Teach English in Banqiao Zhen - Enshi Tujiazu Miaozu Zizhizhou

The role of storytelling in learning English can be a powerful teaching tool. Storytelling can provide a creative and engaging way for the students to build confidence in their speaking, reading, listening and writing skills. Various methods of storytelling can be utilized in the classroom to achieve different learning outcomes. For example, teacher led storytelling can be used to engage the students in a fun and entertaining way that can test their listening, vocabulary and comprehension abilities. This in turn can become the basis for other study based practices such as gap/information fill exercises and worksheets focusing on various aspects of language such as tenses or conditionals. Some examples of storytelling activities are as follows; Activity 1 ESA stage: Engagement The teacher encourages the students to think and discuss in English stories that they know from their respective cultures such as folktales or stories they may have experienced themselves. Activity 2 ESA stage: Study The teacher tells a fun and entertaining (pre-prepared) story for the students to listen to and then provides a worksheet with questions relating to the story just told. Learning Goals To develop listening and writing skills Example Anne and the Monster by Chris Sanidas Anne lived in a small village on a high mountain that was covered in forest. Every day she went to the local school to learn about many important things like mathematics, music and monsters. Learning about monsters was important because there were many that lived on the mountain covered in trees. One day after school Anne decided to go for a long walk by herself. Anne often liked to go for a walk alone. She like to walk until the sun went down and the stars came out. Anne wasn’t afraid of the dark and she certainly wasn’t afraid of monsters! She walked until her legs became tired and the full moon was high in the night sky. Anne rested her legs on a rock near a large pond when she heard the sound of wet, dripping, chewing sounds coming from the other side of the water. “Nom, nom, nom nom.” Anne could see a large hairy shape under a big jungle berry tree in the moonlight. Anne gasped in fright - it was a monster! The monster jumped up and hid behind the tree. Two red glowing eyes slowly peaked out from behind the tree trunk staring at Anne. “Please don’t hurt me,” said the monster, terrified. “I don’t want to do that”, said Anne. “What are you doing here?” “I’m eating these delicious berries of course.” “Ohhh….can I have some too please?” Anne asked very politely. “Hmmm…yes you can…but you must promise not to hurt me…okay?” “I promise,” she said. Anne would never do anything like that. Actually she had always wanted to meet a monster. The monster was a very nice monster. His name was Twookly. Together they ate berries and talked and joked until the sun came up. “I have to go now,” said Anne. “Otherwise I will be late for school.” “Okay,” said Twookly. “Have a great day!” Anne ran all the way home. She couldn’t wait to tell her friends about her new best friend. The End Worksheet questions Where was Anne living at the beginning of the story? ___________________ What does Anne learn about at school?_______________________________ After Anne finished school she went for a long _____________ The monster was eating_____________________when it saw Anne. What did the monster do after it saw Anne?___________________________ What did the monster first say to Anne?___________________________________ What did Anne promise? _________________________ What did Anne want to do the next morning? _______________________ Activity 3 ESA stage: Study The teacher provides a worksheet with a written story and questions. Students are asked to read the story out loud taking turns at reading certain passages. After the story is completed certain words are selected for pronunciation practice and consequently drilled. Learning Goals To develop reading, speaking and writing skills To learn new vocabulary To improve pronunciation. Activity 4 ESA stage: Study Pre-teach new and difficult vocabulary. Students listen and watch a YouTube video of a short story. Students are asked to elicit language relating to storytelling eg. “Once upon a time…” As per activity 2 students answer questions from a pre- prepared worksheet. Learning Goals To develop listening and writing skills To learn new vocabulary Activity 5 ESA stage: Activate Students write their own short stories to present to the class as an oral presentation. Other students are then encouraged to ask questions regarding the actions of the characters and the environments they were in. Each student takes a turn at telling their story. Learning Goals To develop creative use of the language To develop fluency To develop confidence in speaking Activity 6 ESA stage: Activate Students are set the task of constructing a story as a group. Each student is required to speak a sentence or two to progress the narrative before the next student picks up where the last student finished. The teacher may take turns as well to steer the story according to certain learning outcomes (if required). Learning Goals To develop creative use of the language To develop fluency To develop confidence in speaking Example Student 1: Once upon a time there was a family that lived next to a big river. Student 2: In the river there were many hungry crocodiles that liked to eat people. Student 3: One day the family needed to cross the river but there was no boat. Student 4: The parents were very worried about the crocodiles but the children thought it would be fun to try and swim. Teacher: The father said, “Children if we cross the river, the crocodiles will eat us!” One of the children said, “But Dad there is chocolate on the other side!” Student 1: The mother said, “We need to make a boat so we can cross the river.” Student 2: As they were talking a gigantic crocodile ran from the jungle towards them. And so on…