3. THE SMALL TOWN
PHOTOGRAPHER
http://englishconversations.org/interactive-stories
What is an interactive story?
An interactive story is a guided short story in text
form, with questions. It is a speaking acivity, with
students working in pairs. The storyteller has a
handout of the story and reads it stopping to ask
the listener questions. The storyteller continues
when happy with the responses.
Mark White
6. TREASURE
ISLAND
-You have followed the old
man’s instructions and have
at last found the secret
island.
-You have a map and know
where the treasure is
hidden…or so you think.
-You and your new friends
have one last chance to find
it.
7. WHO ARE
YOU?
-What is your name?
-Where are you from?
-What do you do?
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - -
And most importantly…
…what do you secretly want?
At any point during the game,
you can reveal your hidden
secret and try to accomplish
it. If you do not do this during
the game, then it will happen
at the end of the game.
9. CHALLENGE
S
The game will consist of 6
turns.
During the first 5 turns,
there will be a challenge to
overcome.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - -
Each character needs to
write a challenge (do not tell
the others)
Example challenges:
10. SUCCESS
During each of the 5 turns,
we will randomly select a
challenge.
Each turn a different
character will decide what to
do to try to overcome a
challenge
We will select a chip from a
bag to see if you are
successful or not.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - -
11. CHALLENGE
1
Set the scene
Describe the challenge
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - -
How will you overcome the
challenge?
Chances left = 10
12. CHALLENGE
2
Set the scene
Describe the challenge
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - -
How will you overcome the
challenge?
Chances left = 10
13. CHALLENGE
3
Set the scene
Describe the challenge
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - -
How will you overcome the
challenge?
Chances left = 10
14. CHALLENGE
4
Set the scene
Describe the challenge
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - -
How will you overcome the
challenge?
Chances left = 10
15. CHALLENGE
5
Set the scene
Describe the challenge
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - -
How will you overcome the
challenge?
This is the final challenge and
your chance to get the
treasure!
Chances left = 10
16. PERSONAL
CHALLENGE
S
Now it’s time to reveal your
hidden wants and see you
have been able get what you
wanted if you haven’t
already revealed them
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - -
17. INTERACTIVE
STORYTELLIN
G GAMES
Similar to role-playing games (RPG)
Interactive story-telling games
+ co-created, more open-ended stories
+ random events and outcomes
+ facilitated by a Games Master (GM)
+ longer activities (several classes)
Example storytelling games
• Escape the dinner party
• Get the treasure and escape!
• A fortnight in the valley
RPG in ELT
Interactive storytelling games can be played in the classroom or online and are a great way to motivate language learners to speak and listen. They can also be easily adapted by the teacher to most levels. During this webinar, I will use the game 'Get the treasure and escape the island!' with some volunteers to illustrate how it works and then discuss how teachers can best approach designing their own game for their learners.
Procedure: We will play the game for 20 minutes or so (will need 4-5 volunteers to play, prepared to speak) and then I will stop and discuss the design of the game and how teachers can do something similar.
Graham Stanley works for the British Council in Mexico City. He is the editor of 'Remote Teaching' (British Council, 2019), the author of 'Language Learning & Technology' (CUP, 2013) and the co-author of 'Digital Play: Computer games and language aims'.
A TiLT Webinar given on July 14th 2020
http://www.all-london.org.uk/site/index.php/webinars/
This presentation has the following parts to it. First, I’ll be looking at storytelling in general.
Then we’ll look at interactive stories, the techniques and an example story, followed by ideas if you want to write your own
Finally, we’ll look at role-playing games in general and then at a couple of examples of interactive storytelling games that use similar techniques to encourage student to speak.
I first came across the concept of interactve storytelling years ago, when I was introduced to it by an English teacher based in Japan, called Mark White. Mark has lots of example stories and recordings of students telling his stories on his website.
I immediately liked the idea and decided to write one of my own to try out with my own students.
Read the story to the learners as an introduction to the game.
Ask the learners to work in pairs/groups (or on their own if there are 3-5 of them) to decide on the following for their character:
Name; Origin; Profession (job)
And…
Their ‘secret want’ i.e. what is it they want that the other characters do not know? This might be to keep the treasure for themselves, or they may be a government agent who wants to arrest the others, or anything else the learners can think of.
A player can decide during a turn to reveal the secret and try to succeeed. If they do this, draw a counter to see if it succeeds (green) or not (red).
If the players do not reveal their secrets during the game, then they will be revealed at the end and their success will be shown through drawing counters.
Ask the learners to think of three things that are going to make finding the treasure difficult.
e.g.
a) The treasure is is an abandoned tmeple in the middle of a jungle.
b) A storm is coming and you only have a few days to find it.
c) There are other treasure hunters who are also going to the island looking for the treasure.
Ask each of the pairs/groups of learners to write a challenge (and keep it secret)
If you only have three characters/learners, then the teacher should write 2 more challenges.
You can use the examples above or come up with your own.
