Pre-class assignments

PRESENTER: Sylvia Guinan

PRE-CLASS TASK INCLUDED BELOW the class description.
Please respond in a comment on this page and comment on your colleagues' responses.

This presentation will be about enhancing listening skills through story-telling and poetry.

PRE-CLASS TASK: Please post your answers HERE on this class page in the comments section below.

Listen to these short audio/video recordings and quizzes of stories written and narrated by international online teachers. These audios are taken from our collaborative book – ‘Natural English through story-telling’.

Extract one:

Russian Dolls (A)

Russian Dolls (B)

Extract three

How the shiny fall

Extract four

Survivor

Quiz: http://clubefl.gr/modules.php?name=quiz&op=take&mid=22751

Extract five

Get a life



1) Try to identify the accents and where the speakers come from. All will be revealed in class.

2) Write down three different ways in which you might use one or more these stories for listening comprehension and/or follow-up activities.
3) Share any opinions you may have on how listening to stories could enhance a student’s engagement with the target language. You can use the perspectives below to help you brainstorm.

a) Psychologically
b) Linguistically
c) Emotionally
d) Creatively


Notes on Stories

a)The first extract called Russian Dolls is for advanced/proficiency level and may even by challenging for non-native teachers if some words are unusual. It is taken from a longer story which means that some context is missing and you’ve got to imagine what the story may be about based on clues or context. Check it and see how you are challenged. If you are using stories in class in general, then you can always take out extracts and create listening activities.

b)The second extract is from the same story and is also very advanced. 
. It is read slowly because of the advanced level of the language and because it’s a story as opposed to a conversation.

c) The third story, ‘How the shiny fall’ is quite easy. It’s for intermediate level and is a lovely story.
d) The fourth story is called ‘survival’ and is used with images and text so that intermediate students can catch more difficult words visually but also test themselves on listening skills.

Powerpoint