1. Stories in esl class

2. Story #1
How did I make the story comprehensible?

3. “I Like Coffee”
I like coffee. But I don’t have coffee. I’m sad. I don’t have coffee. I look at Joe. Joe has coffee! I walk to Joe. I smile. I take Joe’s coffee. Now, Joe is sad. Joe doesn’t have coffee. But I’m happy. I have coffee!

4. Why use stories? Stories are interesting Stories give students input
You can make the story more comprehensible in real time (unlike recorded audio passages)
Stories can easily be simplified or made more advanced
Stories often contain very high-frequency vocabulary
Stories have a natural repetition of vocabulary
Students learn new words in context

5. How can you use stories in class?

6. Story Listening Reader’s Theater TPRS Read-Alouds Oral stories:
Using graded readers:
Read-Alouds
Whole-Class Novel Reading
Free Voluntary Reading

7. Story #2: Story Listening
Developed by Dr. Beniko Mason, an EFL teacher in Japan

8. a race

9. wins

10. Where can you find stories?
Simplify traditional fairy tales/ folktales/fables
Use graded readers
Find children’s books that could also be enjoyed by adults
Make up your own

11. Story Listening Resources
Beniko Mason’s website:
Story Listening videos for beginning-level Mandarin learners:
My videos: Qh_wdVI1E9-g

12. Other Resources
Tea with BVP podcast for language teachers:
The Power of Reading by Stephen Krashen
Stephen Krashen’s website, sdkrashen.com
“The Inescapable Case for Extensive Reading” by Rob Waring:
“Time, Texts, and Teaching in Vocabulary Acquisition” by Jeff McQuillan:
Readicide: How Schools Are Killing Reading and What You Can Do About It by Kelly Gallagher
The SSR Handbook by Janice L. Pilgreen

13. More on using novels:

14. Stories lead to meaningful discussion

15. Reading stories prompts critical thinking

16. Students learn about American culture
Geography
American customs or cultural ideas
Typical American behaviors
Ask students to reflect on characters’ actions and compare to their home culture

17. Make it easy!
Most reading experts say students should understand about 98% of the words in a text (when reading independently)

18. How I use whole-class novels
Prepare students for reading:
Introduce important vocabulary
Talk about the setting of the novel
Preview the book: look at the cover, read the summary on the back, make predictions
Read one chapter in class every day
Discuss the chapter together

19. Don’t commit readicide
Try to allow at least some student choice in book selection
Don’t over-do the comprehension checks, worksheets, or extra activities
Imagine you were reading a book you loved. How would you feel if you kept getting interrupted every few minutes to answer questions?
Readicide—a book by Kelly Gallagher

20. Free Voluntary Reading
Also called SSR, extensive reading, DEAR; allows students to have choice; low-accountability

21. Meijo University Extensive Reading Program
In Nagoya, Japan
From:

22. My library: