People have long used stories to communicate knowledge and experience between individuals and generations. Today, the proliferation of media sources (particularly through the Internet) has made it easy to access a greater diversity of stories than ever.

Given the ubiquitous nature of storytelling as a medium, it is no wonder that it has been and continues to be used in education at all levels. Studies have indicated that incorporating storytelling into second language instruction leads to the promotion of specific language skills (Huang, 2006; Afrilyasanti & Basthomi, 2011) and increasing learner motivation (Yang & Wu, 2012). However, research has also indicated that while storytelling can play an important role in second language development, it can also hinder learning by causing stress and frustration in learners if the material is not level appropriate (Kim, 2010).

Pixar Animation Studios, creators of well-known animated films such as Toy Story and Finding Nemo, are widely recognized as masters of storytelling. However, incorporating Pixar’s full-length films into a cohesive ESL/EFL unit can be difficult and time-consuming. Fortunately, Pixar has produced dozens of 3- to 6-minute short films, many of which display the same quality in storytelling and production as the company’s full-length features. Thanks to their brief running times and simple content, Pixar shorts are perfectly suited for the language classroom.

The following describes some suggestions for supplementing an ESL/EFL unit on storytelling using Pixar animated short films. For brevity’s sake, examples have been limited to four Pixar shorts I have found to be particularly well suited for the proposed activities (see the Appendix for brief descriptions of these films). Readers are encouraged to use these as a springboard for integrating other Pixar shorts into their lessons. (Pixar has published the full list on its website. The Wikipedia entry for Pixar’s short films is also useful. All of Pixar’s shorts are available for individual purchase on the US iTunes store and Amazon.com.)

1. Previewing (Characters and Setting)

Central to the storytelling process are characters and setting. In the ESL/EFL classroom, previewing these provides an opportunity to build key vocabulary. One advantage to using Pixar short films is that they usually feature whimsical characters and settings that focus on situations not typical of real life, presenting a chance for students to learn vocabulary and descriptive language that they may not otherwise have encountered in textbooks.

Suggested Activity: Following the introduction of new vocabulary items, one activity for reinforcing key descriptive vocabulary and language patterns at this stage is to put students into pairs, giving each a different printed still shot of a character or setting from the film. With the newly learned vocabulary, they take turns describing their still shot as accurately as possible to their partners, who either take notes about the description or use it to make a sketch (which could then be compared to the original, often yielding humorous results). A variation is to show differing clips featuring central story characters and similarly task students with explaining these to a partner. This gives them the opportunity to practice verbs and description of action. This previewing activity works quite well with Pixar titles such as La Luna and Partly Cloudy, which contain distinctive environments and multiple active central characters.

2. Predicting (Plot Progression)

When teaching the process of storytelling in my class, I like to incorporate This American Life host Ira Glass’s comments on the necessity of including “bait” in effective storytelling (This American Life, 2011). In other words, moving the story’s plot along by gradually setting up questions in the minds of listeners and then eventually answering them. Compelling narratives contain this basic element to some extent, so it is no surprise that most of Pixar’s short films also showcase the concept of bait throughout the story’s plot.

Suggested Activity: Teachers can reinforce the concept of bait and its importance in effective storytelling by stopping a short film at preselected points where questions are raised. At each point, ask students to make predictions either in writing or to a partner of what happens next (i.e., what the answer to the raised question may be). This can also serve as a suitable time to practice language for making predictions. (E.g., “I predict/assume/think that…”) As the film progresses, students check whether their predictions were accurate. Several of Pixar’s short films’ plot structures are particularly well suited for this activity, including Piper, The Blue Umbrella, Partly Cloudy, and La Luna, to name but a few. (Examples from La Luna: “Why are the men in the boat?” and “Why are they sweeping the glowing stars?”)

3. Finishing the Story (Conflict and Resolution)

Another central concept to storytelling is the narrative structure that the story follows. In Western culture this prototypically refers to the story progression from Exposition > Conflict > Climax > Resolution. Including this in a storytelling lesson in the EFL setting allows teachers to not only explain standard story structure in Western culture, but also naturally creates an opportunity to contrast it with narrative structures in the students’ own cultures. Though not all of Pixar’s short films follow this, several do and are excellent “bite-sized” examples for the class.

Suggested Activity: One practical way to reinforce the prototypical narrative structure is to first ask students to identify key words and plot points corresponding with each of the first two stages (characters and setting for the Exposition stage and minor points of conflict or change for the Conflictstage). Stop the video at the story’s climax and give students the task of finishing the story themselves. This task is quite flexible in that it can be done using any of several verb tenses (e.g., simple future or narrative present) and arranged in a variety of ways (e.g., written assignments, pair work, or short presentations) depending on the language goals for the unit. After the students have had a chance to tell their own endings to the story, they can watch the original ending, possibly followed by an opportunity to compare the two. The films La Luna,Piper, and The Blue Umbrella do a wonderful job of fully showcasing this basic narrative structure.

4. Follow-up Activities

Analyzing themes

After the film finishes, students should be given time to reflect on the underlying themes of the story. When teaching this concept in an ESL/EFL context, I like to borrow again from Glass and teach what he calls the “moment of reflection” (This American Life, 2011). According to Glass, this is the moment when the listener asks himself, “What does the storyteller intend for me to take from this?” From this concept, the teacher can prompt students to react to what they think are the central themes of the story through written response, group discussion, or some other specific language task. This is also a good chance to encourage students to personalize the story by prompting them to include similar experiences or themes from their own lives. While discussion of themes can be difficult for lower level learners, the benefit of using Pixar’s short films is that their themes are relatively simple and thus more accessible to lower levels.

Presentations

If time permits, class presentations at the end of the unit can be an effective way to evaluate students’ comprehensive understanding of the storytelling process. Requiring students to present an original story is one option, but this may be challenging for those who lack creativity regardless of their language level. Instead, I have found that asking students to analyze another story—such as a different Pixar short or story of their own choosing—and identify the story elements for their presentation enables evaluation that better represents what was learned in class.

Conclusion

Storytelling can serve as an interesting and motivating base for an ESL/EFL unit. From the almost endless selection of story narratives available through modern media, Pixar’s short animated films stand out as an excellent resource because of their universally understood themes, which are accessible to learners of all levels, as well as their simple but creative narrative structures and interesting characters.

References

Afrilyasanti, R., & Basthomi, Y. (2011). Digital storytelling: A case study on the teaching of speaking to Indonesian EFL students. Language in India: Strength for Today and Bright Hope for Tomorrow, 11, 81–91.

Huang, H. (2006). The effects of storytelling on EFL young learners’ reading comprehension and word recall. English Teaching & Learning, 30(3), 51–74.

Kim, M. (2010). The effects of storytelling on adult English language learners. Linguistic Research, 27(3), 447–473. doi:10.17250/khisli.27.3.201012.004

This American Life. (2011). Retrieved from https://www.thisamericanlife.org/about/make-radio

Yang, Y., & Wu, W. (2012). Digital storytelling for enhancing student academic achievement, critical thinking, and learning motivation: A year-long experimental study. Computers & Education, 59(2), 339–352. doi:10.1016/j.compedu.2011.12.012

Appendix: Brief Descriptions of Referenced Films

Kevin McManus is an assistant professor at Tokiwa University in Mito, Japan. Having spent a decade in higher educational administration focused on building and managing international programs, his interests include the effects of institutional student exchanges and study abroad on language learning as well as effective TOEFL study strategies for Japanese students.