how to teach English through stories

One of the most effective ways to teach English is through stories. Stories engage the imagination and can help promote language development in a fun and enjoyable way.

Here are some tips on how to use stories to teach English:

1. Choose age-appropriate stories. It is important to select stories that are appropriate for the age and level of your students.

If you are teaching young learners, look for stories that are simple and easy to understand. The more illustrations a story has, the better. For older students, you can choose stories that are more complex and challenging.

2. Have your student read the story aloud. This is a great way for them to practice their pronunciation and reading skills. You can also stop at certain points in the story to ask your students questions about what they have just read. Make sure they do not guess the meanings of words they do not know – encourage them to ask you if there is anything they are unsure about.

3. A story that is good for English learners should not only contain an entertaining plot, but also helpful activities and exercises to reinforce the newly learned material. These can be things like fill-in-the-blank exercises, matching activities, or even role-play.

4. Be creative in how you use stories. There are many ways to incorporate stories into your English lessons. You can use them as a starting point for discussions, use them to introduce new grammar and vocabulary, or even have your students retell the story in their own words.

5. Make sure you have a good selection of stories to choose from. This way you can mix things up and keep your students engaged!

Avoid These Common Mistakes when Teaching English through Stories

1. Don’t choose a story that is too difficult. If your students are struggling too much to understand the story, it will only frustrate them and they may quickly lose interest.

2. Don’t just read the story yourself. It is important that your students do the majority of the reading aloud. This will give them plenty of practice with their pronunciation and reading skills.

3. Don’t let students read robotically. Encourage students to read with understanding, not just blindly following the words on the page. If they don’t understand something, encourage them to ask questions!

4. Don’t forget to review. After your students have read the story, go over any new vocabulary or grammar that was used. This will help ensure that your students make progress with their English skills.

5. Don’t neglect to provide “story homework” for your students. This means that if your students are advanced enough, they should read on their own and prepare for the next lesson, or simply progress by themselves. Studying intensively is the best way to achieve major progress!

Here are some great resources by Really Learn English for finding stories to use in your English lessons:

Happy teaching!


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