Description
In this task, a class of English undergraduates in a course on media and communication participated in storytelling activities. The teacher used “The Moth” story slam format (https://themoth.org/stories) to have learners tell stories which “are true as remembered by the storyteller and always told live, without notes.”
The task outline is as follows:
1. Learn about The Moth story format2. Prepare a story on a chosen theme and deliver it in class (Optional: be part of the Moth jury to choose winners for grand slam in last class)
3. Record your story as you tell it in class, and upload it to share with the teacher
4. Listen to recording with individual feedback from the teacher, and consult general suggestions for improvement
5. Write a reaction to this experience, including response to feedback, in a final reflective paper.
The task sequence thus began with the analysis of videos of stories on website to identify features of the stories that serve to engage the audience, shape stories into a conflict/resolution format, and bring them to a satisfying conclusion. The class then chose three story slam themes from the website, and students signed up to tell a story on the topic assigned for class on a particular date.
Each presenter recorded their story during class with a smartphone, and uploaded the recording to their own SoundCloud account for language feedback from the teacher. A panel of three or four students in the audience volunteered to judge the stories on a given day, awarding points for respecting the conflict/resolution format, meeting a 5-minute time limit, and matching the day’s theme. Two winners from each of the three story slam class sessions told a new story on the last day of class (for extra credit).
Clips
In the second video, Lucinda gives recounts a story on the same theme:
WATER: Prepare a five-minute story involving the culprit of all wetness, WATER. Think rain, the kiddie pool, the ocean, the bathtub, a puddle, thirst, the great amoebae abode, 92% of your blood, snow when it is relaxed, laundry, your fish tank or tears. Water, water everywhere.
The main phases of her story, as shown by the chapter edited into the footage, are these:
-
SETTING THE SCENE
THE PROBLEM
A LITTLE DETAIL
MORE PROBLEMS
THE SURPRISE
EVEN BETTER
BETTER YET
THE KICKER
AND THE MORAL OF THE STORY
Details
| Pedagog | Learners using their own resources;Real-world outcome |
|---|---|
| Target Language | English |
| Technology | Mobile Phone |
| Area | Life and Culture Oral Presentation |
| Age | 17-21 |
| Level | B2 Upper Intermediate |
| Education Sector | Higher Education |