Fostering Multilingual Creativity through Story-Making and Drama
written by Federica Cazzaro, PYP English Language Support
The “Story Making” after school club has been engaging students from Year 1 to Year 3 in an imaginative journey. This club not only aimed to provide a fun and enriching experience but also served as an innovative learning environment, nurturing creativity through storytelling, drama, and artistic expression. This club reflected not only my passion for languages but also my belief in the power of art, music, and theatre in education, and it has been a great opportunity for the children to explore, create, and dream beyond linguistic boundaries.
Students were invited to invent their own stories complete with characters, settings, and plots. The chosen stories were then narrated by a storyteller, accompanied by genre-specific background music. We used interactive digital games, such as those provided by the British Council’s “Story Maker” series which served as foundational tools, especially for those at the early stages of language acquisition who were still developing their reading skills.
In addition, the “Style Hero” game helped the children expand vocabulary and design new characters, offering a playful and engaging approach to language learning.
After the third session, the children were divided into smaller teams according to their selected story genres, and they crafted and wrote their own illustrated tales with magazine collages and drawings.
The club sessions involved interactive storytelling games, where each participant contributed a piece to the unfolding story. This collaborative approach encouraged teamwork and cooperation, ensuring all students, irrespective of language abilities, felt valued and free to express themselves, building their confidence in articulating ideas.
Taking it a step further, as a final project, the children decided to bring their stories to life: they handcrafted costumes and puppet shows to act out and present their stories to the other members of the club.
Recognizing that not all the children could speak English fluently, the program ensured that all participants could actively engage regardless of their fluency level by creating a learning environment that transcended language barriers.
Through drama activities, students not only practiced language skills but also developed emotional intelligence and empathy as they inhabited different characters and explored diverse narratives. The use of music and art further enhanced the sensory experience, making language learning more immersive and memorable.
About the author:
Federica Cazzaro was born and raised in Venice but her deep passion for languages and new cultures led her to explore different countries. After graduating in Translation and Interpreting studies in 2015, she completed a Master of Arts in Pedagogy and Theatre at the University of Bologna. She’s been teaching English, Spanish and Italian in Italy, Spain and India. Federica enjoys cooking, running and spending time outdoors. She also loves singing and she’s been performing with a Gospel-Pop choir for 5 years as a contralto.
