In the UK it is National Storytelling week from 26th January to 2nd February. The week is a celebration of storytelling, which has been introduced to increase awareness of the ‘oldest art form’ in the world, an art form which is a part of our universal human history.
The week aims to promote the practice of oral storytelling, and around the UK there will be a number of storytelling events at venues including: schools, libraries, museums, hospitals and bookshops. As people, we frequently engage with stories, both telling and listening to them, for it is a form of communication where we can learn about each other and satisfy our curiosity. In Shakespeare’s The Tempest, Alonso implores, “I long to hear the story of your life, which must captivate the ear strangely.” As educators, we often choose to engage with stories in our teaching, aware of the huge value they have for learning.
Stimulate our imaginations
Stories are, after all, a vehicle for so much. They can entertain us, keeping us on the edge of our seats; they can stimulate our imaginations and foster our creativity; they can help our moral and intellectual development; they can enhance our cultural understanding; they can engage us in a collective and perhaps collaborative experience; and they can, of course, be used to aid language learning.
Language development
In terms of language development, stories provide learners with language-rich environments, where they can understand and infer the meaning of new language through context and through non-linguistic support, such as through images and gesture. Thus, through being told stories, the learner can develop their listening skills and develop their grammatical and lexical repertoire. Being involved in telling stories can develop a learner’s oral fluency and involves them in the construction of meaning, requiring them to select and produce appropriate language.
Life competencies
Importantly, too, is the development of ‘life competencies’ which storytelling can foster. By working together, planning and telling stories, learners can develop their collaborative skills, their ability to interact with their peers to negotiate content; they can develop their creative and critical thinking; and telling a tale gives an opportunity to really enhance their communication skills.
So, in the spirit of the week to come, we have a couple of story activities you might like to try out with your learners.
The first comes from a chapter on stories and storytelling from Activities for Very Young Learners by Herbert Puchta and Karen Elliott. It engages very young learners through the use of pictures, repetition, mime and gestures. Try the Greedy Gregg activity. The second is from Discussions and More by Penny Ur and can be used with any age group of learners. Try the Make up a story activity.
Check out Jamie Keddie’s blog on teacher-led storytelling with teenagers.