CAMBRIDGE HANDBOOKS
1R
IANGt:i\GE TEACHERS
General Editors: Michael Swan and Roger Bowers
This is a series of practical guides for I"eachns of English and other languages. Illustrative examples are usually drawn from the field of English as a foreign or second language, bu the ideas and techniques described can equally well be used in the teachi ng of any language. In this series:
Once Upon a Tillle Using stories in the language classroom
Drama Techniques Techniques in Language Learning Learning - A resource resource book of
communication activities for language teachers by Alan Matey and Atan D u f f
Games for Language Learning by Andrew Wright, David Betteridge and Michael Buckby Discussions that Work
Task-centred Task-centred fluen fluency cy practice by Penny Ur
Once Upon a Time - Using stories in the language language classroom classroom by John Morgan and Mario Rinvolucri
]ahnMargan
and Mari Maria a Rinvalucri
Teaching Listening Listening Comprehension by Penny Ur Keep Talking - Communicati ve fluency fluency activities fot language teaching by Friederike Ktippel Working with Words Words - A guide guide re teachin an learning learning vocabulary by Ruth Cairns an Stuart Redman Learner Englis English h - A teacher's teacher's guide to interference interference and other problems edited by Michaet Swan and Bernard Smith Testing Testing Spoken Spoken Language Language by Nic Underhitl
handbook of oral testing techniques
Literature in the Language Language Classroom - A resource resource book of ideas and activities by Joanne Collie and Stephen Slater Dictation - Ne methods, new possibilities by Paul Davis and Mario Rinvolucri Grammar Practice Practice Activiti Activities es - A practical guide guide for teachers teachers by Penny Ur
The dgh, 0l,he Unipe,s;ty 0/ Com})"dge
10 prult and ulJ all manner of ooakt "';03' granted. by H ~ ! I r } ' V/I! irt JJf. The -Ulllrns/ly Im.r pl nre4 wld I'lIhli.fhCd COrtflntlously , I i l l ( , ( JJ8.f.
CAMBRIDGE HANDBOOKS
1R
IANGt:i\GE TEACHERS
General Editors: Michael Swan and Roger Bowers
This is a series of practical guides for I"eachns of English and other languages. Illustrative examples are usually drawn from the field of English as a foreign or second language, bu the ideas and techniques described can equally well be used in the teachi ng of any language. In this series:
Once Upon a Tillle Using stories in the language classroom
Drama Techniques Techniques in Language Learning Learning - A resource resource book of
communication activities for language teachers by Alan Matey and Atan D u f f
Games for Language Learning by Andrew Wright, David Betteridge and Michael Buckby Discussions that Work
Task-centred Task-centred fluen fluency cy practice by Penny Ur
Once Upon a Time - Using stories in the language language classroom classroom by John Morgan and Mario Rinvolucri
]ahnMargan
and Mari Maria a Rinvalucri
Teaching Listening Listening Comprehension by Penny Ur Keep Talking - Communicati ve fluency fluency activities fot language teaching by Friederike Ktippel Working with Words Words - A guide guide re teachin an learning learning vocabulary by Ruth Cairns an Stuart Redman Learner Englis English h - A teacher's teacher's guide to interference interference and other problems edited by Michaet Swan and Bernard Smith Testing Testing Spoken Spoken Language Language by Nic Underhitl
handbook of oral testing techniques
Literature in the Language Language Classroom - A resource resource book of ideas and activities by Joanne Collie and Stephen Slater Dictation - Ne methods, new possibilities by Paul Davis and Mario Rinvolucri Grammar Practice Practice Activiti Activities es - A practical guide guide for teachers teachers by Penny Ur
The dgh, 0l,he Unipe,s;ty 0/ Com})"dge
10 prult and ulJ all manner of ooakt "';03' granted. by H ~ ! I r } ' V/I! irt JJf. The -Ulllrns/ly Im.r pl nre4 wld I'lIhli.fhCd COrtflntlously , I i l l ( , ( JJ8.f.
Published by the Press Syndicate of till" f l l l V ~ J . . . . If .d ( .11I1I11I1I1, ,c The Pitt Building, Trumpington Street, ( ':JJIIlll J I I I ~ ( ' '" lit I' 32 East 57th Street, New York, NY ODn, J:,,\ 10 Stamford Stamford Road, Road, Oakleigh, Oakleigh, Melbo urn' 1/'1,.1\11'.1]"h:l
Contents
Cambridge University Press 1983 First published 1983 Fifth printing 1988 Printed in Great Britain at the University Press Press,, Cambri dge Library of Congress catalogue card number: 83-5356
British Library cataloguing in publication dat
Morgan, John Once upon a time (Cambridge (Cambridge handbooks fo language teachers) English language Study and teaching 1. English Foreign students I. Title n. Rinvolucri, Mario 428.2'4'091 PE1128 ISBN 0521252695 hard covers ISBN 0 521 272629 paperback
Techniques
Stories
To the Teacher
Section 1
Page 1
story
Telling
Section 2 2.1
Stories an follow-ups Revenge questions
2. 2.
Theme pictures
The hunchback The river
5 12
13 13
2.
For beginners Taking roles
2.
Theme words
2.
Discussion
2.7
Shapes an characters
2.8
Completion
The inventor King Caliban Kacuy MrsPeters The bear that wasn't Jack and the beanstalk Peacocks Freyfaxi Rumpelstiltskin The tw sons
32
Story to poem
Yvonne Willow The singing mushrooms
34
Th.epiperofRome The Billy Goats Gruff The tw doors Unexpected The sign the broken sword An anecdote
35
2.9
2..12
In new clothes Birth order Problem stories
.2..1'\
A serial story
2.1
Story ro picture
2.
()
2.1
S C I : ~ i o n
'..1
H l ' t l ' l l i n l ~
1'.\1 ;.11('1
~ l 1 1 I " l C ' ' ' '
Seguin 's goat TIll:' (:{It that wal1ud by itself
16 18 20 23 25 27 28 29
31 32
36 37 38 38
40
41 41 42
Techniques
Section 4.1
Before begin... Grammar practice
S t " " ....
Page
(; oM d u I ' ;,> .,'
54 54
'I ' f ! / ' l ' I ' 1I'lshl's
4.2 4.3
Theme sentences A picture starter
4.4
Picture rose
Section
Co-operative telling In the language lab
5.1
5.2 5.3
Group story
5.4
Scene to story story from four words Three item stories Random story Picture composition Dictogloss
5.5
5.6 5.7 5.8 5.9 Section 6.1
6.2
6.3
6.4
6,5 6.6
6.8 6.9
6.10
pigs HreJllfslm'l'lJr'Silent
"Un' tIJlI'I' l i l t l t ~
Dictation
(;dert The IJigl'oll
The qllilrrymall
The unicorn Two brothers The ghost The seventh rose No name wom,m The dragon ofNara
Solomon's judgement The forced burglar
Students'stories
Mumble, listen, tell
Comprehension questions The giant tortoise Spoof stories Cambodian soupstone Air travel Story of the film Love stories Rapunzel From beginnings... Frog in a well Grandpa Three-wheeler ... to endings Wild cat Objects tell stories Doodlestrips Triple stories
55 56
57 59 59 60
63 63 65 65 66 68 69 72 73 74 75 77 77 79 79 80 80 81 82 82 83 84 84 85 86 87
Techniques
7.5
7.6 7.7 7.8 7.9
Fire stories Hiding things Heroes and heroines Stories from jobs Shame
Section 8
Vanishing stories
Section 9 9.1
Revision story you really liked Music Doodlestrip review
9.2 9.3
Stories
Page
Th
wrpark attendant
Th
orchard
Go
in
matchbox
103 104
Snow The pullover Honour Th figtree
Ivar In the cellar
The donkey Oogledeboo The man, the snake, an
the stone The baby The husband Enkidu Ophir
A horse race The wisdom the world Th princess an the pea
Thepaem Analdman Ants The magic barrel
PI""" Iipl
" H t I " I I ~ ' , i ' , ( ' ' ' l i I l I l S
98
102
Section 10 Story pool
NI,I,".
94 95 95 96 97
105 105 105
106 106 107 107 108 108
109 110 110 110
111 112
112 113
114 114
115 116
117 119
teacher
Thanks
We wish to thank the following people: Students with whom we have learnt to tell stories. Both sceptical and enthusiastic colleagues, in particular .lane Lockwood, Katya Benjamin, Paul Davis, Mo Stcll1gcman, Cynthia
Beresford, .lan Aspeslagh, Charles Williams, .lames Dixey, Michael Swan, Margaret Callow, Carlos Maeztu, Richard an Marjorie Baudins, Elena Morgan, Lindsay Brown, Loren McGrail, Sarah
Braine. Bernard Dufeu wh
opened ou eyes to the psychodrama use of
tales. artistic oral tradition we know best is that of the Greek shadow puppeteers an we particularly want to acknowledge the insights gained from working with Giorgos Charidimos.
Th
Books that have helped us in ou thinking about the oral story include: ' Bruno Bettelheim, The Uses of Enchantment, Penguin 1978 Iona an Peter Opie, The Classic Fairy Tales, OUP 1974 V1adimir Propp, Morphology the Fo/ktale, Austin 1968 Gianni Rodari, Grammatica de/la Fantasia, Einaudi 1973 Finally, this book owes a heavy debt to the various oral traditions of which it 1S curious continuation, an to individuals whose written stories we have 'skeletonised' in preparation for many oral tellings. ].M. M.R.
Among both practising language teachers an applied linguists there an IOcreasmg awareness that successfu.l second-language learning is far more matter of unconscious acquisition than of conscious,
systemaric study. Stephen Krashen (Second Language Acquisition Second Language Learning Pergamon 1981) goes so far as to say that 'the major function of the second-language classroom is to provide intake for acquisition'. view that th 'intake' required to facilitate language It ~ c q U l S 1 t l O n wd be very different from the materials currently provided th dassroom as part of systematic structural or notional courses. If ,unconscious processes are to be enlisted, then the whole person Will need to be engaged: we shall no longer be able to rely on th learner's general 'motivation' or on the intrinsic charms of th target bnguage to sustain him or her through the years of monotonous drilling an bland role-play, Classroom activities will have to be slructurcd to serve immediate rather than long-term needs, to promote I'atl!cr than practise communication an expression, This book is offered as a step in that direction. Within the frame of
an
srofytelling-that most ancient an
compelling of human activities-we
a \vide range of classroom exercises an more than 70 story ol1dil1cS ('skeletons') fo yo and your students to work from. Th 1''1: 'rcist's rang honl introspectiv e to highly i.nteractive from beginner 1,) advanced; many are offered as communicative a l t e m a t i v e ~ to r:lditiollal lang uage-teachin g activities; all, we hope, arc engaging , l l l l l fL'w:ll'dlng Hl rhcl11,'dves. I l l ' >])OSC
(i\N'IIFl.l. ST01UIS'
,I ' , I I I : d ~
l l l i l l o r i l y , II
YOLlcouldberight,butifsoyou'rein teachers of English can very fe
\1111' 1 ' : - ' I 1 ( ' l ' i ( ' I l t ' ~
/"",/ ,tlnll,I,It!nlll.lll'l
IlIll ,111110,';(
,dl
11;1\1(':1
hidd
'11
talcr)! as story
To
To the teacher
the teacher
listening comprehension frolll 1;'11('. TIH' 1.1l1l"l" is always third-person listening, a kind of eavesclroppill1',lI1.l1 i·. r:\llgely uncompelling. To be told a stOry by a live storyteller, Oi 1l1l' l'Olllrary, involves on in 'I-thou' lisrening, where the iSll'IllTS ';111 Ji reedy influence the telling. Even if you arc non-native Il':lt he of English, the com municative gain will more than outwl'igh thl' 'un-Englishness' you may hear in your telling. STORY 'Compn'hL:l1sion ql1'estions' an paraphrase exercises are standard classroom follow-ups to listening work: after a story they at best dilute, at worst de-stroy, its effect on FOLLOWING UP
the listener. In Section 2 yo will find a variety of alternative follow-up exercises. 2.1, for example, gives the student al opportunity to decide for himself or herself which questions (if any) he or she wants answered, an to hear the answers from a classmate. 2.4 uses role assignment to explore th group's feelings towards characters in story; 2.14 uses a drawing exercise to help students 'cap' one story with another. All the exercises encourage the recycling of ne
shows the teacher modelling vocahulary from within a use IS found for the language lahoratory.
group; in 5.1
ORAL PRODUCTION There ar stories hidden inside everyone. Elementary students will bring them ou in dramatic, excited half-sen tences; advanced speakers will reach ou for ever more vivid or exact expression. Fo all, adequate communication is an attainable miracle if the teacher is prepared to allow it. Section provides frames for the recal,l or creation of students' ow stories; Section goes a little deeper-m to one's real or imaginary past.
PICTURE S T O R I ~ S We arc all familiar with the 'picture story' as a deVice for provokll1g narrative work. Unfortunately, anyone with n o ~ m a l eyeSight produces much the same story, which robs the t e ~ l l l 1 g of any p ~ i n t . In 6,9 -v:e provide symbolic pictures to provoke WIde range of dIfferent stones, Once they have created their ow story, students are keen to tell them and to find ou what others have made of th 'doodlestrip':
language. Being required to retell a story to someone wh ha RETELLING just heard it is a pleasure few of us would willingly repeat: yet this is often what we force upon our students. Section suggests activities in which retelling is both necessary an enjoyable. STORIES AND GRAMMAR Many traditional stories abound in powerful repeated phrases (e.g. 'Who's been sleeping in MY bed?).
Fo elementary an intermediate students, such stories (suitably chosen) can be used as an almost subliminal grammar input. 4.1
gives some examples of this. It is also a fairly simple matter to angle your telling and/or follow-up exercises in such a way that particular structures are demanded of the student: ftom common strong verbs to third conditionals. In Section yo are introduced to the Silent Wa reduction technique which has the students working intensively on grammar,
At the end of the book you will find twenty story to supplement those scattered through the exercises. We I L I V I ' Irf(;d to make these as varied as possible, but tecognise that we :1111101 ~ P ~ l l l d,le range of tastes of all th possible readers of this hook. 11 you hlltl pk;ls11re an profit in telling stories with your class, to add your ow stories to the pool. 111('11 Wl hope yOIl wdl he ab ~ , T (
),R
POOL
( 1 I I i l l 1 l e ~
to. II( )'
,"I'()
I(
<,
Wt'
h;IVl'
consciously included a number of fairy
To the teacher
in detail) in the student's 11Iot 111'1 II 11',1 Il 1" LUlguage is simple the meanings are evocative ,11ll! 11l.IlIY 1.')"'I\'d; an th stones,bnng back, often in a flood of cxcitCIlIl'1l1, 1 1 1 1 ' I I I O d ( ' , ~ of one's ow chIldhood and that of one's children.
Telling
Section
story
On day, while testing material for this book, we decided to tell the same story in each of the two groups of students we were working
to record ourselves while doing so. The story, a Ghanaian folk tale, goes like this:
with, an
hunchback girl protects her father's beans from wild animals
In the fields, she is visited by fairies They ask herfor bean soup She says she can't bend down to pick th
beans, because
of her hump The fairies remove the hump She picks the beans and cooks them The fairies eat, thank he They replace the hump and leave Her father tells her: 'You silly girl, yo should have run away before they could replace the hump' Next day, the same thing, She runs of before they replace the hump She hides in the hut from th fairies week later there is a dance in the village She can't resist-joins the dance While dancing, she feels a weight on her shoulders She turns, sees the fairies leaving the village (from I11 O I l ( '
rooll1l11C
Folk
Tales
an
Fables, ed, p, Itayemi
P. Gurrey)
stlldcllt. h e ~ l r d :
TIlI'l!' \\';\', \\',1', \'('1 \'
,I I.ll'IlltT
I"""
ill
,llld
1]('
rhe norrh of the country who !l:ld
jWil
To the teacher
in detail) in the student's 11Iot 111'1 II 11',1 Il 1" LUlguage is simple the meanings are evocative ,11ll! 11l.IlIY 1.')"'I\'d; an th stones,bnng back, often in a flood of cxcitCIlIl'1l1, 1 1 1 1 ' I I I O d ( ' , ~ of one's ow chIldhood and that of one's children.
