STORIES WE TELL BEE'S KNEES ENGLISH

STORIES WE TELL
There are a number of ways to teach English. Most are wrong, some are
worse. Then there are stories. Stories are great. They draw the students in,
keep them interested and make learning a little less of a chore. Of course,
these need to be good stories (which are in short supply) and they need to be
written in an English that native speakers actually use and that also
corresponds with the students' level of English.

Anyway, suppose you have never tried telling a story in your classes but
are now willing to take some chances by doing so. Finding a good story is the
first step, and a pretty difficult one. Knowing how to make the most out of it is
even harder. That's where I come in. I've been using stories in my classes for
years and I believe I can help you out.

The assumption here is that you actually want to use stories in your
classes, that you are fairly competent and open to new ideas, that you want to
challenge both yourself and your students, that the students are reasonably
excited to improve their English, that they are willing to listen and that they
do not carry guns. If any of these conditions is not met, the whole thing is
likely to result in an epic failure, especially if guns are involved.

The following story comes from a children's book, The Flying O'Briens. Its
literary merits aside, it contains the exact kind of English that needs to be
taught. Every English teacher worth their salt should see right off how many
interesting bits the below excerpt contains. If you as a teacher were to
analyze every single one of them in detail, this story alone (besides taking
weeks to get through) would be more enlightening to students than any
standard textbook this side of the Sun.
STORIES WE TELL
On Christmas Eve Timo and I had to go
to bed early. We were supposed to keep
up all the Santa Claus stuf for the benefit
of our little sister Kate. My parents wanted
us all to go to bed early so they could get
busy putting gifts under the tree. I could
tell there was something Timo wanted to
get of his chest. So when we climbed into
our beds, I was quiet and waited for him
to speak first. Sure enough, he soon
started telling me that he knew what I was
getting for Christmas. "I saw it in the attic
of the garage," he said. "But dad made me
promise not to tell."
At first I didn't believe him. "What were
you doing up in the top of the garage?"
I asked. He didn't say anything for a while.
It sounded like he was having trouble
making up a convincing lie. Then he said,
"Promise you won't tell. I thought maybe
they hid my presents up there. Dad
caught me sneaking out, and I told him
I was looking for that radio you built."
"And he believed you? I haven't seen that
thing in years." "Sure he believed me. I'm
a pretty good liar, aren't I? But I can't fool
you." "Not with a story like that, you can't."
"How did you get up in the top of the
garage, anyway?" I asked. "Dad must have
been up there that day. He lef the ladder
down." "So what am I getting?" I asked.
I didn't believe him completely, but I was
BEE'S KNEES ENGLISH
beginning to think he might be telling
the truth. "I promised not to tell." I had
no idea what I was getting. I hadn't
been able to think of anything to ask
for. Anything I really wanted, I knew
my parents couldn't aford.
I don't believe in asking for impossible
stuf, though when I was a kid I used to
ask for a pony or a monkey or
something like that. This year I had
told my mother that she could surprise
me. I had no illusions about her idea of
a good gif. I knew she would get me
a pair of shoes or a new coat. I don't
consider clothing a good Christmas
present, but then I didn't have any
better suggestions.
"What diference does it make if you
tell me now?" I always made the
mistake of trying to reason with Timo.
"I'm going to find out in a few hours
anyway. Plus, I don't believe you saw
anything." "Yes you do." "Just shut up
and go to sleep," I said. I was losing my
patience. "Don't you want to know what
you're getting? I'll give you a hint." "If
you don't shut up, I'm telling on you."
"Mom!" Timo shouted. "Brian won't
stop talking." That boy sure has some
nerve. If mom heard, she didn't do
anything about it.
STORIES WE TELL BEE'S KNEES ENGLISH

Anyway, the preceding text would probably be best suited for

intermediate and advanced students. In a less advanced class it might
lead to popping sounds and brain matter dripping from the walls. Here we
will be working with a simplified and shortened version that even less-
advanced students could handle. However, most of the pointers and notes are
applicable across all kinds of texts.

On Christmas Eve Timo and I had to go to bed early. We were

supposed to do all the Santa Claus stuff because our little sister
Kate still thinks that there is a bearded guy who brings gifts to
children. Our parents also wanted us to go to bed early so they
could start putting gifts under the tree.

While we were changing into our pajamas, I could tell that there
was something that Timo wanted to tell me. But I kept quiet and
waited for him to start talking. As usual, it didn't take long. But
what he said was a lot more interesting. He told me he knew
what I was getting for Christmas. He said he'd seen my present
in the garage earlier that day.

