The Use of Dramatic Theatre in BIPA (Bahasa Indonesia untuk Penutur Asing) Classes: A Case in Petra Christian University, Surabaya, Indonesia

The teaching-learning techniques of BIPA for language skills are oftentimes separated from that of ‘cultural’ skills. Even worse, BIPA teachers tend to devote only little attention to students’ cultural sensitivity (see Bundhowi, n.d.). Dramatic Theatre, when used appropriately, offers engaging techniques for the teaching-learning of both language and cultural skills. Dramatic theatre’s ‘production process’ is very useful in developing linguistic and cultural sensitivities to the students. The teaching-learning of BIPA using Dramatic Theatre production process at Petra Christian University, Surabaya, has shown that it is a promising teachnique to be developed and implemented. The students’ involvements in the process from the preparations, rehearsals, and finally performance, give them chance to enjoy and, especially, learn the Indonesian linguistic as well as cultural nuances more or less authentically. This paper is an evaluation of BIPA through dramatic theatre at PCU. It will show how students are involved in the production process, learn Bahasa Indonesia, and grasp Indonesian culture both from the play they perform and the process of production itself. It finally give evaluation and recomendation for further use of dramatic theatre for BIPA at PCU.