Telling
Section
story
On day, while testing material for this book, we decided to tell the same story in each of the two groups of students we were working
to record ourselves while doing so. The story, a Ghanaian folk tale, goes like this:
with, an
hunchback girl protects her father's beans from wild animals
In the fields, she is visited by fairies They ask herfor bean soup She says she can't bend down to pick th
beans, because
of her hump The fairies remove the hump She picks the beans and cooks them The fairies eat, thank he They replace the hump and leave Her father tells her: 'You silly girl, yo should have run away before they could replace the hump' Next day, the same thing, She runs of before they replace the hump She hides in the hut from th fairies week later there is a dance in the village She can't resist-joins the dance While dancing, she feels a weight on her shoulders She turns, sees the fairies leaving the village (from I11 O I l ( '
rooll1l11C
Folk
Tales
an
Fables, ed, p, Itayemi
P. Gurrey)
stlldcllt. h e ~ l r d :
TIlI'l!' \\';\', \\',1', \'('1 \'
,I I.ll'IlltT
I"""
ill
,llld
1]('
rhe norrh of the country who !l:ld
jWil
Telling a story
Telling a story
who would ("(1111" .111\\ wentouttotlll·fit'l.I
111'11111.1"
,Hound / ol1e (b she whikshewastherc'sotnt ,hked her for
, , , , , ',I
1111,1
,Ill' fairies came ul ut 1111' " ' , , ' ,.1 beans / they walll... .1 111'1 '" "" 1111'111 and make them m e a l / s h e sai d ;,he 'lllIl.11l I",. ,1I1'.C' ;,Ill' couldn't bend to pick the beans / SOIIIII',dllll"IIIJI"; ,UIH'uptoherputhis hand on her back and l i l i < ' . 1 Ill' 11111111' oil 'J' hack and said now you can pick 'ans ",..11,,111' ,hd l l l l ~ she picked the beans and she pu thell1 ill :1 I'''' 111,1111' ,I h r l ' cooked th beans an gave them to the fairies / ,lllllllll'Y :lI',' them t h a n h d h - ~ r for them and turned to gu ;llid ,I;' !I\L'y ld they replaced the hump on her back / WhclI sll\' (;11111' h;wk to th hu she told her father what had happened an Ill:r f:lch 'r said hOw if they come again and they prohahly wiil / when they take the hump off your back don't f-';O ~ \ n d pick lhe he,lhs run away lip str,light / like the an hide then you'll gn other girls / so the next day she we;:J1l our 1'0 th field and the and took th hump fairies did come and asked her for bean._ an instead of going off her back ou into the field to pick the beans / she turned and ran / as fast as she could sh rushed back to the village and hid in the hu / he advis ed that evening when her father came home because the fairies now would be her to stay in the house bu after a few weeks he thought they looking for her would go away / so she stayed in th house for and week then there was a festival in th village an all the girls went ou into the streets of the village and an the girl looked ou of her window at they danced costumes the girls / i n / their bright dancing in the street and she couldn't resist it she'd always loved dancing and she'd never been able to dance and now she could an ou into the street she went danced with the other girls / while she was dancing / she felt weight an there she sa turned round the on her shoulders fairies / quietly / going off ou of the village
In the other room the students heard: Once upon
time there was a village
on th
edge of
ha
bean field on th
edge of th
desert
and one of the
daughter's jobs was to go and watch the beanfield
and
no one or stoic beans evening she was there / as night wa falling / in this part and as she was preparing to of the world night falls quickl y go home suddenly some fairies appeared on the edge of the bean and one of them said to her field / and they came over we're hungry pick us some beans and make us bean soup bu th girl looked at them sadly an said / can't bend down to pick th beans bu th fairy / came close behind he and lifted / th hump from off he back and she could stand upright an walk straight / she smiled and began to pick beans / she made a fire and she made the fairies a bean soup which they ate greedily and then disappeared / across the edge of the field back but as into the desert and th girl / ran home suddenly she felt the hump com she was running ing back onto her shoulders and by the time she go home make
she was stooped forward
and could only walk slowly an and she told her father everything that ha happened
her father said to her you acted wrong my daughter you should have run away as soon as the fairies took the hump off
/
they couldn't have found you to pu it back on when it happens run away before they can pu the hump back on your shoulders and so the next evening / the girl went to the bean field again and sure enough the fairies appeared an they asked her to make them over the edge of the field bean soup again and a fairy lifted rhe bump from off he back and quickly she ran out of the field aud ran back and home to th viJlage / she hi in her father's house an she realised that she could she could walk straight dance / for that evening there was going to be dance at the house of some ncighbours where there was wedding / and she and later on in the evening she crept ou an joined fo th ncighbour's house w('nl 10 th(' h f l l l ~ t : hl J:lIH'illg / ;llld Ihl'n she saw on the edge of the / he hump was 1111' f:lirics / suddenly d;III' 1111', 1'I'lll'Il' 111('1" 1111111'1 11,1< I. ''11,1111 ;,h(' stooped f()[\vard / she could your back
again
/
I'
sure they'll come back tomorrow
Telling a story
Telling
in numerous ways. On
L';\I) r(';lddy 1111.1)',111(' t i l l ' wide range of factors that might go to producing Sill d i l k " ' I I l l " ~ , : lilt· mood o f t h e teller when he or she first encoLlmLTcd lIll' ",1111 \' Ilis or her mood while telling; th background exrwri('llll'S Ih,l k:lll, (nr example, to on teller seeing forest where the 01hLT S:I VI' d c . n t landscape; th numher an seating of the audience; the lc1kr's rd;lliollship to the audience;
an so on an so on. And thcse difkrl'IlLc'. :Ire in rum reflected in th language: sometimes fluent, so ll1l'ti IlIl'S 11l'"j ;llll alld uncertain,
broken by irregular pauses, bu always lh-lillildy s/JOken language, the language of personal communicatioll ha is so often absent from the foreign-language classroom. In some ways teUing is easier than reading aluud: the reader ma
be forced to interpret speech patterns ami rhythms very different from his or he own; he or she is forced to bccomc aware of things normally taken for granted, such as breathing; and these technical problems may become barrier hetween him or her an the author just as the book he or she is holding may hccome ;1 physical barrier between him or he an his or her audience In telling, on the other hand, one can shape the story to one's ow needs, and while this may require the development of certain, perhaps huried, skills, the advantages ar very great. In the first place, one ca address one's audience directly: on can make eye contact or no as an when one chooses, use gesture an mirlle freely, expand or modify the form of one's telling as the occasion demands, and in general establish an maintain community of attention het\ .... een teller an listener, Again, from the learner's point of view, it is of immense benefit to witness the process of framing ideas in the target language without, as in conversation, constantly having to engage in that process oneself: forcing students always to hear polished speech (or, worse, the bland monotony of specially constructed oral texts) does tbem great disservice. Since first starting to work with stories, we have come to realise something of the extent to which narrative underlies ou
conversa
tional encounters with others, an of the deep need that people have to tell and exchange stories. We have also learned something aboLlt the ways in which storytelling ca
take place in the foreign-language
story
Finding and choosing stories Stories are everywhere: in selecting for this book we have d r a w n on
traditional fairy stories, folk tale collections, newspaper reports,
literary short stories, films an plays, personal anecdotes, rumours, stories from ou ow childhood an from the childhood of ou friends, students and colleagues, an
on our own imagination, We
have learned stories from ou children an professionals like Propp and Rodari.
their friends, an
from
In selecting storics for the classroom, we have been guided by tw main criteria: is this a story that we would enjoy telling an is this a story ou students might find entertaining or thought-provoking? We have seldom been influenced by purely linguistic considerations in ou choice (though this does play Cl p a r t - s e e 4,1), an we have never aUowed the language of an original text to determine suitaility-indeed, many of the stories we have used have been taken from originals in languages other than English.
Making skeletons We found early on that brief written outline ('skeleton') provided (he hest wa for us to store material for storytelling. The skeleton should give, in minimal form, plot outline, background information where necessary (e.g. cultural context if the plot is heavily dependent
oil this), ap
certain a m o u n t of character detail. There is no
ohligation to produce l ~ h s r ; 1 c 1 e
IlClll Ju
continuous text-indeed, this could be an
to improvisation-or to observe the conventions of punctua 'complete sentences', Th aim should be to record all those
(·I('IIlCllts that are essential to the story, bu only these. (The decision ,d)(l\lt what is essential is entirely, an rightly, subjective: faithfulness 10 an original text or to Cl 'writer's intention' play no part in this work.)
!\lllIw s[oriL's PITSl'lltl'd ill this book ar given in the form of ',k,'klll"'. T l l l ' S l ' :11"1' pl"illll'd ("ClL.:t1y as we would use them ourselves, ,1I1l1 \-\l'II.I\'(' I l l " ;llll'lllpll'" to provide;1 'standardised form'. We
Telling a story
Telling a story
Preparing
to
tell
In preparing to tell a story, we h;rvc worked directly from skeletons. This has the effect both of dist:1.flcing tlw leller from the rhythms an forms of the source (whether oral or wrillLIl) and of focussing on what is essential to memorise-the plo ami development. Except where f ~ r m u l a i c expressions are cssl'llli;i1 to th story (e.g, in fairy stories such repetirions as ' W h a t big ..... you have, grandmother') we have consciously avoided all memorisatioll or recording of forms of words, concentrating on plot line an pace, an on 'getting the feel' dress rehearsal, fo example, in front of the mirror, of the story, ma at times be helpful, bu can easily lead to loss of involvement, and thus, in the classroom, failure to communicate; one rehearsal technique which gets round this is to replay the story in one's head while mumbling the rhythms of th story (but no the actual words of th telling) aloud. We have also found that a brief period of total relaxation before telling is of immense help.
Styles of storytelling many ways of telling a story. On can unroll one's ma under the nearest tree an call together crowd; one can buttonhole
There ar
stranger in railway carriage or bar; one ca murmur in the ear of a sleepy child. These an many other traditional modes of telling can have their counterparts in th foreign-language classroom. Standing, or sitting on a raised chair in front of rows of students one can capture something of the one-man theatre show, and ai to fire emotions or entertain by pure acting skill. In total contrast ro this, sitting with the students, in tight circle, ca conjure memories of childhood storytelling. By seeking and exchanging eye contact, one can draw the students into the story, an give a sense of participation in th process of telling; withholding eye conmct, on the other hand, ca be used to increase the mood of fantasy, an to encourage
he listener Just as there ar styles of telling, so there ;lre styles of listening. People do not always listen in th samc way, or fo the same cnd; no do all people listen for the ends we might want to prescribe. When,
for example, the schoolmaster punishes a child for 'daydreaming' instead of 'paying attention' to what is being said, he is assuming that the aim of the child's listening is the absorption and retention of th story or argument, Thus, if th child fails to pay attention, the worth of the telUng, an by implication of th teller, is called into question. In practice, quite the opposite may be the case: the telling may be so powerful or stimulating thar it sets up dominant trains of head which force thought in the attention away the teller and along new an exciting paths. Th storyteller should no merely recognise that this, too, might be valid aim, but take \ l C P S to encourage and exploit it by, for example, allowing thinking
me wtthin the telling, a nd by encouraging th listeners to share heir thoughts afterwards, Foreign '!earners ma have their own, \pccial aims in listening: they ma be concentrating on the structures or rhythms of speech, an allow 'meanings' ro pass them by; they I l I a ) ' be engaged in range of translation processes; they may, c'o.;pccially if they are advanced students, be making consciolls attempts rind, in th style of telling, models for things they themselves wish II ["l'Xpress-things which may be quite remote (for others) from th ',[llI"y be1l1g told. This to the teller should be content with.
W at not to do recipes for storytelling, bu there ar very clearly things NO do: 1l'Il stlll"il'S yo d o n ' t like, or are ou of sympathy with. L i t e lilt' sllll"y :lho"e the list ner: tell the story for the sake of he sake of the story. tilL' l i " I I ' I I l ' l ' , Illlt to h n o l l l l ' l i l l " H l ' l I p i n l wilh 'gclting the h l 1 g L l ~ l g L ' right'-your
11I'IT ; l I T 110
"Ill' sho\lld 1)1111'(
11,111'(
111\'1
Telling a story
Here
is an example of th
Stories and follow-ups
ection
A skeleton story
s k \ ' k l ( ) l I ~
presented in the book.
The river Summer They reached the river, h[ld t)een at wa three years
2.1
Lull in fighting Three of them went bathing-three shots
Skeleton
HQ pu river ou of bounds He crept through wood to river bank Propped rifle against tree, undressed, swam Water cool and clean Caught branch in midstream Sa head in water, Ours? Theirs?
Head went to other bank He sw.am back to rifle, go there first Aimed at other climbing ou of water Could no squeeze trigger Let riflefall Saw birds rise as shot rang ou His face hit the ground (after Antonis Samarakis, Zitite Efpis)
Revenge questions
Th
inventor
Inventor Lived in country
Drew plans, tore them up, started again For 40 years never spoke, read newspaper, or received letter Didn't know radio existed One da Da
realised he had made invention
and night checked plans, calculations
He went to town Cars instead of horses; electric instead of steam trains; escalators, refrigerators. Quickly understood-saw telephone an said: 'Aha' Told people in street 'I have made great invention'
They did no care
He entered a cafe an 'I have invented
explained to ma machine which shows what's going on
miles away'
'Oh the television-there's on
in the corner-shall
iUm?'
Till: inventor went home At df:sk )r il rnonth--re-invented car , i l l 11 wdll ( ~ " c i l l ; l r )1', tAlepllone, refrigerator
turn
Stories an
follou.;-ups
Before class
Make one copy of th qucsriolls given llelnw. On this copy ad the names of two people f r O l 1 l your d;lss ill tilt: blanks in questions an 25. Then copy the number of shn·ts yo will need for your class.
Revenge questions many wives would he have? 18 If the inventor was Muslim, ho 19 In what ways, if any, do you sympathise with the inventor? 20 W h a t did the inventor do in the trams? 21 Wh did the inventor get angry in th cafe?
22 Was this ma
a lunatic?
did the story begin? Di the story happen for you in England, your ow somewhere else?
23 Ho
24 In class
1 Tell the students the story. 2 Give them the 'comprehension' questions h d o w an invite them to cross ou any they don't like or think arc stupid. Each student
25 Di
.......... in this group like th story?
26 What was the inventor's reaction to the new
27
town? Which of th
ne
28 Wh di this ma w a n t to invent things?
questions they have retained. Pair students wh have retained lot of questions with ones wh have crossed ou most or all of the questions. 4 Have them re-pair an repeat 3 above.
32 What sort of relationship do yo
in the cafe tell his wife when he got home that night? Is it deepl y useful to invent things that have already been
W h a t did the ma
2
tionary?
29 Ho
What kind of house did the inventor live in? What is th underlying theme of this story, for you? Where did the inventot get his living from? Wh did the inventor no longer know how to speak to people? What new things surprised the inventor when he went into town? 10 Do you know anybody like this man? 11 What colour were the walls of the inventor's room?
did the story end?
30 Were there any roses in the inventor's garden? 31 If ,h inventor ha ha hobbies, what might they have !been?
.n .H
36 37
invented?
W h a t did the inventor look like? in this group like this story? Di
things he saw in the
things did he probably find most revolu
should work on his or he ow doing this. You ar here inviting th student to take revenge on boring comprehension questions. 3 When students have read all the questions an crossed ou those they w a n t to, ask them to work in pairs an pu to partner the
QUESTIONS
country or
.H)
I
imagine the inventor having had with his parents? What did the ma in the cafe offer to do for the inventor? Ho could the inventor get by without earning a salary? What is the symbolic meaning of th story? Di the inventor grow potatoes? W h a t do yo know about the author of this story, Peter Bichsel? Why are there traffic lights in towns? Why did the inventor often tear up his plans? If the inventor was an animal, what sort of animal would he be? Is this a children's story?
Do you think the person wh told us th story liked it? What wa the weather like when the inventor went to town? 14 What year wa the inventor born in? Do you like listening to stupid stories in foreign languages? 1(, W;lS rhe inventor wearing a tie on th day he went into town or
·12
.,
his I l S t d pyjamas? I ' I)() yOll like :lIJswcring comprehension questions? ' m e t in the town? l. \XIII:II did he S;lY 10 t i l l ' Ill'opk
Stories
an
follow-ups
Preparation
Revenge questions
this kind
quvstilll I l l , ,ire lo subsequent classes
You will notice that che 50 C)u 'sI ions
Fo examplequestions
story of people th there fo you?
to th ar
4, Ll 2. an
giV('lt
1;,111 into several categories,
IJ.
;t11 to
;11'('
student knows.
It is vital that yo write very variL'd qlll'Slio!1S, .so chat students end up by crossing ou very different things. Below yo will find of questions:
second story, with
Ho
If Fred
Was the story well told?
do with the reactions
I!()w Illany other categories
ow many fights ha
Fred, huge, strong, gentle but rather slow Earned £80 week in shop Happy: kids, garden; wife Doreen, ambitious, unsatisfied
Fred b e c o m e s King Caliban, paired with Billy th Crusher In rehearsal Fred slow, makes mistakes, works hard Town Hall, Saturday night Audience ou for blood
Bald man out for Caliban Screams at hi Fred nervous, makes mistake hurts Billy Fight in earnest,18aldy goes ma Fred knocks Billy unconscious, Baldy screams a b u s e Fred lumbers out of ring, picks Baldy up an s m a s h e s hi onto seats Ambulance, police-Fred is charged (after John Wain, Death a/the Hind Legs an Other Stories)
had before the Town Hall
fight?
11
W h a t was Fred's mistake? brother? Would he like this story? go Should w o m e n wrestle?
12 Have yo
W h a t SO of shop did Fred and Dorecn work in? Ho did Frcd entertain ills children? ho is th villain of the story? (,
I'
17 Wh Wh It
)0
'() Ho
wa the original Caliban? didn't Fred like violence?
think th writer of che story wa an educated man? m a n y people wanted Fred to win?
yo
Ho much more would Fred have made as shop worker? Does Doreen like wrestling?
Fred me wrestling promoter in pu Offered £800 week as 'fighter'-all fights fixed Fred unsure, dislikes violence Doreen pushes hi
Fred
10 Is wrc.)tling good for the spectators?
rather different selection
King Caliban
tall wa th wrestling promoter's sister? had been to a better school, would .he have been happier?
(I
-;-
wrestler than as
Did the story take place in Manchester or London? ',1 W h a t happened to Fred in the police station? in this group like th story? Did Ho did Fred spend his Saturday mornings? Were there more men than women in th audience? Would the story make good film?
fl so, \-"hieh actor should take the p a r t of Fred?
,>
!:
)id th story make yo feel guilty? \XIlLlt h:1ppened to Baldy after Fred threw him? JII rrl,d',s shm's, what would yo have done about Baldy? Who dol'S f)oreen blame:?
'\ I \X!hidl is morl' 'I1t)nest, wrestling or education? I,
li I:r('d h;ldll'IIlHllle a l11israke, who would have wo Ill\\' I l l I l c l l 1l1OIley W:.lS lh referee paid?
W.I·, ,'0'%, ,'
;l
fight?
l'l':\son:lhlt.., Slllrl for the wrestling promoter to
'I \' l' :'
11,1\\' .li,1
th
)011'('11 v o l l '
il
I h l ' ! : ' ' ' ; ! t'kctioJl?
Theme
Stories an follow-ups
Ever since Kacuy bird has been searching forest fo
46 If your son wanted to be a wn:stll'r, would yo let him? 47 Wa the Town Hall th right plan' for a wrestliog match? 48 Wh
is th best wrestler in this
brother (after Kacuy, in South American Fairy Tales, ed, John Meehan)
WOIl)?
49 ow long did the story take to tel I? 50 W h a t might you have been doing instead of listening to the story?
