Using Picture Stories

PICTURE STORIES IN THE CLASSROOM

LILIAN CECILIA ZAMBRANOEDGAR ALIRIO INSUASTY

UNIVERSIDAD DE CALDAS-UNIVERSIDADSURCOLOMBIANA

LANGUAGE LEARNING RESOURCES

OUTLINE1. Introduction2. Advantages and disadvantages of using

picture stories3. Finding picture stories4. What to do with a picture story5. Practical tasks to use picture stories in

different teaching settings6. Conclusions

INTRODUCTION

“A PICTURE SPEAKS A THOUSAND WORDS”

ADVANTAGES OF USING PICTURE STORIESThey are enjoyableThey are discourse-basedThey are challengingThey trigger learners’ imagination and

creativityThey provide opportunities for skill

integrationThey are a key resourceThey appeal not only to visual but also

kinesthetic learners They are not based on levelThey add pace to the class

CAVEATS OF USING PICTURE STORIES

The limited use teachers may make of picture stories by only focusing on narrative speaking or writing

On their own, pictures are a limited source of textual input.

FINDING PICTURE STORIES

Digital photosInternetMagazines and newspapersDrawingPocket picturesCommercial setsEnglish textbooksLearners

What to do with

picture stories ?

Telling stories out loud to others

Making notes and reacting to the story

Speculating and predicting the outcome

Re-arraging the picture sequence

Re-creating the pictures

Using pictures as prompts for presentations about any subject

Acting out the picture story

PRACTICAL TASKS

TO USE

PICTURE STORIES

1. PICTURE STORIES FOR CHILDREN

“THE FARMER AND THE BEET”

2. PICTURE STORIES FOR INTERMEDIATE LEARNERS

“A SPY STORY”

3. PICTURE STORIES FOR ADVANCED LEARNERS3.1. BETTY LOU3.2. THE BOY ON THE CHAIR3.3. MIDNIGHT3.4. THE BABY SITTER3.5. LOOKING IN, LOOKING OUT

BETTY LOU

THE BOY ON THE CHAIR

THE BABY SITTER

LOOKING IN, LOOKING OUT

MIDNIGHT

CONCLUSIONS

REFERENCESGoodman, Jennifer. 2008. Picture stories in the

Communicative classroom. http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/think/resources/picture_story.shtml

http://www.flickr.comMumford, Simon. 2008. Fun with pictures for

ELT. http://brasyl.co.uk/e-esh/members/teachers/pdf/tc_art_funwithpictures.pdf

Yorkey, Richard. 1979. Springboards: Interacting in English. Addison-Wesley Publishing House