There’s a moment every language teacher knows.
You start a story. You’re excited. You’ve got the visuals, the gestures, the energy… and then you notice it: eyes drifting, side conversations, that one student staring into the void like they’re watching a documentary about paint drying.
So what’s going on?
In this episode of Growing With Proficiency, I sat down with Erica Peplinsky-Burge (Michigan World Language Teacher of the Year 2020 and 2025 Barbara Ort Smith Award winner) to talk about why stories work—and what we can do when students aren’t listening.
This conversation is equal parts neuroscience and practical teaching moves. If storytelling has ever felt like “I know it works… but not with my group,” keep reading.
Why Storytelling Works (According to the Brain)
Erica explained something fascinating: the brain runs two systems that behave like a seesaw—when one is active, the other is less active.
1) The prefrontal cortex
This is your brain’s logic and decision-making center.
It handles things like: planning, solving problems, packing a suitcase, doing math.
2) The mentalizing system
This system is all about story, relationships, identity, and meaning.
It helps us connect experiences to ourselves and to other people.
Here’s the part that matters for language teachers:
When students experience learning through the mentalizing system, retention improves.
Erica shared a study where two groups read about an imaginary person:
- Group A was told they would be tested (logic brain = prefrontal cortex).
- Group B was told they would set the person up with a friend (relationship brain = mentalizing system).
Even though both groups ended up taking the same test, Group B consistently did better.
Why? Because story + relationships activate the mentalizing system, and the brain retains more when it’s processing meaning through connection.
This is also why students can get lost in a good book for hours and not notice time passing. Their brains are “living” the story.
“But I’m Not an Entertainer…”
I loved this part of the conversation because it names what so many teachers feel.
When we hear things like “students should forget they’re in class,” it can sound like we have to become performers. But Erica made it clear: storytelling success isn’t about being theatrical.
It’s about helping students feel safe, included, and oriented in the story so their brains stay engaged.
And when the brain feels safe and connected, the affective filter drops—which makes comprehension more likely.
So the real question becomes:
How do we keep students engaged without turning storytelling into a performance?
Erica shared multiple strategies that do exactly that.
6 Brain-Friendly Strategies That Make Students Listen
1) Start with student interests (use your survey like a cheat code)
Erica uses interest surveys (Google Forms) and pulls characters and themes her students already love—books, shows, athletes, pop culture.
When students see a familiar reference (think: a favorite character on the screen), they feel seen. That emotional connection immediately increases buy-in.
Teacher takeaway:
If students are checking out, don’t change your whole approach—change the entry point. Make the character someone they already care about.
2) Listening + drawing (simple, powerful, and very telling)
One of Erica’s go-to strategies is having students listen and draw:
- on paper
- on mini whiteboards
- or as a comic strip while the story unfolds
Then she pauses, picks up a few drawings, and talks about what students created. Students love being featured—and it gives you instant feedback on comprehension.
Why it works:
Drawing keeps the brain actively processing meaning and gives students a concrete way to show comprehension without needing to speak.
Teacher takeaway:
If you want students to listen longer, give their brains something to do while they listen.
3) Student actors (and yes, this works in high school too)
Actors aren’t just for middle school. I jumped in here because high school teachers often think students will resist acting.
In my experience? They love it.
Not everyone wants a spotlight role, but everyone can be part of the scene:
- the friend group
- the family
- the crowd
- the trees
- the buildings
- the “society”
Erica also reminded us: beginners don’t have to produce language to be involved. They can act while the teacher supplies language.
I shared a strategy I use all the time: whisper the lines in chunks and have the actor repeat, which slows the language down and makes it more comprehensible for everyone.
4) Whole-class acting for fast comprehension checks
Once students know the story, Erica breaks the class into groups of four if there are four characters.
Then she rereads the story and everyone acts it out at the same time.
And the teacher can instantly see:
- who understands
- who is copying others
- who needs more support
This is a low-prep way to assess comprehension without a worksheet or quiz.
5) Prediction strategy: “probable / possible / not possible”
This one is gold for beginner levels.
At a cliffhanger moment, the teacher says a simple statement about what could happen next (example: “The boy goes into the cave.”).
Students respond by choosing:
- probable
- possible
- not possible
It’s higher-order thinking with very low language demand—and it hooks students because they now want to know: Was I right?
6) Sound Stage (sound effects storytelling)
This strategy came from Kristi Placido and it’s exactly what it sounds like.
The teacher tells a story and students add sound effects:
- birds in the morning
- footsteps
- door creaks
- storms
- dramatic moments
Erica even turns it into a group challenge later: students create sound effects in teams and “compete” for the best performance.
Why it works:
Sound effects increase attention, create novelty, and deepen memory through sensory engagement—with very little teacher prep.
Planning for the Margins (Why These Strategies Matter)
Later in the conversation, I connected Erica’s strategies to a theme that came up recently in my world in a conversation with Wesley Wood: planning for neurodivergent learners and students who process more slowly.
Because here’s the truth: in every class, we have learners who:
- need more repetitions
- need more processing time
- need more support to stay oriented
- don’t always show confusion right away
When storytelling is “just talk,” those students can end up watching everyone else for cues instead of actually understanding.
But when we use strategies like drawing, acting, predictions, and matching text to visuals, we create access points that support all learners—without watering down the story.
Erica shared a quote from Justin Silcom Bailey that I keep thinking about:
No two brains are in the exact same place at the exact same time.
That’s the heart of this work.
Why Conferences Matter (And What’s Coming at Mitten CI)
We ended our conversation talking about professional learning and community—because language teachers often feel isolated in their buildings.
Erica invited listeners to Mitten CI (April 17–18 in Michigan), featuring keynote Dr. Shetal Vora, CEO of Global Brigades, plus an incredible lineup of presenters.
I’ll be there too, presenting on something new for me: output—and how to support student interaction without forcing output, using it instead as an opportunity to provide even more input.
If you’ve never been to a conference like this, Erica described it perfectly: it fills your heart and reminds you you’re not alone.
Want to Try Storytelling This Week?
If you’re ready to test one small change, start here:
- Pick one story you already use
- Add ONE engagement layer (drawing, sound effects, predictions, acting)
- Try it for 5 minutes
You don’t need a perfect story. You need a story students can enter. And if you want a free story for your Spanish class, go to growingwithproficiency.com/casaencantada
Final Thought
If students aren’t listening, it doesn’t mean storytelling “doesn’t work.”
It usually means students need:
- clearer entry points
- more processing supports
- more interaction layers
- and a stronger connection to the story
This episode is a reminder that engagement isn’t magic. It’s design. And the best part? You can start with one small move tomorrow.
