So many stories to tell... so many formats they can take...
Storytelling has been present in our societies for centuries. Before the written word, people were just telling stories, passing on myths, legends, facts. Since the technology is hear to stay there has been the attempts to move the real art of storytelling to the digital world.
Now we have the access to the tools, different multimedia but is there an application of storytelling to education? Can we use it in ELT?
Storytelling has been present mainly in primary education and used for YL to help them visualise a concept or understand a situation. It has great benefits and children get engaged both in reception and production. I am a huge believer that it also works with teenagers and mature students who benefit hugely from using their imagination and creativity. That is my suggested ways of using it with adult English Learners but there are no limits to it...
Now we have the access to the tools, different multimedia but is there an application of storytelling to education? Can we use it in ELT?
Storytelling has been present mainly in primary education and used for YL to help them visualise a concept or understand a situation. It has great benefits and children get engaged both in reception and production. I am a huge believer that it also works with teenagers and mature students who benefit hugely from using their imagination and creativity. That is my suggested ways of using it with adult English Learners but there are no limits to it...
Digital Storytelling
Digital Storytelling is nothing but using technology to enhance the learners' experiences when creating or telling a story. In my ESL lessons I used different medium for creating stories but I have divided these in two:
Before getting down to making these happen for you, I think what is crucial is planning, and planning in three stages:
- Video stories with Video Making Tools
- Cartoony stories with Cartoon Making Tools
Before getting down to making these happen for you, I think what is crucial is planning, and planning in three stages:
- Storyboarding your stories - which is essentially designing it- who are the characters, what will happen, where etc. - here I will provide you with a quick storyboard template you can print out and use in your class
- Developing your story - using the educational tools available
- Presenting your story - sharing with the class, requesting feedback and comments and reflecting on the story
This section will show you two types of stories I have used in class but also give you some other tips on what to with storytelling in your class.