At first I didn't believe him. "What were you doing in the

garage?" I asked. He didn't say anything for a while. It sounded
like he couldn't think of a good lie. Then he said, "I thought
maybe they hid my present in there. But I only found yours.
I told him to stop lying but at the same time I wondered if he
was in fact telling the truth.
STORIES WE TELL BEE'S KNEES ENGLISH

When you're done laughing and wiping off the tears rolling down your
cheeks ("You've never actually met my students, have you?"), look below to see
what I think you need to focus onwhatever is underlined, basically. Yes,
these are the phrases/grammar (later referred to as INN) that your students
should either learn or reinforce the knowledge of. Cue laughter/tears again.

On Christmas Eve Timo and I had to go to bed early. We were supposed

to do all the Santa Claus stuff because our little sister Kate still thinks
that there is a bearded guy who brings gifts to children. Our parents also
wanted us to go to bed early so they could start putting gifts under the
tree.

While we were changing into our pajamas, I could tell that there was
something that Timo wanted to tell me. But I kept quiet and waited for
him to start talking. As usual, it didn't take long. But what he said was a
lot more interesting. He told me he knew what I was getting for
Christmas. He said he had seen my present in the garage earlier that day.

At first I didn't believe him. "What were you doing in the garage?" I
asked. He didn't say anything for a while. It sounded like he couldn't
think of a good lie. Then he said, "I thought maybe they hid my present
in there. But I only found yours. I told him to stop lying but at the same
time I wondered if he was in fact telling the truth.

Obviously, stories are not the only way to teach English. But remember,
there's more to each story that the storyline. In fact, the storyline is the least
interesting part, at least in terms of teaching. If you know what to focus on
and how to convince the students that you know what you're doing, you can
use every story to cover a lot of ground. And it's much less boring, too.
STORIES WE TELL BEE'S KNEES ENGLISH

INTRODUCTION

Most stories call for a short intro to kick things off and get the students'
attention. NOTE: You can kill a wonderful story by introducing it badly. "So
I have a new story for you today. It is about a boy..." is a surefire way of
putting your students to sleep.

So, we all know what happens on Christmas Eve, that is,

December 24, right? In many countries, little kids have to
leave the room where the Christmas tree is for a while so
that their parents can put gifts under it.

Then the kids are called back and the parents explain that
an angel of some sort has brought them gifts. The kids
then run to the tree to open all the gifts and are excited to
find the things that they asked for. Or not.

In some countries, like the U.S., the kids aren't allowed to

unwrap or even see the presents until the next morning
when they wake up. That way, the parents have the whole
night to put the gifts under the tree.
STORIES WE TELL BEE'S KNEES ENGLISH

VOCABULARY

The introduction will take you right to vocab. Write all the vocab that you
think your students aren't familiar with on the whiteboard beforehand. Then,
explain all of it in English until the students that actually pay attention
understand the meaning of each word/phrase. Do not allow the students to
use any Czech while you're talking. All they're allowed to do is to nod and/or
contribute to your definition. When you're done explaining, ask the students
to guess the correct Czech translations of each word.

ACT act means basically the same
thing as behave; when for instance
a dog ACTS strange, it runs around or
rolls around on the ground or bites
its own legs
PRETEND when you don't believe
something but you act like you do,
you are PRETENDING (for instance,
some of you pretend to be listening
to me but in fact you are texting
someone on your cell phones)
take off your clothes and CHANGE
INTO new ones
CAN TELL when you're good at
reading emotions, you CAN TELL for
instance that someone is unhappy even
if that person is smiling; you CAN
TELL if someone is drunk by the way
they move or talk
TAKE (TIME) you can say that it
TOOK you five years to learn English

FIND OUT when someone A WHILE if you stay somewhere for

badmouths you, says bad things
about you, but you don't know who
they are, you need to FIND OUT,
which you do by asking other people
and getting information from various
sources
RELATIONSHIP when two people
have a good RELATIONSHIP, they
like each other and like spending
time together
BEARD is the hair that grows on
both sides of some guys' faces,
around their mouths, all the way to
their ears
A WHILE, you don't stay foreveryou
probably don't stay a very long time
EARLY (vslovnost) make sure you
pronounce this word correctly, as in
"I have to get up EARLY tomorrow so
I don't miss my flight"
HID / HIDE when I have something
and I don't want anyone else to find it,
I have to HIDE it; like, parents have to
HIDE Christmas presents from their
children before Christmas because the
children have likely been looking for
them since early December (see, there's
'early' again)

CHANGE INTO you're wearing LIE when you say something that
something but you want to wear you know isn't true, you're LYING
something elsewhat you do is you
STORIES WE TELL BEE'S KNEES ENGLISH

Then, follow up with the rest of the INTRODUCTION. It's always a good
idea to speak as one of the characters. This particular story is actually
narrated in ich-form, which makes it easier for you. In other stories you may
need to adjust your perspective.

