As you move beyond basic language skills, you soon find yourself wanting to tell a story. But in a foreign language, that is not all that easy. You lack the fluency and the wit at your disposal in your native language, so why even try? Truth be told, everyone wants to master the art of storytelling because everybody wants to be that storyteller everybody loves.
Ireland is known as the nation of storytellers, and if you ever visit, you soon discover why.
We have trawled the internet to put together this month’s language lab and deliver the tools that will transform you into one of the greatest storytellers of all time. The post consists of storybuilding advice and phrases you can use to underpin your story arc.
Whatever your level, be that A2 or C2, these resources will help you captivate your audience in business, education, or among family and friends.
Before getting down to tools and techniques, let’s look at some essential elements you must include.
Be smart about when to tell a story and consider your audience. You may tell a favourite story to friends or during a high-powered meeting, but make sure the time is right and your audience receptive.
Every great story has a flawed central character whose trials and tribulations we follow. Your main character does not have to be great, just interesting and vulnerable enough to evoke lots of emotions.
Usually, less is more when it comes to storytelling. You have to grab your audience’s attention immediately, and don’t bore them with too much detail. Instead, build your story decisively, reaching the arc steadily.
Every story follows the same clear and simple progression. If you use it, you are already on firm ground.
The phrases below work to build the story as you go. Using the story spine above and the phrases that follow will allow you to enthral your audience and keep them entertained until the very end.
You don’t have much time to grab people’s attention. Here are some phrases to draw people in inescapably.
Every great story includes a mishap or conflict, a major game-changing event or encounter. Here is how to introduce it.
Keep your audience guessing by dropping hints while withholding essential information. That way, they will be hanging off your every word. Here are some ways to ramp up tension.
At this point, you will have built up so much tension that your listeners will be begging for a turning point or resolution. Build in phrases like these:
It is up to you whether you end with the moral of the story, an abrupt end, or an epilogue. Here are some options:
Born storytellers are far and few between. For most of us, great storytelling takes practice and honest feedback from our audience. That said, using the phrases and structure above is a good place to start.