Research Information System
15th METU International ELT Convention, Ankara, Turkey, 10 - 11 May 2024
Storytelling is in the essence of all we do as teachers or facilitators, regardless of
the age group we work with, and we, people, have a tendency to be effortlessly
attracted to stories as the human brain is literally wired for stories (Gotschall,
2012) that reflect “how we understand others, exchange abstract concepts, and
are able to mentalize, project and attribute intentions and significance” as well as
experiencing and expressing emotions (Rutledge, 2016, p.1). Stories help us, as
lifelong learners, make meaning/sense out of our interactions with the people and
the world around us (Peterson, 1999), and thus our well-being is also dependent
on these narratives (Rutledge, 2016). We aim to bring storytelling under closer
scrutiny to showcase its significance as an intervention tool (as in inspirational
motivation stories, or life narratives, [language learning histories], (Al-Hoorie,
2021)) and data presentation strategy (i.e. “[Dörnyei] explicitly stated ...every
research project and the participants in it had a story to tell..so when writing up
your research, tell the story behind your research, engage the reader, and tell a
good story..[Dörnyei’s perspective making it] more human and something I could
relate to” (Shelton-Strong, 2022, Jamboard p.3). As such, in this workshop, using
recent educational technology tools, we will engage with our audience to awaken
the storytellers in them and encourage them to exhibit their stories in a One-Slide
Show.
Keywords: Storytelling, learning histories, meaning making, well-being/wellbecoming