The theater project “Threepenny Opera” at Wenzao Ursuline University for Foreign Languages in the abridged version by Bert Brecht formed the basis of the study presented here. We investigate the question of which cognitive and which metacognitive learning strategies were applied by the actors during the preparation of the performance. Did the performers use more cognitive or more metacognitive learning strategies during rehearsals in order to expand their foreign language skills until the performance of the play? Was there a noticeable shift in the course of the rehearsal process? What difficulties did the actors encounter during rehearsals and what learning strategies did they use to solve these problems? The students’ assessments of which learning strategies they perceived as particularly helpful for coping with the tasks for the performance is also discussed.
On the one hand our study is based on the subjective assessment of the actors themselves. By using a questionnaire they were asked about their work within the theater project. On the other hand an empirical evaluation of the video recordings enables a comparison with the subjective statements of the actors and facilitates a reconstruction of the development of different learning strategies during the entire rehearsal process.
Our contribution provides an overview of the theoretical foundations concerning the application of learning strategies in the field of foreign language theater education. The main focus lies on the important results of our actors’ survey and on the outcome of the video analysis.
Our research shows that the questioned actors used different cognitive and different metacognitive learning strategies during the rehearsal process. By using metacognitive strategies, which they increasingly applied during the rehearsal process, the actors organized and supported their own learning process. In doing so, they consciously searched for solutions that seemed appropriate to them to cope with the challenges of the preparation for the performance and that they perceived as an expansion of their skills in the field of foreign languages.
