This research is about the underlying process language learners rely on to be able to engage effectively in unscripted conversations without premeditation, or "improvisation." To engage in improvisation in another language, one needs to recognize those elements of the evolving cultural context that are significant at the moment. By associating past experience with the perceived current context, one can develop appropriate scripts, both linguistic and nonlinguistic, and perform them readily to keep the conversation flow. How do teachers and students work together to enable language learners to socialize in the target culture through engagement in improvisation? Does training help? What kind of training works? The argument is East Asian language learners at various levels profit from consistent contextualized performances. I conducted two verification studies in Chinese and Japanese language programs at the Ohio State University. The aim of these studies is to refine the observation that the classroom activities that fostered the development of improvised learner performances followed a discernible pattern. Both studies were conducted in programs that follow the Performed Culture Approach (Walker and Noda 2010), which meant that students were encouraged to learn from the multiple and sequenced experiences of using language in realistic and feasible social contexts. One involved intermediate level Chinese and the other one focused on beginning level Japanese. The observations were conducted to describe how students, including focal students, and their instructors worked together to develop improvised performances. The focal students participated in individual interviews that included recall protocols of their actions during the focal class sessions. Starting with a discussion of experiential learning, the study narrows the focus of the discussion to participating in another culture using the target language through the lens of the Performed Culture Approach (PCA). In this process, a proposed pattern emerged where students benefit from in-class experience, named the Improvisation Cycle (I.C.), and it was developed step by step. Through close analysis of the transcriptions from the focal classes and the recall protocol results from the intermediate Chinese and beginning Japanese classes, there emerged a qualitative verification of the recurring pattern of the cyclic process involved in the Improvisation Cycle. The study of the intermediate Chinese class demonstrated the successful implementation of the Improvisation Cycle as a tool for developing an effective teaching plan. Furthermore, the collected data led to the development of an updated version of the Improvisation Cycle, highlighting the collaboration of the instructor and learners. In the study of beginning Japanese, the existence of the key phases in the Improvisation Cycle was further confirmed from a more objective perspective. Additionally, that case study revealed five key actions that students need to take in order to fuel the Improvisation Cycle. These actions have been incorporated into the final step of developing the Improvisation Cycle. The two studies suggest that the Improvisation Cycle is a robust model that can be applied to the design of classroom activities -- regardless of the language or level of instruction. It is also possible that Improvisation Cycle -- influenced classroom activities may have a positive impact on learner performances outside of class. I present an application of the Improvisation Cycle in planning a beginning level Chinese speaking and listening class, as well as discuss the potential application of the Improvisation Cycle in other pedagogical formats. As the scope of this dissertation is limited to beginning and intermediate levels of Chinese and beginning levels of Japanese, further research is needed at other levels in Chinese and Japanese, as well as in other languages such as Korean, for a more comprehensive claim of the effectiveness of the Improvisation Cycle. Additionally, research on Improvisation Cycle-based teacher training, pedagogical material development, and language program design can also be promising areas for future exploration. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]