When I was a little kid, I believed there was this guy named Santa
who brought gifts to kids who'd been good. Then my older cousin
explained to me what really happened on Christmas Eve.

I was a little disappointed and so I went to my parents to make

sure that I understood correctly. They told me that my cousin was
telling the truth but asked me to keep pretending that I still
believed in Santa.

The reason was that I had a brother and a sister, both younger
than me. My brother's name was Timo and he and I didn't have
a very good relationship.

By the way, Timo found out about Santa before I did but he never
told me. My sister's name was Kate and she was only six at the
time. Our parents didn't want her to find out about Santa until
she was older.

Just to be sure the students have followed the storyline, ask them to
recount the intro briefly (in pairsthis goes for any conversation). Once
that's out of the way, you can move on to the actual story.
STORIES WE TELL BEE'S KNEES ENGLISH

TELL STORY

There's no need to stick rigidly to the written version (by reading it off the
paper, for instance). It wouldn't sound natural and it might turn the listeners
off. What you need to do instead is draw them in and keep them
intrigued throughout, which you do by improvising and immersing yourself
(and them) in the story. (It won't hurt to use the historical presentit makes
every story sound a lot better.)

So. It's Christmas Eve, right, and Timo and I are totally
excited. Timo is my brother, as you probably remember.
Anyway, our parents decide to ruin our evening by telling
us to go to bed early so they can put the gifts under the
tree. That way, we will wake up tomorrow morning and
run over to the tree and the gifts will be waiting for us.

Now, we're both old enough to know there's no such

thing as Santa Claus. But we have a little sister, whose
name is Kate, and who still believes that there's this
bearded guy who brings gifts to children. So we have
been doing the Santa stuff all day long just for her... [rest
of story]
STORIES WE TELL BEE'S KNEES ENGLISH

INQUIRY

When you're done telling the story, make sure the students understood by
asking them lots of questions, covering every little detail. (Oddly enough,
students seem to enjoy this activity.) You can also use this time to fill in details
that you skipped while telling the story. Again, it's fun to speak as one of the
characters, preferably a different one (Kate?) just to confuse the students
a little.

So who puts gifts under the Christmas tree? (Your parents.) No!
(Uh... Santa Claus?)
Yes. Who else? Duh. Anyway, what does Santa look like? (He's a big
bearded guy.)
When does he do this? (In the night.)
Does anyone ever see him? (No.)
How come? I mean, why don't we kids see him? (Because you have
to go to bed early.)
Who says we have to do that? (Your parents do.)
How many brothers and sisters do I have? Are they younger than
me? What are their names? Do they have a good relationship?
What did they talk about later that night? etc.

How do you know that introducing a story in class wasn't a complete

waste of time? First, when all is said and done, the students need to be able to
translate the underlined bits (INN) fairly quicklyand correctly, if possible
(see POINT-OUT). Second, they need to be able to come up with their own
sentences using all the INN from the story.
STORIES WE TELL BEE'S KNEES ENGLISH

BOLD-INN

Hand out lists of INN and have your students use them (the part after # is
a contextual hint, the bold bit is what they absolutely must use). It's ok if they
keep saying the same thing over and over again in different ways as long as
they do a good job grammatically. Note the changed perspective.

THERE IS # Kate think bearded gifts I still believe that there is a bearded man who brings...

WANT SB TO DO ST # parents bed early Our parents want my brothers to go to bed early tonight...

PUT # after bed gifts tree That way, they will be able to put the gifts under the tree...

CAN TELL # Timo want say st! Timo's quiet and Brian is waiting for him to start talking...

WAIT FOR SB TO DO ST # quiet, he talk What Timo is saying seems a lot more interesting than what...

A LOT MORE # what say interesting

(TENSE SHIFT) # say see garage [Timo said that he had seen what our Dad was hiding...]

BE DOING # ask "in garage?" Brian is asking, "What were you doing in the garage?"

THINK OF # sound: no good lie Apparently, Timo can't think of a good lie at the moment...

STOP -ING # tell no lie The boys are supposed to do all the Santa stuff today...

