Description
This presentation is sponsored by McGraw Hill Education.
What if language classrooms borrowed science education's approach to inquiry and storytelling? This session applies principles from content-integrated and inquiry-based learning — reimagined for language teaching — showing how storytelling structures can transform abstract language input into meaningful, memorable narratives. Participants explore practical techniques to help learners engage as active thinkers and communicators, connecting classroom content to the wider theme of local voice, global impact.
Abstract section 2: Contribution/research questions
This practice-oriented session addresses the question: How can language teachers harness the power of storytelling and inquiry to create more engaging and effective classrooms? Participants will explore how content-integrated structures and narrative frameworks can be adapted for language teaching, transforming passive input into active meaning-making. The session offers concrete techniques for designing lessons where students are not just recipients of language but active thinkers and storytellers in their own right.
Abstract section 1: Relevance
Content-integrated learning and inquiry-based approaches have demonstrated strong outcomes in science and subject-area education, yet their application to language classrooms remains underexplored. Research in narrative learning suggests that storytelling is one of the most powerful tools for making abstract content meaningful and memorable (Bruner, 1990). When applied to language teaching, these principles offer a compelling pathway to deeper engagement and authentic communication. This session draws on these evidence-based approaches to propose a practical framework for language educators looking to move beyond transmission-based instruction.
Abstract section 3: Content/method
The session opens by examining how inquiry-based learning and storytelling function in science education contexts before exploring their transferability to language classrooms. Participants are introduced to a practical framework for designing content-rich, narrative-driven language lessons. Illustrative examples drawn from K–12 contexts demonstrate how these techniques look in practice. Guided discussion encourages participants to consider how storytelling structures can be adapted to their own teaching contexts and student needs.
Abstract section 4: Outcomes/results
Participants will leave with practical techniques for designing language lessons that use storytelling and inquiry structures to promote deeper thinking and authentic communication. They will gain a framework for integrating content-rich narratives into their classrooms, moving students from passive language reception toward active engagement as thinkers and communicators. The session will also equip participants with strategies for connecting classroom content to students' real-world experiences, fostering the confidence to use English meaningfully both locally and globally.
| Title | Sparking Thinking Through Content and Storytelling |
|---|---|
| Teaching Context | General |