Teachers' area

Prepare in advance:

• Consider the story’s ending.
  • Consider the grammar and vocabulary learners will need to understand the final lines easily.
  • Ensure learners are aware of these language points, before you begin this activity.
  • Learners will find the activity more engaging and satisfying if they can appreciate the ending straightaway.
• Prepare some comprehension questions to check whether learners understand each part of the story (beginning, middle and end). Focus on questions that confirm learners understand:
  • the key story elements (characters, places, motivations); and
  • important subtext (where relevant), e.g. if a character says something ironically.

Now begin the activity:

1. Learners either:
   • Read the story – either on their own, or while you also read the story aloud.
   • Listen to the story – either read it aloud to them, or play an audio recording if available.
     • Beginner learners may need the words to read at the same time.
     • Push learners to try listening without the words.
2. Ask your comprehension questions when learners reach the beginning, middle and end of the story.
   • If learners are reading on their own:
     • Split the text into three parts.
     • Learners indicate when they’ve finished reading the part and are ready for your questions.
     • Learners should not have access to the translation during this activity.
   • If learners are listening, pause at key moments to ask your comprehension questions.
3. If your questions reveal a misunderstanding:
   1. Return to the relevant section and read/play it again.
   2. Ask learners to explain what they think that section means.
   3. Identify the source of the misunderstanding and correct it.
4. Consider a speaking or writing activity next (see below).

After a learner reads or listens to a story, encourage them to produce language related to it, either in speech or writing. Here are some suggested activities:

• Discuss the ending. Why did the characters behave that way?
• Summarise the story in brief.
• Deconstruct the story: who were the main characters, where and when is it set, what were the key events?
• What do they think happens next?
• What is the moral of the story?
• Review the story. How did it make you feel? Did you enjoy it?

Follow the same approach as a listening activity (above), except that the learners read the story aloud.

• If working with a group of learners, you could:
  • Ask different learners to continue reading at key points.
  • Give different learners different roles in the story (narrator and characters). This is best for stories with a lot of dialogue.
• Identify errors in pronunciation. Errors in intonation and pacing may also indicate a lack of comprehension.
  • Correct serious errors immediately.
  • Make a note of minor errors, particularly ones that are repeated. Discuss these with the learner when you pause after the beginning, middle or end.
  • Ask learners to repeat sentences or words they found difficult.