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Storytelling

Asking quest|pns

TIME    20 minutes

LANGIJAGE

PREPARATION

IN CLASS

In a clarK, dark town

|n ą dark, dark lawn There is a hark, dark r°ad.

And id the dark, dark, road There is a dark, darklwuse.

And in |he dark, dark house There is ą dark, dark door.

Go in itre door.

There are suma dark, dark siairs. Cp up and «p and up and up And up and up and up THf dark, dark siairs.

Nnw ■..

There is a dark, dark ruam-Go in the dark, dark room.

In the dark, dark room There is a dark, dark cupboard-Open ihp dark, dark ęupbuard. What is there?

FOLLOW-UP

COMMENTS

Questions; orał fluency

1 You need to choose a story which you don’t mind being interrupted! It should be a short story. Here are some stories włńch I have used: ‘In a dark, dark town’ (3.2, page 77);

‘Father, son, and donkey’ (3.5, page 88); ‘Ghosts’ (6.8, page 196); ‘The donkey and the little dog’ (6.4, page 193); ‘The fox and the crow’ (6.7, page 195); ‘The boy who cried wolf (6.6, page 194); ‘The travellers and the bear’ (6.16, page 204).

1    Tell the children the story. Then comment that it is a very short story and invite the children to ask you ąuestions about it.

2    Tell them that you are going to play a gamę with them. Say you are going to tell the story again in less than five minutes, and they must try to stop you from finishing the stoty by asking quesiions.

3    Help the ciass to think of all the different kinds of ąuestions they can ask in order to find out morę information. Write some examples on the board. Here are some ąuestions which could be asked about ‘In a dark, dark town’ (3.2):

Is it very dark?

Can you see the houses?

What limę is it?

Is it raining?

What day is it?

Where is this town?

What is the name the town?

Is it a big town?

Are there trees in the road?

Are there any cars?

Is it a big road?

Who Iives in the house?

How old is he or she?

What are his or her hobbies?

What colour is the front door?

4    Tell the story, pausing at the end of each linę to give the children a chance to cali out a ąuestion. Encourage shy and less fluent children to ask ąuestions. Give the impression that you are desperate to tell the story so try to give short answers.

The class win if they can prevent you from completing the story in five minutes.

With higher-level classes try this gaine on another occasion, without helping the children to prepare ąuestions beforehand.

This activity reąuires the children to think ąuickly and be willing to cali out their ąuestions. It is not easy but nevertheless gives an opportunity for the children to develop their willingness to ‘have a go’.

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)    i    V-/

Tliis is uu African story about

THE LION AND THE JACKALS.

-iS

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Every day (lic Lion chased (Iie Jackals. Every day tliey ran away. Every day the Lion roared :

'Tomorrow Eli cateh you !'

We are getting ohler and slower. Maybe tomorrow we II be the Lion s diuner , said the first Jackal sadly. The secoiul Jachal answered:' Oli,no ! We must trick the Lion !'.

The next day the Jackals knocked at the Lion's den. The Lion was very surprised. Tlinmm.why areiEt you running away ? Are you not afraid that I niiglit eat you?'

'Oh,yes,we are afraid of you, but we are morę afraid of the other Lion in the well. He is bigger and stronger tlian you', cried the Jackals.'Higger tlian me? Stronger tlian me? Take me to him ! I ain the king here!' ,roarcd the Lion.

The Lion looked in the well and Iie saw a big.strong Lion looking back at him. The I.ioii roared loudly. The other l.iou roareil hack just as loudiy.

I 11 show you who is the king lierel', roared the Lion and jumped into the well. There was a big splash and that was the end of the Lion.

The Jackals laughed : He was the biggest and strongest animal in the forest. Hut we are the cleverest! . Ute Jackals grew old together. They ran morę slowly,but it didu t matter.