IT WORKS

IN PRACTICE
More tested lessons, suggestions, tips and techniques which have all worked for
ETp readers. Try them out for yourself – and then send us your own contribution.
Don’t forget to include your postal address.
In this issue, we asked those people who have articles in this issue for their tips about storytelling.
They will each receive a copy of ETpedia, by John Hughes, published by Pavilion.

READY, STEADY, STORY! STORIES ABOUT YOURSELF

Andrew Wright, Godollo, Hungary Daniel Xerri, Msida, Malta
Everybody wants to listen to stories, but not all the time. If Sometimes, I begin my lessons with a story derived from my
your class is not ready for a story, then however good you own experiences. Usually, it is connected to something I saw or
are at storytelling, they won’t listen! So make sure they are someone I met on my travels. At other times, it concerns
ready before you begin! something mundane that happened to me in my professional or
Are you going to make sure they are ready like an personal life. I use these anecdotes as a means of introducing
old-fashioned teacher or like a storyteller? the topic of the lesson and personalising its content. It is a trick
I learnt from Neil Forrest when I was doing my DELTA at IH
Are you going to frown, tell them to sit up straight and
Barcelona. Neil tried to teach us how to do it by telling us plenty
listen carefully?
of stories inspired by his own experiences. He sought to
Or … why not try one or several of the following ideas? convince us that learners are highly interested in their teachers,
1 Arrange the seating in a different way, eg in a semi-circle. and hence it makes sense to personalise the lesson by talking
It is worth the two minutes it takes. This is one of my basic about oneself before inviting the learners to do the same.
techniques for creating story readiness. Initially, I found it hard to do this because in my own schooling,
my teachers had never shared stories about themselves. But
2 Sit in a place or on a chair or desk corner which your
once I started doing it, I found that my learners paid attention to
students have come to associate with your telling stories.
what I had to say and took an interest in the content of the
3 Adopt a body position which they have come to associate lesson. What they also appreciated was the act of someone
with your telling of stories. valuing their lived experiences, indirectly showing them that
4 Quietly make sure they are comfortable, not hidden from language learning is about all of us in the classroom. n
you, and have nothing on their knees which they might drop.
5 Cue their expectations: with a story corner, a story carpet,
a story bag or coat or scarf or box or puppet which they RANDOM WORD STORIES
have come to associate with your telling of stories.
Paul Carr, Exeter, UK
6 Music: play the same music every time you are going to
Put the students into pairs and give each pair an article from a
tell a story.
magazine or newspaper (often, it’s easier to download and print
7 Intrigue them with a story box or other object not normally the article in order to make the font slightly larger). Ask each
seen in the classroom – perhaps a personal object or pair to cut out some words and phrases from the text – you
photograph. might want to suggest a number, but otherwise give them very
8 Insist, quietly and gently, on total silence and stillness. little guidance at this point. What they elect to cut out is,
therefore, purely arbitrary. When they have finished, each pair
9 Intrigue them and focus their minds on relevant content
passes their cut-out words and phrases to a different pair. That
and language, eg through chatting and asking questions:
pair then has to make a story using the bits of language given to
Has anybody got a cat at home? Yes? Well, I am going to
them. It doesn’t matter what order they decide to put the words
tell you a story about a cat.
and phrases in, and they are allowed to add any other language
10 Start drawing on the board … good drawing will impress they wish, to make the story coherent (to aid imagination, you
them and poor drawing will delight them – you can’t fail! could also give them pictures of places, people and/or objects).
Whatever you do, make no apologies with your words or Once they have created a story, each pair then tells it to the rest
with your body! Move slowly, quietly and confidently … of the class. They can also write up their finished stories for
even if you don’t feel it! n display in the classroom and include illustrations or photos. n

www.etprofessional.com Issue 111 • July 2017 33

IT WORKS IN PRACTICE

KEEP IT SHORT! WHILE YOU ARE LISTENING ...

