Storytelling ESL Lesson Plan

OBJECTIVE & OVERVIEW

This storytelling ESL lesson plan provides activities, worksheets, and digital materials for upper intermediate B2 students. By the end of this lesson, students will learn the components of powerful storytelling and be able to use a few effective storytelling techniques. Students will also be able to tell a story of their choice using these techniques. This is also a great lesson choice for World Storytelling Day, which takes place on March 20 every year.

PREVIEW & DISCUSSION

This ESL lesson plan on storytelling starts out by students reading a short story from a business consultant. They answer some questions about the story. They’ll talk about whether the story is engaging or not and how to “spice it up”. Then, they discuss a few general questions about storytelling. Finally, students read a list of 4 storytelling techniques and they decide whether they agree or disagree with these techniques. They are also encouraged to add a few of their own storytelling tips to the list.

VIEWING ACTIVITY

Students watch a video of tips and techniques for powerful storytelling. In the video, a man named Philipp explores some ideas you can implement to take your storytelling to the next level. These include jumping right into the action, showing (not telling), and using dialogue. In the activities, students choose which suggestions match the three techniques he offers in the video. They also answer some questions about the preview phase of the lesson. Students also summarize the examples Philipp uses to illustrate each technique.

DISCUSSION & DESCRIPTIVE LANGUAGE

In the section following the video, students reflect on the techniques that Philipp offered in the video.

The second part of this section, there are some sentences provided. Students must match each sentence to its more visual and descriptive sentence. Then, students read a short story provided, and they must rewrite it using more visual and descriptive language. This is designed to prepare students for the final storytelling activation as described below.

SPICE UP YOUR STORYTELLING!

This communicative activation is designed to give students the chance to enhance their storytelling skills. They get to use the three key techniques provided in the video. First, they choose a topic such as a career milestone, personal achievement, or another memorable experience. Next, they prepare notes, ensuring they incorporate action, descriptive language, and dialogue. Then, they deliver their story to an audience (their classmates/teacher) who provides feedback based on specific criteria. Finally, students reflect on using the techniques and identify areas for improvement. This activity offers a structured approach to improving storytelling abilities in a straightforward way.

BENEFITS OF USING THIS STORYTELLING ESL LESSON PLAN

Practical Skills: The lesson plan provides structured activities and techniques to help students improve a practical skill. Storytelling abilities are useful in multiple areas of life, whether it's professional or personal.

Engaging Topic: The topic of storytelling is generally an interesting topic for students. Storytelling is a powerful tool to be able to persuade an audience, evoke emotions, and convey complex ideas in a compelling and relatable manner.

Descriptive Language Skills: The activities focus on using descriptive language effectively, helping students expand their vocabulary and express themselves more vividly.

Promotes Creativity: Students have the opportunity to apply storytelling techniques to their own stories. This allows them to be able to express themselves creatively and in a personal way.