Eltam journal no 2 8th eltam iatefl tesol international biannual conference managing teaching and learning

Why Using Storytelling in Class? 
“Storytelling involves imagination and the use of language and gestures to create scenes in the 
mind of the listener”.Jeff Gere (A storytelling activist). 
Storytelling is an excellent method of sharing experiences in order to make sense of our world 
right here and now. Stories 
build kinship, allow a glimpse into other people’s lives and perhaps 
let us see ourselves in the story. Storytelling provides a non-threatening way to ease students 
into learning. Itraises country faithfulness and loyalty. Storytelling can embody the values of 
self-.discipline. It also encourages learnersto explore their unique expressiveness and 
heightens
a learner’s ability to communicate thoughts and feelings in an articulate and lucid 
manner. Storytelling can remind children that spoken words are powerful, that listening is 
important, and clear communication between people is an art. It creates a common bond linking 
past to present, present to future, and person to person, regardless of ethnic origin. These 
benefits exceed the art experience to support daily life skills. Storytelling is a skill that can 
improve all language skills. Donald Davis, a noted storyteller, teaches storytelling asa bridge 
b
etween a child’s ‘first language’ (gestures and speech) and ‘second language’ (writing). 
Rosen (1986) enumerates several factors about the universality of narrative that deserve 
consideration:
(1) human beings dream and speak to themselves in narrative (inner narrative speech), (2) a 
basic form of narrative is not only telling but also retelling, and 
(3) narrative is oral in the sense that an individual can engage with it fully without encountering 
it in written form. Storytelling, probably the oldest form of narrative in the world, is not the 
same as reading aloud, because in storytelling, the interaction between teller and listener is 
immediate, personal, active, and direct. Preece (1987), George and Schaer (1986) investigated 
the effects of three mediums for presenting literature to children and discovered that storytelling 
and dramatization were significantly more effective in facilitating recall of prose content than 
was television. These findings indicated that storytelling is an achievable method for activating 
children's imaginations, finally leading to a higher cognitive level in student 
acknowledgements. Reinehr (1987) claimed ways to use mythic literature to teach children 
about themselves and to help them write and develop their own stories and legends. For very 
young children, the sequencing of events or the shaping of stories may be difficult, as children 
tend to ramble. However, sharing stories can give youngsters more of a "sense of story" an 
awareness that can help them in both reading and writing (Kempter, 1986; Trabasso Van Den 
Broek, 1985 & Tray, 1985).
Perhaps storytelling's greatest value for a teacher is its effectiveness in promoting and 
stimulating a relaxed and pleasant atmosphere in the classroom. Scott (1985) explains that 
storytelling can:
(1) introduce children to a range of story experiences;

---

23 
(2) provide young students with models of story patterns, themes, characters, and incidents to 
help them in their own writing, oral language, and thinking; 
(3) nurture and encourage a sense of humor in children;
(4) help put children's own words in perspective;
(5) increase knowledge and understanding of other places, races, and beliefs;
(6) introduce new ideas and be used to question established concepts without threat to the 
individual;
(7) lead to discussions that are far ranging and often more satisfying than those arising from 
formal lessons; and
(8) serve as the most painless way of teaching children to listen, to concentrate, and to follow 
the thread and logic of an argument. 
It is obvious that through storytelling young learners can develop:

A comprehension of human nature.

An understanding of feelings and emotions.

An awareness of the role characteristics people adopt.

A comprehension of sequence of events.

Language skills (Reading, vocabulary, grammar, word order and pronunciation).

Their attention span and their capacity to listen.

Their capacity to follow instructions.

Their ability to co-operate, collaborate and co-exist effectively with others; and

An appreciation of various concepts. 
It is beneficial to use storytelling in class because it stimulates fantasy elements and creativity 
offering escape from reality (Good and Brophy, 1994 & Dörnyei, 2001), promotes pair/group 
interaction (Good and Brophy, ibid), arouses curiosity and attention (Dörnyei, ibid), induces 
interest and suspense (Good and Brophy, ibid) by speculating or predicting about the content 
of the story, engages the learners in challenging and motivating tasks (Dörnyei, ibid), offers the 
learners opportunities for discussions concerning controversial issues promoting all four 
language skills (Good and Brophy, ibid & Dörnyei, ibid), entertains learners and keeps them 
interested in many different ways by offering them exciting content, interesting characters and 
tension. 
Children love stories and puppets. Storytelling and puppetry are two universal, traditional art 
forms that have featured strongly in all cultures as effective communication tools. They are also 
great tools to send a message or teach a moral. Important messages can be so skillfully 
conducted through storytelling and puppetry, as the listeners are so charmed by the magic 
images the storyteller paints before their eyes. Finally, Storytelling and puppetry are great 
educational and teaching tools for teachers who wish to touch the sensitive hearts of the young 

---

24 
learners, to teach them ethics, morals and to convey messages about the highest principles and 
virtues in life.