book , Storybuilding , Jane Spiro describes a procedure that enables students to pay attention to the way a story is built : ( 15 )
Petunia the parrot The teacher writes the following sentences on the board : “ Petunia the parrot set on her eggs . She sat , and sat , and sat , and sat . Then one day there was a peck-peck , and a baby parrot walked out .” The teacher asks the learners whether they think this is a story or not . After making a decision , students are encouraged to work with a classmate that agrees with them and to draw up a list of reasons for their decision . Then , they are invited to share their opinions and to collect their ideas on the board . You can find the exact examples in Jane Spiro ’ s book :
• Stories have a main character .
• Something happens in a story .
• There is a beginning , middle , and end ( but not necessarily in
• that order ).
• Something should be difficult for the main character .
• He / she should go somewhere , do something , or have a
• problem .
• Something changes in a story .
• The end is different from the beginning . ( 16 )
In the last stage of the activity , the teacher asks students to select one of the ingredients above and to develop this ingredient by incorporating it into Petunia ’ s story . Here is a good example for the line that says ‘ Something should be difficult for the main character ’: Petunia the parrot sat on her eggs . But they weren ’ t their eggs at all . They belonged to the hen who lived next door .
This activity could provide a good opportunity for practising past simple , conjunctions but also for expanding students ’ vocabulary by introducing various sets of adjectives .
Pattern stories Another way of helping less advanced learners to build up stories consists in providing pattern stories or stories based on plot archetypes . Pattern stories are extremely helpful when you want to practice a specific language item such as using would for past habits . The teacher offers frame sentences and encourages students to come up with new sentences or new variations of the story : Teacher : There once was a princess who lived in a castle . Students : There once was a little girl / boy who lived in a flat . Teacher : Every day he / she would dance . Students : Every day he / she would sing / paint . Teacher : But one day , he / she fell . Students : But one day , he / she lost his / her voice / sight . ( Spiro , 86 )
For teenage learners , traditional activities that focus on personal experiences such as writing a diary entry might work well . But there are other ways of engaging them in creative tasks . We can encourage them to find exciting sources around them :
• stories inspired by conversations overheard at a bus stop , on the sidewalk ;
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