Elements from improvisational theater allow students from FHWien der WKW to physically experience their texts and thus promote pictorial, customer-oriented writing.
In the Bachelor’s program in Corporate Communication, the teaching team Elisabeth Gräf and Roman Kellner, both self-employed with their agency WORT & WEISE, are designing a completely different kind of text workshop. They use exercises from improvisational theater such as physical presentation or spontaneous reaction to make everyday communication texts more vivid and lively. They were awarded this year’s Prize for Innovative Teaching by FHWien der WKW in the category “Individual Innovative Elements”.
Pictorial writing through physical representation
In the past, texts for the press and advertising fulfilled a rather informative function, the demands in our visual age have increased enormously. Texts must also contain a pictorial plot that encourages further reading. The didactic concept of physical representation takes this development into account. For example, in the “Text Workshop” course in the Bachelor’s program Corporate Communication, students are asked to physically enter the mindset of a specific image and then, as actors, reflect on how a situation feels with all their senses. These impressions are then used for writing an advertising text or storytelling.
Spontaneous reactions to inputs stimulate the inner lexicon
In another exercise from improvisational theater, the communication students learned that an inner encyclopedia with a wealth of knowledge and their own images already exists apart from Google & Co. By spontaneously reacting to inputs, the inner lexicon is stimulated on the one hand and on the other hand, the students’ self-confidence is strengthened to write good texts even without Internet research.
Elisabeth Gräf and Roman Kellner were interviewed by Radio NJOY 91.3 about their innovative teaching methods. The interview is available as a podcast (in German).
>> Listen to the interview here
Would you like to find out more about the Bachelor’s Program in Corporate Communication? Click here to the study program’s website:
>> Bachelor’s Program in Corporate Communication
More information about WORT & WEISE: www.wortundweise.at