Telling Stories

When

When I was nine, I lived in a small apartment near my school. It was the start of summer, and the days were very long. One morning, I woke up early because I was excited.

Where

It happened in the park next to my street. There were big trees, a small pond, and a place to buy ice cream. My best friend and I went there with our bikes.

What happened?

We rode our bikes fast and laughed a lot. Then my friend saw a lost dog near the pond. The dog looked scared and hungry. We didn’t know what to do, so we asked an older woman for help. She called the number on the dog’s collar, and we waited with the dog. After ten minutes, a man arrived and said, “Thank you!” He was very happy.

End of story

In the end, the dog went home safely, and we felt proud. After that, the man bought us an ice cream. I still remember that day because we helped someone, and it was a simple but great moment.

Quick speaking frame (on the board):

When: When I was ___ / It was ___ (summer/winter) / One day…
Where: It happened in/on/at ___ / I was with ___
What happened?: First… Then… After that… Finally…
End of story: In the end… / I felt… because… / I remember it because…

Let’s tell a story! Follow the frame to tell your own story about an adventure you had in the past. While your partner is telling the story, write questions for him / her.

Heading / Purpose	Easy question frame (students copy)	Example questions (A2)
WHEN (time)	When did it happen?	When did it happen? / How old were you? / Was it in summer or winter? / Was it on a weekend?
	How old were you?	How old were you when it happened?
	Was it…?	Was it in the morning or in the afternoon?
WHERE (place)	Where did it happen?	Where did it happen? / Where exactly were you? / Was it at home, at school, or outside?
	Were you in/on/at…?	Were you in a park? / Were you at school? / Were you on a street?
	Who were you with?	Who were you with? / Were you with family or friends?
WHAT HAPPENED (events)	What happened first?	What happened first? / What did you do first?
	Then what happened?	Then what happened? / What happened next? / After that, what did you do?
	Did you…?	Did you feel scared? / Did you call someone? / Did you lose something?
	Why did you…?	Why did you go there? / Why did you decide to do that?
FEELINGS (detail)	How did you feel?	How did you feel at the start? / How did you feel in the end? / Were you happy, nervous, or surprised?
	What did you think?	What did you think at that moment?
END OF STORY (result)	What happened in the end?	What happened in the end? / Was everything OK in the end?
	Did you learn something?	Did you learn something from it? / What did you learn? (optional stretch)
	Do you remember it because…?	Do you remember it because it was funny/special/scary?
FOLLOW-UP (keep them talking)	Tell me more about…	Tell me more about the place. / Tell me more about the person.
	Can you describe…?	Can you describe the dog/person/place? / What did it look like?