Tell the learners that there will be 5 turns and each turn will present a different challenge (those the learners have written).
Before each turn, a character will volunteer to decide how to overcome. Then the challenge will be randomly selected and that character (i.e. the learners in that pair/group) must decide what to do to overome the challenge. The teacher or a learner will then draw a chip from the bag to see if they were successful or not. Once a chip has been taken from the bag, do not put it back in again.
If the action is unsuccessful, there are consequences. A different character can try to overcome the challenge with a different action, but during the game the player have a total of 10 chances (2 per challenge). They can use any number of chances to overcome a challenge, but once their ten chances are used, they will be automatically unsuccessful overcoming a challenge. i.e. If they have used up their final chance on challenge number 4, then this means they lose the game because they have no chance of being successful when presented with challenge number 5.
Select a player (either randomly, the teacher selects, or a volunteer).
Encourage the learner to describe the challenge in as much detail as posible, to set the scene.
A learner volunteers and describes how the group overcome the challenge…they say what they attempt to do. This uses 1 chance (máximum of 10)
The teacher (or the student) draws a token from the bag – if it is green, then the attempt was successful. If red, then the attempt was unsuccessful. The teacher describes what happens.
If successful, the game moves on. If unsuccessful, another learner can volunteer another idea to overcome the challenge. Again, a token/counter is drawn and this decides whether the attempt was successful or unsuccessful.
There is no limit as to how many times the learners can try to overcome a challenge, but there is a limit to the number of chances they have during the whole game (all 5 chances) – if they run out of chances, then they will not find the treasure.
Select a player (either randomly, the teacher selects, or a volunteer).
Encourage the learner to describe the challenge in as much detail as posible, to set the scene.
A learner volunteers and describes how the group overcome the challenge…they say what they attempt to do. This uses 1 chance (máximum of 10)
The teacher (or the student) draws a token from the bag – if it is green, then the attempt was successful. If red, then the attempt was unsuccessful. The teacher describes what happens.
If successful, the game moves on. If unsuccessful, another learner can volunteer another idea to overcome the challenge. Again, a token/counter is drawn and this decides whether the attempt was successful or unsuccessful.
There is no limit as to how many times the learners can try to overcome a challenge, but there is a limit to the number of chances they have during the whole game (all 5 chances) – if they run out of chances, then they will not find the treasure.
Select a player (either randomly, the teacher selects, or a volunteer).
Encourage the learner to describe the challenge in as much detail as posible, to set the scene.
A learner volunteers and describes how the group overcome the challenge…they say what they attempt to do. This uses 1 chance (máximum of 10)
The teacher (or the student) draws a token from the bag – if it is green, then the attempt was successful. If red, then the attempt was unsuccessful. The teacher describes what happens.
If successful, the game moves on. If unsuccessful, another learner can volunteer another idea to overcome the challenge. Again, a token/counter is drawn and this decides whether the attempt was successful or unsuccessful.
There is no limit as to how many times the learners can try to overcome a challenge, but there is a limit to the number of chances they have during the whole game (all 5 chances) – if they run out of chances, then they will not find the treasure.
Select a player (either randomly, the teacher selects, or a volunteer).
Encourage the learner to describe the challenge in as much detail as posible, to set the scene.
A learner volunteers and describes how the group overcome the challenge…they say what they attempt to do. This uses 1 chance (máximum of 10)
The teacher (or the student) draws a token from the bag – if it is green, then the attempt was successful. If red, then the attempt was unsuccessful. The teacher describes what happens.
If successful, the game moves on. If unsuccessful, another learner can volunteer another idea to overcome the challenge. Again, a token/counter is drawn and this decides whether the attempt was successful or unsuccessful.
There is no limit as to how many times the learners can try to overcome a challenge, but there is a limit to the number of chances they have during the whole game (all 5 chances) – if they run out of chances, then they will not find the treasure.
The final challenge happens when the players reach the treasure
Select a player (either randomly, the teacher selects, or a volunteer).
Encourage the learner to describe the challenge in as much detail as posible, to set the scene.
A learner volunteers and describes how the group overcome the challenge…they say what they attempt to do. This uses 1 chance (máximum of 10)
The teacher (or the student) draws a token from the bag – if it is green, then the attempt was successful. If red, then the attempt was unsuccessful. The teacher describes what happens.
If successful, the game moves on. If unsuccessful, another learner can volunteer another idea to overcome the challenge. Again, a token/counter is drawn and this decides whether the attempt was successful or unsuccessful.
There is no limit as to how many times the learners can try to overcome a challenge, but there is a limit to the number of chances they have during the whole game (all 5 chances) – if they run out of chances, then they will not find the treasure.
If there are players who haven’t yet revealed their hidden wants, then now is the time.
Ask for volunteers and then check to see if the player hs been able to succeed by drawing a counter. If it is green, then the player was successfu. If red, then the player didn’t get what they wanted. In each case, the teacher should elaborate on the story, and the player can add details as they wish.
This happens whether the players find the trasure or not.
This is the end of the game.