2.2
pictures
IIp-fore class
Theme
pictures
Skeleton
Kacuy She lived with brother in cottage in forest Did cooking, cleaning; he hunted She was unhappy; cottage to small, isolated On da he brought home animal: She said: 'Cook it you rself,' He said noth ing He knew she loved honey
Next day came home, told her about huge beesnest up tree Asked her to help him get honey-she refused
go alone I'll spill the honey' She agreed to help
'I
He took hood and machete, they set of Finally came to tall tree in clearing
ollect a lot of magazine pictures an details, cut out from magazine 'I,-lures (thes should come in useful for a whole range of exercises). (!loose some pictures that, for you, are connected with the themes of 111l' story and plenty of others that appear to yo to be unconnected. I'll lures with the following features might appear to connect easily Wil It Kacuy an its themes: orphans feathers lone trees him-her scenes i'llds sex-role images families anger
',.I(I,ICSS
Illlmations '.
flying
'I'll teach you lesson' magic transmarriage ete. thirst for love ! honey
III losing pictures that do no seem to yo to connect to tbe themes can see is important, as people see different things in story. 'l
III t:lass I' I the class the story, prl':ld the pictures an picture fragments on table at one end of t i l l ' room. Ask students ro pick pictures that they associate with Ill' story. Ask them to pair of an explain their choice of pictu re
,1I}()ther person. ;\-,k rhl' students to find a ne h.I', '>pOlU'll with four others. I.
partner. Continue this until each
She climbed ahead of him, wearing hood
Near to he whispered 'Ssh, stop or the bees'lI hear' He went down tree, 10PiJed of branches above head Left clearing, thought: 'Now sh will see she needs me
Cold, n i g h t falling, she was terrified, wind rising Began to grope her way down tree Her foot slipped into space
reasoll for proposing picture association is th ;1 story vcry much of his or her own. Explaining t o : 1 p , l I T n c r allows the individual student to J' I \111'1' i 1 I " " l l l I W , p n ' j ; l l ;ll1d P l ' l " s o l l ~ 1 i th story he she heard or internally I' 1 I l ' d I',> hy di·; ..'o\,(·ril1g It'IW differently other people sa ,I th story. oft <.'11 otherwise unsaid. 1'1,,11111' .1'.' •• ", i . l l l ' ' ' ! ,11 , l W ' , (1111 I l l j l \ ~ ' , ,\
)N
1\
Th
l'("e,lll'S ,l'>';I)l'j:lliollS
11 11 j , ' / I ' I I I ' 1 '
....
Stories an
2.3
For heginners
follow-ups
Before class
For beginners
to ge certain Read the skeleton vety carefully amI decide ho words across with mime and drawing. From the above story you CJn get across the idea of leaning on Cl stick, carrying bags, hobbling,
Skeleton
Mr
Peters
walking straight, waving etc., by miming. Label, bottle, steps,
Mrs Peters wa 80 an
leant on a stick used to carry he basket back from th shop On da s h e s h o w e d m e bottle sh ha bought The label said: 'One sip of this will take 20 years
off your life' Sh
hobbled up th
steps into he house
Next time sa her sh wa walking ram-rod straight. Her stick was gone. Sh waved to me That Sunday went for a stroll in th park Mrs Peters wa sitting on bench near the gate wearing an elegant dress and scarf
Sh
fooked about 40
Th following week me he in th park again Sh wa dressed in tight jeans and sweater sa down next to he an took her hand asked her to th cinema Sh said sh wanted to go and change, Sh said she'd meet me in th park in an hour's time.
came back in an hour-nobody there, went to her house and hammered on th
door,
No answer (we learnt this story from a telling by Ja
What sort
complete beginners?
Aspeslagh)
hench cao all be very simply drawn.
If
you have never rold
story
to complete beginners before, rehearse the story to yourself, using
mime. 1£ all your students have th same mother-tongue, yo find you can translate the odd word or idea.
ma
Photocopy the split sentences below, one set to every four students. Cu the pages up so yOll cnd up with 16 half sentences from each, which ca be stored in envelopes. In writing your own split sClltences fo other stories, make sure yOll cover all th key move tllents in the narration. If you can't, the story is probably too 'oHlplex anyway. More than a b o u t eight sentences can feel
overwhelming to the complete beginner. In writing your ow sentences punctuate dearly as punctuation and lack of it ar 11I
split
III l:!ass
Tell
plenty of eye In no way will everybody 'understand' everything the first iJlIC. Do no feel ba at this 'incomprehension' there ha to be l'knty of it on tbe way to piecing together even partial com Ill"chl'nsion. (;rollP th students in fours. Give each set of split sentences. Ask an IIWll I to join the halves up and sequence them. Every no next group. Go [WIJ ll10ve a person from his or her group to tb helping where necessary. .'11 11)( :ll1swcring questions an '1',,11 IIll' qory ;lgail1, still miming an being very explicit. Le them Illtlk 1l1l'ol'l,h thcir sequencing again. 1('11 Ill' slnr)' :1 third timc, with ks mime an slightly faster, the story, slowly, measuredly, using mime an
('lltdCt.
1III
',1'1 11
1'11,
r - - ~ l l "
Stories and follow-ups
Taking roles dress an she looked about 40,
She wa wearing an elegant I sat down next to
and took her hand.
I asked he to
( ; O l l l ~
on the door
her
h ( ) l l S ~
with me to the cinema,
bu there was no answer.
VARIATION
Maid This is level.
Ol
good story follow-up ,lCtivity at post-beginner
Take eight split sentences an pu each half sentenc on a playing card sized piece of paper or cardboard, e.g.:
next to
VEL Th principle exemplified in this unit of making a very (icult chunk of language gradually more and more accessible to '1Illplete beginners by mime, drawing and then a co-operative or , "lllpctitive reading task, followed by further tellings, ca well be IllpllCd to other levels of learner. So, for example, yo could tell a of elementary students story that would only be readily '.I 11 II1Idtrstood by upper-intermediates. This is very useful psychologi "ily ;,lS the elementary learner is thus having his s elf·expectations "l'll beyond their normal level. It is wonderful to en up pretty I,ll 'l1loerstanding something one at first felt confident one would 11I /IIJlderstand. Lhl
11
Before class
sa down
( )Id Maid can well be used for revision of some of the language in
:-.Lory weeks after meeting it,
her an took her hand,
You will need one pack of 16 cards for every four people in your class, so for a group of 20 you will need five packs. In class
pack to each foursome 1 Group the students in fours. Give ou an ask one student to shuffle an deal the cards.
2 Explain the rules: Aim of game to lay down as many complete sentences as you can. Players must not show their hands to one another. Player A starts the game by randomly picking a card from Player
Taking roles
Th
bear that wasn't
Bear sa geese flying South, leaves fluttering down Said to himself 'It's time to sleep' Went to cave, piled up leaves: soon asleep
October
DeCernl)er men came, built factory over cave M
1:llilllrwys
rllllll!lllt it
dream, pinched himself, no change
WilS
nrr'rllllll 'WIlV
i l l ( ~ l 1 ' l
you working?'
' 1 I I I t l " I I " hC:;II'
'Nc"
Y I I I I " . ~
/1111. Y I l I I ' l e : ; , ~ ; j l l y
/lwn who needs a shave and
Stories an
Theme words
follow-ups All droveto zoo 11l1'n;IJl, 11 '1';; 'ndillac Little bears in c a ~ l ~ 111:111 Iq,tH' -l:)ked 'Is he bear?' Little bears laughed 'I[ I l l . wa LI bear, he'd be inside the cage with us Bear depressed They went to circus: same:
t l 1 i l 1 ~ l
with bears on funny bikes
Bear more depressed Back to factory, bear worked on machine October
Oil crisis, factory closed, me back to families Bear in wood: sa geese. leaves said to himself 'It's time to ... no .. I'm a silly man who needs .. .' Colder an colder; white stuff fell, snow Walked to cave, went in, piled up leaves, went to sleep saying man, I'm a bear' 'I'm no
NOTES
This is a rather intimate exercise that should no
be
,lttempted until people know each other fairly well. There are some
!,roups where there is no enough mutual trust for it to be attempted all. lf you try it too soon it ma get done skittishly an superfi
C1l
11:111y, There is no way of knowing in advance which roles will be seen as wgative by students. Cadillac, from the set above, has been seen by 'lIe person in group as an insult an by another in th same group ,I'. ;1 fair compliment. Very often inanimate an animal roles are richer than human ICS, despite th 11I11acy!
\1
students' initial wonderment at this novel form of
Th idea of role allocation we learnt from had worked with it in th context of psycho
"NOWLEDGEMENT
1''''l"ll:ud Dufeu wh ,11,1111<1.,
(after Tashlin)
In class Tell story. Group the students in eights. Write up the following eight roles on the board: zo
bear
Cadillac
foreman
cave
wild goose Bear
manager fluttering leaf
th
students to work individually, withobt communicating
their decisions to anyone else, When this ha been done, ask each person to work with
partner to explain ho
',/,
·It
..
ton
Jack and th
3 Explain to the students that each of them is a film d i r e ~ t o r wh ha to cast the eight roles. Each person must cast the eight roles within his or he group, allotting role to himself or herself too. As
Theme words
on
they cast the roles. I?o r'lot allow th
beanstalk
Jack lived with mother in cottage, very poor She sent him to sell co He met butcher soH:! co for beans Mother Angry - threw beans out of window rnoming Jack's room dark, Beanstall< rising to sky strange land c:lillll>l!d to to MI,t W()lllHll sh said land belonged to giant. Giant ha I < i l l l ~ d rli:; t;lttwr tltld stolen hi money ,I Ic'!< w,dlald, 1110111 f(!II, came 10 castle l ,f,I1II", wilo 1lllWillillfjly rook him in, fe him, hid him in N ( ~ ) ( t
Stories
and
follow-ups
Giant ate huge 'Supp r, culled for his hen, roared: 'Lay!' She laid 12 eggs, Gi<:lllt wonllO sleep, snores shook castle Jack stole hen, ran to IJ8811swlk, back home
He and mother rich Jack back up beanstalk - ( j i s ~ l u i s e d Taken in again by giant's wi.fe -- hidden in cupboard Giant returned: 'Fee fi .. .' Huge supper, counts money, snores Jack steals money, back down beanstalk Builds mother ne house Ne disguise up beanstalk Taken in by wife, hidden in wash-tub 'Fee, fi. .' Huge supper, giant calls fo harp: 'Play!' Harp plays, giant snores Jack grabs harp, harp cries 'Master, Master!' chases Jac Giant wakes Jack fast down beanstalk, giant close behind Calls 'Mother, Mother, the axe!' Chops down beanstalk - kills giant In class
t Tell the story as fully as you can,
2 Write up the words below on the board and ask the students, working individualty, to pu the ideas they find most relevant to the story first an the least relevant last. Be ready to explain unknown words.
Discussion
,6 .'
Discussion
'kti!leton
Peacocks Peacocks In park in town centre Dozens of magnificent peacocks One da 10 peacocks fou nd dead Next day another 10 Outrage, Police investigate No clues Inspector interviews all peacock fanciers Meets ol man wh once bred peacocks Alone, house neat, military souvenirs, old soldier He cannot help bu be interested in case, pleased to talk Leaving, Inspector sees photograph of young man in uniform 'Your son?' 'Myself when I served the Emperor'
Next day ol man comes to police station Case fascina tes hi 'T kill a peacock is th perfect act, fo a peacock is itself perfection' N i f ~ h t after night police in wait outside park At last Inspector sees figures approaching: man with three h L l ~ l e
dogs
Mun cuts fence - dogs attack peacocks Man luns of j-ll:C~
c:
light of streetlamp
II .fir 'tor recognises face of young man in photograph (,11(/:1
Yuklo Mlf.ihima)
Stories an
follow-ups
Shapes
EXAMPLES In lower-interlllnli:llt' group in which the above story was told, almost every studl'1l1 ha :1 different interpretation, including:
problem oj idelltification around th photo Rosa thought it wa an the young ma with th dogs: perhaps th killer was th ol man's son. Yannick sa th story as a versioll of .Jekyll an Hyde.
Hans (who ha also seen a film based Oi th story) thought that in murdering the peacocks th old m:lll wa rediscovering his youth, which for hi ha been destroying things :lIld people in the war. 4 Christof felt there wa no real feeling of time in the story or that there was 'time crossing' th time of the photo an the time of th kiUing of the peacocks were blurred or th same. S Umberto thought that the old man had discovered who the peacock killer wa and had photographed him: he ha th photograph in house because he identified with the young man the act of killing the peacocks. NOTES
Fo this very open, direct exercise to be effective, the story
chosen should be capable of th telling should be clear an
very wide range of interpretation, an simple: i.e. the complexity should lie
an
characters
Hrafnkel understood horse hard ridden Se off for Einar's hut 'Did you ride Freyfaxi?' 'I did' Hrafnkel raised axe Einar stood no u n d i not defend himself Without malice, Hrafnkel killed Einar (from th
Icelandic)
Shapes and characters
Rumpelstiltski'n Poor miller. Beautiful daughter He told king 'She can spin straw into gold'
King locked he up with spindle and straw by morning: death
If no gold
in the story rather than in the language,
Sh
Here is another story:
Door opened: Funny little ma said 'What will yo give me if spin the straw into gold?' 'M necklace' Whirr, whirr gold
Freyfaxi Hrafnkel wa priest of go Frey Owned sheep, herd of mares an fine stallion Dedicated stallion to th god: called him Freyfaxi Swore only he should ride Freyfaxi
One day 30 sheep gone searched Decided to ride ou after them
Next night Kling locked he in larger room more straw hdrne seqL!enCe as above with ring instead of necklace) Illird night king promised marriage if she'd spin th
straw
In quid
Einar came to work as shepherd Einar prom ised not to ride Freyfaxi Einar lived in hu at head of valley
wept
('"IIIW
sequence as above with first-born child instead of
1ill! II
could no find them
W,'ddil1!:1
Stories
an
Completion
follow-ups
Third da
m e s s e n g e r rcporlod little ma
in wood singing:
'This guessing game slw'll Illlver win, Rumpelstiltskin is my n a m e '
Sh
told th
Rage
little ma
'A witch ha
hi
n
told you,
witch ha
told you!'
He vanishes
In class
IIIIlucent Ilo;lStful
helpful
astonished
poor
stupid
1',1 '-dy ,lred
childless
worried
surprised
cruel
IIIIJ
ridiculous
desperate
11'llItiful
terrified
little
,11,lnge
amazed
tearful
1,1,
regal
queer
1"ldly-dressed
sleepless
polite
1',II'II-working
motherly
angry
'I'r-joyed
l\
1 Tell th story. 2 Give the students
the geometric shapes an adjectives below an them to w o r k o n their own. They are to decide a) which shapes represent which characters: miller, king,
unusual
dd
11.
lighted
ambitious
empty-handed
I"
('!c. l l i l nt
cross
enigmatic
as
I
daughter, Rumpelstiltskin, baby. b)
which adjectives go with which character.
Encourage them to use dictionaries, to as yo
3
I, II1
their neighbours
, I I I
NOWLEDGEMENT Lou Spaventa an Gertrude Moskowitz (I behind this exercise. (Caring an Sharing in the Foreign , I ~ l l i J g e Classroom, Newbury House, 1978.)
as
if they do n o t k n o w the meaning of some of the listed adjec
tives. PaIr th
students an
ge them to explain their choices to each
Completion
other. SHAPES
AND
ADJECTIVES
The
sons
tw
Germany
towards end of World Wa
farmer d r e a m s that he so
into yard, s e e s so
Wakes,
illl it i.; work
no 011
he SOI'1 - on th
11
is calling he by p u m p
of Russian prisoners of w a r w h o
farm
Tllo ..,amo s e q u e n c e repeated several times over next Will'!
.11:11 UITU) :;l1r: realises it " i J i ~
: , i ~ 1
1 1 1 l : J W ~ ;
is th
I l H ~ e t j n g
Russian PO
secretly
they are planning
Stories
an
Completion
follow-ups
Third da
m e s s e n g e r rcporlod little ma
in wood singing:
'This guessing game slw'll Illlver win, Rumpelstiltskin is my n a m e '
Sh
told th
Rage
little ma
'A witch ha
hi
n
told you,
witch ha
told you!'
He vanishes
In class
IIIIlucent Ilo;lStful
helpful
astonished
poor
stupid
1',1 '-dy ,lred
childless
worried
surprised
cruel
IIIIJ
ridiculous
desperate
11'llItiful
terrified
little
,11,lnge
amazed
tearful
1,1,
regal
queer
1"ldly-dressed
sleepless
polite
1',II'II-working
motherly
angry
'I'r-joyed
l\
1 Tell th story. 2 Give the students
the geometric shapes an adjectives below an them to w o r k o n their own. They are to decide a) which shapes represent which characters: miller, king,
unusual
dd
11.
lighted
ambitious
empty-handed
I"
('!c. l l i l nt
cross
enigmatic
as
I
daughter, Rumpelstiltskin, baby. b)
which adjectives go with which character.
Encourage them to use dictionaries, to as yo
3
I, II1
their neighbours
, I I I
NOWLEDGEMENT Lou Spaventa an Gertrude Moskowitz (I behind this exercise. (Caring an Sharing in the Foreign , I ~ l l i J g e Classroom, Newbury House, 1978.)
as
if they do n o t k n o w the meaning of some of the listed adjec
tives. PaIr th
students an
ge them to explain their choices to each
Completion
other. SHAPES
AND
ADJECTIVES
The
sons
tw
Germany
towards end of World Wa
farmer d r e a m s that he so
into yard, s e e s so
Wakes,
illl it i.; work
no 011
he SOI'1 - on th
11
is calling he by p u m p
of Russian prisoners of w a r w h o
farm
Tllo ..,amo s e q u e n c e repeated several times over next Will'!
