Listening to the “bard”: Enhancing comprehension of Shakespearean plays among dyslexic college learners through audio dramas
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24200/jonus.vol10iss1pp114-135Abstract
Background and Purpose: This study explores audio drama's effectiveness in supporting understanding of Shakespearean text among dyslexic college students, aiming to challenge existing pedagogical paradigms and develop more inclusive literary education strategies.
Methodology: The research utilized mixed methods for data analysis: descriptive statistics, paired and independent t-tests for quantitative data, and thematic analysis for qualitative insights from focus group interviews. A crossover design ensured all participants experienced both audio drama and traditional text-based interventions, with data collected over five consecutive weeks using structured lesson plans that included pre-activity, while-activity, and post-activity components.
Findings: The results suggest that audio dramas can be a powerful tool for inclusive literature education, particularly for learners with dyslexia, and recommend integrating audio formats into traditional curricula to support diverse learning needs.
Contributions: The study proposes an approach that prioritizes accessibility and meaningful interaction with complex literary works. Ultimately, it calls for reevaluating teaching practices, suggesting that embracing audio-based methods could revolutionize literary education and provide marginalized learners with pathways to understanding and appreciating challenging texts.
Keywords: Audio drama, comprehension, dyslexia, inclusive education, Shakespeare.
References
Awada, G., & Plana, M. G. C. (2018). Multiple strategies approach and EFL reading comprehension of learners with dyslexia: Teachers' perceptions. International Journal of Instruction, 11(3), 463-476.
Bloom, B. M. (1968). Learning for mastery. Center for the Study of Evaluation of Instructional Programs.
Bonacina, S., Cancer, A., Lanzi, P. L., Lorusso, M. L., & Antonietti, A. (2015). Improving reading skills in students with dyslexia: The efficacy of a sublexical training with rhythmic background. Frontiers in Psychology, 6(1510), 1-8.
Chen, C. J., & Keong, M. W. Y. (2017). Affording inclusive dyslexia-friendly online text reading. Universal Access in the Information Society, 16(1), 951-965.
Demmen, J. (2020). Issues and challenges in compiling a corpus of early modern English plays for comparison. ICAME Journal, 44(1), 37-68.
Dorji, N., & Sakulwongs, N. (2024). The use of Mobile-Assisted Language Learning (MALL) through Cake application to improve speaking skill of grade 6 Bhutanese ESL students. THAITESOL Journal, 37(1), 49–71.
Dyches, J. (2017). Shaking off Shakespeare: A white teacher, urban students, and the mediating powers of a canonical counter-curriculum. The Urban Review, 49(2), 300-325.
Edens, W. E. (2015). Teaching Shakespeare. Princeton University Press.
Elliott, V. (2019). Detecting the Dane: Recreating Shakespearian genre in A-level literature. English: Journal of the English Association, 68(262), 283–304.
Espinosa, R. (2016). Diversifying Shakespeare. Literature Compass, 13(2), 58-68.
Fain, J. G., & Craig-Unkefer, L. (2015). Middle school adolescents developing critical stances around difference in young adolescent literature in literature circles. In T. E. Smith & C. Kleist (Eds.), Lessons in disability: Essays on teaching with young adult literature (pp. 53-73). McFarland & Company.
Gibson, R. (2016). Teaching Shakespeare. Cambridge University Press.
Güryay, B. (2014). Creative drama: A way to understand Shakespeare? Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 116(1), 1127-1131.
Hagen, Å. M., Melby-Lervåg, M., & Lervåg, A. (2017). Improving language comprehension in preschool children with language difficulties: A cluster randomized trial. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 58(10), 1132-1140.
Hamilton, L. G., Hayiou‐Thomas, M. E., & Snowling, M. J. (2021). Shared storybook reading with children at family risk of dyslexia. Journal of Research in Reading, 44(4), 859-881.
Hand, R. J., & Traynor, M. (2011). The radio drama handbook: Audio drama in context and practice. Bloomsbury Publishing USA.
Hargis, J., Cavanaugh, C., Kamali, T., & Soto, M. (2014). A federal higher education iPad mobile learning initiative: Triangulation of data to determine early effectiveness. Innovative Higher Education, 39(1), 45-57.
Hobbs, R., & Coiro, J. (2019). Design features of a professional development program in digital literacy. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 62(4), 401-409.
Jacobs, M. (2016). Using literature circles to increase reading comprehension and student motivation [Unpublished Master thesis]. Rowan University.
Knoop-van Campen, C. A., Segers, E., & Verhoeven, L. (2018). How phonological awareness mediates the relation between working memory and word reading efficiency in children with dyslexia. Dyslexia, 24(2), 156-169.
Lind, P. B. (2018). Translating Shakespeare, translating culture: Text, paratext, and the challenges of recreating cultural meanings in text and on stage. Studia Litteraria Universitatis Iagellonicae Cracoviensis, 13(3), 219-235.
