 Welcome back everyone! So, last week we talked about the three steps for teaching reading and how this revolves around a good story. We gave you six tips on how to write a good story. This week we are going to focus on how to tell your story. So you might be wondering, why is it important for you to learn how to tell your story? You may be thinking that all you have to do is read your story aloud, add in some intonation, some stress, and some pauses here and there, and that you'll be fine. But do you realize that storytelling is actually a skill you need in everyday life? For example, when there are hundreds of applicants for the same job, it all comes down to how well you can tell your story. Storytelling is a skill that can help you stand out. So, in order to better learn the art of storytelling, take a look at some of these example clips. Good storytelling is like good cooking. Preparation is of course the key, but to make sure your dish bursts with flavor, you have to add in the right ingredients. We will show you several clips to help you understand what preparation means in storytelling and what ingredients you can add to spice up your storytelling. Let's start by comparing two openings. So, in this opening, the storyteller introduced the title and the author of the story. A very standard and very safe choice. However, in the preparation stage of your storytelling, always remember that it's a story, not a lecture. Your goal is not to inform and read the story out loud, but to draw the audience in. How can you do that? Well, always start your preparation by thinking about your audience. They are primary school students with very limited English. So, in this case, do you think they know the word grump? Do they know that Mr. Grump is actually the main character? Does telling them the name of the author help them make sense of the story? So, preparation in storytelling means that you have to plan an opening that helps your audience make sense of the story and sparks their interest. Do not assume that they will understand and never assume that they will be naturally interested. Here's an opening where the storyteller tries to prepare and engage your audience. Let's take a look. G-R-U-M-P Grump. Follow me. Grump. One more time. Grump. Grump. So, what does grump mean? Grump is angry. Angry. So, angry. How do you think she spent so much time teaching the word grump? Let's continue watching and you'll understand. Today, I want to read you this story. Look at him. Is he happy? No, he is angry. Angry. So, he is Mr. Grump. Yes, Mr. Grump. Follow me. Mr. Grump. Mr. Grump. By teaching the word grump, she is giving her audience primary school children with very weak English, the necessary background to understand the story, and more importantly, to get to know the main character. So, when you prepare for your storytelling, remember to first plan what you need to introduce and how you will introduce it. Remember, you are not delivering a lecture. Okay, moving on. Do you still remember the analogy of storytelling and cooking? After understanding what you should include in the preparation stage, we can now move on to identifying the ingredients needed in order to add flavor to your storytelling. So again, let's compare two examples. Who growled at the post lady? Mr. Grump. Mr. Grump. Mr. Grump. Grump. Grump. Who growled at the muke man? Mr. Grump. Mr. Grump. Mr. Grump. Grump. Grump. When you tell a story, how you use your voice is what determines whether or not your storytelling is flavorful. As you just saw, there was a lack of intonation, stress, pauses, and therefore the flavor was a bit bland. So how can you use your vocal variety to add more flavor? Let's watch another example. Now, listen to me. Mr. Grump. Who growled at the post lady? She is the post lady. Who Mr. Grump. Mr. Grump. Mr. Grump. Grump. Grump. Who growled at the post lady? Mr. Grump. Follow me. Mr. Grump. Mr. Grump. Mr. Grump. Grump. Grump. I think we can all agree that she had a greater vocal variety. In other words, her storytelling had more flavor. How can you tell a story like that? We have two tips for you. Tip number one. Color and model your words. Let's start with the basics. Let's see how we can add flavor to words. How would you present these words on screen? Now let's take a look at how the two storytellers color and model these words. Delicious. Disgusting. Love. As you can see, coloring and modeling words require so much more than just vocal variety. How you strategically use your gestures to convey meaning also spices up your storytelling. Don't be afraid to be dramatic. Children love it. Aside from coloring and modeling words, we have another tip for you to make your storytelling more flavorful. Tip number two. Connect with your audience. Do you still remember how storyteller two introduced the word grump in the beginning? She asked students to guess the meaning first. Then she explained the word using an emoji everyone understands. Then came the pronunciation. She also asked the students whether or not the character looked happy or angry, which led to the introduction of the main character, Mr Grump. Yes, she even paused to invite students to respond. If you were her students, wouldn't you feel more engaged? In the beginning of this video, we talked about how preparation is key. Establishing a connection with your audience does not come naturally. It takes strategic planning. So, by now we hope you understand the difference between reading aloud and storytelling. Remember, when you walk into your classroom, you become a promoter of English. So, when you read your story to your students, your goal is to help them enjoy your lesson and to enjoy learning. To consolidate, we have a professional storyteller, Roger, to show you how our tips work in a real classroom. After watching the clip, select a story and start rehearsing. Be prepared to tell the story in class. Also remember the assessment, which requires you to submit a storytelling video. So, start finalizing your story and start rehearsing. It's time to get started. See you in class. Bye.