Teaching English Through Stories

Charles Cornelius

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STORIES

WHY USE STORIES?

In groups, look at each statement.

Do you agree with the statement?

Explain why or why not.

WHY USE STORIES?In groups, match the benefits with the explanations.

LEARNENGLISHKIDS.BRITISHCOUNCIL.ORG

THE VOYAGE OF THE ANIMAL ORCHESTRA

In groups, create some activities using these resources.

THE VOYAGE OF THE ANIMAL ORCHESTRADEMONSTRATION LESSON

1. PRE-TEACH VOCABULARY

WHAT’S MISSING?

GUESS WHAT?

ELICIT WORDS

2. PELMANISM

• What do you think the story is about?• Present your ideas to the rest of the class.

3. STORY PREDICTION

4. INTERACTIVE STORYTELLING

Ask questions

Use flashcards

Ask for predictions

Ask for ideas

Elicit vocabulary

Questions

Use flashcards

Ask for predictions

Ask for ideas

Elicit vocabulary

DAY 1

DAY 2

DAY 3

DAY 4

DAY 5

DAY 6

DAY 7

DAY364

• 5. Order the story: Hand out picture cards (without the final two cards) to small

• groups and ask them to put the story in order. Then hand out text cards, and ask

• them to match the text with the pictures. The first group to finish is the winner.

5. STORY SEQUENCING

• 6. Create the story ending: In small groups, students predict how the story will

• end and draw more pictures on blank picture cards and matching text to illustrate

• the continuation of the story. Students present their ideas to the class- who has the

• funniest ending?

6. CREATE STORY ENDINGS

• 7. Video: Show the whole video of the story on LearnEnglish Kids. Elicit which

• groups’ predictions were closest to the real story ending.

7. VIDEO RETELLING

• - Design your own desert island

• - Give directions for a partner to find water / shelter / food on a desert island

• - Decide what to take to a desert island

• - Act out the story in small groups

• - Create a comic strip of the story

• - Make a substitution story using different animals / island features etc.

FOLLOW-UP PRODUCTION ACTIVITIES

• † Additional activities

• - Trainees work together to recreate the demo lesson procedure

• - Trainees write their own lesson procedure for a different story.

• - Trainees practise using materials for this story in a peer teaching practice.

AFTERNOON SESSION