Tell your story
In this lesson, we'll practice using stories and anecdotes.
Answer the following question. Try to include a very short story:
Do you think your company allows you to have good work-life balance?
This lesson focuses on giving an anecdote. It's aimed at Part 1: Interview. It's based on Speaking Test Strategies 12 Vivid examples and anecdotes.
Start with a discussion about whether the student thinks there is good work-life balance at their company. If they seem to clam up, share your own opinions about TEF, or another company you've worked in, or say something like the following:
I think working at The English Farm allows me to have good work-life balance because you can choose your own schedule. I can spend time with my friends whenever I want, but also work for a living. Building your own schedule is a great way to maintain a good work-life balance!
Let's talk about anecdotes.
- Generally, who uses anecdotes?
- Why do they use anecdotes?
We want the student to learn to tell their own stories through strong adjectives and clear transitions to strengthen their arguments.
- An anecdote is a brief story about something that happened, either to you or someone you know; something you read about; or you can simply make one up.
- A story has a structure: beginning, middle and end. It's longer.
1. Who uses anecdotes?
- TED talks, especially at the beginning.
- Politicians.
- Speakers at graduations, awards, etc.
- You use them!
- Anyone who wants to set context, build trust, illustrate a point or grab attention.
2. Why do they use anecdotes?
- To build trust.
- The listener learns about the speaker and gets a feel for the situation.
- Anecdotes are impossible to disagree with.
- They are stories that happened. They are very strong evidence, especially to gently disagree.
- To be memorable.
- Our brains like stories.
- To set context.
- You can set expectations or prepare the listener for a particular fact.
Let's work on telling anecdotes.
A. Adjectives
A good anecdote has powerful adjectives.
For each topic, think of 3 adjectives.
- The best food you've eaten recently.
- Your favorite workspace.
- Your best manager.
- Something unexpected that happened.
B. Detail
A good story has detail. It tells the listener the who, what, when, where, why, and how.
Pick one topic from A. Add detail.
C. Ending
The ending to an anecdote or story is important. Read these endings. Use appropriate intonation.
- It was amazing!
- It was really inspiring.
- ... but it turned out well.
- In the end, it was okay.
Now, make a strong ending to use for your story from B.
A. Adjectives
A good story uses many descriptive adjectives to help the listener imagine the situation.
For each topic, think of 3 adjectives.
- The best food you've eaten recently.
- e.g., that hamburger from McDonald's.
- Spicy, juicy, cheesy...
- e.g., that hamburger from McDonald's.
- Your favorite workspace.
- e.g., the corner table at a cafe downtown.
- Quiet, bright, calming...
- e.g., the corner table at a cafe downtown.
- Your best manager.
- e.g., your manager from a project you've done recently.
- Open to questions, friendly, available...
- e.g., your manager from a project you've done recently.
- Something unexpected in your industry.
- e.g., for The English Farm, COVID-19 disrupted traditional English schools.
- Shocking, unexpected, a big opportunity...
- e.g., for The English Farm, COVID-19 disrupted traditional English schools.
B. Detail
A good story has detail. It tells the listener the who, what, when, where, why, and how.
Have the student pick a topic and continue to describe the details. If your student seems to be struggling with giving enough detail, help them narrow the topic and focus on that.
- e.g.: I went to a big theme park with my friends over the weekend. We rode a roller coaster. The roller coaster was... (and describe the roller coaster—not the whole trip).
Pick one topic from A. Add detail.
C. Ending
The ending to an anecdote or story is important. Read these endings. Use appropriate intonation (strong for great enthusiasm; weak for less).
- It was ↗amazing↘!
- It was ↗really↘↗ inspiring↘.
-
...↗but it turned out well↘.
-
↗In the end, it was okay.↘
Which ending would you use for your story from B?
If necessary, change the existing phrases. Or make your own. Just make a strong ending.
Remember, a good story can be used as evidence to back up an opinion. What stories could you tell for the questions below? Share the stories with your teacher.
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What are the qualities of a good manager?
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What do you do to relax on your days off?
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What was the best team you've ever worked with?