Liontas, J. I. (2022). Let the games begin! Harnessing the power of gaming in language education. Iranian Journal of Language Teaching Research, 6(3), 1-13.
Lopez, J., & Campoverde, J. (2018). Development of reading comprehension with graphic organizers for students with dyslexia. Journal of Technology and Science Education, 8(2), 105-114.
McLaren, M. R. (2013). 'We know what we are, but not what we may be': Teaching Shakespeare to future teachers. In K. Flaherty, P. Gay, & L. E. Semler (Eds.), Teaching Shakespeare beyond the centre: Australasian perspectives (pp. 181-192). Palgrave Macmillan.
Moreno, A. I., & Vermeulen, A. (2017). Audio description for language learning purposes in formal and non-formal educational contexts. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 178(1), 132-138.
Murphy, S., Culpeper, J., Gillings, M., & Pace-Sigge, M. (2020). What do students find difficult when they read Shakespeare? Problems and solutions. Language and Literature, 29(3), 302-326.
Pham, C. T., & Nguyen, C. T. (2023). The EFL 9th graders’ attitudes toward the use of visual aids in reading comprehension at a secondary school in Kien Giang, Vietnam. European Journal of Education Studies, 10(4), 201-218.
Pickering, S. J. (2012). Working memory in dyslexia. In T. P. Alloway & S. E. Gathercole (Eds.), Working memory and neurodevelopmental disorders (pp. 7-40). Psychology Press.
Purewal, S. (2017). Shakespeare in the classroom: To be or not to be? Warwick Journal of Education-Transforming Teaching, 1(1), 26-35.
Rall, H., & Harper, E. (2023). Pericles, Prince of Tyre: Transforming a Shakespeare play for gamified experience. Sic: časopis za književnost, kulturu i književno prevođenje, 13(3), 1-23.
Rayner, F. C. (2021). Shakespeare and the challenge of the contemporary. Bloomsbury Publishing USA.
Rello, L., & Baeza-Yates, R. (2013). Good fonts for dyslexia. In ASSETS '13: Proceedings of the 15th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (pp. 1-8).
https://dyslexiahelp.umich.edu/sites/default/files/good_fonts_for_dyslexia_study.pdf
Richard, J. H. (2018). Sound stories: Audio drama and adaptation. In T. Leitch (Ed.), The Routledge companion to adaptation (pp. 372-381). Routledge.
Rodero, E. (2012). See it on a radio story: Sound effects and shots to evoked imagery and attention on audio fiction. Communication Research, 39(4), 458-479.
Russell-Brown, J. (2011). Studying Shakespeare in performance. Bloomsbury Publishing USA.
Schupak, E. B. (2018). Shakespeare and performance pedagogy: Overcoming the challenges. Changing English, 25(2), 163-179.
Shaywitz, B. A., & Shaywitz, S. E. (2020). The American experience: Towards a 21st century definition of dyslexia. Oxford Review of Education, 46(4), 454-471.
Shores, A. (2017). Play the Knave in the English Shakespeare curriculum: A review. Play the Knave. https://www.playtheknave.org/uploads/1/3/0/7/130747582/curriculum_review_of_play_the_knave_1.pdf
Sotirovska, V., & Vaughn, M. (2022). The portrayal of characters with dyslexia in children's picture books. Early Childhood Education Journal, 50(5), 731-742.
Squeo, A., Pennacchia, M., & Winckler, R. (2021). Experiencing Shakespeare in digital environments. Lingue e Linguaggi, 45(1), 7-22.
Suárez-Coalla, P., Álvarez-Cañizo, M., Martínez, C., García, N., & Cuetos, F. (2016). Reading prosody in Spanish dyslexics. Annals of Dyslexia, 66(3), 275-300.
Suppiah, S. (2016). Creating a meaningful learning experience through a performance-based pedagogy (PBL) in the learning (teaching) of drama—The case of Shakespeare's King Lear (Li er). Jurnal Penyelidikan Kent Bil, 1(1), 29-40.
Taib, S. A., Sa'adan, N., Saidalvi, A., Nurmaisarah, S., Fkhururazi, A. A., & Jenal, N. (2022). Investigating the effects of radio drama activity in ESL learning on male and female students. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 12(4), 817-833.
Thyer, B. A. (2012). Quasi-experimental research designs. Oxford University Press.
Truax, B. (2012). Sound, listening and place: The aesthetic dilemma. Organised Sound, 17(3), 193-201.
Turchi, L. B. (2020). Shakespeare e-books: An account of promising practice. Research in Drama Education: The Journal of Applied Theatre and Performance, 25(1), 143-146.
Vachon, W. (2022). Audio drama inquiry: A telling method of research. In L. M. Given (Ed.), Sonic engagement (pp. 44-63). Routledge.