BE SUPPOSED TO # Santa stuff Most little kids think that there is a guy who brings...

WHO # kids think gifts The boys will have to go to bed early so that our parents can...

SO THAT # must early: put gifts While they're putting on their pajamas, Timo is about to...

WHILE # pajamas: Timo speak

THERE IS # want say something He's saying that there is something that Brian needs to know...

TAKE # not long start talk It never takes very long for Timo to start talking...

(TENSE SHIFT) # say know I get [Timo said that he knew what Brian was getting...]

AT FIRST # no believe truth At first, Brian doesn't believe that Timo is telling the truth...

A WHILE # say nothing So he says nothing for a while...

YOURS / MINE # Timo think hide gift ["I thought the present he was hiding was mine but in fact..."]

WONDER # tell truth? Brian seems to be wondering if Timo is telling the truth...
STORIES WE TELL BEE'S KNEES ENGLISH

KEYWORDS / GUIDE

Then, take away the BOLD-INN sheet and hand out the guide sheet. This sheet
contains no hints regarding grammar (as opposed to BOLD-INN). All it does is provide
hints about the storyline (also, some hints are intentionally confusing: THINK TRUTH?
--> I wondered if he was telling the truth.). See if the students are capable of using the
INN bits without being spoonfed. Again, note the perspective.

XMAS BED, SANTA SISTER THINK

--> On Christmas Eve we'll tell the boys to go to bed early...
PARENTS EARLY > GIFTS TREE
--> We're going to get them out of the room early so that we can...
PAJAMAS > WANT SAY
--> While they're putting on their pajamas, Timo will...
QUIET > WAIT TALK, NOT LONG
--> Timo won't stay quiet for too long. Brian will be waiting...
INTEREST > SAY KNOW GET XMAS
--> Brian will be interested in finding out what Timo knows...
SAY SEE GARAGE > BELIEVE?
--> Timo's going to say that he's seen me hide something...
GARAGE? REPLY? > SEEM GOOD LIE?
--> Brian's going to ask Timo what he was doing in the garage...
HIDE MY? > ONLY YOUR
--> Timo will explain that he thought that his mom and I were...
STOP LIE! > BUT THINK: TRUTH?
--> Brian will ask him to stop lying but he will wonder if maybe...
STORIES WE TELL
QUESTIONS
Less advanced students tend to struggle with questions. If that's the case
with your students, use this exercise to help them overcome this deficiency.
FIND OUT:
pro museli jt spt brzo
kdo jim ekl, a jdou spt
sestra je Kate
jestli je Timo jin ne on
jak jste se mli chovat
jestli Kate v na S. Clause
jestli existuje S. Claus
co S.C. dl
komu nos S.C. drky
pro chtli rodie, aby li spt
kdo dv drky pod stromek
jestli maj stromek
jestli zaal Timo hned mluvit
jak poznal, e T. chce nco ct
jestli Timovi ekl, a to ekne
jak dlouho to trvalo
co na tom bylo zajmavho
jak zjistil co B. dostane
pro mu nejdv nevil
jestli nkdy chod do gare
drek tam Timo nael
jestli Timo kal pravdu
kdy ho napadlo jestli nele
(FIND OUT) ... if he knows
incorrect: If he knows it?
correct: Does he know?
BEE'S KNEES ENGLISH
Why did they have to go to bed early
Who told them to go to bed?
Whose sister is Kate?
Is Timo different from you?
How were you supposed to act?
Does Kate believe in Santa Claus?
Does SC exist? Is there a Santa Claus?
What does SC do?
Who does SC bring gifts to?
Why did you parents want you to go to bed?
Who puts gifts under the tree?
Do you have a tree?
Did Timo start talking right away?
How did you know that Timo was going to...
Did you tell Timo to say it?
How long did it take?
What was so interesting about that?
How did he find out what you were gonna...
Why didn't you believe him at first?
Do you ever go to the garage?
Whose gift did Timo find in there?
Was Timo telling the truth?
When did you start to wonder if he was...
STORIES WE TELL BEE'S KNEES ENGLISH

SPIN-OFF TEST

Now, let's be honest. This is a fairly short story and it'll get boring verrrry
quickly. Throw in some spin-off exercises to keep things interesting. The
following test will do nicely. It's easy enough that you don't have to explain
anything beforehand. (The students should be familiar with most of the
grammar.)

dcka, chceme, abyste li spt kids, we want you to go to bed now

nenute ns jet nikam chodit
sorry, ale jsou urit pravidla
jak to, e vy nikam nemuste?
copak nejsme vai rodie?
to nic neznamen
please don't make us leave yet
sorry kids, there are rules
how come you don't have to go?
aren't we your parents?
that doesn't mean anything

co byste dlali bez ns? what would you do without us?