.11:11 UITU) :;l1r: realises it " i J i ~
: , i ~ 1
1 1 1 l : J W ~ ;
is th
I l H ~ e t j n g
Russian PO
secretly
they are planning
Stories
Story to poem
follow-ups
an
Years later
Skeleton
Messengers arrive temple
Yvonne
Heitaro's wife is found dead In
(newspaper account, J u n e 1982)
I, )
: ~ ; ;
,,11
th
"ll'
students th
story,
to respond to the story with poem: no expected to retell the story in poem form.
t11\;til, working alone,
In class
Tell th
students one of th
stories, breaking of abruptly.
the students, in pairs or small groups, to work out endings for story.
If th class is not too large, ask each group to nominate to tell th
that they ar
1,1.1111
lower-inrermediate student produced this poem:
11,'1
storyteller
group's proposed ending.
'he WiLLow
Tree
>,onlcrhing we must love , l l l i l l l ~ l l
., l l l l l I
~ l ' ?
11"
.1
1"II..IJ"ll
2.9
build a
Villagers feel honoured want to give wood for temple Offer willow Heitaro ha no trees of his own no cannot save willow Thinks 'I will lose the willow still have my wife' Villagers chop down willow
Gloomy town in Amazon forest Crocodiles in river Men come to search for gold: gringos Raven-haired Yvonne in bar, meets men leaving bar, many never seen again 20th disappearance Police from Paz cross Andes to investigate..
As
announce Emperor wants t
Story to poem
Ill'
11\'
'J
loved
;1
tree
i 1 l l ' l u V l ' 11l;1l!e l i f e
ill'" lit" W , I " ; 1 wife '" ,'hild n'lI ..
Skeleton
1\
Willow In a vi'llage -
green willow, centuries old For th villagers s h a d e from heat, meeting place For Heitaro, young farmer, place to sit an think On
da
villagers decide to build bridge over river
,dW,I\'" ~ I
n,'(
Il't' "IIII""I"'H kill,'d I1\' trcl' I" 1 l l , I , k , l j l : l h n ' , I,·d.lll" w,llltHI! 'I
,I
It)\'!'
11011-.,'
Ill' I I , ' , '
h, I
"I
1s;1 dC:ld
tTCl'
Stories and follow-ups
OTHER STORIFS
serve well fo
AllY
In
: - . t l ) l ~
rhi' excrciSL'.
II
I1 llll'\'()\'arive scenes
kll" I', .1l1111hn
or actions will
you may like to try:
2.10
In
ne
clothes
Th
piper
ne
clothes
·keleton
...
Skeleton
Th
singing
Cars everywhere, piazzas, street s, pavements, blind alleys St Peter's Square some parked on dome of St Peter's Mayor gold chain called council together 'What can we do? It's impossible' Council chorused 'It's impossible. What can be done?'
mushrooms
widow three sons: Ogun, Oja and Little Brother They go of to war. Each promises to kill seven men, take
seven captives O,gun and Oja laugh at Little Brother
Enter Piper Offers to free Rome of cars Mayor offers all the deposits in th banks and daughter's hand in marriage Piper also demands freedom of streets fo children to play in
Each does as promised Little Brother also kills enemy king and wins treasure Ogun and Oja angry On way home pass through desert Thirsty Little Brother fi nds strea m Ogun drinks first, then Oja Little Brother bends to drink Bury hi in desert
of Rome
Agreed Piper plays sweetly everywhere motors start up Piper leads cars, buses, lorries to remote spot on River Tiber
they cut of his head
Mayor's car first to plunge into yellow waters Mayor and councillors cry 'Stop!' Beg the piper to send their cars underground
Brothers Tell mother Little Brother killed in wa She mourns
An no the cars, buses, lorries in Rome go underground Children play in the streets and piazzas
Life continues
One da she crosses desert Sees mushrooms Picks them they sing story of Little Brother's death Return to village vengec,nce Brothers hide in corners of house They turn to bronze - become household gods (after 'The Story of the Singing Mushrooms', in Folk Tale an Fables, ed. p, ltayemi P. Gurreyl
(after
G.
Rodari)
1./· .... 1I
rill'
:-.lory,
.1 1111' ',llIdcIIIS
,Ill
~ 1 1 1 1 1 J '
IIV.
.dV\";lVS
if rhey know an stories like knows the original story.
1,,1. rlH' \;[TIc!I'II(S 1'0
11111111111 ,lllll,
this one. Someone in
work in pairs, bringing ol
dl·,'idil\.I'.ltoW to ll)od('f'llisc' them.
stories back
Stories an
2.11
follow-ut).'
Problem stories
Birth order
, Ask people to take '. '·xpenences.
Skeleton
Th
(
Billy Goats GrlJ
\1"
Three goats in mountain valley Bridg1e over river - under brid(JQ t r o l l - ate people Goats wanted to eat grass other side - greener and sweeter
partner from another group and compare
Other stories in this book which are suitable fo this exercise 1'1:, Three Pigs and Kacuy.
We learnt the birth-order exercise from oskowitz, Caring an Sharing in the Foreign Language !oI",.room, Newbury House, 1978. J'NOWLEDGEMENT
One day smallest goat onto bridge, trip-trap, trip-trap Troll's ugly head appeared 'Who's that trip-trapping over bridge?' 'Only me, the littlest Billy Goat Gruff' 'Then I'm going to eat you up' 'No, don't eat me, eat my brother bigger and fatter than me' 'Mmmm, OK, of you go' Littlest goat crossed bridge, began to eat grass Next day middle-sized goat trip-trapped onto bridge (same sequence as above, substituting 'middle-sized')
Biggest goat - l o n g beard, sharp horns TRAP TRAP TRAP onto bridge 'Who's that trap-trapping over bridge?' 'It's me, the biggest Billy Goat Gruff' 'Then I'm going to eat you up 'Oh no you're not' Big goat lowered horns an at troll- tossed hi river Since then bridge safe to cross
In class Tell the story.
Problem stories ,'/1'11111 A
into
Th
tw
doors
TIlH king never condemned cr,imjnals to death - this is what he did: 1110 crilllindl was led into an arena with /lIJllirHI olle a ravenous tiger ot Jr 'beautiful girl I l f ~ l l i r l d th 11,1
11.,d
111.111
di
doors
'101 kr owwhich doorwaswhich
I I I d l l l C i .•O
I)'lten or marry the girl
Stories an
2.11
follow-ut).'
Problem stories
Birth order
, Ask people to take '. '·xpenences.
Skeleton
Th
(
Billy Goats GrlJ
\1"
Three goats in mountain valley Bridg1e over river - under brid(JQ t r o l l - ate people Goats wanted to eat grass other side - greener and sweeter
partner from another group and compare
Other stories in this book which are suitable fo this exercise 1'1:, Three Pigs and Kacuy.
We learnt the birth-order exercise from oskowitz, Caring an Sharing in the Foreign Language !oI",.room, Newbury House, 1978. J'NOWLEDGEMENT
One day smallest goat onto bridge, trip-trap, trip-trap Troll's ugly head appeared 'Who's that trip-trapping over bridge?' 'Only me, the littlest Billy Goat Gruff' 'Then I'm going to eat you up' 'No, don't eat me, eat my brother bigger and fatter than me' 'Mmmm, OK, of you go' Littlest goat crossed bridge, began to eat grass Next day middle-sized goat trip-trapped onto bridge (same sequence as above, substituting 'middle-sized')
Biggest goat - l o n g beard, sharp horns TRAP TRAP TRAP onto bridge 'Who's that trap-trapping over bridge?' 'It's me, the biggest Billy Goat Gruff' 'Then I'm going to eat you up 'Oh no you're not' Big goat lowered horns an at troll- tossed hi river Since then bridge safe to cross
In class Tell the story.
Problem stories ,'/1'11111 A
into
Th
tw
doors
TIlH king never condemned cr,imjnals to death - this is what he did: 1110 crilllindl was led into an arena with /lIJllirHI olle a ravenous tiger ot Jr 'beautiful girl I l f ~ l l i r l d th 11,1
11.,d
111.111
di
doors
'101 kr owwhich doorwaswhich
I I I d l l l C i .•O
I)'lten or marry the girl
A serial story
Stories an follow-UIJS Day tw
Skeleton
Where does
Unexpected
wise man hide a leaf? In th
St Clare had committed many crimes in his life Secretly he had raped, tortured, pillaged His doctor knew this; blackmailed him To get money St Clare sold secrets to enemy
Monday: Teacher says she will sprinu totally unexpected test any da between no and Friday Students say this is impossible: If test no given by Thursday, then Friday it will be
His aide discovered this threatened to expose him St Clare drove sword into aide's body point snapped off Where to hide th broken sword? Where to hide the body?
expected
Iftest no given by Wednesday, on subsequent days it will
be expected, etc. she can spring unexpected test
Therefore, no wa
St Clare attacked Olivier's great army with tiny force Men outnumbered, many killed, rest taken prisoner All then set free
Thursday: Test comes Wh was right?
But Alone with St Clare survivors guess truth Hang hi from tree broken sword round neck
(after Watzlawick)
wise man hide a pebble? On th
In class
Where does
1 Tell one of the stories. Ask th students, working individually, to consider possible solutions to the problem. Ask the students to find a partner and discuss their proposals.
(after G.K. Chesterton,
II1
2.13
A serial story
th
broken sword
Dayone Where does
wise man hide a pebble? On th
beach
General St Clare: successful soldier, had wo many battles Olivier was great leader and a great general
The Innocence of Father Brown)
Tell the first an of th story. Ask the class to get into small groups. Ask each group •• W i l l continuation of th story. 11111 ;Ill explanation an appoint';1 storyteller, wh will then tell his or l·.1 I, group III /'.I'"IJl\ vcrsiOll of the story to the whole class. her group's version to the rest. ,1\ "tlllylcllt-r to Il'lI his 11 rill' ' , I ' 1111 1':1 rt (,I' d1L' story in the version given in the skeleton ,1\
Skeleton
beach
1,1:;"; lllll')
,1\' 1\
The sign
forest
I I I ~
.....
Stories and fulloUJ-1f I),'
Onct' lilt' )',It
FURTHER WORK
11q'
I'
1,lllLll';l!" with the
method used
above, it ma
be developt.:d In l i L t ! W i l l I( 1 1 1 ~ \ l T texts, even of novel length, by spreading the telliJlg 11\;\'1' ,1 111111111('1' of days.
2.14
Story to picture
Before
class
Retelling
tion
Parallel stories
Choose an anecdote about yourself Ih;11 f()('lIsst's rh single scene. We
imagination on
l I s c c l t h j
listener's
OIlC:
wa
Early morning
fourth floor hotel room in Genoa Parents not around Went to window, looked down Heads and hats scurrying to work spat: hit a bald one [)rew back - fear, thriJlI, guilt
"/r'fOIl
Seguin's goat Mr Seguin .Iived of mountains He had had six goats: each had jumped over fence round field an run into mountains [,Jeh eaten by wolf White was Seguin's seventh goat cthered he in field
Peeped out again Spat Again ... again ... felt fear until we left
At first sh was happy ..liways fresh grass H,Q milked he
he moved stake r o u n d
,uld he about other six: ho
In class Tell th As
class you
w(H-)ks later White became restless
anecdote.
them to draw th
scene in th
scene you evoked, or
previous or later
story.
l'lillt-)d 011 rope kicked at milking time :;()llllill nskerJ why lhis s t a k ~ . want to go up into th )(;/wtl Iw in shed
'1l1dtu
Ask them to compare drawings in small groups.
4 As homework, ask them to prepare to tell anecdotes a b o u t them selves. Explain that these should be one-scene anecdotes.
I l l : II
1/,11
I flllflott
th
next
/\,1,' t 11
class
Ge those wh
have anecdotes ready to tell them to
small group.
r r l l ; ~ i ,
".1nl, 'd
11' 1101'
II
high mountains'
window at back open up into high mountains
WIIIII' II!oIIl1 llut
In
sixth fought all night but still
d i e ~ d
cl r;:mk
horn streams, ju mped
from rock to rock
IH!;IIc1I1( wlinH ill mountains above her ;IWi,y l:llLi!ej fiO 110 further precipice behind
Retelling
Parallel stories 11
Skeleton
Th
ca that walk
I, I:"
by itself
Once upon time all allilll.Jis together in forest: lion, tiger etc, an cow, dog, gOClt, Crlt - all wild Ma lives with Woman and Baby in cave - outside forest One day dog hungry Q t i n to eat in forest goes
along
Cat sneaks into cave, Ma absent, looks fo mice, curls up nearfire, plays with Baby Man comes back - very angry throws rocks at Cat Cat leaves Later, Woman calls out into darkness 'I yo will come around no and again, hunt mice, keep Baby amused, I'll let you have scraps, a little w a r m t h but if Ma is angry he will throw rocks at you' Cat agrees,
1IJ,
class
ready
I11 ,\ I'e
them to take of their headphones and pair off
iI, ',(II(Jcnts wh
listened to the other storv. Thev tell each other
11 ',I () I'll'S.
I ! \ S S R OO
11
he cbss to listen to th tape you have made. M a k e sure call work the machine.
11.11
"'1' I,d ,
d1('1l1
11, Ihe' 1I1ht:r half of the group to another room, into tell them th other story, '11'11'1'11 'r"CC an
I'
1111'. IIll'St' sllldents
101
11"
them to pair off with members
I1 \1111
,,,ish to gmerate discussion after th ell'
)011I
'1111"" <,I"rie':,;
J'
',1
l! 1111)'
;1
corridor
partners tell their respective stories.
group. Th
'lI,r,':lliij fl/"/I'"
11"
back and as
',1111'1'
I J l l d , l I ' I l l l ' S \'011
telling around theme word such as lsticatio!'1 or Freedom prior to th listening
could brainstorm
~ o o d
W"ly doing this tS to as students to in to their heads on hearing th
1 h;11 COli1CS
lj'·,.II:;siol1 of the dmwings then naturally provides !'"11 Illl di'7(·ll.s"ioJl of th theme,
(after Kipling, Just So Stories) Before
LABORATORY
1111 ( J I l t the story yOll have taped to half th booths. H a l f th 11,1"llts listen to this in their ow time. In th meantime you l'II',IL!;lst th other story to th other half of the group. I l l ; 'srudcnts if they w a n t to listen again. As soon as some of .1
warmth of fire
Dog sniffs, comes closer 'Do you want something to eat, Dog?' Dog shy, bu comes closer man repeats question Man tempts Dog with meat, then proposes bargain Man to give Dog food and warmth, Dog to help man hunt etc, Dog agrees Later, same with Cow milk etc. Later, same with Sheep / Goat etc. Very much later, Cat very, very hungry and thin, comes
ways of tunning this exercise.
lANGUAGE
IIII
hunting outside Comes to Man's cave - smell of meat
tw
Ilgg
'I I, ,11,,,
I",
11
S(lIril';; ·IIOS('11 for this exercise should be illllllW" ,IS , d l l l \ ' ( ' , or ill slIpcrtici:ll cOlltent. Th III.I} t',i\(' ;111 it/L'a of Ihe rallge. ~ ' · ' . I I l > l l "
',1111< 111\, III
Parallel stories
Retelling
They make porrid!Jl: Little old woman t : ( ) l
'11) ( l i l t h l ! ~ ;
for walk while It cools
10 , ~ ( ) l t c
ge
She looks through 1,11e; kllyhull'! She lifts the latch Not nice old woman didll't knock she tastes them Three bowls of porridge un tllble big bowl too hot bad word s C l Y ~ middle bowl to cold - says bad word she says ba little bowl just right, eats it all, no enough word Three chairs tries them big chair to hard word middle chair to soft word little chair right sits, break it Three beds same thing falls asleep in smallest
some said
An
'You made the blind see, why didn't yo
save Lazarus?'
