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Camels and Sandstorms –the Power of Stories

Written by Robert Vance on March 20, 2008 – 3:48 am

In the distance there was a great brown wall that grew bigger with every passing moment. The wall seemed to touch the sky and there were no ends on either side. The quiet desert wind was replaced with a howling gale as the wall grew closer and closer. The nomads tried to cover themselves with blankets and baskets but there was fear in their eyes. They knew that there was no where to go. There was no where to hide…

This little excerpt is from a story that I told when I was teaching English in China a few years ago. It started out as a simple story about a boy and his camel but as the week progressed and I told it again and again, the tale took on a life of its own and the whole school became enthralled with it. It was a useful story because not only did it keep myself and the students entertained, but it also allowed me to teach some new English words in a fun manner.

Telling stories is perhaps the most effective way that I have found to hold captive your students’ interest and teach new words and phrases. Telling a story helps students to “put their thinking caps on” and directly involves them in the learning process. They will hopefully leave your class remembering the story and the new accompanying English words.

Of course, you can’t tell a story every day. The inclusion of a story in your lesson should be a treat for your students. You could even use the possibility of a story as an incentive for good behavior and participation. I have found that stories work well for all ages, even all the way up to Senior HighSchool.

If you have no interpreter in your class, consider bringing some props to help you tell the story. For example, when I told the camel story, I brought in a small wooden camel that I had purchased in India. I was also able to find some toy figures to represent the people in the story. These items helped my students to visualize what had actually happened.

Write down key words from the story before you start telling it. After you are finished with the story, ask your students questions to gauge their comprehension and review the new vocabulary words. You can also have your students ask you questions about the story as well.

What kind of story can you tell? Where can you find some good stories? I’ve always made up my own stories and added a personal flair to them. Use your imagination. You can even change the story a little bit from class to class. If you have fun with the story, then so will your students. Feel free to bring your own culture into it if appropriate.

The camel story that I told had a bittersweet ending that the entire school was talking about for days. It was a story that captured the imaginations of students and teachers alike. And it was a story that captured my imagination as well. I have used it in various other schools here and in the United States. And that’s the nice thing about stories. You can always recycle them.

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