson plans, examples, and teaching tips.

Enhance student motivation

  • Increase participation through imaginative, hands-on tasks.
  • Engage learners with fun, purposeful activities.
  • Balance creative freedom with well-defined lesson goals.

Begin your career as a drama teacher! Use this course as a foundation to progress toward the Trinity CertPT in Teaching Soft Skills with Drama qualification.

Expand your reach as a drama specialist

For teachers, drama provides a dynamic pathway to not only teach English, but also cultivate vital soft skills like critical thinking, creativity, communication and collaboration. By weaving engaging role-plays and interactive activities into your lessons, you create a vibrant environment where students build confidence in their communication and problem-solving abilities – skills that prepare them for a lifetime of success. With many schools moving towards drama-enhanced curriculums, leading the way in drama-based teaching strategies can open up new teaching opportunities.

Refine your drama-based teaching practice to

Spark communication skills and encourage self-expression by blending language learning with imaginative role-play.

Strengthen qualities such as empathy, resilience, and collaboration through group improvisations and performance projects.

Engage and motivate even the most hesitant learners with interactive storytelling and stage-like activities.

Develop your teaching capabilities to meet the growing demand for drama and soft skills development in modern classrooms.

Confidently prepare and deliver engaging lessons that equip your learners to master critical thinking, creativity, communication and collaboration – key soft skills for lifelong success.

Who should take this course?

Perfect for teachers who

Are new to drama and want a practical introduction to drama-based teaching methods.

Aim to enhance lessons with engaging activities that highlight communication, creativity, teamwork, and problem solving.

Seek a stepping stone toward the Trinity CertPT in Teaching Soft Skills with Drama.

Want to build confidence integrating soft skills into their everyday language classrooms.

Hope to nurture a fun, interactive atmosphere that sparks genuine collaboration and self-expression.

Typical participants include

Educators teaching English or other subjects who are keen to adopt drama for the first time.

Teachers at language schools looking to transition into an arts-centred, soft skills–focused programme.

Trinity CertTESOL or Cambridge CELTA graduates wishing to broaden their skill set with drama-based approaches.

School administrators or academic directors exploring innovative classroom strategies for their teaching teams.

Developed by specialist drama and TESOL trainers and containing content adapted from our Trinity CertPT Developing Soft Skills through Drama qualification.

Curriculum

This 20-hour online course is designed for teachers of all experience levels, whether you’re completely new to drama or looking to expand your existing teaching toolkit. Throughout four modules, you’ll explore key drama techniques, playful activities, and practical methods for integrating soft skills development into your lessons. From energising warm-ups and immersive scenescapes to creative storytelling and teacher-in-role strategies, you’ll gain the confidence to help your learners master essential soft skills such as critical thinking, creativity, collaboration and communication – all in a fun, interactive setting.

 

While the techniques are suitable for learners of all ages, the course places a special focus on approaches that resonate with young learners, including activities inspired by picture books and imaginative play. 

What to expect

The course features engaging multi-modal content, including

  • Videos
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Discussion forums

By the end of this course, you’ll have a rich collection of drama-based strategies and activities to reinforce vital soft skills in your classroom. You’ll be able to design meaningful, collaborative lessons that strengthen your students’ communication, creativity, and problem-solving abilities, while adding a vibrant new dimension to your teaching.

 

The modules are arranged in a clear, step-by-step format, and to earn your digital credential, you’ll need to complete each one in sequence.

 

End of module quizzes

At the conclusion of each module, you'll take a short consolidation quiz designed to reinforce your understanding of key concepts. These quizzes focus on the essential points covered in the module and allow multiple attempts. After each attempt, you'll receive feedback on correct and incorrect answers, helping you identify areas that may need further review.

 

Final quiz

The course culminates in a comprehensive final quiz, testing your overall knowledge and readiness. You'll need to achieve a score of 50% or higher to pass. You have up to three attempts to succeed, ensuring you have ample opportunity to revisit course material and refine your understanding. Successfully passing the final quiz earns you a digital credential, which includes an e-certificate and a credential badge, verifiable on platforms like LinkedIn.

Module 1: Warming Up

In this module, you will

  • Explore why warm-ups matter.
  • Identify key drama elements, imagination, and personal experience.
  • Practise performance skills and understand soft skills.
  • Try a variety of engaging warm-up activities.

Key units/topics

  • Warm-ups: Why do them and what are we warming up?
  • Main elements of drama
  • Imagination and experiential learning
  • Warm-up example: Walking into the space
  • What are performance skills?
  • How drama can support soft skills
  • Warm-up activities
    • Making shapes
    • Making objects
    • Introductions
    • Let’s Jelly!

Module 2: Picture Books

In this module, you will

  • Examine the benefits of using stories and picture books.
  • Explore how drama boosts engagement with stories.
  • Encourage curiosity and imaginative thinking.
  • Apply voice, narrative structure, and body language techniques.
  • Plan and implement lessons using picture books.

