The Five 'E's of Storytelling for Teaching
Unlock the power of storytelling for TEFL teachers.
Storytelling kicks ass when you teach language students.
Stories do so much with so little. They improve students’ reading, writing and creating skills1 - and make them enjoy the process.
Master the art of teaching with stories, and not only will you keep your students hanging on every word, you'll also help them acquire vocabulary and use language meaningfully2. This is true, even for adult learners3. Stories can deliver unbelievable value.
Unfortunately, many teachers overlook them, as they think they take too much preparation, are too hard to find, or won’t be worth the effort.
Such missed opportunities!
The 5 ‘E’s of Storytelling
To harness the power of stories, let’s look at the ingredients of a good story lesson. There are five, and handily they all begin with ‘E’:
Emotion
Empathy
Energy
Engagement
Education
If we look at each of these in turn, we’ll ensure we have use stories that will engage our learners and ensure learning happens.
1. Emotion in Storytelling
The first 'E' is Emotion.
Students who feel joy, sadness, excitement, or fear through storytelling are more likely to remember both the story and the target language. Emotion in a story most often comes from conflict, so it’s essential to choose a tale rich in drama, conflict, and an unexpected twist. This emotional connection helps with language retention, as emotionally charged experiences are easier to recall than neutral ones.
Emotionally engaged students are not only better listeners, but their recall of language structures and vocabulary improves too. As a teacher, you can convey emotion through your tone, pace, and expressions, making stories more relatable and memorable.
Don’t be afraid to really ham it up, use big gestures, ‘do the voices’ and encourage students to do the same when they tell the story.
2. Empathy in Storytelling
Next comes Empathy.
Empathy acts as a bridge, connecting students not only to the story but also to each other and the wider world. By stepping into a character’s shoes, students experience different perspectives, which deepens their language learning.
TEFL teachers can embed empathy by choosing stories that reflect diverse experiences and encourage discussions about characters’ feelings and motivations.
This can turn storytelling into a powerful tool for language comprehension (and possibly personal development as the cherry on top).
3. Energy in Storytelling
Energy is the third 'E' and is all about the dynamism you bring into the classroom.
A storyteller's enthusiasm can transform a lesson from mundane to extraordinary. Varying tone, pace, and gestures adds an energetic spark to your stories, making them more exciting for students.
An energetic delivery doesn’t mean being overly dramatic all the time.
It’s about matching the energy of the story to its mood and using your presence to keep students engaged. As their energy levels rise, so does their interest and involvement in the lesson.
4. Engagement in Storytelling
Engagement is where students move from being passive listeners to active participants.
A great story prompts questions, predictions, and discussions that invite spontaneous language use. This approach helps bubble up creativity and critical thinking, which ends up with students engaging without them even realising.
Teachers can assign roles, have students act out parts of the story, or even ask them to come up with alternative endings. This interactive involvement helps with recall and just makes it more fun - for them and for you.
5. Education in Storytelling
Finally, the Education element ensures the story is pedagogically useful.
For stories to be an effective tool for language learning, they must be tailored to the right level. The concept of the 'zone of proximal development' (challenging, but manageable with support) is helpful when selecting stories.
It’s important to ensure:
The story contains examples of the target language
The challenge level is appropriate for the students
The topic is engaging
The story is the right length for the session
Pre- and post-tasks are included to maximise the learning experience (though sometimes, it’s good to let students just enjoy a story for its own sake).
Using AI for Storytelling in TEFL
Finding the perfect story can be tricky, but this is where AI can lend a hand.
AI tools can help educators generate, adapt, and personalise stories faster. Whether it's sourcing culturally relevant tales, tweaking story difficulty levels, or generating stories based on specific vocabulary or grammatical structures, AI can simplify the process.
Although I’d hesitate to use AI to write stories for older students - AI stories just aren’t as engaging (yet!) as real life ones.
Stories Engage to Educate
Incorporating stories into TEFL using the Five 'E's—Emotion, Empathy, Energy, Engagement, and Education—can massively improve your teaching.
By blending storytelling with AI, you can prepare more efficiently and ensure your lessons are both engaging and educational.
The goal is not just to teach language, but to inspire, engage, and educate through the power of stories.
Good luck and have fun with your stories!
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References
Nassim, S. (2018). DIGITAL STORYTELLING: AN ACTIVE LEARNING TOOL FOR IMPROVING STUDENTS’ LANGUAGE SKILLS. PUPIL: International Journal of Teaching, Education and Learning. https://doi.org/10.20319/PIJTEL.2018.21.1427.
Kirsch, C., 2016. Using storytelling to teach vocabulary in language lessons: does it work?. The Language Learning Journal, 44, pp. 33 - 51. https://doi.org/10.1080/09571736.2012.733404.
Tsou, W., 2012. The Effects of Storytelling on Adult English Learning. , 36, pp. 1-34. https://doi.org/10.6330/ETL.2012.36.2.01.
I love this! Yes, stories are a fantastic way to teach students.