“Anabel was sitting in the kitchen, listening to the radio. Normally she loved singing, but the song playing at that moment was making her feel sad. She looked at the clock and saw that it was almost dinner time. She went to the fridge and looked inside, wondering what to cook that night. As she started cooking, she heard the doorbell. She went to the front door, opened it and almost collapsed.”

How old is Anabel?

What was she wearing?

Describe Anabel’s kitchen : What colour are the walls? What furniture is there?

What song was playing?

Why was it making Anabel sad?

What time was it?

What did Ana decide to cook?

Who was at the front door?

Why did Anabel react that way?

Explain to the students that you’re going to read them a story and you want them to imagine the scene. Read the story slowly, to give students time to “see” it in their heads. Then, when you’ve finished, ask individual students the questions.

This activity comes from a workshop I attended run by Jane Arnold, who I’ve mentioned in previous blog entries. It’s another fantastic exercise which allows students to express their ideas and for which there are no correct answers. It gives them the opportunity to develop the story further and as a writing activity, you could give them the basic story, into which they can incorporate their ideas.