Storyboard That is software that easily allows anyone to make storyboards or comics. It is an excellent educational tool whether you're teaching art, history, or language. As an ENL teacher, I find Storyboard That particularly useful for teaching English. It's an interactive, fun, and visual way to teach students grammatical concepts, vocabulary, reading and comprehension, and more!
In fact, I have used it to teach students ranging from age six to 50+ at various levels from beginner to advanced. I've compiled a list of reasons I think you should too if you're an English teacher of any kind.
1. It’s Free at the Basic Level
The software is free to use at the most basic level though you can pay a monthly subscription to get access to more features. The main features include three or six cell storyboards with a classic storyboard layout and thousands illustrations. The pricing chart provides a list of the features included with each different subscription.
2. Free Trial
Storyboard That offers a free trial for 14 days if you need help deciding whether a paid subscription is right for you. While it seems like a short period, it's standard for digital subscriptions, and it's enough time to try it out and decide if it's worth it for you to upgrade. There's even teaching guides and activities to make planning assignments quick and easy! You can test the features of a paid option in your classroom and with your students before investing. Bonus: no credit card required!
3. An Educational Subscription Option
The free option is good enough for basic use, but there are three other options: Personal, Team or Business, and Educational. Obviously, the Educational subscription is best for teachers and educators; it starts at USD 8.99 per month. This package includes multiple users, up to 100 cells per storyboard, privacy and security, rubric integration, an administrative dashboard, and more. You can also access and download pre-made storyboards and a variety of other resources.
4. It’s Digital
While I have taught English in person, I currently teach online via platforms such as Skype and Zoom. The fact that this resource is digital is a huge plus for me because I can share my screen with students and we can view and edit storyboards together. There is an option to download the images and convert to a PowerPoint as well as view it as a slideshow, meaning storyboards can be presented in a classroom via a projector. It's also possible to print the storyboards and view them on paper in any setting.
5. Fun, Interactive, Visual & Easy to Use
Most importantly, Storyboard That offers a visual, interactive way to teach English. When learning more complicated ideas and meanings, students can see the imagery as well as the facial expressions, which provides a visual context that complements a verbal explanation. Being able to see depictions of words is a more effective means of learning and understanding new vocabulary. Students can associate the actual object with the word rather than just a translation of the word.
There are countless ways in which Storyboard That can be used to teach ENL . The website alone offers several suggestions and even includes pre made ENL Activities for teachers. You can explore and experiment with the software to discover how you can best use it to teach your students, but I have listed a few specific ways that I use it.
Grammar & Vocabulary Activities
New Words
Storyboards are very effective for teaching students new vocabulary. You can create more detailed storyboards for advanced students using a variety of new vocabulary, or you can make very basic storyboards with only a few new vocabulary words. It's not even necessary to tell a story with every storyboard you create; you can just take advantage of the thousands of pictures, scenes, characters, and colors to illustrate each new word, as I have in the examples below. The images reinforce the meaning of the new word and help students associate the word with an actual depiction of what it is.
Confusing Words & Words With Multiple Meanings
English is known for its many confusing words—those that can be used in a variety of ways, those with multiple meanings, those that sound the same but have different meanings, etc. Storyboards are a great way to show students the differences in use, meaning, and spelling of these words. For example, many students are confused by look, see, watch; they are all related to sight, but a story or image can clarify the subtle differences in meaning and usage. For words with multiple definitions, a story or even just a few images can illustrate the different meanings, as well as how and when each can be used.
Onomatopoeia
I have created storyboards specifically to teach onomatopoeia. The example above demonstrates how a storyboard can communicate onomatopoeia, as well as why and how they're used. Instead of giving a verbal explanation, a storyboard shows how and in which scenarios these words are typically used—no more trying to think of examples on the spot!
Prepositions
I have created storyboards that focus on specific prepositions, which seem to be one of the more difficult parts of English for ENL students. When teaching prepositions with Storyboard That, it’s not necessary to always tell a story - especially with lower level students - as this takes away from the focus on prepositions. See my example below of a simple storyboard focusing on prepositions of place.
Reading & Comprehension
Reading
While the text in storyboards is usually limited, it still provides excellent opportunities for students to practice reading. In fact, storyboards can be more interesting, exciting, and interactive than reading a novel or passage from a website. Since they are just like comics, they include pictures and tell a story, which makes it more fun and engaging for students.
Comprehension
Storyboard That’s visual component aids students in understanding what they just read. This is especially helpful for students who struggle to comprehend reading passages, as they can use the images to see what is happening and to infer the meaning of the text.
Storytelling & Writing
Telling a Story & Writing
Students can read the storyboards you have already created, and through doing this, they can learn how to tell stories. But Storyboard That can be used in an even more interactive way—the students can create their own stories or finish stories that have been started. These activities teach students how to tell or continue a narrative in a logical, chronological way. They can also practice their English writing. Additionally, students can learn language around culture by creating stories about their own culture and reading or contributing to stories about other cultures.