Jesus went to Lazarus' grave Asked people to remove th stone Called 'Lazarus, come forth [' The dead man walked out of his grave (St John's Gospel)
word
Bears return See bowls, see chairs, see beds, see old woman She wakes - jumps out of window What happened to her? broke neck? lost in forest? Arreste as vagrant? Bears never saw her again (after Robert Southey)
(b) Tell 'The river' p . l 2 (in parallel with 'Two friends' (3.2). (c) Divide your class into two, three or four groups, then tell two or the following in more
He came still wrapped in graveclothes Staggered, blinked in th light He stank fleople shrank from him ~ ~ i s t e r s led him home Wi;lshed him Hc;) still stank Sisters gave a feast fo him V i l l a ~ J e r s came Tllll srncll got worse
I', 'pp!/-) 1I nable to look at his face Nu l ) ' l l ~ spoke to him 11,: Id
"X
Skeleton
tile room
!fi1fden MlllHllinllt, fresh air 111111
rJlo/llillg Mart/la found hi on o l i v ( ~ tree
11.111 ",11
Jesus was across the river He heard that Lazarus was ill He waited tw days, then returned to Bethany
(,lIlt:1
11,,":; I uilmr, AllJumente fu Lazarus)
Storymaking and retelling
Retelling
Lazarus
'"
Story-making and retelling
u n w i l l i n ~ ~
Doesn't feel well Cold outside: afraid i l ~ : ' hasn't felt too good s i l 1 (
1 1
WL:l
~ (
,
a chill
since he was ,,' 'so ill'
Tw
'Lazarus, come with us' 'I will." only". I'
so afraid of dying again'
(after Karek Capek, Lazarus, Apocryphal Stories) Skeleton
friends
During wa tw friends meet in street Before they used to fish together every Sunday No wa has stopped this a tt l very close They drink in cafe decide to go fishing Collect tackle - walk into country through own lines Persuade officer to let them through into no-m an's land Across the river the enemy Guns start'up they ignore them, begin to fish They fish, they talk, they fish Men surround them the enemy
Jesus looked at Lazarus Lazarus looked at Jesus Both smiled
'What is th password?' They don't know hey shake hands are shot
Lazarus went home Three months later he was married fe Jesus stayed by th grave fo Spoke about God and eternity Then left, back across the Jordan
minutes
'nemy officer has (uftor
Lazarus was in Jerusalem when Jesus crucified the news came: Jesus' grave empty Laza ru e n t to see
~ h e i r
Guy de Maupassant)
'w"I,I.rclSl·' fro!1l the story,
He looked into the empty grave And the light went ou in his eyes
(after David Kossoff, The Book
Witnesses)
Enchantment, Penguin 1978.
e.g.
friends l i ~ ; h i l l g IHT'ill:ldl'
Both Capek and Kossoff are good sources fo variant stories. In the area of traditional fairy stories, we recommend Iona and Peter Opie, The Classic Fairy Tales, OUP 1974 and Bruno Bettelheim, The Uses
fish cooked fo his supper
no-man's land
Sunday officer
Fairy stories in the news
Retelling NOTE
When preparing yOIJl"
nWIl
careful to choose words that ,Ire the story, no
should be
wo!d roses, yo
general to glVe
c l u e . t ~ tOo specific: 'keywords' tend to rob the exerClse of itS
variety. By setting the words in
11("ltlll']' lo
'rose' yo
sequence of ideas, and allow th
r \ ' l \ l ~ l V C th
'd
ea
cl
lxe,
thell1es uf the story to be seen 1I1
greater clarity,
3.3 Fairy stories in the news Skeleton
Bluebeard man, blue beard Ha
castle
already had seven wives
Marries
young
g i r ~
On month later Gives wife all his keys
sh
may use all except little key
This o p e n s room in tower He leaves on business sh explores the ~ a s t l e Opens room in tower blood, heads, bodies of seven wives Terrified
drops key, picks it up, locks door Key covered in blood no w a s h off Bluebeard back: sh
gives hi
all keys except bloody on
'Where is it?' Sh tells him 'Then you m u s t die.' Sh begs 15 minutes to pray
Calls to sister standing on battlements 7'
'Anne, sister Anne, w h a t do you s e e " . 'Only th green grass and th su shining 'An ne sister Anne, .,.
rothers cleare urder
of
Two brothers who killed their sister's husband in a knife fight were found no guilty of his murder at Huddersfield Crown Court yesterday after the prosecution withdrew all charges, Peter A l b ~ r t Finnist?n, 19, body in then:, He was strange Cl corporal In th Pnnce of that way,' saId Mrs Barber. Later, when he husband Wales Regiment, and his retumed an found th key hrother Lewis Finniston, 23, guard, had acted in missing, Mrs Barber told him S l ~ C U r i t y Ihe only way they could to de- what she had done, 'He kitchen knife fend their sister, said th picked up th came at me like a mad an judge. instructing the jury to find thing. I my brothers hadn't Ihe defendants no guilty, Mr arrived, he'd have done me \ Justice Holmroyd said that in,' hut for their intervention Mrs Giving evide nce, Mr Peter JlIli\!. Barber, 19, of Halt Finniston described how he Manor Farm, Woodley, would had been home on leave from ll.sslll'edly have been killed by th Army, and had decided to ,I wr husband. ride over to Woodley to visit th E ~ l r l i L : r court was told his sister. 'We heard the screams as how Mrs Barber had married farmer Jacob 'Bluey' we came into th yard. When 111(".t1 11.111)('1, il widower of 53, 'out we go to the back door we saw Bluey bending over Julie (I il'llllship' in July last year. '11.' was Cl qui t, gentle man,' with a knife in his hand. .. lid l\1rs narblT, kicked down the door an 'and t l l " I I I ~ I I I Ill" wOllld take care of grabbed him while Lewis tried to get th knife off him. Ill" .lfl,', I l l \ ' f;llhvr died.' till" .Ifl('rno()1I of the Somehow the knife must have 1111 Barlwr was gone into him.' 1'1111 {) lobL'l, Mr ,oI"llC" III I l l ' IltlllSL' whilt: her Roderick Superintendant W;\S 11I1')1.111l1 oul Oil th C..rimstone, of West Yorkshire 11]1 11''''''', slray I'lllice, refused to comment to 'IlllIulillj( n.-porters about persistent ru •. 11' "1' '.11l dl"ld,·d ICI j l l ~ ' l l ( ' l " t lIlt, l11()urs in th district that hu
Retelling
Fairy stories in the n e w s
Before class
Prepare sufficient copies of
class.
till'
I l l ' w ~ p : l J H ' r
itl'm for one quarter of th
In class
Divide the class into tw groups. Ask th students in one group to forlll p:1irs.
To each pair, give on copy of th newspaper article. (Students co-operate more closely when working from th same copy.) Ask each pair to list on a piece of paper th main fact11al items in th article. T a k e the other group away to quiet place an tell them th story oudined in the skeleton. 6 Ask the students in this group to form pairs, and to work ou in each pair how to tell the story to the students who have no heard the story. Bring th class back together and ask each student to team up wicl
on
from the other group.
Ask the students in each ne ARIA TION
pair to exchange stories an
An alternative wa
facts.
to use this material is to treat the
an method of article as norma] comprehension passage presenting the passage that is within their expectations. D o n ' t tell them that th article is only simulated piece.
Then ask the class, in small groups, to discuss the article to find ou if it reminds them of an traditional story they have read or heard. Finally, tell them how th article wa composed an tell th story. As a further exercise, in a later meeting, the class might like to compose their own 'newspaper items' from traditional stories. C H O I C E OF
STORIES/ARTICLES
If you wish to create your ow
The state of mind of mouse Bloxwich pet-shop owner Gurmit Singh walked free from Walsall Magistrates' Court yesterday because two veterinary surgeons could not mouse's state of agTee Over mind. Mr Singh, 53, a dealer in rare animals for over twenty years, had been brought to l:c>urt by the RSPCA for iJlllj'cting unnecessary suffer ing on the mOUse by putting it in a python's cage. le explained to the court hat he had been very worried abuut thc python's state of ·alth. It had refused all food t} over a week, an had even :Ilkd to respond when a dead IIlOuse was put in the cage.
'spt:ration, he said, his hac! tried to tempt rill" '11':Lt 1Ife 's appetite with 11\" I q l . . I I J , ~ l ' , Whl'lI this also 11I1lll"ll, 01111101 to bl' to its lik ,,11l' had removed the 111.', In
0111\[ l I t ' l
1I JI
!lyt 11
il
mouse, unharmed, after about five minutes, Local vet Peter Barnwell said that in his opiniop the mouse would have been ter rified at the very sight of the snake, and should have been removed 'after at most two minutes', but his view was by contested Dr WaIter Barnes, senior lecturer in vet. erinary medicine at Aston University: 'I the mouse had been terrified, it would have made frantic attempts to es cape, which it did not.' The python later died.
In
Retelling
morning pedlar came to gate Laid beautiful box before merchant I ns id e - b lu e green, gold coils - python with unblinking
On
eyes Merchant asked price - pedlar vanished Merchant built python gold an ivory cage Gave python special servant to serve him choicest food Merchant caressed cool coils
I'
prepared python's food himself
Offered him live mouse Mouse paralysed with fear
hem to exchange articles with their partners. T h e n ask each to go rhrough hi or he partner's article, an to write
,'111"111
I1
live most important words in
th
I. 1\\'11
hq.
,I,.
jumped over his
ha v'e been given as keywords in their stories.
in fours, so that each group of four contains the of he original pairs involved in step above.
"111111(' d ~ \ s s
the groups in turn to tell hi or he fairy tale. 1I,Iling the member wh originally wrote the keywords .,",d.1 '.lllll111;\rise th article they were taken from. 11.11 11I1'mhCl'
Ill,
1,1111
I'
d iv id e money
among servants Father an daughter walked ou of city of Bokhara
.,
or .\ 111
of asking
students to pick th saddes article, most stupid, the most important, or the least ,11 Ic 1(', l'1e. The idea should always be to get them t h ; l t they are personally involved an aware. .1" h.1 \ \ ' ; 1
111'"
11S1I';l(.1
.IIClos'
It,
th
11111 N'
l'
Ie'unt the idea of emotional selection
'.1110'> M ; \ l · / , l l l .
3,4
In
Before
old clothes
class
Get hold of
different English language newspaper fo
or use a class se of on
sheet of paper.
I l d H ' l ' S of another pair. 1.111 ht· students to prepare, as homework, to tell a story in th •• I11 ic 111:11 'Once upon time ... fairy-tale manner, using th five
coils
Father told daughter to pack bags Told steward to sell animals, house
it, on
till' members of each pair to h a n d their sheets of paper to th
," 1('1',
Python stirred, raised head, eyed shivering m o u s e
collapsed died mouse sniffed python
class
he students and ask them to tell each other their stories, an I11 1,), t l l q find them sad.
Snake would no ea motionless Daughter found father weeping took python to her roo Laid it in wardrobe on her silken clothes it wa light no On of he pet mice died gave it to python no reaction
Shuddered Enter father
next
clothes
''''
After a week merchant noticed snake's colours less bright Dismissed servant
flu'
ol
each student or more EFL collections of newspaper
Grammar practice
Before
Section
upstairs an look beds They 'Who's been sleeping in bed?' Baby Bear adds: .. ,and w h o ' s still sleeping there now?'
-..".· ·n ... ...
Goldilocks wakes, jumps up, ou of window and home
4.1
Grammar
practice
I
drill ot practise th present perfect continuous in your situation in which one student ca " t l l ,I iL';dly' sa to the class: ' W h o ' s been sitting my chair 11', 'hook?' Get people eating each other's sweets, biscuits etc, '" )'1CldIICC situation for: 'Who's been eating my chocolate "Ill' .... idly-babies.' or ::ll1d ge the class to chorus th ' W h o ' s been .. ' bits. 1I Ill' allot Father 11 ',1111111 is to split the class into three groups an 1'"
'.('111
111"111;11
If
vou are involved in structure te,lching, whether straight or cloake in"notions', and wish to move beyond l11t'ch::ll1ical drilling yo mlgh
w a n t to tr
this exercise:
Example structure
~ : ~ e
been -ing
(present perfect continuous)
I'.. I"
I,
'"
;lnd
way. Lead into
to
\,.Irt
1.)'.1
! ~ r ( ) l l p .
on
group, Mothet's to the next an
They ca
Baby Bear's to
be asked to chorus in deep, normal an
'1'1, ,,I \' voices.
Skeleton
I I.
Goldilocks
q
Little girl goes for walk in w o o d s mother warns he goes no answer Comes to house in clearing, knocks Tries three chairs Big one too hard, middle on
iOIl
In I
rather hard, little on
Plenty of stories use OTHER STORIES of sequences or sentences as an essential device. 1,.1111\'11 structure will naturally occur as part of gr mm pleasur11111111, 1I11' n:pL'ti tiol1. being central to the story, an ·.II{lICTllRES,
,,'1"'111
•• ·.I,>IIo·
just rig
,.,j
Breaks leg of little chair Tries three bowls of porridge Big on to hot, middle on rather hot, little on
just right
Eats porridge all up Tired - goes upstairs tries three beds First on to big, middle on rather big, little on Goes to sleep
.I,l'!o\o\';\reofthissorr:
I,ll",' just righ
wi"hes
neithor rich Iliql1hours· richer than they '11111,01111111\' wiull( !; . . ~ > i l i c l wife 11
I11
III . l I l l l l l i ~ ; I , I I ~
witl.
f l l l l l f ~ l r
Re("ore
he,!!,;"'"
Next
mOll111111
11,
II,d,1
4.2
,.
Says 'I wi:;11111 " I . , , , ! Yard of t)l"ck I'lldolll1'1 ' Husband fur iUII'. 'I wish itwollld ,.tll 1" ' ' I ' ' ' ' It does she trln .1(11'11111 ,'11 'I wish it were Y U I I I " It goes They realise what lln:.lloI)'I' III ,I
1]' II
wo
Skeleton
Brontsha The Silent Brontsha died silent and unremembered But in Heaven they knew of him and waited
His trial was prepared in Great Hall of Heaven Brontsha arrived. Defending angel stood to speak: 'On earth Brontsha never complained he did not cry out Circumcising knife slipped Mother died when he was eight e s ai d nothing Stepmother gave hi mouldy bread - herself drank coffee with cream Father made hi chop wood barefoot in snow Brontsha never complained Went to city found work as porter Boss said 'I'll pay you next month' didn't Brontsha
infinitive
Skeleton
Th
three little pigs
mother pig and three little pigs She sends them ou to build their own
boil'.,,,.
the wolf!
llilt mind
First pig begs straw off farmer builds IlClil:": ut straw Second pig ... sticks from woodman Third pig ... bricks from builder Wolf comes to first pig's house 'Little pig, little pig, let me in' 'No, by the hair on my chinny chin chin, won't let yo in' 'Then I'll huff and I'll puff and I'll blow the house down' And he does, and eats the first little pig Second pig
same
a me , but wolf cannot Third pig He gets angry, tries to come down chimney Third pig is waiting with pot of boiling water End of wolf
Theme sentences
showed no anger Married wife ran of
Brontsha brought up child
When 40 Brontsha run over by rich man's carriage In hospital full of groaning people he did no groan. He died No one sad - 10 peopl in the mortuary
waited fo his bed, 50 fo
his place
Prosecuting angel stood to speak: Words dried on his tongue, he sat down Judge welcomed Brontsha to Heaven: 'What reward do you want you can have anything' Brontsha said:
'Your Worship, could I have, each morning, butter for my breakfast?' Judge and angels bowed their heads
hot roll with
Before I begin...
A picture starter
4.3
Before class
Puteachofthefollowingsl'IIII'IIlI' ' 0 ) 1 se of cards for every four licl.-111
'1
']
>11
A picture start er
wil.l need Skeleton
p o o r produce the rich Beggars can't be choosers Heaven is tomorrow Anger begets meekness Th
Gelert man had
In class
Group the students in fours. Give each group th first sentence ca I'd. As the students to discuss the m c a l l i l l t ~ cd 1111' ' , l l i l l ' l l I I' it stands. When discussion runs lo on t l d ~ , ,]'.1' 1111'111 II reverse th underlined parts of the sentence, as 'The it 11 I" Id III c' h ~ l 2 p o r ' , ntcrl'l'. then as them to discuss the reversed 4 Then give ou th second sentence card alld flop!':tl. ] ' . ~ putting the sentences on cards, you can feed in new thCllll:S :llld when each group is ready, 5 Tell th story. C H O I C E OF
story th story, an
SENTENCES
FOR
REVERSAL
To k::ld il
1"0
a given
sentences need to be broadly related to rhe d1l'Jlic(s) of the
grammatically reversihle. 'lhey should proverbs ar powerful material fo this kind
semantically an
be simple. Sayings an
favourite dog, Gelert
Dog devoted to man and his infant so Dog guarded house when man away
of exercise. ARIA TI 0 NS Further examples of this style of exercise can be found in Frank, Rinvolucri, an Berer, Challenge to thin k, OU
1982.
A C K N O W L E D G E M E N T We first met the teversal idea in the writing of Edward de Bono, bu we suspect it may have an older history.
One day he goes hunting Wolves attack house
Dog defends child -
ll on
leaves dog on guard
wolf - wounds many
Man returns blood everywhere, cannot find child Thinks Gelert ha killed his son: kills Gelert Too late - finds so patting dead body of wolf Before class
Prepare to dr
on the blackboard picture of an Alsatian or other student to do it for you.
(frightening) dog, or ask In class
1 Put up the picture (or ask your student to draw) on the blackboard. Let th students look at the picture an ask them to share their associations, feelings etc. about th dog.
2 Tell th class that you are going picture take.
to tell them story about th i t them to speculate on what form your story will
Tell th stOry to the group. Allow a few moments' thought after you have told the story then invite comment from the group. NOTE
Another story that lends itself to this treatment is:
Picture rose
Before I begin ..
A big black cloud came between sun and earth Sun's rays could not get through was unhappy etc....
sees bird cirdillllllV"illl1,1I1 '1.1i1y 11 Hl':ord I? He knows it is his hil Bird circles - r e f u s o ~ , 1 4 I ' 1111 .... Ii.WII f'"1l1Io!t Late afternoon "ll1klll'l Bird has special cylin1kr 1111 I. 11 110: 11111',\ ~ ; t a r n p cylinder in time clock to prove ' f i l i I wears when Tries to lure bird down In lofl: IHII:, 111111 ..
He
Cloud shut out the sun - made grass green Cloud poured down rain on rock it made no impression Cloud was not happy ... Rock stood there man came with pickaxe and shovel Hacked stone from the rock Rock said: 'T his man is stronger than I', Rock not happy 'I want to be the uarryman' Angel appeared 'You are the quarryman' quarryman, hacking stone from the rock He was His work h ar d wondered if he was happy
feeding birds
Rattles feeding tins no good
Whistles
Fetches shotgu Aims Shoots down bird
His first win
grabs it
fmlCl5
( ~ y l i n J e r
into clock
(after Multatuli,
surely
He clutches broken bird Breaks down 'What have done?'
Prepare to dr aw a n umber of images suggested by the story (say 4pictures) or arrange for a student to do it for you. In
Skeleton
The quarryman The quarryman's work was h ar d
wasn't happy
was rich, could sleep in a bed with silken
curtains' Angel appeared: 'You are rich' Man was rich: slept in bed with silken curtains
King came by
class
1 Put up the pictures on the blackboard as shown below, e.g
Pictu re rose
Said: 'I
Havelaar)
class
(after Carlos Martinez Moreno, 'La Palorna')
4.4
Max
gold carriage - horsemen in front and
behind
Rich man not happy. He said 'I want to be king'
Before I begill... 2 Tell the c l a s s that yCl11 pictures oO-the bo,lrd
,Ill'
,.,,111' ..
~ 1 1 \ ' J I '
11"
il
your story will take. Tell the story to the gmllp. A l l o w few moments' tllDlI)',111 .ill' invite comment from tht: ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
1101(. ..
I"
1',"111
'I'
'''I' .IICllllld the
filii'
Section
Co-operative telling
\\'li,ll torm
h.', ",1.1 b' story, then
I ~ r o l q ' ,
Th:lllk', V,I
translating this story ou of the
I"
Ill"
Drip,IILd 11111.11,
111,1
.ll1d('cl1 Sion fo
5.1
Co-operative stories in th
language lab
Skeleton
The unicorn The husband woke up and looked out of the window,
Describe the
He saw
husband
unicorn eating a lily in the garden,
Describe the garden
He woke his wife up and told he there was unicorn in the garden eating a lily, She said: 'Don't be silly, there can't be; the unicorn is a mythical beast.'