nebojte, budeme v pohod
kdo vm kupuje vci na jdlo?
kdybyste nm dali penze, dokzali
bychom to
co kdy vm ty penze nedme?
pak s nma bude zle
don't worry, we would be fine
well, who buys you things to eat?
we could do that if you gave us money
what if we don't give you that money?
well, then we're in trouble

Interpreter-Style. Simply read the Czech lines one by one and give the students 3-4
seconds to mumble each translation under their breath (alternatively, they take turns
translating in pairs, or each does one half, whatever works). The students basically act as
interpreters, meaning they have to translate each line somehow, even when they don't feel
too confident about their efforts.

Do ALL the lines first, THEN give correct translations. Repeat in the NEXT class or
later in the SAME class. Next, EMAIL/PRINT out the Czech version and assign it as
homework. Analyze translations in class. Use common errors to explain grammar. Bring
the test back one more time a month or two later, It will be greatly appreciated.
STORIES WE TELL BEE'S KNEES ENGLISH

THE ART OF CONVERSATION

UNIVERSAL CONVERSATIONAL SETUPS

FUTURE: TWO FORTUNE TELLERS TALK ABOUT BRIAN

Oh this poor kid is going to have a pretty lousy Christmas. -- Yeah, his
brother will find out what he is getting for Christmas... -- ... by going into the
garage where the gifts are hidden... -- ... and he'll tell him... -- He will, but
his brother won't believe him. -- Right. That's so sad. But how is his brother
going to know that the gifts are in the garage? -- He will be following his
father, I think. -- Oh, of course. Stupid old me.

LIVE: DESCRIBE WHAT'S GOING ON INSIDE THE HOUSE

So my two brothers are being asked to go to bed. Boy, are they mad. They
have been doing all this Santa stuff all day and now they'll have to wait until
tomorrow morning to get their gifts. I'm watching them walk upstairs to their
rooms. It looks to me like Timo has something to say. I wonder what that is.
Now they're both in bed and Timo is about to start talking...

NURSING HOME (PAST)

years later two of the characters run into each other (in a manner
of speaking) in a nursing home and start REMINISCING, "Remember
the time Mom and Dad made us pretend that we believed in Santa?" -- "Oh
yeah, I hated that." -- "So did I. But Kate loved it." -- "She sure did. Where is
she anyway? Wasn't she supposed to visit today?"
STORIES WE TELL BEE'S KNEES ENGLISH

FUNERAL SPEECH (PAST)

one of the characters (the main one) has passed away and you are
GIVING A SPEECH at their funeral, recalling the events described in
the story; students work in pairsthey finish each other's sentences,
interrupt each other to add details; neither should speak for more
than a few seconds at a time; the imaginary audience needs to be
moved and more importantly, entertained by the story, i.e. no dead
air)

GOSSIP (PAST + PRESENT)

the pair tells a third person (an imaginary one) about what
happened to THEIR MUTUAL FRIEND, that is, the narrator; "So
Timo and Brian are really mad about the whole Christmas thing." "Yeah, just
because their sister still believes in Santa, they're not allowed to stay up late
and watch TV."

SALES PITCH (HISTORICAL PRESENT)

you are PITCHING an idea for a movie or a TV show to a
Hollywood producer; you pull out all the stops in an effort to sell it,
excitedly describing the characters and the events that are to unfold
on the screen; most of it IN THE PRESENT TENSE: So theres this kid,
right, and he has a brother and a sister, and he and his brother don't really
get along. Anyway, it's Christmas time and the two brothers are talking and
all of a sudden one of them tells the other one that he knows what...

RUNNING COMMENTARY (PRESENT)

you are looking at a CCTV footage and commenting on what you
see (I think he's lying, I don't think he's actually been to the garage),
including predictions (I'm pretty sure there's going to be a fight); option a)
one of you has not seen the footage before and is really CURIOUS (so
why are the two boys so angry with each other? don't they get along?);
option b) FREEZE FRAME: you are guessing what is going to happen
next; most of your predictions are way off base, but that's beside the
point, the important thing is you have to provide an explanation of
why you expect this or that to happen
STORIES WE TELL BEE'S KNEES ENGLISH

SPIN-OFF

At some point the students will get sick of the story and rightly so. The last
thing they want to do is tell it again in the same way using the same phrases.
So how about you make it fun for them? Ask them to improvize
conversations based on the story. They will not be expected to use any of the
annoying INN bits anymore. Instead they will be required to employ the full
extent of their knowledge. Here are some ideas, just off the top of my head:

Timo Brian (the actual fight)

Hey Brian, I know what you're getting for Christmas. -- No, you don't. --
I do, actually. -- How would you know? -- Well, I followed Dad to the
garage earlier today...
WHAT'S THE POINT: learn how to argue, using phrases like 'oh come
on', 'give me a break', 'you gotta be kidding me', 'cut it out, will you?' etc.
JUMPSTART: Hey Brian, I know what you're getting for Christmas. --
No, you don't.

