{"id":46954,"date":"2016-02-11T04:23:19","date_gmt":"2016-02-11T09:23:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/?p=46954"},"modified":"2025-02-09T07:02:52","modified_gmt":"2025-02-09T12:02:52","slug":"short-stories-for-esl-students","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/educator-english\/short-stories-for-esl-students\/","title":{"rendered":"17 Short Stories in English for ESL Students"},"content":{"rendered":"

Short stories strike the perfect balance of challenging, engaging and rewarding for language students, giving them a break from formal learning while still bringing English to life.<\/p>\n

Reading short stories also builds on the foundation of many ESL skills, including reading<\/a>, writing<\/a>, grammar, listening and discussion.<\/p>\n

Have a look at the list below to see which short stories you can incorporate into your lesson plans.<\/p>\n

[fluentu-toc]<\/p>\n

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1.\u00a0\u201cThe Gift of the Magi\u201d<\/a><\/strong> \"the<\/h2>\n

In \u201cThe Gift of the Magi\u201d by O. Henry, a\u00a0married couple figures out how\u00a0to get\u00a0each other Christmas presents despite having no money.<\/p>\n

As your students are reading, talk about how much the characters care for each other, considering what they are willing to give up for the other.<\/p>\n

The story is full of rich descriptions you can use to teach descriptive writing or even the use of adjectives. At the end of the story, talk about the idea of irony\u2014because the couple finds out their gifts are useless because they both can\u2019t use the present they gave to each other.<\/p>\n

2.\u00a0\u201cThe Monkey\u2019s Paw\u201d<\/a>\"the<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h2>\n

In \u201cThe Monkey\u2019s Paw\u201d by W.W. Jacobs, a\u00a0man receives a monkey\u2019s paw and it promises five wishes, though it comes at a price.<\/p>\n

As you read through the story, talk about how someone\u2019s words can be twisted or misinterpreted, as when the son comes back to life but is no longer the same man.<\/p>\n

\u201cBe careful what you wish for\u201d is a fitting saying to introduce with this story, and having\u00a0your students think about their priorities in life (and why) is a great follow-up activity.<\/p>\n

3. \u201cMrs. Packletide\u2019s Tiger\u201d<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0<\/h2>\n

In \u201cMrs. Packletide\u2019s Tiger\u201d by Saki, Mrs. Packletide plans on shooting a tiger, and it dies in an unexpected way\u2014resulting in a story that is perfect for teaching satire.<\/p>\n

It is also a great opportunity to talk about jealousy and whether or not you should do something just to show off. The rich descriptions of the characters and the ways the villagers behave can be used in a lesson to talk about character sketches.<\/p>\n

4. \u201cThe Tell-tale Heart\u201d\"the<\/a><\/strong><\/h2>\n

In\u00a0\u201cThe Tell-tale Heart\u201d by Edgar Allan Poe, a\u00a0man commits a murder and his guilt consumes him.<\/p>\n

As you read this story with your students, talk about how the author is creating suspense with the use of repetition and sentence choice. As you near the end of the story, talk about what the symbolism of the lantern means.<\/p>\n

You can also use this story to teach how verbs can be used to set the tone of a story. The phrase \u201copen the door stealthily\u201d is a great one that Poe uses a lot, for example.<\/p>\n

5. “How Anansi Brought Wild Animals into the World”<\/a><\/h2>\n

This short story brings a bit of West African folklore to your classroom. It is about following directions, which Anansi, the anti-hero of the story is not the best at.\u00a0<\/p>\n

“How Anansi Brought Wild Animals into the World” is perfect for all ages and, although it may seem like a children’s story, even your more advanced-level students may find a word or two that they may not recognize.<\/p>\n

There are also a few essential phrasal verbs in this short story you can utilize for further practice and reinforcement activities.<\/p>\n

6. \u201cThe Door in the Wall\u201d<\/a><\/strong> \"the<\/h2>\n

\u201cThe Door in the Wall\u201d by Marguerite de Angeli is a\u00a0story about a young boy who wants to become a knight during the bubonic plague.<\/p>\n

You can use it to teach character analysis, following how Robin changes throughout the story. It’s also a great way to teach about using colorful descriptions instead of simple words.<\/p>\n

For example, when the author describes blooming flowers instead of just saying \u201cthe month of May,\u201d or how the main character recognizes various characters by the way they walk.<\/p>\n

7.Kung Fu Monkey Style<\/h2>\n

“Kung Fu Monkey Style” is a mix of the animal kingdom and human amenities that will get your students’ imaginations flowing.<\/p>\n

It offers dialogue, presents wonderful adjectives and develops new vocabulary and also offers a bit of humor and fun to your students.\u00a0<\/p>\n

You can ask your students questions and explore with them how this may differ from their own culture. This will open up cross-cultural communication that will allow your students to explain their lives and culture in English.\u00a0<\/p>\n

8. \u201cA Haunted House\u201d<\/a><\/strong> \"a<\/h2>\n

\u201cA Haunted House\u201d by Virginia Woolf is a story about a woman and her husband who live among ghosts in their house.<\/p>\n

As your class reads the story, have them note the idea of the couple\u2019s treasure symbolizing love.<\/p>\n

The words \u201cit\u201d and \u201chere\u201d are quite important, and you can note their\u00a0repetition to discuss why the author emphasized those words, and what they\u00a0could be referring to.<\/p>\n

