Speak Up Language Learners: 2021

I read stories in my language classes as often as possible. It is a great way to provide comprehensible input for novice learners. Each page is a small chunk of language with an image or illustration to aid in comprehension.

But I never just read a story to my students. I am constantly involving them in the story using questioning in the target language.

Here is how…

In this example lesson, my focus is on the seasons vocabulary. I want to repeat the seasons vocabulary as much as I can to help students acquire these new words.

I am using Nearpod to present my story (if you want to learn how to use Nearpod, get my how to guide here), but you can also do this questioning verbally while holding a storybook in your hands in front of the class.

The first page of my story presents the season with an image to illustrate. I read the page and then I start brainstorming … how can I repeat the seasons vocabulary word in a question they will understand and know how to respond to?

My students know the weather vocabulary well. I decide to ask about the weather.

I have different types of questioning I can do.

Question type 1: I can ask a yes / no question. This is a great way for students to demonstrate comprehension without having to say much in the target language. This works well if they don’t have the language ability to respond to a question where a full response is necessary.

(the microphone just let's them know they can shout out the answer)

Question Type 2: I can ask an either / or question. Often my students know an answer to a question … it is on the tip of their tongues … but they can’t quite get it out. An either / or question leads them to success! Success gives them a happy, I can do it! feeling. They will feel more comfortable in my lessons and with responding to questioning in the future when they feel successful.

Question Type 3: I can have the students respond physically to questions. They can gesture or point or hold things up to provide a response. In Nearpod I have the students circle things using a Draw it slide. They are demonstrating comprehension of the question and have more exposure to the season vocabulary word.

Question Type 4: I can ask a question which requires a full answer in the target language. I do this when I am confident the students know this vocabulary well enough to be able to provide a full response. BUT … if I see them struggle a bit and can tell it is on the tip of their tongues but they can’t quite get it out, I will switch to an either / or or yes / no question to help them out.

Ready to try out a storytelling lesson? I have a reader you can use! Grab the free Stone Soup Reader in French, Spanish & Bilingual versions here.

It is next to impossible to find stories in the target language that don't have odd vocabulary or advanced grammar structures my novice language learners will not understand.

So I write my own stories for my students!

First, start with your current focus. In my example story, my students were learning emotion vocabulary words like surprised, afraid, happy...

Next I put lists of what my students have already learned on my desk and I begin to design a story. I decided to use family vocabulary and to have different family members feeling a certain emotion.

Then I wanted to bring in previously learned vocabulary to explain why this family member felt this way.

I spent time on this part and brought in a lot of previously learned vocabulary - in part to add to the storytelling. And in part because language learners need to recycle back to previously learned vocabulary so they don't forget it!

I love to get a little silly...

Because someone in my story needed to feel surprised. My students know some farm animals and some bedroom vocabulary. Finding a cow on your bed is certainly a reason to feel surprised! And my students love the silliness!!