Wennås Brante, E. (2013). ‘I don't know what it is to be able to read’: How students with dyslexia experience their reading impairment. Support for Learning, 28(2), 79–86.
Wood, S. G., Moxley, J. H., Tighe, E. L., & Wagner, R. K. (2018). Does use of text-to-speech and related read-aloud tools improve reading comprehension for students with reading disabilities? A meta-analysis. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 51(1), 73-84.
Zhang, A. B. (2010). The integration of mastery learning in English as a second language (ESL) instruction. International Journal of Instructional Media, 37(1), 91–103.
Bloom, B. M. (1968). Learning for mastery. Center for the Study of Evaluation of Instructional Programs.
Bonacina, S., Cancer, A., Lanzi, P. L., Lorusso, M. L., & Antonietti, A. (2015). Improving reading skills in students with dyslexia: The efficacy of a sublexical training with rhythmic background. Frontiers in Psychology, 6(1510), 1-8.
Chen, C. J., & Keong, M. W. Y. (2017). Affording inclusive dyslexia-friendly online text reading. Universal Access in the Information Society, 16(1), 951-965.
Demmen, J. (2020). Issues and challenges in compiling a corpus of early modern English plays for comparison. ICAME Journal, 44(1), 37-68.
Dorji, N., & Sakulwongs, N. (2024). The use of Mobile-Assisted Language Learning (MALL) through Cake application to improve speaking skill of grade 6 Bhutanese ESL students. THAITESOL Journal, 37(1), 49–71.
Dyches, J. (2017). Shaking off Shakespeare: A white teacher, urban students, and the mediating powers of a canonical counter-curriculum. The Urban Review, 49(2), 300-325.
Edens, W. E. (2015). Teaching Shakespeare. Princeton University Press.
Elliott, V. (2019). Detecting the Dane: Recreating Shakespearian genre in A-level literature. English: Journal of the English Association, 68(262), 283–304.
Espinosa, R. (2016). Diversifying Shakespeare. Literature Compass, 13(2), 58-68.
Fain, J. G., & Craig-Unkefer, L. (2015). Middle school adolescents developing critical stances around difference in young adolescent literature in literature circles. In T. E. Smith & C. Kleist (Eds.), Lessons in disability: Essays on teaching with young adult literature (pp. 53-73). McFarland & Company.
Gibson, R. (2016). Teaching Shakespeare. Cambridge University Press.
Güryay, B. (2014). Creative drama: A way to understand Shakespeare? Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 116(1), 1127-1131.
Hagen, Å. M., Melby-Lervåg, M., & Lervåg, A. (2017). Improving language comprehension in preschool children with language difficulties: A cluster randomized trial. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 58(10), 1132-1140.
Hamilton, L. G., Hayiou‐Thomas, M. E., & Snowling, M. J. (2021). Shared storybook reading with children at family risk of dyslexia. Journal of Research in Reading, 44(4), 859-881.
Hand, R. J., & Traynor, M. (2011). The radio drama handbook: Audio drama in context and practice. Bloomsbury Publishing USA.
Hargis, J., Cavanaugh, C., Kamali, T., & Soto, M. (2014). A federal higher education iPad mobile learning initiative: Triangulation of data to determine early effectiveness. Innovative Higher Education, 39(1), 45-57.
Hobbs, R., & Coiro, J. (2019). Design features of a professional development program in digital literacy. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 62(4), 401-409.
Jacobs, M. (2016). Using literature circles to increase reading comprehension and student motivation [Unpublished Master thesis]. Rowan University.
Knoop-van Campen, C. A., Segers, E., & Verhoeven, L. (2018). How phonological awareness mediates the relation between working memory and word reading efficiency in children with dyslexia. Dyslexia, 24(2), 156-169.
Lind, P. B. (2018). Translating Shakespeare, translating culture: Text, paratext, and the challenges of recreating cultural meanings in text and on stage. Studia Litteraria Universitatis Iagellonicae Cracoviensis, 13(3), 219-235.
Liontas, J. I. (2022). Let the games begin! Harnessing the power of gaming in language education. Iranian Journal of Language Teaching Research, 6(3), 1-13.
Lopez, J., & Campoverde, J. (2018). Development of reading comprehension with graphic organizers for students with dyslexia. Journal of Technology and Science Education, 8(2), 105-114.
McLaren, M. R. (2013). 'We know what we are, but not what we may be': Teaching Shakespeare to future teachers. In K. Flaherty, P. Gay, & L. E. Semler (Eds.), Teaching Shakespeare beyond the centre: Australasian perspectives (pp. 181-192). Palgrave Macmillan.
Moreno, A. I., & Vermeulen, A. (2017). Audio description for language learning purposes in formal and non-formal educational contexts. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 178(1), 132-138.