Describe the wife
The husband went down to take a closer look atthe unicorn, bu it had gone, He sat down on a bench near the roses and went to sleep, He had a dream
What did
he
dream?
The wife rang the psychiatrist and the police. She told them her husband was going mad, She asked them to come quickly with a straitjacket.
Describe the psychiatrist
She told the psychiatrist: 'M husband said he saw unicorn in the garden eating a lily.' The psychiatrist asked the husband: 'Did you see a unicorn in the garden eating a lily?' To this the husband replied; JOf course not, the unicorn is a mythical beast.'
Finish the s tory
(after Thurberl 'hl' instrlll'li'III'; ill ilalic :lre to the student.)
Before I begill... 2 Tell the c l a s s that yCl11 pictures oO-the bo,lrd
,Ill'
,.,,111' ..
~ 1 1 \ ' J I '
11"
il
your story will take. Tell the story to the gmllp. A l l o w few moments' tllDlI)',111 .ill' invite comment from tht: ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
1101(. ..
I"
1',"111
'I'
'''I' .IICllllld the
filii'
Section
Co-operative telling
\\'li,ll torm
h.', ",1.1 b' story, then
I ~ r o l q ' ,
Th:lllk', V,I
translating this story ou of the
I"
Ill"
Drip,IILd 11111.11,
111,1
.ll1d('cl1 Sion fo
5.1
Co-operative stories in th
language lab
Skeleton
The unicorn The husband woke up and looked out of the window,
Describe the
He saw
husband
unicorn eating a lily in the garden,
Describe the garden
He woke his wife up and told he there was unicorn in the garden eating a lily, She said: 'Don't be silly, there can't be; the unicorn is a mythical beast.'
Describe the wife
The husband went down to take a closer look atthe unicorn, bu it had gone, He sat down on a bench near the roses and went to sleep, He had a dream
What did
he
dream?
The wife rang the psychiatrist and the police. She told them her husband was going mad, She asked them to come quickly with a straitjacket.
Describe the psychiatrist
She told the psychiatrist: 'M husband said he saw unicorn in the garden eating a lily.' The psychiatrist asked the husband: 'Did you see a unicorn in the garden eating a lily?' To this the husband replied; JOf course not, the unicorn is a mythical beast.'
Finish the s tory
(after Thurberl 'hl' instrlll'li'III'; ill ilalic :lre to the student.)
Co-operative telling
Group story
In class
Tw
1 Explain
an
words in the sk\'k1"11 dl,ll rill' ,
know. Pu th lab into 'broadcast (Will tIll',
2
that yo
ar
going to tell thelll
;1 :,111I
is unlikely to sh
them to set their machill\':.
instruction. Monitor with ear an
:ORD.
10
3 Tell the first section of th skeletoll ;t!JllVl'
Oi
to their ow
:\I lJ give them th
with
part?' T h e n repeat the process until rh
'jv1:IY
('IIJ
tell you the next
of the story.
4 Ask the students to wind back their tapes :llld thcn booths. Invite them to listen to the tape in
rhl' Ilew
to swap booth and to
second is sold to bad master, He becomes ill, an at becomes his ow brother's slave. His brother does no recognise him, an ill-treats him. Describe the i//-treatment
Th
l a s ~
piece of paper three lallgll;,ge Illistakes they spot. students to swap booths again, Itaving th slips of paper.
note down on As
th
Repeat steps an S. Ask the students to return to their original booths an their ow
village an
Describe the leader of the raiders Th boys are sold to different masters, bu promise each other t h a t whichever finds freedom first will bu th other. Th first so is lucky; he gets good master and learns trade. Eventually he buys hi freedom. Describe the first brother's master
first
everybody
eyt.:, ,11111 whcll I l ~ ; a r l y
has finished speaking break in gently
mother left her two young sons alone in the hut while went to market. Describe the hu
When sh wa away, raiders attacked th carried th boys off into slavery.
y. I\t n'rt:lill points you will
pause and ask them to fill in the dl'l,.llls, ·'pC:lkillg tapes. As
and explain
IlII',tlk' 1 l 1 0 d t
brothers
Th slave makes friends with his brother's little daughter. Sh brings him food from her own plate. He tells he his story,
to listen to
tapes while noting the mistakes noted down by their
friends.
Tell the story the slave told
With earphones off; allow time for questions and comments on
first brother notices his daughter slipping away to th slave quarters,
Th
the slips.
Finish the story
ca
If
(after 'The Two Brothers Otete and More', in Folk Tales P. Gurrey) Fables, ed. P, itayemi
d o n ' t w a n t to work in lab the above exercise also be done in writing. In this case, the story will have to be
ARIATlON
yo
an
read: 1 Explain unfamiliar words. 2 Dictate the first sentence an
give th first instruction. Move round th class helping an correcting as needed. Then continue with the second sentence, ete. 3 At the end of th exercise, pu up th stories round th walls of th room so that students can read each other's work.
NOTES
Th
best sort of story fo
be reduced to five or six sentences
this exercise is one that can easily
short paragraphs. It should be
5.2
Group story
Skeleton Th
ghost
YOI'llI[.j
w o m a n lay on death be
Dictation
Co-operative telling Every night wife's ghost blallwd 11111' for e n g a g e m e n t Told him in detail about his COIlVc:t ·.ations with sweetheart Ghost described presents he nav 11 er desperate
Young ma
Deci'ded to consult sage
sage livud in mountains
Sage said 'Tel.l your wife that if sh<.: answers on you will break off th engagement'
question
Young man asked what th question was 'Take handful of beans, ask he hoW many you've got' 'H she doesn't know you will realise sh is only in y o u r head'
Next night young man told ghost sh knew everything about him Ghost: 'Yes, know you visited a wise ma yesterday' Young man: 'How many beans have go in this hand?' ..
__
There wa
stand at the blackboard. As the other members of the group to read ou the words they have written down an to agree on spellings for each: the secretary should write down th agreed spellings, in order, on the blackboard. Allow the students to work ou their versions before confirming or otherwise. 4 When the whole list is on the blackboard, as the students, working alone or in small groups, to construct story from the list, following the order given. 5 Ask the students to share their stories.
3
Skeleton
....
If you or your students feel the need for a like to use this:
In class Invite three students to come out and sit behind you, facing the class. Tell the three that whenever you stop in th telling of the story you want them to speak about what they ca see in their imaginations at the point reached. During the narration yo ma feel yo want to replace the original panel of three with another panel. In th skeleton above stopping places are suggested! bu you should be aware before you start telling a story where you are likely to want to stop.
Dictation
Material
SCHOOLMASTER
Dictate the words in the list singly an in the order given. Appoint one member of the group as secretary an ask him or her to
no ghost there to answe th question
(after Watzlawick)
5.3
In class
HYPNOTISE
'definitive' version, you may
The seventh rose man, 38, schoolmaster, self-contained Mother dies Though he has not realised it, very fond of mother After funeral, breaks down, cannot cope Teaching, living - al goes wrong Obsession, guilt, compulsively ta'lks about mother Harley St - sees psychiatrist Psychiatrist hypnotises him Gives him seven roses tells him to t h r o w a w a y on every day for a week Each time he throws away flower, guilt willllessen With seventh rose, problem will have gone Man goes, does as psychiatrist says (we think) - career improves becomes professor at University
But In his buttonhole, always, is a faded, weedy flower stalk
Co-operative telling
Scene to story
5.4
VILLAGE EMIGRATE MARRIAGE
Scene to
story
Skeleton
ABSENCE
PREGNANT
Th
SHAME
dragon of Nara
DESTRUCTION
There once lived priest in Nara ugly, long nose etc. Everybody made fun of him: Bitter
BIRTH
Decides to play practical joke
ATTACK
DEEP WELL
He puts up notice by lake
SUICIDE
ON
MARCH
3
A 'definitive' version of this might run:
WILL ASCEND
Skeleton
TO
DRAGON
FROM THIS LAKE HEAVEN
Villagers read, rumours spread Fisherman says he saw dragon asleep at bottom of lake Little girl has vision Others dream of dragon's ascension
No name woman Village: poverty, emigration Before leaving, young men marry A year after husband left, girl is pregnant Shame When birth due villagers gather Masked figures trample crops, open dykes
Kill animals, burn outhouses White masks, lanterns, wild hair Faces stare in at windows She is silent in house Villagers break in, smash everything Smear house with animals' blood As they leave, take oranges and sugar She goes to pigsty (to deceive gods) Gives birth Feeds baby
March 1
People begin to drift down to lake March 2 Hundreds of people camped round lake, some from far away
as
blessing
Goesto well Jumps in with child What bitterness so to poison the well
(after Maxine Hong Kingston, The Woman Warrior)
March 3 Thousands by lake priest joins them they wait, day passes No dragon - priest begins to regret his notice Suddenly: rain, thunder, lightning
Dragon ascends Priest is ashamed - confesses No one believes him
Befo re c:lass
Co-operative telling
Scene to story
In class
1 Bring the group into a half-circle rOllnd the blackboard tr throughout th exercise to maintain the hlackboard as the group focus, rather than yourself. 2 Begin by drawing strong central image on the board, to set the scene, e.g.
- - r - ~ ~ _ ~
5 Continue still with o lit spea k'lI1g, to lI1Vlte " h ver a suggestions ra ~ r o ~ t ' ~ h e n express these in furrher development of the picture 11 af board. As th exercise progresses, the story will on gra ua )utld up, bQth on the board an in the minds of the ~ t o u p . ~ r a d u a l l Y alsC), to a greater or lesser extent the stoty will epart. rom the skeleton given above: this will depend both on the tfhe students and, in even latger measure, on the c r ~ l a l . t J v l t y WI mgness the tea cher to lI1terpret . t elr WIS es
"4. -_/ ---
3 Without speaking, invite the group to translate what they see into words: allow as many people to speak as wish to. Do no block any of the suggestions offered. 4 Add a further image to the blackboard scene: try to make the development fit the mood of the students, as expressed in stage 3 above, e.g
6 When the Story ha k'
~ o r k
,a
usef
lr:
· )
'
k
teached st o n \ t o P t e p a r e to retell the story as they understand it. at ~ h . e y ar free to alter or expand the story as they ea preparatJ()n, the 'mumbling exercise' (6.1) may be found
NOTES Th aim of tL exercise IS to encourage the co-operative the>-' te11 lI1g s to ' r "'e IS no bl"IgatlOn eH h er to 11 OW or to epart rom t ongmal' . 'd '. Story Ime, bu rather for the teacher to provl a potentia .rame ' constructe ~ l l c h a story can .,
Three item stories
Co-operative telling
5.5
5.6
A story from four words
In class
In class
1 Ask each student to think of a story, Allow
flllC'('
or
fOllr
minutes
1 Give the students these words: BIRD
for this. Pair the studen ts and as
new story. The s t u d ~ n t s then form new pairs an
tell th" stories horn from
window
[n th dry South African Veld fires are frequently caused when vultures, having landed safely on overhead power lines, try to take off agatn. Bctn? very heavy birds they ca only take off by migh ty flappmg of theIr long wings. If vulture provides contact between tw high tension cables, it is instantly electrocuted an falls to the gound below in a ball of flames. This often starts major veld fires.
ca an
escaped.
The man student told rhe story of the two women wh came to Solomon claiming they were both mothers of the same baby. He ordered servant to saw the baby in two. This revealed the true mother: she asked him to give th child to the other woman rather than see ir die. BABY SAW After some head-scratching this pair decided that SA ESCAPE CAR
students have half reached your story through their 2 When queStlOnlOg, stop them and ask them to work in pairs making up story that could have BIRD, METAL an FIRE as keywords. Tell them to make up their story quite freely. 3 Ask the students to re-pair a couple of times an tell their stories to each other. 4 Usually they also want to find out your story; if they ask, tell them.
symbolised
threat. The girl then produced this tale: A couple had wanted baby for a long time. Finally they ha one. Some weeks after its birth threatening letters started to arrive, Desperate to keep the baby safe they one night got into their ca an escaped to another town, leaving everything behind them. ACKNOWLEDCEMENT We have adapted this technique by H. Auge, M.F. Borot, and M. Vielmas, from Ie/.lx pour parler, Ieux pour cree eLE International, 1981,
story you have in your
Tell them their task is to unearth your story by questioning you. You only answer Yes or No On story behind the three items is:
In on pair the girl told how a boy had shut her an EXAMPLE girl friend into his ca because they wouldn't go along with what he wanted to do. He stood and laughed as they frantically tried to get wound down
FIRE
head.
the four keywords.
ou of the
~ 1 E T A L
Tell them these words are keywords in
them to td each 01 dwi [' sI lries. Ask them to pick ou keywords from each slory. 3 Ask thc pairs to take their four keywords an trolll lhe!'it build a
Keywords:
Three item stories
EXAMPLES
A
In one group the following stories were produced:
ma was caught in a forest fire, Hc was carrying a gold nugget he had found while panning. He had with him a carrier pigeon so he tied the gold to the leg of the pigeon which carried his wealth to safety.
B A driver of
great truck fell asleep as he drove through the mountains. Th truck plunged down a ravine an burst into flames, but he wa thrown tree. W h ~ 1 1 rl'SCl1l'rs found him three days later they found he had died ollli illjlll'i·· an been eaten by vultures.
Co-operative telling
5.7
Picture composition
Random story
5.8
In class
1 Tell th class that you arc alJ g(ling to wlllk
1111 ' " I l l l l e s ,
2 Take one student outside an :Isk hilll or I I l ' l ' \\'11.111\'11(' of story he or sh would like to work on. Offer Lht' tollowillg wdl·clcfined categories of story:
Picture composition
(In this e x e r c i ~ e it is intended that the teacher shou1ld function as part th group, J.e. that he or she should participate in th activities.) In class
1 Draw this on the board, in the top right-hand area:
Newspaper crime story
Bible story Story about unemployment Football-star story Fairy story Le th
student choose on
category.
3 Leave the student outside th classroom, while yOll lell rhe rest of th group that he or she is going to try to discover story that 'they have decided on'. In fact they are no going to decide on any story bu are instead to answer Yes or No to quest,ions,
monosyllabic or polysyllabic wo rd.
4 Bring the student back into the room. Tell him or her that the group have decided on story within the category chosen, an that he or sh is to discover w h a t the story is by asking yes/no student that there may be inconsistencies as the group could no agree on every detail. When the questioning has gone on for five or te minutes ask the group to tell th questioner what has been happening. questions. Warn th
5
VARIA TlONS
the rule given in step above, other rules can be used, for example: Is th final sound of the question vowel or conson particular word (e.g. 'is' or 'are'). ant? Does the question contain Instead
2 Instead of using stories, the exercise can be based on dreams: the person coming in is to discover dream he or she has had, and which the group knows, bu which he or she has forgotten. This frame copes better with th inevitable inconsistencies. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
We learnt th
dream version from Chris
Tell students that the group is going to fill ou the picture an develop stories from it. Invite students to
say w h a t they want
to ad
to the picture and
then hand them the board marker/chalk an get them to draw in what they have suggested. Ad things yo feel you want to add as group member.
4 Stop the exercise before ,the drawing gets too cluttered. Ask people to work lI:dlVldually or rn patrs to create stories. (With an od ~ L 1 m h n of st'lldcnrs, you can form part of pair yourself.)
Dictog/oss
Co-operative telling
The group produced, among others, the following stories from the
picture:
A The three people in the foreground are factory inspectors, wh have come to check on workers' complaints about the pollution in the factory. They are so disgusted that they are no going to cross th stream an ha ve their lunch under the tree, away from the filth, among the sheep, B great ne factory ha been built. It is in an ideal situation, near a river, right under power lines with road running outside the front gate. Mt Thatcher has come to open it, bu because she is very unpopular she is being smuggled into the factory under water, so as to enter by th back door. C This factory is in Iran an the middle chimney doubles as a minaret, The peopl.e in the foreground have just been summoned to midday prayer. Such is their zeal that they pay no attention to their fellow-worker, whom you can see drowning in the polluted stream to the left, ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
picture composition.
I
5.9
Sarah Braine showed us the power of free
Dictogloss
Stories
Solomon's judgement (Two women had quarrelled over possession of and brought their case to the king's court,)
baby girl
The king heard their tw stories out before ordering his servants to saw the baby in two, which prompted the true
mother to cry out: 'No, no! Give her to the other woman!'
Th
forced burgl1ar
(On tleing questioned by his wife about his frequent
Co-operative telling unable to stand th strain an IOnUIII, 11«: lott home to live with his lover, at which point his wife :,llowucl the police
Section
Students' stories
everything he had stolen.
In class
1 Tell th group that you are going to read vn short story to them once an once only, an that they will h; ve to reconstruct what you have read out: they will be allowl'llt write during your reading, bu there wil not be time for them to wrixl' everything, i.e. they should focus on keywords an then attempt to reconstruct the rest afterwards. Ban shorthand. Read story A, or an equivalent single-sentence talc.:. Read at medium-slow pace, bu not at dictation speed. When you have finished, as t'he students to amplify the notes they have made, working in pairs. (If this is the first time they have done the exercise, you might wish to read the story agam.) When the students working in pairs seem to have got as far as they can, allow them to mix an help on another. 5 Then appoint one student to ac as secretary, an ask hIm or he to write up the story on the blackboard, taking dictation from th rest of the group. 6 Finally, as a check, give th
text to one of the students (not the
best) to read to the group. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
We tearnt this from an account by Diane
Fitton of work done at Sydney University by Charles Taylor. Th original idea is to be found in an article by O. Ilsen in Language
Learning 12, 4 (1962).
