Innovation in Language Learning

Engagement plays a crucial role in successful language learning, influencing not only learners’ motivation but also their capacity to internalize and apply linguistic knowledge in authentic contexts. Recent pedagogical approaches emphasize the integration of interactive and multimodal strategies that combine language teaching with performance-based activities to enhance active participation. This paper explores the intersection of engagement, language teaching strategies, and formative assessment, with a particular focus on learning through phonetics and the innovative practice of phonetic theatre. Phonetics provides learners with a tangible framework for understanding the sound system of a target language, allowing them to refine pronunciation, intonation, and rhythm, which are often challenging components of second language acquisition. By incorporating theatrical performance into language instruction, learners are encouraged to experiment with sound production, develop a heightened awareness of prosody, and build communicative confidence in a supportive environment. Theatrical contexts create opportunities for authentic practice, collaboration, and creativity, enabling learners to rehearse language in ways that go beyond traditional classroom drills. Moreover, phonetic theatre situates pronunciation within meaningful communicative acts, bridging the gap between mechanical articulation and expressive language use. From a pedagogical perspective, formative assessment is particularly well-suited to this approach, as it provides continuous feedback that informs both learners and instructors about progress and challenges. Techniques such as peer feedback, self-reflection, and teacher guidance during rehearsals allow for adaptive instruction, fostering learner autonomy and sustained motivation. This study argues that combining phonetic training with theatrical performance promotes deeper engagement by addressing cognitive, affective, and social dimensions of learning simultaneously. The integration of phonetics and theatre not only enhances linguistic accuracy but also cultivates creativity, collaboration, and confidence—skills that extend beyond the language classroom. Ultimately, phonetic theatre exemplifies how innovative teaching strategies and formative assessment can converge to create dynamic, learner-centered environments that support both linguistic competence and communicative performance.