| "How can I make great comprehension | | | | but that makes it enjoyable. Sometimes the story |
| exercises?" I thought to myself. First I need to | | | | is unexpected. That is even more enjoyable. |
| start with a picture. Not just any picture. I want a | | | | Too Much Can Spoil Things |
| picture with humans in it. I want a picture with | | | | I try not to add more characters than are |
| drama in it. The picture that I use will form the | | | | necessary. That makes the story complicated. If I |
| core of my story. I have to mold my story | | | | want a difficult story, there are better ways to |
| around the target learning. As you can see, not | | | | make it complicated than just adding characters. |
| just any old picture will do. It has to make us feel | | | | Too many characters makes the story too silly. I |
| something. I has to have a story in it already. | | | | want it to be just a little bit silly, a little bit fun. |
| The other day a visitor to my website e-mailed | | | | In fact, when it's a little bit silly, it adds just a |
| me requesting more listening comprehension | | | | touch of realism to it. In real life the best stories |
| exercises. Many people tell me, "I can't understand | | | | are a little bit interesting and sometimes silly. |
| English when I hear it." I realized I had to make | | | | Just being silly isn't very good on its own. You |
| some more stories. And I had to make great | | | | need to have likable characters so the story will |
| questions to ask about the stories. Then people | | | | be good. Likable characters draw the reader in, |
| could check their comprehension. | | | | and the silliness is a bit of spice. I want to have a |
| The Target | | | | character who the reader can feel they want to |
| My next step in making these great exercises is | | | | see win. A character with a real problem or |
| to think of what my target learning is. Am I | | | | difficulty. Then the reader can feel empathetic to |
| targeting vocabulary? If so, I have to write a | | | | the character. This makes it easier to listen to |
| story about the picture, that uses the vocabulary | | | | and really focus on. |
| appropriately. This is often very challenging, and | | | | Weak Characters? No, Just Weakness. |
| this is what makes it fun. | | | | I make my characters likable by adding some |
| Am I targeting grammar? In that case, I need to | | | | small weakness. This makes the characters |
| write a story about the picture with grammar | | | | realistic. It adds real flesh to the characters. |
| that is used appropriately in the story. This is | | | | People without a weakness are not real, and |
| sometimes even more challenging. I have to be | | | | characters with a weakness are more like a real |
| very creative matching the grammar that I want | | | | humans. The reader can identify with the |
| to use to the story. Sometimes it makes the | | | | character that seems real. |
| story long. I cannot let the story get too long, or | | | | Now we have a story that we can see because |
| it is too difficult to listen to for intermediate | | | | of the picture. It has a real character, a touch of |
| learners. | | | | silliness, and the target language. It's time to write |
| Write It | | | | the questions. Some questions should just check |
| My next step is to actually write the story. Some | | | | for the understanding of the flow of the story. |
| people find this step difficult, but I think it's the | | | | Some questions. Check that the target language |
| most enjoyable part of the process. I can be | | | | was understood properly. and some questions |
| creative and write any story I like about the | | | | check both. |
| people in the picture. Of course the target learning | | | | After writing the questions it's time to read |
| will push my story in one direction or another. I | | | | everything, and proof read it. Fix any mistakes |
| have to find a connection between the words | | | | and record the story. Now you want to test the |
| that I need to use, and the characters in the | | | | story and the questions with some students. |
| photo. I try not to use deus ex machina - the | | | | There are often problems that you couldn't see in |
| hand of the gods. I want to find a natural, even if | | | | advance. |
| unexpected - connection between the target | | | | You'll see the problems in the responses the |
| language and the characters. | | | | students make. When you read the students |
| After all, I have include the target learning in the | | | | responses, you can fix the questions or fix the |
| story. And the story has to make sense. That's | | | | story. Congratulations, now you've got some |
| kind of fun. Sometimes the story is a little bit silly, | | | | excellent listening comprehension exercises! |