Murphy, S., Culpeper, J., Gillings, M., & Pace-Sigge, M. (2020). What do students find difficult when they read Shakespeare? Problems and solutions. Language and Literature, 29(3), 302-326.
Pham, C. T., & Nguyen, C. T. (2023). The EFL 9th graders’ attitudes toward the use of visual aids in reading comprehension at a secondary school in Kien Giang, Vietnam. European Journal of Education Studies, 10(4), 201-218.
Pickering, S. J. (2012). Working memory in dyslexia. In T. P. Alloway & S. E. Gathercole (Eds.), Working memory and neurodevelopmental disorders (pp. 7-40). Psychology Press.
Purewal, S. (2017). Shakespeare in the classroom: To be or not to be? Warwick Journal of Education-Transforming Teaching, 1(1), 26-35.
Rall, H., & Harper, E. (2023). Pericles, Prince of Tyre: Transforming a Shakespeare play for gamified experience. Sic: časopis za književnost, kulturu i književno prevođenje, 13(3), 1-23.
Rayner, F. C. (2021). Shakespeare and the challenge of the contemporary. Bloomsbury Publishing USA.
Rello, L., & Baeza-Yates, R. (2013). Good fonts for dyslexia. In ASSETS '13: Proceedings of the 15th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (pp. 1-8).
https://dyslexiahelp.umich.edu/sites/default/files/good_fonts_for_dyslexia_study.pdf
Richard, J. H. (2018). Sound stories: Audio drama and adaptation. In T. Leitch (Ed.), The Routledge companion to adaptation (pp. 372-381). Routledge.
Rodero, E. (2012). See it on a radio story: Sound effects and shots to evoked imagery and attention on audio fiction. Communication Research, 39(4), 458-479.
Russell-Brown, J. (2011). Studying Shakespeare in performance. Bloomsbury Publishing USA.
Schupak, E. B. (2018). Shakespeare and performance pedagogy: Overcoming the challenges. Changing English, 25(2), 163-179.
Shaywitz, B. A., & Shaywitz, S. E. (2020). The American experience: Towards a 21st century definition of dyslexia. Oxford Review of Education, 46(4), 454-471.
Shores, A. (2017). Play the Knave in the English Shakespeare curriculum: A review. Play the Knave. https://www.playtheknave.org/uploads/1/3/0/7/130747582/curriculum_review_of_play_the_knave_1.pdf
Sotirovska, V., & Vaughn, M. (2022). The portrayal of characters with dyslexia in children's picture books. Early Childhood Education Journal, 50(5), 731-742.
Squeo, A., Pennacchia, M., & Winckler, R. (2021). Experiencing Shakespeare in digital environments. Lingue e Linguaggi, 45(1), 7-22.
Suárez-Coalla, P., Álvarez-Cañizo, M., Martínez, C., García, N., & Cuetos, F. (2016). Reading prosody in Spanish dyslexics. Annals of Dyslexia, 66(3), 275-300.
Suppiah, S. (2016). Creating a meaningful learning experience through a performance-based pedagogy (PBL) in the learning (teaching) of drama—The case of Shakespeare's King Lear (Li er). Jurnal Penyelidikan Kent Bil, 1(1), 29-40.
Taib, S. A., Sa'adan, N., Saidalvi, A., Nurmaisarah, S., Fkhururazi, A. A., & Jenal, N. (2022). Investigating the effects of radio drama activity in ESL learning on male and female students. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 12(4), 817-833.
Thyer, B. A. (2012). Quasi-experimental research designs. Oxford University Press.
Truax, B. (2012). Sound, listening and place: The aesthetic dilemma. Organised Sound, 17(3), 193-201.
Turchi, L. B. (2020). Shakespeare e-books: An account of promising practice. Research in Drama Education: The Journal of Applied Theatre and Performance, 25(1), 143-146.
Vachon, W. (2022). Audio drama inquiry: A telling method of research. In L. M. Given (Ed.), Sonic engagement (pp. 44-63). Routledge.
Wennås Brante, E. (2013). ‘I don't know what it is to be able to read’: How students with dyslexia experience their reading impairment. Support for Learning, 28(2), 79–86.
Wood, S. G., Moxley, J. H., Tighe, E. L., & Wagner, R. K. (2018). Does use of text-to-speech and related read-aloud tools improve reading comprehension for students with reading disabilities? A meta-analysis. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 51(1), 73-84.
Zhang, A. B. (2010). The integration of mastery learning in English as a second language (ESL) instruction. International Journal of Instructional Media, 37(1), 91–103.
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Published
2025-02-28
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Listening to the “bard”: Enhancing comprehension of Shakespearean plays among dyslexic college learners through audio dramas. (2025). Journal of Nusantara Studies (JONUS), 10(1), 114-135. https://doi.org/10.24200/jonus.vol10iss1pp114-135
