One of the justifications for the use of storytelling in the classroom is its global nature as an activity. Students are not restricted to a narrow range of potential language as can happen with grammar-focused coursebook activities. There is the opportunity to draw upon all areas of their previous knowledge of the language as well as to experiment with new forms. It is our ability to make metaphorical connections that allow us to learn anything at all. When something new is like something we've done before, we take what we know from the first situation and transfer our knowledge to the new situation.
Metaphor instills the learning of content or process on a very subtle, often subconscious level.
When the subconscious is activated or accessed, the material enters the mind with no resistance. As a result, metaphors can affect dramatic change in an individual. If you can tell a story rather than read it, this leaves your hands free to gesture, allows you to make eye contact with your audience and to calibrate for their responses. The re-telling can be written or spoken. Cut up the stories into paragraphs for the students working in groups to re-order.