Key units/topics

  • Benefits of stories and picture books
  • Drama and stories
  • Encouraging curiosity
  • Using the imaginary senses
  • Using the cover page
  • Developing soft skills with picture books
  • Voice
  • Narrative structure and mood
  • Body language
  • Posture
  • Gesture
  • Facial expression
  • Planning a lesson
  • Consolidation

Module 3: Scenescapes 

In this module, you will

  • Investigate motivation in process drama.
  • Identify aims for developing soft skills.
  • Explore lesson staging using ESA (Engage, Study, Activate).
  • Plan a scenescape lesson and set the scene.
  • Apply teacher support and involvement strategies.

Key units/topics

  • Types of motivation
  • Motivation through process drama
  • Identifying aims for promoting skills
  • Using resources
  • ESA lesson staging
  • Scenescape lesson planning
  • Setting up a scene activity
  • Levels of teacher support and involvement
  • Thought tracking
  • Consolidation

Module 4: Teacher-in-role

In this module, you will

  • Develop imagination and effective use of space.
  • Explore the teacher-in-role technique.
  • Practise the use of scripts, acting and physical theatre.
  • Adapt and share a range of drama activities.

Key units/topics

  • Imagination and space
  • What is a teacher-in-role?
  • Starting a teacher-in-role lesson
  • Introducing and acting out a script
  • Features of a good script
  • Practising the story
  • Physical theatre
  • Adapting and sharing activities
  • Optional further learning
  • Ten Top Tips
  • Consolidation

Final quiz

In the final quiz, you will

  • Review and consolidate your understanding of all the concepts and tools covered throughout the course.
  • Assess your knowledge and readiness to effectively apply what you have learned in your teaching practice.
  • Reflect on your learning journey, evaluate your progress and insights gained during the course.
  • Access additional resources to support your continued professional development.

Verify your skills with a digital credential

Complete the course

After completing the course modules, you will need to take the final quiz. You will need to achieve a score of 50% or higher to complete the course and immediately receive your digital credential. You can retake the final test up to two times (three attempts in total), and you can revisit any sections of the course to study up on questions that you find challenging.

Instant, verifiable credential

Your digital credential includes an e-certificate, which can be downloaded and printed, and a credential badge which can be displayed on your social media and LinkedIn profiles, allowing you to showcase your achievements.
 

Our credentials are incorruptible digital certificates encoded on blockchain to ensure they cannot be altered or copied by anyone and can be easily verified by institutions. We use the same credential issuing platform as leading universities including Harvard, Oxford, Berkeley, and Johns Hopkins.

Get to know our trainers

Click thumbnail to view full trainer details

Kevin Clare

Dr Ezekiel Chattell

Eve Conway

Maria Björning-Gyde

Dr Ezekiel Chattell

Dr Chattell lived in China for over 10 years. His research focused on experimental teacher training programmes related to encouraging creativity. His projects included collaboration with the Centre for Teacher Education Research at Beijing Normal University. He was a member of the Comparative Education Society of Hong Kong and served as Head of Academic Training and Support for Drama and the Performing Arts for China at Trinity College London.

Eve Conway, Speaks fluent spanish

Eve has worked in Spain, Vietnam and Mexico as both a teacher and TYLEC trainer as well as having worked on shorter projects in the UK, Italy, Azerbaijan and Peru. She worked for over six years for the British Council, where she discovered a love for working with children, particularly Early Years learners. Eve is a keen conference speaker and occasional writer for ELT magazines and publications.

Trinity DipTESOL, MA Applied Linguistics, BA English language

Kevin Clare, Enjoys a good bottle of wine

Since 2009, Kevin has been involved in teaching English in a range of different settings, teaching adults, teenagers and notably young learners in Australia, Daqing, Guangzhou and Hong Kong. He has worked in language centres as a Director of Studies and in various roles in international schools. At English for Asia, Kevin directs courses and conducts online training for teachers in Hong Kong and around the world.  

CELTA, PGCE, BA

Maria Björning Gyde, Dedicated to animal welfare

Maria Bjorning Gyde is an examiner, moderator and marker on all Trinity TESOL panels, including the DipTESOL, CertTESOL, TYLEC, CertPT and CertOT. She has more than 25 years’ experience in New Zealand, Mainland China, Hong Kong and Indonesia. Maria also dedicates her time to education and projects related to animal welfare issues and behavioural change for a One Health approach in Bali.

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Y
YAZHEN SANG

A nice learning experience

Teaching Soft Skills with Drama
20 hours total study
Access for 3 months
Builds a solid foundation for the Trinity CertPT: Soft Skills with Drama 
Digital credential Digital credential
Practical drama-based strategies for developing essential soft skills.
$1,200
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$1,200
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