Rory O’Kane, Adelaide, Australia Vesna Nikolic, Mississauga, Canada
I have used ‘short’ short stories (three to four The aim of this activity is to ensure that the students pay attention to
pages maximum) to great effect in the classroom to stories told by their classmates. First, prepare a chart like the example
assist with the development of all four skills. The below, but repeated three times so that the students can fill it in for three
stories with which I have had most success are different stories. (The chart can be adapted for class presentations, film
undoubtedly ghost- and crime-related. They can clips or listening activities.)
sometimes take quite a while to source (in terms of Ask your students to write a simple story that can be told in a
suitable genre and cultural appropriateness) and couple of minutes. It can be a real-life story (eg something funny that
level-wise can be adapted for intermediate and has happened to them or their siblings), their favourite childhood story
above. My storytelling procedure is as follows: or a brief summary of a story they have found online. Check the stories
n The students all receive a written copy of the and give the students some time in class to practise.
story. (It is a good idea to canvas student tastes Hand out copies of the chart. As the students listen to their
before selection so that interests are catered for classmates, they complete it. n
adequately.) They listen to an audio recording of
the story as they read. Then, in pairs or small
Story title: Storyteller:
groups, they are asked to re-tell the story: as far
as possible, without consulting the written text. Describe one event
n The same groups then discuss what they like or from the story.
don’t like about the story, main characters,
message (if any) and how the writer organises What does the story
the narrative. remind you of?
n After a short plenary feedback, the students What do you like most
receive input of selected vocabulary items about the story?
(perhaps eight or nine) based on the genre of the
story. In small groups or pairs, they use these
vocabulary items to create their own story
(orally). Each member of the group then writes MEET MR SOCK ...
their own version of the story and, in a
Chia Suan Chong, York, UK
subsequent class, group members are re-
assigned and read their story aloud to new group Storytelling is a great way to get students to be creative, explore
members (who also receive a written copy of language and share something about themselves. The best stories
each story they hear). When all members of the often have intriguing and well-developed characters.
new group have done this, the stories are I sometimes get my students to create a whole new character
discussed and compared. based on an object, eg an item of clothing. I have them bring in one
n This is followed by a plenary session, where the item of clothing each and place these around the classroom. The
groups summarise the stories for the entire class students then walk around, choose an item of clothing someone else
and provide feedback. has brought in and create a character based around it.

I have found that the use of ‘short’ short stories can They are given time to write down the details of their character,
be a great catalyst for encouraging students to read, such as name, age, birthplace, job, educational history, hobbies, etc.
especially as some find the length of books or They also have to think about how the character came to own that item
readers in English to be somewhat daunting. The of clothing and how they feel about it. Each student then takes turns to
beauty of ‘short’ short stories is that they are short sit in a chair in front of their classmates and answer questions as the
enough to be covered in a regular lesson and may character they’ve created, telling the story of that character. The class
then be used as a springboard for further speaking sometimes create scenarios for the characters in the ‘hot seat’ to act
and writing tasks. They also allow for skills out, eg a job interview, a video diary entry, a press conference.
integration: the procedure I have outlined Instead of items of clothing, you could use photographs, soft toys,
incorporates reading, speaking, writing and listening. wallets, bags, books or any personal items. n
In terms of actual material, I have used work
(often adapted or abridged) by the following
authors: Roald Dahl, Isaac Asimov, Liam O’Flaherty, IT WORKS IN PRACTICE
Ray Bradbury and Margaret Atwood. However, Do you have ideas you’d like to share with colleagues around the world? Tips,
there is no shortage of these shorter short stories, techniques and activities; simple or sphisticated; well tried or innovative;
and there are also some excellent (and more something that has worked well for you? All contributions win a prize!
modern) examples in the various readers and
Write to us or email: helena.gomm@pavpub.com
compilations for students learning English. n

34 Issue 111 • July 2017 www.etprofessional.com