9. “Fenris the Wolf”<\/a><\/h2>\n

“Fenris the Wolf” is a powerful Norse myth about Fenris, a wolf that tormented the Norse gods. The gods and Fenris often battle with one another due to Fenris’ cunning skills.\u00a0<\/p>\n

This short story is told in a compelling way and offers a bit of mystery and a feel of the unknown as your students read it. You can use this mystery and employ a group writing activity to further your students’ ESL skills in regards to the story.<\/p>\n

10. “The Remarkable Rocket”\"the<\/a><\/h2>\n

“The Remarkable Rocket” is a great short story that encompasses classical literature from the famous author Oscar Wilde.<\/p>\n

The story itself is a metaphor for ego and boasting, which are two character traits you can explain to your students before beginning.<\/p>\n

This short story is also loaded with dialogue and descriptive wording that will surely spark imagination in your students.<\/p>\n

11. “Robin Hood And The Golden Arrow”\"robin<\/a><\/h2>\n

“Robin Hood And The Golden Arrow” is an educational tale of Robin Hood. Some of your ESL students may have some form of knowledge about Robin Hood already and this is a perfect place to begin this lesson.<\/p>\n

Open up the floor for discussion about Robin Hood and evoke discussion in your classroom. After a bit of discussion, move into reading and listening.<\/p>\n

You can employ a bit of ethical English thought into this short story lesson and ask your students if Robin Hood is a bad guy or a good guy. What makes him good or bad?<\/p>\n

12. \u201cThe Gingerbread Man\u201d<\/a><\/h2>\n

\u201cThe Gingerbread Man\u201d\u00a0 is a timeless classic that dates back to around 1875. There have been several variations and versions of the story since its first publication and it remains a wonderful ESL reading tool.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s exceptionally short and very easy to read and understand as your students flip from one page to the next. The plot isn\u2019t very difficult to get: The main character, the gingerbread man, runs and runs throughout most of the story.\u00a0<\/p>\n

One skill that you can strive to build using this short story is simple verb conjugation, as most of the verbs here are in the past simple. You could also\u00a0identify parts of speech.\u00a0<\/p>\n

13. “The Elves and the Shoemaker”<\/a><\/h2>\n

“The Elves and the Shoemaker” is a Brothers Grimm tale that is timeless, ageless and wonderful for all ESL levels.\u00a0<\/p>\n

This exceptional Christmas-themed short story offers a plethora of wonderful new vocabulary your students will find very useful. Though it is a short story about fantasy and elves, the vocabulary is anything but simplistic.<\/p>\n

To build on the reading of the short story, you can employ a crossword worksheet to really solidify the new vocabulary.<\/p>\n

14. \u201cThe Californian\u2019s Tale\u201d\"the<\/a><\/h2>\n

“The Californian’s Tale” by Mark Twain is a more complex short story about gold prospectors and miners during the California Gold Rush days.<\/p>\n

There are several literary notes to point out during your lesson. The first would be the shifts of mood and changes of scene that occur within the story. Ask your students what they think of the twist at the end.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Start students off with this abridged, simplified version<\/a>, and for advanced students, move them to the longer, original version after. There are also great audio versions<\/a> of this short story.\u00a0<\/p>\n

15. \u201cDo You Speak English?\u201d<\/a>\"esl<\/a><\/h2>\n

\u201cDo You Speak English?\u201d by Simon Collins highlights some funny aspects of what it\u2019s like to be in another country looking for someone who speaks your language.\u00a0<\/p>\n

It also depicts some key cultural differences between people from different places in the world. The plot is easy to follow and the nice flow helps students become really engaged with the story.<\/p>\n

You can do thoughtful, communication-based activities, letting your students predict what will happen next in the story.<\/p>\n

16. \u201cJeremy and the Magic Lobster\u201d<\/a>\"esl<\/a><\/h2>\n

\u201cJeremy and the Magic Lobster\u201d by Matthew Licht is about a boy who finds a talking lobster in his mother\u2019s groceries.<\/p>\n

The lobster has a funny sense of humor and pleads to be released from the inevitable cooking pot awaiting him.\u00a0It has aspects of a children\u2019s story with enough humor to be enjoyable for young adults and adults.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The dialogue is an important element of the story, often being where much of the plot is unveiled. There are also great descriptive sentences and funny phrases like \u201cGet me out of this jam.”\u00a0<\/p>\n

17. Paul Bunyan Stories<\/a><\/h2>\n

Paul Bunyan is a legendary figure who was rumored to be a real person, a larger-than-life logger from the northeastern area of the United States and Canada.\u00a0<\/p>\n

There are several Paul Bunyan stories such as \u201cRound River Drive,\u201d \u201cPaul Bunyan Tames the Whistling River\u201d and, the most famous of them all, \u201cBabe the Blue Ox.\u201d The short stories vary in length and each one has a different theme, usually involving Paul Bunyan doing something amazing.<\/p>\n

This is a great chance to introduce certain expressions\u00a0and\u00a0idioms, like \u201cknee-deep\u201d and \u201cteeny-tiny,\u201d as they appear with great descriptive force in the stories.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Essential ESL Skills Short Stories Bring to Your Classroom<\/h2>\n

Short stories serve a wealth of ESL skills. Instead of focusing on just one aspect of English, short stories connect various essential ESL skills together in an almost seamless way. You can utilize short stories in your classroom to cover almost every aspect of English.<\/p>\n