Boys Parents
Come on, Dad. Why do we have to go to bed now? -- We've been over this,
boys. You know very well why. -- Is this all because of Kate? -- Of course it
is...

Kate parents
Mom, does Santa Claus really exist? -- Actually, sweetheart, you're old
enough to know the truth. -- Oh no. Timo was right. -- I'm really sorry,
I know it hurts. But look on the bright side...
POINT: learn how to reason with somebody politely (you can't seriously
expect us to... / boys, you're old enough to understand... / but I don't get it,
what's the point of...? / yes, I get that, but...)

Timo Dad (in the garage)

What are you doing here, Timo? Are you spying on me? -- Kind of. -- Why
would you do that? -- I was just wondering what I'm getting for
Christmas...
POINT: make stuff up on the spot, lie through your teeth, or catch someone
in a lie respectively (but if that's true, then how come...)
STORIES WE TELL BEE'S KNEES ENGLISH

Brian Fortune Teller

So what's this Christmas going to be like? -- What in particular do you
want to know? -- Well, will I be allowed to stay up late? -- I'm afraid not. --
Why not? -- Because your parents don't want you to be around while they're
putting...
POINT: learn to use the future tense (in particular 'be going to'), including
questions (am I going to...? / is there going to be a...?)

LIVE: Santa is watching footage from the house and describing it to...
a reindeer?
Look, the two boys are changing into their pajamas now. They don't seem
too happy about it, but they understand why this is necessary. They know by
now that I don't exist, but their little sister doesn't.
POINT: learn to describe unfolding events = i.e. present continuous,
present perfect, future etc. (she is doing, he is going to do, they have been
doing)

Dad Mom (planning Christmas)

Ok, honey, it's time we started planning for Chrismas. -- Sure. So are we
going to tell Kate about Santa? -- No, not yet. It's too soon. -- But what if
the boys tell her? -- Oh. All right, why don't we go talk to them..
POINT: learn to present new ideas and suggestions: why don't I ask the
boys to... / how about we just bring... / I'll tell you what, let's... / here's an
idea... / I've been thinking, maybe we could...

Santa Psychoanalyst
Man, I'm sick of this job. I mean, how come I don't get any gifts? It's such
hard work and no one ever says thank you. -- So what is that you do
exactly? -- Oh. I'm Santa. -- Santa who?
POINT: learn to inquire: so I was wondering, do you...? / let me ask you
something, did you ever...? / you do? -- it will? -- should I?

Monolog: two Christmas trees

What a horrible life we have! -- You can say that again. We get planted, we
grow for a couple years... -- ...and then we get cut down. It's not fair. -- It's
not. Then again, at least we help make the children happy for a few days
every year. -- Good point. Most trees don't get to do that.
POINT: You tell me.
STORIES WE TELL BEE'S KNEES ENGLISH

BL OW-U P

You may decide to take the opportunity to explain some relevant

grammar to your students. That way, they can then see how it's actually
used in the story. Here's a couple tips:

BE SUPPOSED TO
- esk "MM nco dlat"
- zdraznit pomocn BE: did I supposed to...?
- rozdl mezi SUPPOSED TO / SHOULD
WANT SB TO DO ST
- pouit WANT s vloenm pedmtem (x I wanted that he go)
STUFF
- jako esk VCI (stuffs)
- [adv.] the Santa stuff (esk to s tm Santou)
WAIT FOR ST TO HAPPEN
- ekat, a se NCO stane (x wait for something happening)
- srovnn I'm waiting FOR my brother / waiting TO talk to my brother
- srovnn I wait/expect it to happen (ekm, A/E)
YOURS / MINE
- srovnn s pomocnm ONE: the red one, a cheap one x my one, your ones
SO THAT
- elov vty "aby/a", pedevm s jinm pedmtem (J odejdu, aby
ONA nemusela)
x elov vty s TO (she left early not to wash the dishes)
TENSE SHIFT
- "ekl, e V, co DOSTANU"
AT FIRST
- rozdl mezi first (prost poad dj) / at first (nese v sob nsledn but...)
WONDER
- pro peklad eskch zajmalo by m / to bych rd vdl / to jsem zvdav /
chtl bych se zeptat a jin
- srovnn s THINK (I thought if she knew), BE INTERESTED (you must be
interested if he's alive) etc.
TELL THE TRUTH
- rzn peklady eskho PRAVDA (be right, be wrong, be true, tell the truth)
STORIES WE TELL BEE'S KNEES ENGLISH