6.1
Mumble, listen, tell
Before class
Get toge,ther a wide choice of story skeletons andlor stories. If you ha ve 20 II the class make sure you ha vc at least 20 stories or skeletons. Make three or four photocopies of each skeleton, so ther e is genuinely plenty of choice. In class
1 Spread the texts on a flat surface. Ask the students to take any story they want an go anywhere in the room they like to read it. Explajn that they will be asked to tell each other their stories (not read them aloud), You should move round and very quietly help with unknown words. Be available as a whispering reading aid. 2 Tell th students they will be telling each other their stories bu that first they should 'mumble' the story to themselves, to make sure they have got the English the way they want it. A good way to mumble IS to shut your eyes an say th words quietly to your self. 3 When the first students have finished mumbling ask them if they are ready to tell. Do all this very quietly, so as no to disturb those s(ill preparing. When ,students are ready, pair them off, making sure each paIr has a different story. Ask them to tell each other the,ir stories in lo voices or whispering. Go round listening an wnte up sentences you heard going wrong on tbe blackboard. (It IS best If, dunng your writing, the blackboard can be angled away from the group.) 4 When the first pairs finish, c1sk them to set about deciding ho the)' ''''Old.! ~ ' O I T l ' c t the sentences.
Co-operative telling unable to stand th strain an IOnUIII, 11«: lott home to live with his lover, at which point his wife :,llowucl the police
Section
Students' stories
everything he had stolen.
In class
1 Tell th group that you are going to read vn short story to them once an once only, an that they will h; ve to reconstruct what you have read out: they will be allowl'llt write during your reading, bu there wil not be time for them to wrixl' everything, i.e. they should focus on keywords an then attempt to reconstruct the rest afterwards. Ban shorthand. Read story A, or an equivalent single-sentence talc.:. Read at medium-slow pace, bu not at dictation speed. When you have finished, as t'he students to amplify the notes they have made, working in pairs. (If this is the first time they have done the exercise, you might wish to read the story agam.) When the students working in pairs seem to have got as far as they can, allow them to mix an help on another. 5 Then appoint one student to ac as secretary, an ask hIm or he to write up the story on the blackboard, taking dictation from th rest of the group. 6 Finally, as a check, give th
text to one of the students (not the
best) to read to the group. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
We tearnt this from an account by Diane
Fitton of work done at Sydney University by Charles Taylor. Th original idea is to be found in an article by O. Ilsen in Language
Learning 12, 4 (1962).
6.1
Mumble, listen, tell
Before class
Get toge,ther a wide choice of story skeletons andlor stories. If you ha ve 20 II the class make sure you ha vc at least 20 stories or skeletons. Make three or four photocopies of each skeleton, so ther e is genuinely plenty of choice. In class
1 Spread the texts on a flat surface. Ask the students to take any story they want an go anywhere in the room they like to read it. Explajn that they will be asked to tell each other their stories (not read them aloud), You should move round and very quietly help with unknown words. Be available as a whispering reading aid. 2 Tell th students they will be telling each other their stories bu that first they should 'mumble' the story to themselves, to make sure they have got the English the way they want it. A good way to mumble IS to shut your eyes an say th words quietly to your self. 3 When the first students have finished mumbling ask them if they are ready to tell. Do all this very quietly, so as no to disturb those s(ill preparing. When ,students are ready, pair them off, making sure each paIr has a different story. Ask them to tell each other the,ir stories in lo voices or whispering. Go round listening an wnte up sentences you heard going wrong on tbe blackboard. (It IS best If, dunng your writing, the blackboard can be angled away from the group.) 4 When the first pairs finish, c1sk them to set about deciding ho the)' ''''Old.! ~ ' O I T l ' c t the sentences.
From beginnings...
Students' stories
6.4
Story of th
Prince came, heard Rapunzel singing Watched witch climb plait Next day di same Rapunzel shy - they became friends He came every day
film
In class
1 Bring a student
to the blackboard
as the grc1l11"" '.(', Il·I.I1'V'. Get the
other students to shout ou film titles to hilll 111 hll,.II·.11. The secretary should write the titles down in disurdl'l ,dl ( l \ ' ! T the
One day witch found them together Chopped off Rapunzel's plait threw Prince from high window He fell on thorns blinded wandered earth fo three years, begging
board. . 2 Ask each student to choose a film he or she lu 1l.111 LU1Lu'Iy liked . an make poster advertisin Pair the students an get each person to CXrLl111 hI or he poster an tell the story of the film behind it. ...
Rapunzel escaped tower fo
NOTE It is, of course, possible to dispense wi rh step 2.:1 hove an simply ask the students to tell the film stories. Wc have (mind, however, that the time spent drawing is pleasurable [o the students (as a change of activity) an provides valuable rhtnkl11g space,
wandered everywhere looking
him
Found hi in desert Wept tears fell on his his eyes eyes He saw again They went to his father's palace, married and had many children In class
6.5
Love stories
Tell the story of Rapunzel. As the students to shut their eyes for a couple of minutes and thll1k back to a love story they know and find important. As them to move around an find a partner, They should then tell their story to their partner.
Skeleton
Rapunzel Man and wife lived in cottage From bedroom window wife could see lettuces in
6.6
neighbour's garden She wanted one man unwilling to steal one - neighbour
In class
witch He finally did - wife delighted He went again - caught by witch She made him promise her their first child
From beginnings
...
Set a scene ,.. something like this: frog deep down in a weU - l i v e d there since she was tadpole knows l ' ~ e r y crack an crevice - knows nothing beyond except P::ltd1 Cllllght !llgh up above.
.. ,to endings
Students' stories When students have finished t11L" prL'Jl.tr.llI 11 ll W l l r ! ' (different people take differen times to do this) :\,,1- dll'Il1 II ... 11111 their eyes an mumble the story to themselves il F 1 1 1 ~ 1 i " h , pi illr to telling it to someone else, This produces ~ 1 1111H'h 1111111' (ohL'rl'llt telling. 4 Ask the students to tell their story to SOIlH'OIH' they ! l ; \ V l ' no
previously worked with. EXAMPLES
prompted ~ 1 ) l 1 H ' dL'nJ<::lltary
The above beginnin
students towards the stories skeletonised here:
A Pretty frog
at climbed ou of well - w.alke an visitnl all day night afraid tried to get back to well - lost night in fear - jumped at butterfly bu butterfly W ; l S hunter of f r o g s ended up in French restaurant.
B Sunny day frog walking by river - plent of food - OK, Boy came to river - water warm saw frog caught her. swam Took he home to his garden she was free there then fell down well at en of garden,
C Frog happy in we w e l l - Tw
children looked down
asked frog
she liked the dark frog asked what world up there looked like - They invited frog up sun's rays to ho ha to go back
wh
to wetness of well. CHOICE
OF
Th scene set must imply a symbol of the bird suddenly entering the frog's
STORY STARTERS
continuation
confined world does just this. Here are tw other scenes: people take his chair opposite the TV Grandpa always in the way set - no one listens to his views - his daughter-i.n-Iaw never puts one day he sugar in his coffee he has enough of being ignored
goes to Trafalgar Square .. , (after Rodari) 'Here's one that ha to be pu ou of circulation.' 'What's 'is job?'
6.7
...
to
endings
In class
1 Dictate th following story ending: Th
woman on his right began to tug, crying: 'Let me go, it's mornIng,'
But he refused, She turned into wild cat, bit his hand and ran off into the woods. 2 Ask the students to work on their own, or in groups of two or three, to make story that leads to this ending. If they work alone suggest they take notes. 3 When people h,ave finished the preparation work (different people take dIfferent tlmes to do thIS) ask them to shut their eyes an mumble the story to themselves in English. This produces much more coherent telling. 4 Ask the students to tell their story to someone they have no yet worked WIth. NOTE
this:
If students as
Wild
for the 'original' story, yOll may like to use
ca
Scholar an wife lived outside city gate Very poor, He studied far into night No food for a week sent her to wood to pick chestnuts She came back with seven shrivelled nuts in basket
Suddenly door flew open woman came in with seven shrivelled nuts in basket Sh looked exactly the s a m e as wife. in every detail Two looked at each other Both 'Who are you?' Scholar pulled both to him - gripped each by an ar So they sa all night Cocks crowed The w o m a n on his right began to tug ..
Doodlestrips
Students' stories ... washed overboard and drowned. But Y O \ l ; \ l l d 11, l i P \ \ ' different. And Peter? Well, he still lives in the village, d \ C l l l ~ ' . l I l l l longer in the great house. keeps the pub now, w'hG"(' till' w l t l l l e story started. The farmer and the co
looked ar each ol
"1',
Thell, \Tl'y slowly,
they both began to laugh.
ACKNOWLEDGEM El"T
Th
idea of fitting th
comes f ~ ' o m IndIan therapy practices, an work ot Milton Erickson.
6.9
story to the person
more recently from th
Doodlestrips
Before class Prepare an below:
6.8
Objects tell stories
Before class
Choose three objects that do no light bulb,
make an obvious set, e.g. a bra,
kipper.
In class
Take in the objects an
let the students look at them, pass them
round and speculate about them. Ask the students to group in fours and to us
the objects as the
starting point for story. When the groups have found their stories, ask each person to work with someone from another group. Ask them to tell the the ohjects, e.g. 'I'm light bulb. When looked story as one down, I...' Do no give time for further preparation of th telling. Switching narrative standpoint to that of an object in the NOTE powerful 'making new' effect an can considerably story has modify th
story agreed on in th
VARIATJON
groups of four.
l f y o u r students already know each other quite well,
the following exercis
ha
more powerful effect:
o
duplicate abstract cartoon strips like those illustrated
Students'
stories
2 Give ou the doodles trips,
Triple stories
O l l l ' In ,';111111,1111\'11111.11 CII g r o u p .
3 As
each individual or group to \"'lll their strip, an to prepare to telltlH'
4 Ask the students to circulate an VARIATION
by ~ t C ) I ) ICI l ) i l I L T ~ ill the class. 1(,lll';llll ClIbt'! d l l ' l r stories.
Ask students to 'COll1pklL" till' ',Irip by ;ldding an
extra frame before proceeding to step FOLLOW-UP
11111 .1 '.1111)' ~ l 1 g g c s t e d
:I!Jo\'!'.
When students have workl'lllbrollgh slIch an exercise
once or twice, it is a good idea to ge thel1l drawiqg doodJestrips for each other. N01ES
1 We find that working from abstract drawings such as these
produces a very different exercise and group dynamic from work
on conventional 'picture compositions'. The latter often lead to rather mechanical, uninvolved storytellin witb high priority given to 'getting the story right'. When abstract rather than concrete pictures are used, students are encouraged no only to give their imaginations free rein, bu also to attempt (and succeed at) more adventurous language. 2 When constructing your own doodlestrips, yo might find that the most productive method is to illustrate an abstract or very general idea, rather than an particular story-line. This exercise was suggested by the work of Mo Strangeman (Magi-pies, Pilgrims Publications, Canterbury 1982) in the symbolic depiction of fairy stories. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
6.10 In
Triple stories
class
1 Ask
th students each to write three stories that must no be more than five sentences long, the first about bo an gun, th second about teenage girl an teacher, an th third about
As th students ro read the stories an mistakes thev scc in anv of rhem.
to correcr any language
EXAMPLES Here are three of rhe uncorrected boy an we got from older teenage elementary students.
know joined
gu
stories
boy who liked gun. He gOt a gun when he wa fifteen. He marksmen society. He learnt to shoot with his gun. wa
a very good marksman, but he became dangerous and began to kill people.
There wa pleasant boy with his gu in sitting room. The boy wa playing alone because he had no brother or sister. Suddenly he broke vase an he wa very sad. He wa boy. He want to had gun. He go gun-shop an bought gun. After he go in th wood an shout hirds. He wa very happy to have gu now. VARIATION You can ask the students to write triple stories about other items/people than those given above, e.g.:
soldier woman
woman
woman
child
lorry
ACKNOWLEDCEMENT This idea comes from D.I. Malamud andS. Machover, Toroards S'elf Understanding, Charles C. Thomas,
Illinois, 1965.
Students'
stories
2 Give ou the doodles trips,
Triple stories
O l l l ' In ,';111111,1111\'11111.11 CII g r o u p .
3 As
each individual or group to \"'lll their strip, an to prepare to telltlH'
4 Ask the students to circulate an VARIATION
by ~ t C ) I ) ICI l ) i l I L T ~ ill the class. 1(,lll';llll ClIbt'! d l l ' l r stories.
Ask students to 'COll1pklL" till' ',Irip by ;ldding an
extra frame before proceeding to step FOLLOW-UP
11111 .1 '.1111)' ~ l 1 g g c s t e d
:I!Jo\'!'.
When students have workl'lllbrollgh slIch an exercise
once or twice, it is a good idea to ge thel1l drawiqg doodJestrips for each other. N01ES
1 We find that working from abstract drawings such as these
produces a very different exercise and group dynamic from work
on conventional 'picture compositions'. The latter often lead to rather mechanical, uninvolved storytellin witb high priority given to 'getting the story right'. When abstract rather than concrete pictures are used, students are encouraged no only to give their imaginations free rein, bu also to attempt (and succeed at) more adventurous language. 2 When constructing your own doodlestrips, yo might find that the most productive method is to illustrate an abstract or very general idea, rather than an particular story-line. This exercise was suggested by the work of Mo Strangeman (Magi-pies, Pilgrims Publications, Canterbury 1982) in the symbolic depiction of fairy stories. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
6.10 In
Triple stories
class
1 Ask
th students each to write three stories that must no be more than five sentences long, the first about bo an gun, th second about teenage girl an teacher, an th third about
As th students ro read the stories an mistakes thev scc in anv of rhem.
to correcr any language
EXAMPLES Here are three of rhe uncorrected boy an we got from older teenage elementary students.
know joined
gu
stories
boy who liked gun. He gOt a gun when he wa fifteen. He marksmen society. He learnt to shoot with his gun. wa
a very good marksman, but he became dangerous and began to kill people.
There wa pleasant boy with his gu in sitting room. The boy wa playing alone because he had no brother or sister. Suddenly he broke vase an he wa very sad. He wa boy. He want to had gun. He go gun-shop an bought gun. After he go in th wood an shout hirds. He wa very happy to have gu now. VARIATION You can ask the students to write triple stories about other items/people than those given above, e.g.:
soldier woman
woman
woman
child
lorry
ACKNOWLEDCEMENT This idea comes from D.I. Malamud andS. Machover, Toroards S'elf Understanding, Charles C. Thomas,
Illinois, 1965.
Photos
Section
7.1
From th
past
Photos
Before class
Find a large quantity of old family photographs, preferably no featuring yourself. Try to achieve a wide timespan over the photos. Yo
will need at least one hundred for a group of 25 students.
In class
1 Pu the photos ou on a flat surface an invite the students to look through them and pick ou one photo each that brings back memory, story, or scene of their own. 2 Ask the students to move around the room and tell each other what their chosen photo evokes.
From the past
7.2
Yesterday
In class
1 Draw three scenes on the bO(1(d ill which VClll Wl'I'l' involved yesterday, The worse you draw thl' Iwttc'l.' fill" Ill· (,xl'I'cise, a your bad drawing will make the studt:nts more l'(lIl1lnrtahle when they come to draw.
2 Ask the students to make drawings illustrallng duct: moments that spring to mind from yesterday. Ask them 10 ;ldd times. 3 Pair tl1e students so they can explain tht:ir drawings. Then ask them to share with their partner aB th 'SCt'I1l:S' from yesterday that they care to recall. Explai your own scenes if ~ l s k e d .
kindred exercise is to be found on p.HS of Viola Spolin's NOTES Improvisation for the Theatre Pitman, 1964, though her aim is very different from ours. As with many pair exercises, the teacher ca choose to take part as pair member if there is an od number of students.
7.3
Time-travel mirror
It happened
me
Here'are three or four examples of the sort of things EXAMPLES people in one group drew and described.
Elena, Mexican, drew people sitting round an idyllic place outside Mexico City. She described this very happy period of he life when she was at University. Marco, from Florence, drew dramatic scene in front of th goalposts. This was the moment of his first goal for his town's professional under-18 team. This led him on to tell the story of his collar-bone injury that invalided hi
ou of football and condemned him to
bored book-keeping.
Nicole, from Geneva, drew 16th-century lady in a great hall. He dream, she explained, was to be an observer, an uncommitted person, at the court of Henri IV of France. ma fishing in the sea. He then told ~ u n e y t , from Istanbul, drew the story of how his friend taught hi to fish in the Sea of Marmara. VARIATION Another way of helping students to recall storieslinci dents from their own past is to ask the student to draw an empty boxing ring. Th students copy the ring an pu in it anybody they feel or have felt angry with. They pair off and tell the storyJincident/ feelings behind th drawings.
We got the 'empty picture' ideas from E. Kimmel, The Second Antz-colouring Book, Scholastic
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
In class
S. Striker an
1 Ask a student who likes drawing to come ou an draw a large ornate mirror frame on the board. Ask the others to copy the student's mirror onto large sheets of paper. 2 Suggest to the students that these are time-travel mirrors in which each of them can see a scene from his or her past. Ask them to draw the scene. 3 Ask the students to get up and move around. Then ask each person to find a partner, sit down again an explain the story behind the scene they have drawn. Let them re-pair several times. (The point of getting up and moving is that it allows students to choose partner they want, unobtrusively.)
Publications, London 1980.
7.4
It
happened
to me
Before class
Choose an anecdote area such as 'stupid things I've done'. Prepare an anecdote of your ow to tell the class.
If"'lr
From the past
want to tell anecdotes of their OWII. to the whole group. POSSIBLE ANECDOTE
(,('1
tlll'lll
It·llilll-'; their
stories
Display your pictllre
AREAS
allow time for th
students to look
.11
I1
111
Tell your fire story.
near accidents: in th home, on the roaJ ... fear: of things, people, places, imaginary horrors ... if only ... stories
Invite students to bring to mind fire stories of their own,
L i s t < . ' l l l · r ~ , .
Ask the listeners to tell the stories they have heard to other students.
Fire stories 7.6
Before class
Ge
In class
silence.
losing things: documents, passp< rts, h
7.5
rll
large picture of a fire or of th
results of
hre. It should be in
colour if possible. Prepare to tell a fire story of your own.
