Stories and poems

Here you can find a wide range of ideas for using stories and poems in your secondary classroom. All of the materials are based on authentic texts or stories written especially for secondary learners and are designed to engage and motivate teenagers as well as develop their understanding of important themes and encourage personal, social and emotional development. Written by young learner experts from around the world, our ideas for using stories and poems are easy to use and aim to give your students the skills and confidence they need to enjoy learning English.

Choose a story or poem

A House in the Country

A House in the Country concerns a returnee, Ray, who has made enough money in London to rebuild a house in Colombo. He is helped by Siri, a young man from the country, and together they talk about building another house, in the country. This is set against the backdrop of Sri Lanka's ongoing civil war. When tragedy comes a bit too close to home, everything changes.

Visiting Time

When journalist Emma Brockes went to get material for a story about a man whose son had been murdered, little did she realise that it would result in the publication of a stunning short story called 'Visiting Time'. It is a story about revenge and accounting for actions, and has a twist that is both factual and literary, when the murderer changes from 'it' to 'him'.

Ex Poser

Ex Poser is the second in a series of short stories selected for 13 and 14 year old learners of English. It is based on another authentic short story by popular Australian children's writer Paul Jennings, the first having proved so popular.

Research and insight

Browse fascinating case studies, research papers, publications and books by researchers and ELT experts from around the world.

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