1. Story-based Approach to Teaching Grammar
Implicit Explanations
Guided Participation
Explicit Explanations

2. Implicit Explanations
Learners analyze the grammar explanation for themselves

3. Guided Participation
Teachers and learners collaborate on and co-construct the grammar explanation

4. Explicit Explanations
Teacher provides explanation for learners

5. PACE: A Story-based and Guided Participatory Approach
Presentation
Attention
Co-construction
Extension

6. Presentation
Teacher foreshadows the grammar explanation through the use of integrated discourse (stories, poems, taped listening selection, etc.); emphasis is on comprehension and meaning.

7. Attention
Teacher uses “multiple passes” and recycles the story line through pictures, TPR activities, and role playing, which deepens comprehension and increases learner participation. Again, emphasis is on meaning.

8. Co-construction
Once comprehension is achieved and meaning understood, the teacher turns the learners’ attention to focus on form. Both teacher and learner co-construct the grammar explanation.

9. Extension
Through extension activities (i.e., integrative activities that relate to the story theme), the learners need to use the grammatical structure(s) in order to carry out a particular function or task.
(Shrum/Glisan, 2000)

10. Steps for Designing a Contextualized Story-based Lesson (Shrum/Glisan, 2000)
Select an appropriate text for students and instructional purposes
Do you like the text and find it appealing?
Does the story lend itself to “stageable actions”?
Does the story suggest connections to academic content?

11. Does the story represent some aspect of the target culture that you will address?
Does the story present stereotypes or reasonable and fair depictions of the target language culture?
Is the language accessible or can it be made accessible through story-telling simplifications?

12. Is the theme of the story one that can be expanded upon and extended into various activities?
Does the story adequately represent a grammatical structure on which you will later focus?
Does the story lend itself to addressing some of the national/state/local standards?