Storytelling as a teaching strategy in the language classroom

1. Storytelling as a teaching strategy in the language classroom A Focus on Listening, Speaking, Reading, Writing and Vocabulary acquisition. By: Patience AdjahoeKarlsson 12th January 2013

2. Over View of Workshop • Introduction • Why Mother Tongue Education (MTE)? • Why Storytelling? • Storytelling to enhance Listening Skills • Storytelling- Speaking Skills • Storytelling- Reading • Storytelling-Writing • Storytelling-Vocabulary Acquisition • Conclusion

3. Introduction • My Background- Ghana and thesis • My interest in Storytelling • A strong believe in the method-storytelling • Me and Moðurmálskóli • Expectations of Workshop: Interactive • Short breaks-Exercises • We would have fun • Can always contact and/or invite me for further workshop if needed-through Kriselle

4. Why Mother Tongue Education • Why we should we teach mother tongue? • Research show that; • Children with strong foundation in their mother tongue tend to do better in the later years of their education • MTE-Inclusion of guided transition from learning through MTE to learning through another language • Cultural and Ethnic Identity • How? • Teaching/Learning-entirely in child’s home language • Build fluency in MTE- Introduce oral (storytelling) in L2 (e.g. English or Icelandic depending on the children’s ability) • Build oral fluency in L2. Introduce literacy in L2 • Use both L1 and L2 for life long learning

5. Why Storytelling? • Is part of who we are • Means of passing knowledge, skills and information since beginning of time • Stories important in mother tongue-culturally based • Children(if not all humans) enjoy listening and telling to stories • They are familiar with narrative conventions • They can make predictions about what will happen next (hence enhancing on their thinking & imaginative ability).

6. Why Storytelling? Cont. • Ideal introduction to the Pilipino-as it will help present the language in a familiar (e.g. Icelandic) and memorable context. • Stories are very motivating, challenging and great fun for children. • They can help develop positive attitudes towards the language, the culture and language learning on a whole” • Autonomous and involves all aspects of Multiple Intelligence • Fun- helpful

7. Things to consider • Practice-tell your colleagues, friends, co-teachers stories. • Notice the reactions of others to your stories-keep eye contact to gauge the impact of your stories • Relevancy of story • Stories must have a beginning, middle and end. • Use pros, sounds and visual tools • Consider the age group of your storytelling class and select suitable theme. • Access the needs of specific age group and plan accordingly • Give explanation &structure to children- reading materials, hand-outs to adults • Teach storytelling techniques • Give constructive feedback

8. Enhancing Listening Skills through Storytelling • Listening to stories helps children become aware of the rhythm, intonation and pronunciation of language. • Sharing of social experience-it provokes a shared response of laughter, sadness, excitement and anticipation which is not only enjoyable but can help to build up the child’s confidence and encourage social and emotional development. • Teaching learning aids: Audio tapes, internet, books (with pictures),slides or just a story • Beneficial to sit in a circle (enhances social interaction). • If telling- clear voice, suitable gestures, music and dance.

9. Storytelling-Speaking Skills • Dialog-Different voices for different characters • Use voice to create atmosphere or tension as the story progress • Use gestures and facial expression so children can visualise • Pacing-Involve volume and rate of speaking • Repetition and Exaggeration- • Teach children the techniques.

10. Storytelling-Speaking cont. • Introduce lesson by telling about your self and encourage children to do same • Let each child then introduce the next person sitting beside him/her • Tell a story as a group • 1st person starts…… • Break for Practice

11. Storytelling-Reading • Gather children in a circle around you(or chair). Close to each other (for better eye contact) • Can place title on a board for children to see the written word • To set children to thinking mode, begin story with a question (e.g. Have you ever tasted food from other country, how did you dis/like it?). As they answer, encourage them to listen to others answers (communication and listening-aha!). Try to use all the senses in a story. • Encourage them to listen to the story, e.g. about what happened to Ananse

12. Storytelling -Reading • Use home-based books.(Big books are better) • Use communication skills like expression, phrasing, fluency, facial expression, emphasis of voice so children cam imitate when retelling the story. • Break??????

13. Storytelling-Writing • Brainstorming activities. • Beginning- • Catch the reader’s attention • • Make the opening dramatic • • Make the reader want to read on • • Take the reader straight into the story • Middle • Keep the action going, develop the characters and story line. • End- • Draw all the threads of the story together • Resolve any conflict within the story • Complete the telling of events Picture writing could be excellent way for younger children

14. Storytelling-Vocabulary Acquisition • Take children for a walk within the school premises • Let them observe and write down anything they see (if can’t write in L1, write in L2 then) • Back in the classroom- Let them tell what they saw, in what mode was what they saw? • Write vocabulary on board. • If possible make a vocabulary folder with pictures of items saw and their names

15. Conclusion • Storytelling can touch on all skills in language development • It fun, creative and very effective • Involves the use of the whole body (MI) • Holistic teaching method • Storytelling method provides huge space for fantasy and creativity. • All language skills, functions and structures may be taught by stories. • Storytelling method is an important teaching technique. Stories guide a human for his or her whole life and use them when the human learn his or her mother tongue. Consequently it is natural to learn a language with the help of stories.