ABSTRACT
This is a report on research and development of story cards for ELT based on Jungian archetypes, and testing demonstrating improvement in narrative writing versus textbook and PowerPoint taught groups. Improvement may be due to seven ways English language teaching metaphorical associative cards (ELTMAC) games can benefit English language learning: Jungian researchers finding improved language memory in tests with archetypal metaphorical associative cards is corroborated. The cards are scalable to learner level; the 59 cards can be named with the most frequent English words. Recent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies support Jung’s claim that archetypes are universal neural structures; ELTMAC therefore transcends intercultural boundaries and accesses language parts of the brain. The cards are based on fairytale, i.e. European folklore; as both English and fairytales originating in the Bronze Age Indo-European dispersal, the game imparts cultural competence via Whorfian synergy. Story helps us understand ourselves; hence ELTMAC develops L2 identity. Fairytale confronts the realities of life, allowing meaningfulness to reemerge in ELT classrooms where commercial or social-political forces are censoring it. And, narrative card games are adaptable to broad uses.
