Utilizing Digital Storytelling in a Language Lesson

Homework:  Utilize Digital Storytelling in a Language Lesson.

I noticed that in our digital storytelling application, xtranormal.com, the characters had very little emotion in their voices.  I decided to use this as a jump-off point to create a drama lesson about vocal expression. 

PIE has a drama elective for Level 5 students.  Many times, students are nervous about speakig in public, and often don't understand the idea of "getting into character."  I created a digital story about a vacationing couple discussing whether to ride a roller coaster.  The woman is very excited about the roller coaster; her husband hates it. 

In the lesson, the teacher uses this video and directs students' attention to the characters' voices.  The teacher asks student to listen and see if they can tell which character is excited, and which is frightened.  Since students are at differing proficiency levels with listening comprehension in Level 5, some students may have understood the words and will be able to answer the question based on the spoken content. Some students will not have understood much, and would have needed to rely on other features in the language such as speed and intonation, which are mostly absent. 

After listening, the teacher elicits student responses, and points out that when normal people speak, they have expression.  The teacher plays back the first few exchanges between the man and woman, and demonstrates how to say each phrase with more expression (faster rate, intonation, etc.) to make it sound more realistic.  The teacher then passes out a transcript of the conversation and has ss listen while they read along.  The teacher can stop after key points in the dialogue and ask ss whether the voice reflected the emotion of the character.  For instance, how do you sound when you are excited about something?  Do you speak slowly?  Afterwards, students practice reading the dialogue aloud to each other, practicing appropriate expression. 

The next part of the lesson would need to be conducted in a language lab, or adapted to the availability of compatible technology in the classroom setting.  The teacher can either use one computer and have the students take turns, or s/he can have each student sit at an individual computer in the computer lab to record their voices.  I think the first option might be more convenient, as the teacher would not have to teach the students how to use the application.  S/he would just have to call each student to the computer to record their part. 

Either pair students, assign roles, and have them record their dialogue into the application (using appropriate intonation, stress, and expression), or have each student record one part of the dialogue, eventually recording the entire dialogue with different voices.  The students can listen to the lines recorded previously and respond with the type of vocal expression they think is appropriate. 

Here is a link to the video I created:

http://www.xtranormal.com/watch/14153917/not-the-roller-coaster

Here is a transcript of the dialogue:

Woman:  Wow! That roller coaster was fun! Did you like it? 
Man:  No! That was horrible! I never, NEVER want to go on a roller coaster ever again!
Woman:  But why not? Roller coasters are the most fun. Wheeeeeee! Come on; let's go on it again.
Man:  No way! Are you crazy? 
Woman:  Come on, come on, come on come on come on come on come on!!!
Man:  Stop it! I don't want to go. Leave me alone.
Woman:  Oh, come on. You know you enjoyed it.
Man:  I DID NOT! I hated it! Aren't you listening to me?
Woman:  I don't know what you're talking about. You were laughing the whole time.
Man:  I was not laughing. I was screaming.
Woman:  Hum.  Well then, I'll go on it by myself. Bye!
Man:  Wait. You're going to leave me here alone?
Woman:  Yes, Sweetie. You can just wait here. All alone. All by yourself. 
Man:  Um... But I don't like being on my own.
Woman:  Oh, you can handle it. You're a grown up. Okay, I'm going now. Going to the roller coaster. 
Man:  But...
Woman:  Yes?
Man:  Um...
Woman:  Yes?
Man:  Okay, I'll go with you. 
Woman:   Oh! Excellent! This is going to be so much fun. Here we go!
Man:  Oh no... Not again...