Telling Stories from Cut-Outs

Age: All

Level: Beginning to Low-Intermediate

Language Skills: Listening, Speaking-Listening

Participation: Group work

Materials: Individual pictures and background pictures

Procedures:

Prepare simple pictures for the settings, characters, and key items in the story. Make copies for each group. Optional: Create a larger set of pictures to use as a demonstration for the whole class.

1. Tell the story to the whole class.

2. Move the pictures to the right places as you tell the story.

3. Have each group retell the story using their pictures.

Note: you can have individual groups retell for the whole class - or - you can have all the groups retelling it for members of their group as you walk around the room observing. If you choose the second option, you can pick one group at the end of class to demonstrate the story for the whole class.

Assessment: Informal observation, post-listening test

(This activity comes from the book: Using Folktales by Eric K. Taylor which is part of the useful Cambridge Handbooks for Language Teachers)