Copy of Language-Activities-for-Teenagers-63

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This activity is important preparation for other storytelling activities (e.g.
3.9, 3.17, 5.8, 5.9). 
Preparation
1 Type out a text in a way that indicates where someone who is reading out
loud would pause if reading deliberately and dramatically. (See the
example on p. 114.) One way of doing this is to start a new line wherever
one might pause for breath or for dramatic effect. In principle almost any
kind of text will do. The example is a simplified news-in-brief article.
2 Prepare a class set of photocopies (or dictate the text, or display it on the
board or via OHP).
Procedure
1 On the board, write a few brief pre-questions (or dictate them): When?,
Where?, Who did what?, etc.
2 Read the text out deliberately and dramatically. Be sure to pause
distinctly at the end of each line. 
3 Elicit answers to the questions you posed. 
4 Ask if anyone remembers anything else about the story.
5 Hand out (or display) the text and allow time for reading.
6 Ask everyone to put one loop around each of the sentences and to mark
every punctuation mark in some manner (e.g. with a highlighter pen or
a little pencilled circle). 
7 Tell them: 
• Make a long pause at the end of each line.
• Make a very long pause at each comma or dash.
• Change your voice at each quotation mark.
• Make a very, very, very long pause at the end of each sentence.
8 Lead choral, and a bit of individual, repetition of bits you think may
pose pronunciation problems. Also, ask if anyone would like to practise
any other parts of the text.
9 Explain how to read sub-vocally: that is, a person reads the text, thinks
it, moves their tongue and lips (and may even gesture), but does not
make a sound. 
10 Tell everyone to read the text sub-vocally once.
11 Tell them to number their loops. (In the example on p. 114, that would
be 1, 2, 3, 4.) Add that they are going to read the story out around the
class again and again until everyone has read exactly one sentence.
Make sure everyone knows what order he or she is supposed to go in.
Language Activities for Teenagers
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12 Start the sequential reading. Interrupt and give guidance whenever
someone has not paused long enough. 
13 Ask the class to pair up (or form threes) and read out alternate
sentences, with pauses. Ask them to do this two or three times with a
different student beginning the story each time. Circulate and give
students feedback, especially about use of pausing and other dramatic
techniques such as changing voice at quotation marks.
Tip
Step 13 is more interesting if the text is somewhat longer than the example
given here.
Variations
• Before the main sequence, elicit thoughts about the characteristics of a
great storyteller and write them on the board (and/or nominate a couple
of students – one of your friendship pairs (see p. 22) perhaps – to
represent these thoughts on a poster that can be stuck up on a wall). One
way of generating contributions is to show a short film excerpt in which a
good actor tells an anecdote well. Here are a few things that might come
up: expressive use of the face and hands, changing the voice and stance
for different characters, variation in speed with lots of dramatic pauses,
considerable variation in pitch, involving the listener by making eye
contact and asking questions, good use of visual aids and props. Then say
that they are going to practise some of these skills.
• Arrange the lyrics of a song in the way shown on p. 114. After working
with the text as described above, play the song. Afterwards, ask
everyone to hide their lyrics and to call out all the phrases they can
remember. (Perhaps give them a couple of minutes first to write some
down.)
• Use a text which is at the level of your least proficient students (though
they should be at lower-elementary level at least). Even with a relatively
easy text, higher-level students generally find sufficient challenge in trying
to improve their ability to read dramatically. 
Mainly reading
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