Inspired by learners
for learners
Our Story
AEL project was established in Spring 2006, after a pilot project -set up for my own pupils in 1998- came to an end. The project was rooted into my understanding of Steiner education and inspired by my experience as class teacher in Waldorf/Steiner schools in Milan.
The educational purpose of this pilot project was to provide my teenager pupils the lively experience of English in the country where English is the organic means of communications.
It became soon clear that living in a new context was responding to the need of teenagers to explore wider horizons in search for their own identity.
A “hands-on” programme was designed to help participants improve their spoken English through creative activities while nourishing their self-confidence and general development.
Over the years AEL has changed various locations, activity programmes and teachers, but its essence is still based on three principles: learning by doing, with joy, from real life.
The first class in Summer 1998
Valerio Romoli
Founder & Manager of
Active English Learning
Drama classes:
a fundamental activity
in Active English Learning
"Creativity is
intelligence having fun"
Albert Einstein
Active, creative learning
is a joy,
not a burden
Our Ways of Learning
Learning by doing
In AEL arts, crafts, drama and all creative and outdoor activities are learning opportunities as much as the interactive English lessons, so you will indeed learn from "English in Action"!
Learning with joy
Learning is a joy, not a burden! In AEL you will be enjoying learning together in a welcoming environment where teachers and learners support one another to achieve your best targets
Learning from life
School is one of the places where we learn: life is a much wider field of learning! During your stay in AEL you will be encouraged to catch all learning opportunities we will prepae for you
The benefits of Drama classes
In language, social and personal development
Drama workshops are at the centre of our activity-menu for the broad impact that they have on both language, personal and social development. We accept that everyone has a different pace and strategy of learning, therefore do not expect standard results, but individual or team achievements. What we care for are improvements in targeted areas as listed below.
Drama is a social activity that requires individual commitment, teamwork and collaboration. No performance can be performed without a condition of positive cooperation between several people and various skills. Even out of a performance, drama exercises always require a certain degree of working together
All drama exercises encourage students to creatively act and speak in front of others, helping them grow self-confidence and self-esteem, two qualities that may continue to live long after the summer school
Acting and practising drama exercises help develop verbal and non-verbal communications as wells fluency of speech, pronunciation and voice projection
While acting or role-playing, students learn to speak in turn at the appropriate time, to listen to the other characters, to articulate well what they say and add accents and expressions to their role
Through drama practice and acting students focus their mind, gestures and voice to impersonate their character and to interact with others: drama exercises help them improve concentration and memory
In drama classes students are invited to play different characters and interact with other characters. This makes them capable to understand their own role and also the others. Doing so, they learn to understand others and their perspectives without judging
When playing a new character, participants enter a new world, a new space and time where they develop new points of view, new understanding and new ways of thinking. Acting intensively feeds imagination and creativity that helps actors find new solutions to solve problems or to imagine new lines of development
In drama classes students bring to life a character or a scenario when they add emotions, gestures, movements to their words while interacting with others. This will help every individual to explore who they are and become friends to each other