B1 Lesson 20: Telling a Story + Creativity

WARM UP

Think about creativity and solving problems.

• Do you consider yourself a creative person? Why?
• What helps you get into a good mood to work or study?
• Have you ever found a creative way to solve a problem?
• Do you prefer familiar ideas or completely new ones?
• Have you ever seen a strange invention that was actually useful?

Answer in full sentences.

VOCABULARY – CREATIVITY & INNOVATION

• efficient – eficiente
Example: We need a more efficient way to complete the project.

• familiar – familiar / conocido
Example: The design looked familiar, but I couldn't remember where I had seen it before.

• expect – esperar
Example: I didn't expect the idea to be so successful.

• strange – extraño
Example: At first, the invention seemed strange.

• mood – estado de ánimo
Example: Music can improve your mood while working.

• solve – resolver
Example: The team worked together to solve the problem.

Say each word out loud.
Think about situations where innovation helped people.

GRAMMAR – TELLING A STORY

These expressions help organise events in a story and make your speaking more natural.

• First of all
• Next
• All of a sudden
• A while later
• Luckily
• In the end

Examples

• First of all, we discussed the problem.
• Next, we shared our ideas.
• All of a sudden, someone suggested a brilliant solution.
• A while later, we tested the new idea.
• Luckily, everything worked perfectly.
• In the end, we solved the problem.

More Examples

• First of all, the team identified the issue.
• Next, they designed a more efficient process.
• All of a sudden, a strange idea appeared.
• A while later, they realised the idea could work.
• Luckily, the results were excellent.
• In the end, the company adopted the solution.

DIALOGUE – A CREATIVE SOLUTION

Anna: How did your team solve the problem?

Mark: First of all, we analysed the situation carefully.

Anna: What happened next?

Mark: We discussed several ideas. All of a sudden, one colleague suggested something unusual.

Anna: Was it a good idea?

Mark: At first, it seemed strange, but a while later we realised it was very efficient.

Anna: That's great.

Mark: Yes. Luckily, it worked, and in the end, we solved the issue.

Read again and practise.

SHORT ARTICLE

Last month, our company faced a difficult challenge. We needed to find a more efficient way to manage customer requests. First of all, the team met to discuss the situation. Everyone shared ideas, but nothing seemed particularly exciting. Next, we reviewed several examples from other companies. Most of the solutions looked familiar, and we didn't expect them to help us very much. Then, all of a sudden, a colleague proposed a strange idea involving artificial intelligence. A while later, we tested the system and discovered that it could solve many problems automatically. Luckily, the results were excellent. In the end, the company adopted the new system, and customer satisfaction improved significantly. The success also put everyone in a positive mood.

Read the article twice. Focus on the story sequencing expressions.

LANGUAGE SUPPORT

Beginning a story

• First of all, we discussed the problem.
• Next, we looked for solutions.

Unexpected events

• All of a sudden, something changed.
• A while later, we understood the situation better.

Ending a story

• Luckily, nobody was hurt.
• In the end, everything worked out well.

Creativity expressions

• an efficient solution
• a familiar idea
• a strange invention
• solve a problem
• improve your mood

Full sentence model

• First of all, we identified the problem, and in the end, we found an efficient way to solve it.

PERSONAL QUESTIONS

Answer in full sentences.

• What puts you in a good mood when you need to work?
• Have you ever had to solve a difficult problem at work or school?
• What is the most efficient habit you have developed?
• Do you prefer familiar routines or new experiences? Why?
• Have you ever had a strange idea that turned out to be successful?
• Tell me about a time when something happened all of a sudden.
• Have you ever been surprised because something didn't happen as you expected?
• What happened to you recently that ended well in the end?
• Do creative people solve problems differently? Why?
• What innovation do you think has changed people's lives the most?

HOMEWORK (WRITE & RECORD)

Writing

Write a short story of 8–10 sentences.

• Use all 6 story expressions:
• First of all
• Next
• All of a sudden
• A while later
• Luckily
• In the end

• Use at least 6 vocabulary words from the lesson.

Recording

Read your story aloud clearly.

Focus on pausing naturally after each story expression and emphasising the sequence of events.