A

merican mythologist and teacher

Joseph Campbell (1904-1987) told a

story about a colleague who was lec-

turing on the Hindu concept of maya,

that the world is like a bubble or an illusion.
Following class, a student came up to the profes-
sor to express her reservations about the idea.
"But maya, I don't get it-it doesn't speak to
me."

And so it is with stories. A fairy tale is a prop-
er story for children, but for adults, some
changes may be necessary to make the tale
enjoyable as in "The Princess and the Bowling
Ball," which is featured on our cover.

For different ages, different stories apply. The
maya myth for the university student had no
reality because the world as she knew it was a
place to learn from and deal with. But for those
who have lived long enough to have lost loved
ones and the landmarks (both physical and
mental) that give one bearings, the concept of
the world as an ephemeral bubble seems quite
real indeed.

This issue of the Forum is a celebration of

story. As Pedersen notes in the lead article,

"Storytelling is the original form of teaching."

Great teachers like Plato, Confucius, and Jesus

Christ used stories to connect with their listen-

ers. In the foreign language classroom, story-

telling can provide a foundation for acquisition

as well as serve as a vehicle for language output.

Stories also offer a cultural experience with fairy

tales dressing timeless, universal fantasies in

national garb, and more contemporary stories

mirroring personal experiences in a particular

societal context. Different story genres will

appeal to different audiences, some being

attracted to autobiographical narrative and oth-

ers preferring the imaginative realms that we

have represented in this issue on our Idiom

pages.

L

The use of stories to provide comprehensible

input is treated in the articles by Pedersen,

McGuire, Stockwell, and Malkina. They discuss

various procedures that teachers can use to make

stories more accessible to their students. A

teacher's style of presentation, questioning tech-

niques, use of imagery-gestures or illustrations

accompanying a written text, or exploitation of

story grammar as described in Malkina, facilitate

the process by which a student makes meaning

out of a story.

Two creative ways to use stories to enhance

EFL students' productive use of the language are

presented in Hines and Amtzis. Using "Story

Theater," Hines mobilizes a class to stage its own

production of a short story. Besides rendering a

dramatic portrayal of a selected story, the stu-

dents are responsible for obtaining appropriate

props and determining special effects. The

approach is eminently successful (I have seen

Hines use this approach with teachers in

Thailand) and connects with the whole person

of the learner. Amtzis draws upon stories to give

his students practice in narrative writing. In the

spirit of Lawrence Durell's Alexandria Quartet,

students retell a story from the perspective of its

different characters. Through roleplay and a

series of tasks set down by the teacher, students

become acquainted with the structure underly-

ing short fiction (cf. Malkina's story grammar)

and begin writing stories of their own.

We tell stories to come to terms with the

world. The stories provide a perspective to

understand what has transpired in the past and

what is happening in the present. Stories can

also help us come to terms with language.

Caught up in the characters, aroused by the plot,

EFL students can be energized through story-

telling and make connections with English. This

issue of Forum gives you the resources for stories

to work their magic.

—TJK

Storytelling

and the Art of Teaching

E. Martin Pedersen Universitá di Messina, Italy

Storytelling is the original form of teaching. There are still societies in which it is the only form of teaching. Though attempts have been made to imitate or up

date it, like the electronic storytelling of television, live oral storytelling will never go out of fashion. A simple narrative will always be the cornerstone of the art of teaching.

In dealing with stories, learners have an experience with the powerful real language of personal communication, not the usual “teacherese" of the foreign-language classroom. Colloquial or literary, unaffected or flowery-the full range of language is present in stories. Oral stories develop listening skills in a unique way. The listeners benefit from observing nonpolished speech created on-the-spot.

While listening to stories, children develop a sense of structure that will later help them to understand the more complex stories of literature. In fact, stories

are the oldest form of literature.

Through traditional tales, people express their values, fears, hopes, and dreams. Oral stories are a direct expression of a literary and cultural heritage; and through them that heritage is appreciated, understood, and kept alive.

Stories in the affective realm

Through a story, listeners experience a vicarious feeling for the past and a oneness with various cultures of the present as they gain insight into the motives and patterns of human behavior. However, many storytellers feel that cognitive enrichment is not the primary aim of their art. Stories have numerous affective benefits for social and emotional development. A story session is a time to share

feelings. A relaxed, happy relationship between storyteller and listener is established, drawing them together and building mutual confidence. Stories help children to know themselves and to know others so they can cope with the psychological problems of growing up. As Augusta

Baker and Ellin Greene (1977:17) assert, Storytelling brings to the listeners heightened awareness-a sense of

wonder, of mystery, of reverence for life. This nurturing of the spirit-self comes first. It is the primary purpose

of storytelling, and all other uses and effects are secondary.