P O I N T- O U T
The point of the story is obviously not for students to remember the
storyline, although it helps.The point is for them to improve/enrich their
English by learning new stuff. To this end, you need to test them on the
underlined bitsrepeatedly, sometimes en masse, other times individually.
Here are some short phrases to throw their way:

co jsi dlal o vnocch? what did you do on Christmas?

musm te jt spt?
my jsme tady ani nemli bt
dn Santa Claus neexistuje
ten lovk co pinesl penze
nechci, aby kdokoli odchzel
zmlkni, a mu domluvit
mobil dej na stl a nechej ho tam
ukradni to zatmco bude zpvat
jak jsi poznal, e to nev?
ekme, a ten zpas zane
jak dlouho ti trvalo to vysvtlit?
tvj brcha je mnohem zkuenj
ekl jsem, e vm kde ti lid bydl
co dostaneme na vnoce?
chvli jsem si myslel, e jsem t nael
co jsi dlal u nho v pokoji?
nenapad m dn dobr nzev
kdo tady schoval tu knku?
vai hri jsou hor ne ti nai
kdo vm ekl, a pestanete hledat?
zrove jsem mu ale chtl vit
co kdy k pravdu?
to by m zajmalo pro mi le
do I have to go to bed now?
we weren't even supposed to be here
there's no Santa Claus
the guy who brought the money
I don't want anyone to leave
shut up so I can finish
put the cell on the table and leave it there
steal it while she's singing
how could you tell she didn't know?
we are waiting for the game to start
how long did it take you to explain it?
your brother is much more experienced
I said I knew where those people lived
what are we getting for Christmas?
for a while I thought I'd found you
what were you doing in his room?
I can't think of a good name
who hid the book here?
you players are worse than ours
who told you to stop looking?
at the same time I wanted to believe him
what if he's telling the truth?
I wonder why she's lying to me
STORIES WE TELL BEE'S KNEES ENGLISH

FILL-OUT
great for homework (see our website for the interactive version)
by the time the students are done filling it out, they know the story by
heart (they're sick of it, too)

On Christmas Eve Timo and I had to go to

A LOT
bed early. We were ____ to do all the Santa
Claus ____ because our little sister Kate still BEARDED
thinks that there is a ____ guy who brings
EARLIER
gifts to children. Our parents also wanted us
to go to bed early so they could start ____
FIRST
gifts under the tree.
While we were ____ into our pajamas, CHANGING

I could tell that there was something that

KEPT
Timo wanted to tell me. But ____ quiet and
waited for him to start talking. As ____, it LIE

didn't take long. But what he said was ____

PUTTING
more interesting. He told me he knew what
I was getting for Christmas. He said he'd seen STUFF

my present in the garage ____ that day.

SUPPOSED
At ____ I didn't believe him. "What were you
doing in the garage?" I asked. He didn't say THERE

anything for a ____. It sounded like he

USUAL
couldn't think of a good ____. Then he said,
"I thought maybe they hid my present in WHILE

____. But I only found yours. I told him to

WONDERED
stop lying but at the same time ____ if he
was in fact telling the truth.
STORIES WE TELL BEE'S KNEES ENGLISH

FILL-OUT (ALTERNATIVE: SHORT WORDS)

boy, do they hate this one; employ sparingly

__ Christmas Eve Timo and __ to go to bed A

early. We were supposed to do all the Santa Claus AS

stuff because our little sister Kate still thinks that AT

there is __ bearded guy who brings gifts to AT

FOR
children. Our parents also wanted us __ go to bed
FOR
early __ they could start putting gifts under the
HAD
tree.
HAD

While we were changing __ our pajamas, I could IN

tell that there was something that Timo wanted to INTO

tell me. But I kept quiet and waited for him __ LIKE
LOT
start talking. __ usual, it didn't take long. But __
OF
he said was a __ more interesting. He told me he
ON
knew what I was getting __ Christmas. He said he
SO
__ seen my present in the garage earlier that day.
THE

__ first I didn't believe him. "What were you TO

doing in the garage?" I asked. He didn't say TO

WHAT
anything __ a while. It sounded __ he couldn't
think __ a good lie. Then he said, "I thought
maybe they hid my present __ there. But I only
found yours. I told him to stop lying but __ the
same time I wondered if he was in fact telling __
truth.
STORIES WE TELL BEE'S KNEES ENGLISH

CZECH

If you find a way to utilize the Czech translation, good for you. I myself
prefer to work around it.