Hiding things
Before class
Prepare to tell the students story from your own experience of people hiding things. For example, my son, when he wa six, hid his Christmas presents for the family so securely that even he could no find them on December 24! In class
1 Tell your
story.
2 Ask the students to think of stories of things th;}t got hidden an to prepare to tell them. Discourage them from writing them down. Suggest they mumble their stories to themselves. Pu th students in small groups so that people wh have come up with stories can tell them. Ask the listeners to tell the stories they have l1eard to people from other groups.
7.7
Heroes and heroines
From the past
Shame
In class
1 Tell your story. 2 As th class to think of their ow
3
herolberoine stories. It is quite good idea to allow this to be done as homework, so that stu-dents have chance to get the details right. You should make it clear, however, that they should no produce written accounts. Group those who have come up with stories with those who have not. Ask students to tell their stories to the others in their group. As those wh were only listeners to tell what they have heard to people in the other groups.
EXAMPLE fo th vans
my grandfather
hour -,some would sit in their cars for 55 minutes just to get their money worth people coming from the divorce court next door would tell hi all about their marriages: he wa the first human being they me after their divorce
ACKNOWlEDGElvlE0JT
7.9
Shame
Skeleton
miner
during
strike he waited
Th
police vans to arrive - rolled rocks of bridge on to th when the strike wa over he could no find work in any pi
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Paul Davis suggested this exercise.
orchard
Boy asks father to take him to work Father refuses: work too hard Boy begs, insists
This idea came from Paul Davis.
Father agrees
They walk ou of town to orchards
7.8
Father tells boy to shout if anyone ca Climbs over wall an up tree
Stories from jobs
Prepare to tell a story involving an experience at work, either about yourself or about a close friend or relative. With urban, middle-class student groups, stOries drawn from experiences as an unskilled worker often have powerful shock value: they are surprised at the
In class
Tell your stOry. Ask the students to respond with job-related stories of their own, or of their friends or relatives.
him
Father's hand touches apple
'Someone ca 'Who?'
Before class
richness of jobs they had considered empty or mindless.
se
'God. What yo
se
you, Father'
are doing is shameful.'
(Jordanian story told to us by Lindsay Brown) In class
Tell the story. As
the students if th involved.
story called to mind any situation in which
Group students in fives to exchange stories, reactions an
ideas.
Vanishing stories
Vanishing stories the boy was , and so, reaching up he grabbed a half-open matchbox 'Got 'im" ,snapped 'God is [he boy was told , and so, reaching up matchbox he grabbed a
'God is
told
snapped 'God !'
told
he grabbed ,snapped
'Got'im!'
the boy was , and so, reaching up matchbox 'Got 'im!'
'God!'
told;
he grabbed a snapped
matchbox 'Got'im!'
'God!'
told;
he grabbed snapped
he grabbed a
boy was
the
boy was
matchbox
matchbox. was
'God
told;
the 'Got'im!'
'God!'
told;
the boy was reaching up
he grabbe d a
matchbox was
'God He grabbed a
he grabbed a
matchbox.
matchbox.
Matchbox!
checking inflectional possibilities checking syntactic possibilities listening very closely for meaning CHOICE OF S T O R Y Th story you start out with must be one sentence an no more. (It sometimes breaks into tw or more during the reduction process.) Here is an example of a traditional story compressed into one sentence;
greedy mayor an bloated aldermen refused to pay the Pied Piper the gold they ha promised him for luring th rats of HameJin into the fast-Howing river, which made him so angry that he led away the children of the city, wh vanished for ever into the Th
mounrainside. We learnt this exercise from ou exposure Silent Way, though we do not know whether this form of reduction wa invented by Caleb Gattegno, thought up by people round him or indeed incorporated in Silent Wa practice from earlier thinking by others. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
to
Music
Section
9.2
Revision
Music
In class
When a nUllIlwl Id students,
9.1
In class
When the students have done half dozen story activities over period of time, ask which stories they ca recalL Ask students each to pick one story they like an come to th next lesson ready to tell
it. class
Pair students an ask them to retell the story of their choice. Make sure they do no work with neighbour who is a habitual partner. TELL
REPEAT
In this type of revision exercise the students
are no simply repeating story they have heard or told or both. They are rejecting stories they didn'tldon't like and reworking the story of their choice. Providing they have no been asked to do written telling of stories, they have no frozen record to refer back to.
from to They ma well include mixture of plot strands, memorable sentences an their ow reaction at the time of first hearingltelling. As important
as all the above is that they tell the story to have no told this story before to different audiences.
h,lve heen worked on in class ask the of music choose story and find a Thl' musical passage, snatch of song, etc.
,.IOl'll'S
hlllJII'Work,
[0
they feel g O l ' S w i l l l 11. should not he ( H O r l ' LlLltl tw minutes long; as cassette ready ,Il lIll' start of the bit chosen,
A story you really liked
In n e x t
EOI
person to whom they
stories change
lot in telling them
them to come with
In next class
Find Ollt how m:l1lY people have done the homework. Ask on of them to play his or her piece on the class tape-recorder. He or she then tells the story to the whole group. Repeat with other students. RATIONALE Even if the student told his or her story to someone when he or she first worked with it, this second telling will be very different from th first. Th telling will be affected by the passage of time, by the recall work involved in choosing story rather than story B, by th thought entailed in choosing th music, an finally by telling the story to an audience under the influence of the music.
NOTE
This exercise ma no be feasible if the students are away collections of music.
from their ow
[A TI 0 The exercise ca be done in the anguage lab if yours has a group-work facility that allows on student to speak to three or four others an that allows them to listen to his or her machine. In th lab, a student wh has brought cassette plays his or her music to a small group and tells the accompanying story while the same is ~ o i n g on in other groups in different parts of the lab.
Revision
Section
Doodlestrip review
9.
Story pool
In class In order to encourage students to recall an heard earlier in their COurse:
rcteU stories they have
th students to think back over the stories they have heard to draw an images that come to mind.
As
an
Ask them to choose on (see 6.9).
image an
to develop it as
Invite them to show ea-ch other their strips an they reflect the story.
doodJestrip
to explain ho
In one group, student produced this strip to convey the story of th Pied Piper (see p . 1 0 l ) .
(j)
Snow The typist in th 'Snow Snow
,,," ,
happy
Everyone except him crowded to the window to se 'All yo want is to be on your own.'
But this wa no true Leaving office, he told typist sh He didn't go home He walked through th snow He went to bar, ha brandy Didn't know ho
" J'
office wa
had
to start conversation in ba
Left, walked on through snow Round corner he sa ma in th
f'r
hair on he coat
shadow, bowler ha
on head At first afraid Then sa other was all alone, like him, in th night His heart opened to stranger he told everything bottled
upforsolong
..
Told everything to s n o w m a n with bowler ha
(after Antonis Samarakis, Zitite •• ••
I
'-".,
r
Elpis)
J'
•.
NOTE Before asking the group to try this exercise, yo should have worked through one or more sessions of Doodlestrips (see 6.9).
B
The pulllover
David's gran gave him pullover with flowers on He hated it 'Lost' it parents always found it Left it in garden dog brought it in would not shrink Pu it in washing machine on 'Hot' Ou walking on
da
Found loose thread in sleeve
pulled it
Revision
Section
Doodlestrip review
9.
Story pool
In class In order to encourage students to recall an heard earlier in their COurse:
rcteU stories they have
th students to think back over the stories they have heard to draw an images that come to mind.
As
an
Ask them to choose on (see 6.9).
image an
to develop it as
Invite them to show ea-ch other their strips an they reflect the story.
doodJestrip
to explain ho
In one group, student produced this strip to convey the story of th Pied Piper (see p . 1 0 l ) .
(j)
Snow The typist in th 'Snow Snow
,,," ,
happy
Everyone except him crowded to the window to se 'All yo want is to be on your own.'
But this wa no true Leaving office, he told typist sh He didn't go home He walked through th snow He went to bar, ha brandy Didn't know ho
" J'
office wa
had
to start conversation in ba
Left, walked on through snow Round corner he sa ma in th
f'r
hair on he coat
shadow, bowler ha
on head At first afraid Then sa other was all alone, like him, in th night His heart opened to stranger he told everything bottled
upforsolong
..
Told everything to s n o w m a n with bowler ha
(after Antonis Samarakis, Zitite •• ••
I
'-".,
r
Elpis)
J'
•.
NOTE Before asking the group to try this exercise, yo should have worked through one or more sessions of Doodlestrips (see 6.9).
B
The pulllover
David's gran gave him pullover with flowers on He hated it 'Lost' it parents always found it Left it in garden dog brought it in would not shrink Pu it in washing machine on 'Hot' Ou walking on
da
Found loose thread in sleeve
pulled it
Story pool
Honour Teenager lost he job Father policeman didn't tell Left for work each morning Returned each evening Several weeks like this
Father asked for rent She stole Police investigated Father had case hushed up Then he threw he out (news item)
Th
figtree
Mukami, young, beautiful Muthoga already has four wives, many children She falls in love with him Father against match Muthoga beats wives Reluctantly father agrees
Ivar great poet of Iceland IVBI' Sailed to Norway with brother King made him court poet Ivar sent brother back with message for Asked her to wait for him
SW
otl"
Sweetheart fell in love with brother They married Ivar to Iceland
Discovered truth Back to Norway Each da more miserable King: 'Angry with someone here?' lvar: 'No' King: 'More honours?' Ivar: 'No' King: 'A woman?' 'Yes' 'Shall I send for her?' 'Married' 'Another?' 'No help' 'Then when I am free, you can talk to me of hm sadness lessens when you can talk' 'You honour me, my Lord'
(:nrom the Icelandic)
Marry Muthoga beats them - l o v e s he Other wives jealous First year fine After years Mukami still childless Husband cools s ee m to want to kill he After three years he beats her Mukami leaves house Cannot return to father Walks into b us h where dead are buried Owls, hyenas, wind howls, sky dark Comes to clearing of holy figtree belongs to god Murungu
Shelters beneath it, sleeps Dream - god's wife touches he
F
In th
cellar
Army retreat Hiding in basement very tired, no food, dark Suddenly: TICK-TACK in next cellar Again Terror Gripped machine-gun Friend with torch
TICK-TACK Tiptoed to door TICK-TACK
III
Story pool
Story pool
The donkey Two thieves see idiot leading donkey along road Decide to steal it On slips collar of donkey takes donkey's place Other takes donkey, s.ell in market After mile, idiot sees thief in donkey's collar Thief explains: Under curse fo drinking, beating mother No curse lifted mother must have forgiven money sends hi Idiot gives hi of Idiot to market to bu ne donkey Recognises old one 'Aha! Been beating your mother again! Shan't buy yo again !'
(from 1007 Nights)
Oogledeboo 'Make
penny go away, Granddad'
She tries to vClnish things again
Fails 'Pity, Granddad'
(after Will F. Jenkins, in Saturday Evening Post Reader of Fantasy an Science Fiction)
The man, th
snake, and the stone
Man lifts flat stone by road will kill ma Snake comes ou Man begs fo one chance Snake: 'We'll ask next creature we meet to decide'
Meet sheep against man One more chance
mutton
Meet horse against ma One more chance
slavery
Meet fox
Asks them to take hi back to stone Tells snake to lie where he was
He took penny, blew, it disappeared
Fox replaces stone on snake
'Again' He di 'How?' 'I say "oogledeboo" and it vanishes' She tries, it vanishes, Granddad leaves, puzzled
Fox asks payment
Next day she goes shopping with M u m m y
Fat lady in wa 'Oogledeboo' Lady vanishes Then she vanishes furniture, lift full of people, neighbour's
son Parents ca II doctors, psych iatrists, conju ro rs No effect One day Granddad comes
Go to man's house Man gives chicken in sack Says open sack away from house helping fox hi
neighbours won't like
'Go to that clump of trees, it's quiet there' Fox goes Hunters in trees Shoot fox
Matter settled An man? His turn still to come (after Idries Shah, Caravan
Dreams)
Story pool
Story
The baby
He ran with gazelle - l o n g hair like woman
Village family: 14 children very poor father places eldest daughter, 12, in service in town one less mouth to feed she works 15-hour da mistress has baby
she looks after baby while mistress works week half da of mistress discovers sacks her nowhere to go she meets pimp ...
Th
husband
Cold night Traveller crossing moor Knocked on farm door Woman by corpse candle light 'He's just died in my arms' Wept Asked traveller to watch corpse Fear Came back with young man Gave the tw men tea Young man into bedroom She to Corpse opened eyes Looked at traveller
(after
JI.M. Synge,
The Aran Islands)
pool
hair matted
on body Trapper's son saw him at water-hole f r with fear t e r s up Told father 'This ma is strongest in world my traps. Help me Father told him to go to city and get woman Trapper's son to city Brought woman to waterhole They waited there three days Then Enkidu came with gazelle Trapper's son to woman: 'show yourself naked, teach him' She did Enkidu spent seven nights with her
He went back to gazelle, they bolted, his knees gave way He came to he Sat at her feet Said 'Take me to the city' (From th
Epic of Gilgamesh)
Ophir Fifteenth-century Venice Old man, tattered, dirty, askl? to see doge Tells ho he visited fabled land of Ophir Asks doge for ship to return and bring back treasure!
Doge, Bishop question hi Tells them s ai le d round Africa Flew inland on winged horses People of Ophir traded iron fo gold Shipwreck
treasure lost
Bishop: 'Are there centaurs there?' No 'Birds of bronze with steel beaks?' No 'What trees?' Palms Bishop says man is liar
Story pool
Story /I( 11,1 I\J
horse race
IIH'
Merchant had two lazy sons They gambled, raced horses Left his fortune to one of h is s on s n o division A horse race to decide wh inherits Son whose horse reaches London Bridge last will wi Merchant died Sons began race Six months later they had gone tw An old man saw them - l a u g h e d 'You can en the race today if .. .'
wisdom of th
Tortoise decides to collect all wisdom in world
Does so Puts it in gourd and seals it up Goes to hide it up tree Puts rope round gourd, hangs it round neck Starts to climb, finds he cannot Hunter comes along 'Hang gourd on back' Tortoise realises he cannot collect al wisdom Throws gourd away
It breaks Bits fly all over world Yo
want wisdom? to find some of the bits
Go and tr
(after 'Tortoise and the wisdom of the world' in P. Gurrey) Tales an Fables, ed. P, ltayemi
Folk
IIHII'Y;1
princess
l l ' w III !Hld ()III'
II
Ihl
,1111
11
,1.111. Il
tl1 un de
11 ( l i l t ) ! "
Killl1 Wlllll downstairs, opened up O l l l ~ ,
11
princess
l)IIPPlllq we Kill[J
world
pea
[111111 1 { I , d 1'11111 I ' f , ~ ;
Know miles
th
01 1'111111'
1111,"II"
1111
Advice was?
Th
01111
an
plllH
has idea
Invited her in food, clean clothes Becl fo night s p ec i al b e d 20 mattresses, 20 featherbeds And under all: one pea
Princess to bed No wink of sleep Bed to lumpy Aha! a real princess
Prince fell in love Married Happy ever after
And the pea is in the palace still, unless someone has walked off with it
So it was
true story
(after H.C. Andersen)
Story pool
Story pool End of film
The poem Great battle
victo ry
King to poet: 'Celebrate my victory in song' year p as se s great poem King gives poet silver mirror 'Now make a greater poem' year passes - second poem is mag nificent Much shorter King gives poet golden mask 'Now third the greatest' year passes - poet whispers poem to king Single line of verse 'True poetry' King gives poet dagger of iron
Poet leaves palace King leaves palace
kills himself wandering beggar
(after J.L. Barges, The M i r r o r and the Mask)
Photographer takes pola roid of old man Hands it to him He looks, snarls, tears up photo Storms of muttering in Gaelic The son translates: 'This is a picture of an ol man'
(after Harry Towb)
S
Ants
sa family of red ants - stamped on them But I had stamped on other children walked on Looked back - ant following me
Saw where
lived
Next day ants big as people came to ou house We ran away Moved to better house
R
An old
(Deborah, aged 10) ma
West of Ireland Film location
Sea, moorland Director meets old man
wants hi
'You should see my father' Father lives in hut by sea Doesn't speak English Unbelievabllyold
Son translates
father agrees to act
to act in film
Story !JOol
Story pool
T
The magic barrel
Notes
New York student: to become rabbi Needs wife Calls matchmaker Photographs: widow, lame girl, schoolteacher Ag rees to eet teacher Disaster - he is sh Matchmaker returns
more photographs
He ha a barrel full of them, he says Student sends him away Photos left on table packet with si in colour and one in black and white Black an white photo shows girl with deep eyes, a girl who has suffered
He falls in love Goes to matchmaker's home no barrel 'Who is this girl'
and sug
"_ ions
stories coIl '('ll'd il I l l ' Story pool are intended as a supplement to the stories to Iw hlllnd ill the body of this book, an as starting point for te;H.:!ll'rS wh \vant to build up their ow storytelling repertoire. We havl', therefore, no provided lesson notes or exercise materials for them. As an example of how th stories in the pool might be nseJ, the following is offered as a suggestion: Th
Story Exercises (you will need to write your ow theme words) 2.9 3.1 (parallel with story E) 2.3 2.14 (in place at the anecdote given) 2.
B
2.
3.1 (parallel with story J) 5.3 (you will need to select your own 'content words')
bare, no furniture,
Matchmaker turns white: 'my daughter for you - dead'
7.9
an error, no
Student doesn't believe him - demands to meet he 'She disgraced us Insists - meeting under streetlamp A thin, pale girl, gaudily dressed
2.
(after Bernard Malamud, The Magic Barrel)
3.1 (parallel with story A) (you will need to construct your own 'word rose') 2.8 (e.g. tell astar as penultimate line only)
3.
F
2.10 2.
Tart?
In the shadows, her father chants prayer for the dead
(you will need to write your own theme words)
5. 2.7
I
2.2 2.13 (break at line 13) 4. (try finding your own theme sentences, e.g 'Death before dishonour')
3.1 (parallel with story C)
M
3. 6.7 (start ate.g.line 11) 2. (you will need to write your ow
2.6
2.
theme words)