TEACHING WITH STORIES

10 REASONS TO USE STORIES IN THE ENGLISH CLASSROOM

Wonderful tool for practising listening skills Good fun Put students’ imagination to work Develop fantasy Develop human feelings (happiness/understanding/empathy/sadness/pity) Connect the present with the past and the future Release tension Cooperative Increases self-esteem Enriching experience

OTHER REASONS

For motivation

> Story Telling > Story Reading

To practise different skills good reading starting point

to make own books

to role-play/dramatize to develop conceptual skills:

prediction guessing meaning training memory

For interest Stories can be chosen to reflect on the language topic

on other areas

For social relevance:

To discuss and explore issues of social relevance: * awareness of good/bad social behaviour * emotions * share culture/history

For variety:

Stories broaden the use of English, expanding course book contents

For context:

Stories give context and meaning to the language a genuine reason for listening

Theoretical Background

Literature in F.L.Teaching increased material /activities from Lit. Texts appeal to the learner’s imagination, increase motivation, create a rich and meaningful context

STORYTELLING technique most frequently used established part of the curriculum stories: seen as first-rate resource

AGE GROUPS 4-year-old children : capable of telling stories in snatches 6-year-old children : include cause and effect relationship between events

recognize 3 of the main features of storytelling * location of the action in space and time * the main plot * the final outcome

4-6 year oldsCharacteristics Implications Need*pre-school/beginning * not used to class- * training in class school room conventions routine* limited motor skills * clumsy control of * to develop motor pen/scissors control (colouring)* learn holistically * child needs stimulation * opportunities to move, sing, play, explore,etc.* cannot distinguish * cannot analyse lang * exposure to chunks betw.different parts of lang. (chants/ language stories)* limited reading/ * introducing reading/ * Lots listening/ writing skills writing in Eng. speaking activ.* see no need to * use L1 exclusively * reasons to speak communicate in Engl. Engl. (games, chants)* love stories, fantasy * bored with many topics * stories, fantasy,fun

7-9 year oldsCharacteristics Implications Need* beginning to be * can see patterns, * opportunities to logical / anlytical aware of lang. Experiment

•asking questions * need answers * freedom to express

* reading and writing * still need support * practice and success still minimal in L 1 and help oriented activ.

* still have problems * group activ. not * teacher guides, sharing always successful chances to work alone

* developing confidence * own views on what * chance to state to express they want to do/talk opinions about

* developing knowledge * know more than we * chances to use what of the world around them often think they know

10-12 year olds Characteristics Implications Need* longer attention span * greater range of activ. * opportunities to engage possible in class in tasks that require focus & commintment* knowledge of the * more topics can be * stimulation (information world growing addressed from Internet/cross- curricular)* take learning more * can be given * chances to be seriously responsibility independent* still children * have need for security * teacher sensitive to and pleasure their needs & moods* more cooperative * can do more group * variety of grouping with peers work (work on own, in pairs, in group,as class)* intellectual,motor and * can be challenged * activities that social skills developing more challenge them* developing own * children won’t all react * chance to personalise learning strategies in the same way to the their learning same task/topic experience

Reasons which make storytelling useful in linguistic terms: Development of listening skills: Listening for gist (main idea/plot)

Acquisition of new vocabulary lang.: Lang. contextualised and repeated Development of the child’s literary competence: Ability to understand and enjoy lit. Introduction to narrative conventions

Communicative exchange involved in stories: Interaction betw. storyteller/audience Audience collaboration Interaction with an adult in a shared context

HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT KIND OF STORYStories should have these elements:

• simple storyline lends to: dramatization and pantomime heavy use of visuals and realia to illustrate content

• should not be too long• language should match or be easily adapted to their level of proficiency• have a clear plan of activities to exploit the story• dialogues should be short and memorable• predictable structures or familiar to the children, with a large proportion of previously learned vocabulary• repetitive phrases: formulas and patterns that occur regularly and predictably• clearly visible print• attractive pictures

STORYTELLING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE TEACHINGo An aid in the teaching of a foreign lang.

o Reasons to use them with lower level learners: need for classroom activ. which are meaningful implies greater learner involvement need to create activ. which most closely reflect the process of natural acquisition of language the need to communicate

o Content-based syllabuses developed out of this need selection based on certain topic use of all opportunities for real communicative interaction (spontaneous use of lang.)

LISTENING TO STORIESWhy is listening so important?

the skill children acquire first the basis for the development of all other skills children start to learn a language mainly through their ears main channel to make initial contact

* Important to give visual back-up: facial expression/movement/miming

To teachers:• say things clearly• repeat words and phrases• re-tell the story again and again• create a friendly atmosphere• establish a story telling routine• rearrange seating to make eye contact• make pupils feel comfortable and relaxed

Listening to stories

REFLECTS THE PROCESS OF NATURAL ACQUISITION OF THE LANGUAGE Stephen Krashen …. the need to communicate in a meaningful way….. the comprehensible input

1) Simplified utterances: lots of repetition – classification – deliberate rhythm

2) Characteristics of the story: easy to imitate ( with rhyme, onomatopoeia, rhythm, intonation)

3) Comprehension of the story: use of visual aids – gestures- mime

Silent period : recommended in the early stages of language learning

STEPS IN THE STORY TELLING PROCESS

Planning1) Choose a suitable story and go through the story first2) “Skeletalize it”: major features and characters the setting and the story line3) Emphasize vocabulary or structures through

repetition4) Present or revise vocabulary through: visuals,

flashcards, realia,etc5) Story teller begins the tale using: mime- gestures-

body language- dramatic expressions- visuals6) Involve learners through: actions - predictions7) Use meaningful activities: It leads to a greater

learners’ involvement8) Divide the story telling activities in 3 stages: - before you read or tell the story - while you read or tell it (during the second time) - after you read or tell it

STORY READING

LISTENING Main source of lang., when pupils start to learn it.

PRINT 2nd main source of expanding the lang stregthening the langREADING Language skill easiest to

keep

BOOKS Open up other worlds to children!!!!!

“Making reading an enjoyable activity is a very important part of the language learning experience”

READING STORIES Additional benefit of connecting narrative with printed page

Teachers read very familiar stories aloud at early stages of language acquisition

While reading aloud: > is helpful to point to the words or lines > we emphasize the connection of oral lang to print

You should not change the story

Children like to have their favourite stories repeated

They are able to tell the story word for word (they do not like changes!!)

Older groups: a continuing story, so that you read a bit of the book every time

DEVELOPMENTAL READING STAGES Children progress through 3 stages as readers:Emergent readers Become aware of the basics of reading Young children need predictable books/repetition and rhyme/illustrations that match the textEarly readers

Understand the basics of print Use various strategies to gain meaning Can read more detailed and complicated stories

Fluent readers Are confident readers Use many strategies Read a variety of genres

Reading experiencesSHARED READING

Select the appropriate book

Ask about what they see in the cover

Point out the title and ask them to predict it

Point out the illustrations

Ask them to make predictions about the story plot

Read aloud with enthusiasm (Model book handling,page sequence,etc)

Pause frequently to comment on the illustrations and actions

Ask questions about objects or characters in the illustrations

Lead simple discussions

Ask questions that reflect opinions