2. Definition of short stories
Modern short stories came into existence between 1830 and 1850 from tales and sketches. In the 19th century short stories flourished in the America, whereas in short stories Britain played a second role to the dominant novel . In the 20th century short stories were very modern, they were a reaction against the Victorian Age, where the world was a place of certainties. Short stories tried to negate these principles by reflecting changes, that were happening in the world. A new interest in psychology rose, rather than paying attention to form or style. The metaphor and symbols had a greater prominence and ambiguity became the norm especially with the loss of the all- seing, all knowing narrative voice. It is typical for the 20th century that the things left out are just as important as information put in.
A short story is a work of fiction which varies in length and has not yet a clear distinction amongst professional writers, it is usually written in prose and narrative format.
At a glance
- Applies 12 creative reading procedures developed by Engelbert Thaler
- Analyzes classroom teaching methods using Kate Chopin's short story Désirée's Baby
- Includes seven text excerpts from Désirée's Baby designed for freeze-frame activities
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Definition of short stories
3. Characteristics of short stories
4. Meaning of short stories for language teaching
5. Different phases of working with short stories
6. Creative handling of short stories
7. Concrete example of a short story in language teaching- Désirée´s Baby
7.1. Pre- reading activities
7.2. While- reading activities
7.3. Post- reading activities
8. Summary
Objectives & Topics
This work examines the pedagogical relevance and didactic application of short stories in English foreign language teaching. It addresses how authentic literary texts foster motivation, communicative competencies, and cultural awareness among secondary students, while providing concrete lesson frameworks across pre-, while-, and post-reading instructional phases exemplified through Kate Chopin's classic story 'Désirée's Baby'.
- Historical origins, narrative characteristics, and didactic values of short stories
- Methodological frameworks for pre-reading, while-reading, and post-reading phases
- Creative text-handling procedures following Engelbert Thaler's method guide
- Lesson planning using Kate Chopin's short story 'Désirée's Baby'
- Drama-based techniques including freeze frames and radio play adaptations
Excerpt from the Book
6. Creative handling of short stories
In the following I will give an example from Engelbert Thaler of how to work with short stories described in the Method guide (Schöningh, 2009). The aims here would be the introduction of the genre of short stories, skill of procedures and the ability to handle it linguistically. He proposes to start in year 7 and to use one hour for one short story. The students can either work alone, with a partner or in groups. In the course of the action Thaler describes 12 different procedures and the corresponding technique. As for a short story one possible procedure is the Expansion, that means that students would have to add certain words, one or more sentences or add comments within the text. They could also do a Reduction that means they would remove specified terms, sentences, clauses or part of sentences furthermore there is the possibility to turn the short story into a telegraphese. The Media transfer could be fun for young students as they could transform it visually with a picture for example or they could make it a poem or even a radio play if the means of technique would be available for them. Also another interesting thing to do is the Matching of the text, let it be with a title, another text or a visual representation. The fifth possibility of dealing with a short story is the Selection/ Ranking- that means that students have to choose the best text for a certain purpose or the closest text to the original. Furthermore Thaler describes the procedure of Comparison/ Contrast which would be the identifying of words, ideas, devices that are common to both texts or the identifying of items that are present in one text only. By Reconstruction students reorder jumbled words, lines, sentences or whole paragraphs or fill in gaps.
Chapter Summary
1. Introduction: Outlines the importance of integrating literature into English language teaching and introduces the structure of the paper.
2. Definition of short stories: Traces the historical emergence of modern short stories from the 19th to the 20th century and defines their prose format.
3. Characteristics of short stories: Details structural elements including point of view, plotting styles, ellipsis, framing devices, and typical narrative twists.
4. Meaning of short stories for language teaching: Explores psychological and psycholinguistic benefits of authentic texts and discusses challenges like vocabulary difficulty.
5. Different phases of working with short stories: Outlines the pedagogical tripartite model consisting of pre-reading, while-reading, and post-reading instructional phases.
6. Creative handling of short stories: Introduces twelve creative methodology procedures developed by Engelbert Thaler alongside drama-oriented and communicative tasks.
7. Concrete example of a short story in language teaching- Désirée´s Baby: Applies didactic concepts to Kate Chopin's story, presenting specific pre-reading tasks, guided comprehension questions, and drama methods like freeze frames.
8. Summary: Recapitulates the essential didactic and developmental benefits of using short stories to boost student autonomy and motivation.
Keywords
Short stories, English language teaching, didactic methods, literature pedagogy, pre-reading activities, while-reading activities, post-reading activities, Engelbert Thaler, Désirée's Baby, Kate Chopin, freeze frame, EFL classroom
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the main subject of this work?
The work investigates how short stories can be effectively integrated into English language teaching to enhance learners' linguistic competence and literary appreciation.
What are the central thematic areas covered?
Central themes include literary genre characteristics, psychological and linguistic benefits of literature in EFL, the three-phase reading model, and creative methods for classroom teaching.
What is the primary objective of the paper?
The objective is to present a theoretical basis for teaching literature and demonstrate practical, engaging teaching concepts using a concrete literary example.
Which academic method or didactic approach is used?
The paper relies on a didactic literature review applying teaching methodology frameworks from EFL researchers like Klippel, Doff, Hill, and Engelbert Thaler.
What is discussed in the main practical section?
The practical section presents concrete exercises for Kate Chopin's short story 'Désirée's Baby' divided into pre-reading, while-reading, and post-reading tasks.
Which keywords characterize the work?
Key terms include short stories, English didactic methods, pre-reading, while-reading, post-reading, freeze frames, and literary analysis.
How does the author propose using freeze frames in class?
The author suggests using freeze frames as a post-reading activity where students physically act out key dramatic scenes non-verbally to foster empathy, interpretation, and discussion.
What 12 procedures by Engelbert Thaler are introduced?
The paper introduces expansion, reduction, media transfer, matching, selection/ranking, comparison/contrast, reconstruction, reformulation, interpretation, creating texts, analysis, and project work.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Maxi Kramer (Autor:in), 2008, Short Story im Englischunterricht , München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/152707