Themes & Morals
For more advanced students, Storyboard That can be used to discuss themes and morals. You can ask your students to identify the main theme(s) and moral(s) of the story. Focusing on a specific theme is also a better way to teach more abstract ideas and difficult expressions.
You can find ideas and storyboards that have been started online to help you begin. If you use Storyboard That to teach ENL already, how do you use it?
How to Strengthen Grammar and Sentence Structure Skills with Storyboards in ESL Instruction
Identify Targeted Grammar and Sentence Structure Skills
Determine the specific grammar and sentence structure skills that need strengthening in your ESL instruction, such as verb tenses, word order, or sentence connectors.
Create Storyboard Activities
Develop engaging storyboard activities that focus on the targeted grammar and sentence structure skills. Use visual cues, dialogue, and captions to provide opportunities for ESL students to practice and apply the skills in a meaningful context.
Integrate Language Input
Provide ESL students with explicit language input related to the grammar and sentence structure skills being practiced. Explain the rules, provide examples, and offer clarifications as needed.
Scaffold Language Production
Support ESL students in producing grammatically correct sentences by providing sentence starters, model sentences, and vocabulary lists. Encourage them to use appropriate grammar structures and sentence patterns in their storyboard creations.
Peer Collaboration and Feedback
Promote peer collaboration by having ESL students work in pairs or small groups to discuss and review each other's storyboards. Encourage them to provide constructive feedback on grammar and sentence structure usage, and offer guidance and support as needed.
Reflect and Reinforce
Engage ESL students in reflection activities where they analyze their own storyboard creations and identify areas for improvement in grammar and sentence structure. Provide reinforcement through additional practice activities, targeted mini-lessons, or individualized feedback to help them strengthen their skills further.
Frequently Asked Questions about Using Storyboard That to Teach ENL
Why is storyboarding useful for teaching ENL?
Storyboarding is useful for ENL teachers and can help learners in different ways. First, it provides a visual and interactive way to teach English language skills, which can be particularly helpful for learners who are still developing their language proficiency. Second, storyboarding allows teachers to create structured activities that can help learners practice using new vocabulary and grammar structures in a creative and engaging way. Third, storyboarding can help learners develop their critical thinking and problem-solving skills by asking them to analyze, interpret, and synthesize information. Finally, storyboarding can be used to promote cultural understanding and foster a sense of community and mutual respect among learners from diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds.
What types of ENL topics can be taught and activities can be incorporated into lessons using storyboarding?
Storyboarding can be used to teach a wide range of ENL topics and can be incorporated into lessons in various ways. Here are some examples of ENL topics and activities that can be taught using storyboarding:
- Vocabulary Building: Storyboarding can be used to teach new vocabulary words in a visual and interactive way. For example, teachers can ask learners to create storyboards that illustrate new vocabulary words or phrases in context.
- Grammar Practice: Storyboarding can be used to teach and practice grammar structures in a creative way. For example, teachers can ask learners to create storyboards that use specific grammar structures, such as conditional sentences or phrasal verbs.
- Reading Comprehension: Storyboarding can be used to help learners better understand and retain information from texts. For example, teachers can ask learners to create storyboards that summarize a passage or retell a story.
- Writing Skills: Storyboarding can be used to help learners plan and organize their writing. For example, teachers can ask learners to create storyboards that outline the structure of an essay or story.
- Cultural Understanding: Storyboarding can be used to teach learners about different cultures and traditions. For example, teachers can ask learners to create storyboards that illustrate cultural practices or events from their own culture or from other cultures.
Can storyboarding be adapted for use at all levels of ENL instruction?
Yes, storyboarding can be adapted for use in all levels of ENL instruction. Here are some examples of how storyboarding can be adapted for different levels of proficiency:
- Beginner Level: For beginners, storyboarding can be used to teach basic vocabulary and sentence structures. Teachers can ask learners to create storyboards that illustrate simple sentences or phrases using images and keywords.
- Intermediate Level: For intermediate learners, storyboarding can be used to practice more complex grammar structures and vocabulary. Teachers can ask learners to create storyboards that use idioms or phrasal verbs, or to summarize longer passages of text.
- Advanced Level: For advanced learners, storyboarding can be used to help develop critical thinking and analysis skills. Teachers can ask learners to create storyboards that analyze and compare different texts, or to present arguments and opinions on a particular topic.
- Mixed Level: For mixed-level classes, storyboarding can be adapted by providing different levels of prompts or support. For example, teachers can provide more structured prompts for beginners and more open-ended prompts for advanced learners, or they can assign group projects where learners with different levels of proficiency can work together to create a storyboard.
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