Why do we use stories for teaching?

Verdugo, D. R. & Belmonte, I. A. (2007)


I like to use stories as a teaching resource. There are many advantages. Take my tutor student in senior high school, Ivy, for example. I taught her English with the song "Travelin' Soldier" whose lyrics was a story about the love between a town girl and an American soldier who was going to Vietnam war. The following is the clip and the lyrics:

"Travelin' Soldier"

Two days past eighteen
He was waiting for the bus in his army green
Sat down in a booth in a cafe there
Gave his order to a girl with a bow in her hair
He's a little shy so she gives him a smile
And he said would you mind sittin' down for a while
And talking to me,I'm feeling a little low
She said I'm off in an hour and I know where we can go
So they went down and they sat on the pier
He said I bet you got a boyfriend but I don't care
I got no one to send a letter to
Would you mind if I sent one back here to you


Chorus:
I criedNever gonna hold the hand of another guy
Too young for him they told her
Waitin' for the love of a travelin' soldier
Our love will never end
Waitin' for the soldier to come back again
Never more to be alone when the letter saidA soldier's coming home


So the letters came from an army camp
From California then Vietnam
And he told her of his heartIt might be love and all of the things he was so scared of
He said when it's getting kinda rough over here
I think of that day sittin' down at the pier
And I close my eyes and see your pretty smile
Don't worry but I won't be able to write for awhile


[Chorus]
One Friday night at a football game
The Lord's Prayer said and the Anthem sang
A man said folks would you bow your heads
For a list of local Vietnam dead
Crying all alone under the stands
Was a piccolo player in the marching band
And one name read but nobody really cared
But a pretty little girl with a bow in her hair


[Thanks to www.azlyrics.com ]


By using a story as a context, the student can contextulize the new language and also can make the context meaningful to her. Because the background of this story is Vietnam war, which is associated with the student's history knowledge. By this story, the student can learn the cultural value and perception from it. Besides, it is the story about love, which is also associated with the adolescent girl's feeling. Therefore, I found that Ivy wasvery interested in the story and was deeply into it.


Because the student is motivated, she will eaily absorb the linguistic forms, grammar, phrases and vocabulary from the story. Besides, the meaningful story can make the student connect what she has learned together.


Besides, in this story, the writer uses some verbal expression, which the student can learn the verbal usage from the story.


In conclusion, using stories for teaching not only enhances student's motivation but also enhances the comprehensive comprehebsion for reading.