Storytelling is also a living art. Like music and dance, it is brought to life in performance. A story will be altered by the storyteller's background: his/her choice of setting and detail, and the rapport established with the audience. The storyteller's building materials are words, sounds, and language patterns. The tools are the voice, face, and hands. The product is the creation of a shared human ex

perience based on words and imagination.

Storytelling is an individual art, and an imposed method or ready-to-use plan will prove inadequate. Beginning storytellers must go beyond the rules. They must know their personal strengths and develop their own unique style. As master storyteller Ruth Sawyer (1951:26) puts it, "The art of storytelling lies within the storyteller, to be searched for, drawn out, made to grow."

Selection

Selection requires an ability to evaluate stories and to discriminate between those that meet your learners' needs and those that do not.

1. Read, read, read. Although learning stories directly from other storytellers is the traditional method, you will learn most stories from books. Wide reading gives authority to your telling. Read all types of traditional stories and literary fairy tales, modern tales, picture-books, action stories, romances, fantasies, juvenile fiction, nonfiction, and biographies, etc. Read different versions of the same story.

2. Choose stories you like. You can only effectively tell the stories that you

feel comfortable with and which have meaning for you. Choose stories that you can tell-beginners should tend towards folk tales for their simplicity of structure and language, and shy away from complex literary tales.

3. Choose stories appropriate for your learners. Find stories they will like, and that match their age and language level. Fairy and folk takes, which blend fantasy and reality, and use repetitive language, are good for beginners. Contemporary

stories which treat problems of personal identity with more elaborate language are better suited for more advanced learners.

4. Choose stories with a simple structure. Look for a single, clearly defined theme, a well-developed sequential plot, a consistent style, standardized characterization (except perhaps for the protagonist), conflict resolution, dramatic appeal, unity, interesting subject matter, and strong emotional content. Avoid stories with long explanations or descriptions, flashbacks, subplots, and other literary devices that break the flow of a story.

5. Choose stories with positive values. I prefer to tell stories that implicitly express joy, compassion, humor, resourcefulness, and other positive aspects of human nature. On the other hand, psychologists tell us not to be excessively concerned about violence, fear, anger, hatred, lying, etc., in stories.

6. Study the story's background. Know something of the cultural, social and historical background of the story and the

country of its origin. If you can't put the

story in context, and its contents are not universal, consider choosing another.

7. Test your selection. Final selection is done through trial, ultimately through the positive or negative reactions you get from your audience.

Preparation (prevents forgetting and flopping)

1. Learn the story. Learning the story means to make the story your own. Read it from beginning to end several times. Read it out loud. Master the structure of

the story: the beginning (introduction of characters), the body (building of conflict), and the climax (resolution of conflict). Visualize the succession of scenes. Work on creating sensual setting and character descriptions. Note unusual expressions, word patterns, rhymes, and dialog.

2. Outline the story. Storytellers agree that memorizing word for word is not useful. Learn a story incident by incident, and prepare notes that will help you remember this structure. Typed skeleton outlines stick in the minds of visual learners. Cue card outlines are also useful

in preparation and storage of tales, but should not be used in telling.

3. Control the story's length. Long stories can be simplified or serialized, but not excessively modified or censored. Time yourself during practice. A "story hour" should probably include a mixture of activities: reading storybooks, listening to story tapes, reciting poetry, singing songs, playing games, etc. besides the oral story itself.

4. Control the story's vocabulary. A rich vocabulary, with carefully chosen adjectives and adverbs, gives color and texture to the telling. However, you need to be comfortable with your use of language and not try too hard to get things "right" or the story will come out flat and nervous. Don't worry if the listeners don't already know every word; guessing is part of language learning.

5. Refine your storytelling style. Tell the story aloud to listen to your voice— your instrument-which you can exercise, train, and even change. A pause and

dropped voice are often more effective

than shouting. Take poetic passages slowly; report conversation at natural speed; tell narration more rapidly, building toward the climax.

6. Practice, practice, practice. Practice

aloud to yourself, your family or friends. You could practice on audio or even video tape. Practice in front of a mirror to eliminate poor gestures and facial expressions. Some say practice makes storytelling artificial and studied, but it is essential to the beginner.

7. Relax before telling. Warm up as the situation allows with breathing, stretching, and vocal exercises.

Presentation

A story should be presented in a way that emphasizes the "what" of the story and not the "how" of the telling.

1. Start on the right foot. The beginning introduces the characters, sets the scene, establishes the mood, defines the conflict or predicament of the protagonist, and arouses pleasurable anticipation. Then the narrative carries the action. It is sometimes essential for comprehension, before beginning a tale, to make some background comments on

Don't worry if the listeners don't know every word; guessing is part of language learning.