ALL LEVELS
General Instructions
1. Students will perform individually. The story idea may be taken from another source, but must be told by the student in his/her own words and within his/her own range of language ability. Teachers may help with grammatical correctness, vocabulary, and expression.
2. The story is NOT to be read nor are notes to be used.
3. The story should be between 2-3 minutes in length (a penalty may be assessed if much longer).
4. Students will be judged on pronunciation and projection, ability to put over humor (punch lines) effectively, conformity to time limit, and general communicative effectiveness. There will be no questions from the judges.
SUGGESTIONS:
Textbooks and readers are replete with humorous stories that students can simplify and retell in their own words. “Selecciones del reader’s digest” is another good source. Some humorous stories commonly told in English can even be adapted to Spanish.
Example:
The old story of the teacher preparing her students for a visit by a school official who will talk to them in Spanish. The teacher primes a student to answer anticipated question in the following sequence:
1. How old are you? 14 years
2. How long have you studied Spanish? 2 years
3. Which do you like most, conversation or grammar? Both
Of course, the official asks the questions in another sequence:
1. How long have you studied Spanish? 14 years
2. How old are you? 2 years
3. Either you are taking me for a fool or you’re pulling my leg! Both
Obviously this is just an idea. The students may elaborate or vary any way desired within the framework of 2-3 minutes.