Na tdr veer jsme museli jt s Timem do postele dv.

Mli jsme dlat jako e Santa Claus existuje, protoe nae
sestika Kate si pod mysl, e existuje njak vousat pn
co nos dtem drky. Rodie chtli, abychom li spt brzo,
aby mohli zat dvat drky pod stromeek.

Zatmco jsme se pevlkali do pyama, bylo vidt, e Timo

mi chce nco ct. J jsem ale mlel a ekal jsem a sm
zane mluvit. Moc dlouho to netrvalo. To co ekl bylo ale
mnohem zajmavj. Povdl mi, e v co dostanu pod
stromeek. e pr ten den vidl mj drek v gari.

Nejdv jsem mu nevil. "Cos dlal v gari?" zeptal jsem se

ho. Chvli nic nekal. Vypadalo to, e neme pijt na
dnou dobrou le. Pak ekl, "Myslel jsem, e tam teba
schovali mj drek. Ale nael jsem jenom ten tvj." ekl
jsem mu, a pestane lht, ale pitom jsem pemlel, jestli
nhodou nek pravdu.
STORIES WE TELL BEE'S KNEES ENGLISH

Hard to believe, but there's more. The following fill-exercises can be used
as HOMEWORK or for COLLABORATIVE effort in class. Some the
students can do on their own, others will require your helpful presence.
NOTE: Obviously, you shouldn't do all of the exercises for every story.
That'd be an overkill and even you'd get bored pretty soon. Instead, pick and
choose. Keep things fresh. A different story will call for different activites
(applies overall). Whatever you do, don't become predictable.

FILL-IN
each gap represents one word, no word-length indicator (that's
negotiable, though;)
no hints are necessary, not after the students are familiar with the story
perfect for homework after telling the story for the first time

___ Christmas Eve Timo and I ___ to go to bed early. We were ___ to
do all the Santa Claus stuff because our little sister Kate still thinks that
___ is a bearded guy who brings gifts to children. Our parents also
wanted us ___ go to bed early ___ they could start ___ gifts under the
tree.

While we were ___ into our pajamas, I could ___ that there was
something that Timo wanted to tell me. But I ___ quiet and waited for
him to start talking. As ___, it didn't ___ long. But what he said was
a ___ more interesting. He told me he knew what I ___ getting for
Christmas. He said he ___ seen my present in the garage earlier that
day.

___ first I didn't believe him. "What were you doing in the garage?"
I asked. He didn't say anything for a ___. It sounded like he couldn't
think ___ a good lie. Then he said, "I thought maybe they ___ my
present in there. But I only found ___. I told him to stop ___ but at the
same time I ___ if he was in fact telling the ___.
STORIES WE TELL BEE'S KNEES ENGLISH

GAP-FILL

each gap is a grammar challenge and could represent any number of

words
there are occasional hints and word separations to make things a little
easier for the poor kids
a great way to explain grammar in class: analyze/compare options
and alternatives for each gap

__ Christmas Eve Timo and I had to go to bed early. We ___

[s]______ to do all the Santa Claus stuff because our little sister
Kate still thinks that ____ __ __ bearded guy ___ ____ gifts to
children. Our parents also wanted __ __ __ to bed early __ ___
they could start _____ gifts under the tree.

[W]___[e] we were changing ____ our pajamas, I [c]__ [t]__ that

there was something ___ Timo wanted to tell me. But I kept quiet
and waited __ __ __ start talking. ___ [u]___, it didn't take long.
But ____ he said was a __ ___ interesting. He told me he _____
what I __ ____ for Christmas. He said he __ ____ my present in
the garage [e]______ that day.

__ ___ I didn't believe him. "What ___ __ ____ in the garage?"

I asked. He didn't say anything for a [w]___. It sounded like he
couldn't ____ __ a good lie. Then he said, "I thought maybe they
[h]___ my present in there. But I only found [y]____. I told him
to stop lying but ___ the same time I ______[ed] if he was in fact
____ the _______.