STORYTELLING 2010
- 1. Putting Down the Book Why storytelling can be an effective tool in the teaching of English Kevin Walker 10 th March 2010 CEP “Luisa Revuelta” de Córdoba
- 2. So, who am I?
- 8. The Three Dolls Listen out for the English word used in the story that best fits these:- A person under the rule of a monarch or government. ____ Someone who gives considered thought to a situation and then gives a recommendation. __________ A jester or clown. ________ An unexpected development in the plot of a story. _______
- 9. Why stories? Stories help with the meanings of language and not just the study of language Stories give the experience of a river of flowing and sustained language use, as opposed to conversational turn taking in which the learner experiences only short bursts of language Stories are captivating and personal and will “grab” children.
- 10. Reading a story is good. You don’t have to learn them, you are sure that the English is correct and you are using the author’s choice of words. Telling allows us to adapt the story to the listeners and gives us opportunities to mime actions and words more readily, use artefacts and make contact with the listeners
- 11. Eric Maddern….“It has also been observed that the act of storytelling raises the language level of the storyteller. As a result storytellers display a confidence and power that is not present in their other uses of language. Storytelling is therefore an effective way of improving oral fluency. It is good for teachers and children.”
- 12. Choosing a Story To begin with use short stories….well known or from life.
- 13. A good story should include:- An inviting beginning that gets straight into the action. A clear and well developed plot. A problem, dilemma or conflict that comes in early and creates suspense. A few believable, though perhaps unusual, characters. Plenty of action building to a climax.
- 14. Incidents related in word pictures that evoke vivid images in the listener’s mind An edge of excitement, which can include many emotions, fear or sadness. Pleasing sounds, repeated phrases and rhythms which can involve the audience. An ending- perhaps surprising- which resolves the story in a satisfying way.
- 15. The most important criterion is that you like the story and want to tell it.
- 16. Where to tell stories and what stories.
- 17. For enjoyment
- 18. Workbooks
- 19. Curriculum areas
- 20. Art
- 22. History
- 23. Science
- 24. Mathematics
- 25. Geography
- 26. Computer Studies
- 27. Social Skills
- 28. Real life
- 29. Becoming a teller of stories. Be yourself; tell in your own style. As there are many styles of teaching, so there are many styles of telling. Don’t learn the story word for word. However, for some stories, there may be key phrases, rhymes and good descriptions that you may have to learn.
- 30. It takes time to make a story your own but you will get quicker at this. Some people learn a story best visualizing it as a series of moving pictures in their imaginations. Others listen to the story on a recording and concentrate on the sound and rhythm of the language. Others might like to write the story down, sometimes in a simple outline. All these methods have their value and can, of course, be used in combination.
- 31. Grasping the plot. Obviously the first step is to read the story several times. Decide on what you like about the story that you want to convey to your audience – its humour, sense of wonder, magical strangeness, the way it moves you, its beauty or wisdom. Language teachers must not destroy the story or the student’s engagement in the storytelling and listening by an over enthusiasm for the language teaching potential of the story! Become familiar with its basic construction, how it builds to a climax and resolves in the ending.
- 32. Seeing the story. Get to know the people and settings of the story by imagining them in as much detail as possible. This can be done by closing your eyes and visualizing a scene from the story, using all the senses to make it alive and real. For characters, notice the clothes, the way they move, their facial expressions and the way they talk. Only when you can see the story vividly yourself can you make your audience see it.
- 33. Timing. You will become aware of what words to emphasize, where to pause, where to speed up and slow down. Don’t be afraid to pause. Practicing the story and playing with the voice. It is good to try out the story out loud, to yourself, a friend or record it and listen. Play with your voice using different volumes, pitch, breathing and speed.
- 34. Movement and gestures. When telling a story you will probably find yourself making gestures. Painting hand pictures in the air can add considerably to the enjoyment of the story and the understanding of the vocabulary – but beware of being distracting. Some storytellers move their bodies a great deal in their telling to add drama, others are very still, and both can be effective.
- 35. Objects and sounds. Sometimes objects can add interest and understanding to a story. Music and sounds can be effective too but these can also be a distraction to language learners.
- 36. You have to think of three things to make your telling of a story to language learners more effective:-
- 37. Before ……your readiness. When to tell….as an introduction/consolidation/conclusion? Vocabulary
- 38. During ……checking for understanding.
- 39. After …….. follow-up .
- 40. To be continued …
- 41. Children as Tellers Eric Maddern…..”It has also been observed that the act of storytelling raises the language level of the storyteller. As a result storytellers display a confidence and power that is not present in their other uses of language. Storytelling is therefore an effective way of improving oral fluency. It is good for teachers and children.”
- 42. Audience The students need some reason for telling their stories:- Each other Younger children “ TV” or theatre An event
- 43. Well known stories Re-telling a story Re-setting a story Telling the story from a different view…a character in the story/someone watching the story.
- 44. Activities to encourage story making.
- 45. Puppets
- 46. Bags and boxes
- 48. Masks
- 49. Hats and clothes
- 50. Bag of artefacts
- 53. Useful addresses Email: [email protected] Kevin Walker www.cuentacuentos.eu International storytelling site based in Spain. www.SfS.org.uk The Society for Storytelling …..a British site. www.story-lovers.com Story Lovers World …(scroll down to “SOS searching for stories”)
- 54. Useful addresses www.timshepperd.co.uk A personal site but good for resources. www.mythfolklore.net www.surlalunefairytales.com 1660 fairy tales.
- 55. … and they all lived happily ever after… The End