Sauve ́ (2005) cautioned against tr

Sauve ́ (2005) cautioned against trivializing learners’ personal experiences by treating the sharing of stories as just another learning technique. While there are clear benefits to integrating learners’ personal stories in the L2 classroom, Norton (2000) identified examples of learners for whom the use of the personal was less successful. Some of the participants in her study did not engage in the activity and their failure to do so was made evident through their failure to listen to their classmates’ stories. Norton further asserted that teachers must be wary of ‘commodifying multicul- tural histories’ (p. 144). Having students prepare presentations on their histories is not the same as building a storied classroom. Learner storytell- ing, with no reflection on the intended purpose, process, and curriculum outcomes, is an abdication of the instructor’s role in the L2 classroom (Norton, 2000; see also Auerbach, 2000; Underhill, 1989). Moskowitz (1978) suggested that a merely superficial use of personal stories can, in fact, become impersonal if learners share only ‘factual, superficial data’ with one another (p. 15).