Add these tips to your “bag of tricks”

Intrinsically, most people really like to talk. That includes English learners too, though sometimes you have to literally pry the speech from their frozen lips by any means necessary. Have you tried using comedy, anecdotes, stories, and fairy tales to engage them in speaking activities? If not, consider adding these five tips to your “bag of tricks” for teaching English or a foreign language.

1. Tell an anecdote

Everyone has a personal store of humorous stories, events, or anecdotes that they are willing to tell. With students and teachers alike, many of these could even originate in the EFL classroom. Family, friends, romantic interludes, and vacation trips can also represent some of these.

2. Tell a story

In many countries there is a tradition of passing on tales, fables and history through a series of verbal sessions by “Griots”, or village storytellers. Your students may have some of these that they are willing to share before class. Why not open this option to them? There’s also no problem with using a few small, well-chosen props to aid in the storytelling exercise.

3. Narrate a fable

Not only children love stories, fairy tales and fables. Whether the origin is European, African, Latin American, or Asian, your students can try to relate a well-known or not-so-well-known story or fable that they know. If it originates from a local culture, it could also be very interesting to you and is a great way to help delve into the local or national culture.

4. Retell a fairy tale

The most popular fairy tales, in practically any country, are usually the ones you heard or learned as a child. Let your English learners try telling or retelling these fairy tales in English using their own words, idioms, expressions, and language skills to do so. You also don’t have to stick to the “original” version. A change of endings, modified characters and plot twists are welcome, thank you very much.

5. Tell a joke

Who doesn’t enjoy humor? Everyone knows a few good jokes or a prankster or two who can give you some good jokes to tell. Go to the Internet to get a lot of these. Check your local library for collections of riddles, jokes, and humorous stories that could be used to stimulate speaking practice in English class. Did you hear the…

So if you haven’t tried using comedy, anecdotes, stories, and fairy tales to engage your English learners and reluctant students in speaking activities, consider adding these five suggestions to your English or foreign language teaching “bag of tricks.” . Remember, if you have any further questions, comments, or help, just email me. I will be happy to help.