PTT 4/1 December 1995 index
In recent years more and more has been written on the use of stories with language learners, especially children. Andrew Wright is a name which springs to mind immediately in relation to this field but he is certainly not alone. I became convinced of their benefits as a teaching tool after developing an elective course for our fast track course at the Pedagogical Faculty in Plzen. As it was a literature option we covered some content-type meterial (What makes a fable a fable, what are the ingredients of a fairy tale ?) but a priority was for the students to practise their language skills through participation as much as possible. We therefore ended up with a language class, a content course [ with minimal lecturing however] and also some methodology thrown in for good measure.
Aren't stories just for use with children? I definitely don't think so and here are my 5 main reasons why not.
1) Why use fables, myths and fairy tales in the language classroom ?
With thoughtful adaptation these stories are suitable for use with all ages and all levels. Even teenagers who feel they have outgrown fairy-tales can appreciate updated versions or discuss the deeper levels of meaning within the tales or compare similar stories from various cultures. I have found with my Czech students that none of them seem to have lost the appreciation of fairy tales.
They are suitable not just with children beginning English but older learners too. Language can need grading since the language in typical story books can be rather flowery or poetic. Combined with visual aids lower levels can cope with fables and fairy tales in particular since there is an element of familiarity of format, plot and character types from similar stories in their mother tongue. If you start with Cinderella for example you have common point from where to begin since it is said that there are 700 versions of this well-known little rags-to-riches saga world-wide.
2) Why focus on fables, myths and fairy tales?
If you build up a stock of stories they can be adapted and re-used in many different ways You can become 'au fait' with a core of stories and utilise activities relevant to the level of your learners.
Stories are only going to be interesting if they are based on a topic of interest to the pupils or students. Trying to find material which suits as least the majority of the class can be problematic and I have been pleasantly surprised, as I mentioned, by the appeal they hold for my Czech students Indeed they seem to have such a wide appeal and even magic, that their use is an opportunity not to be missed.
3) Why not exploit the story-teller inside each of us?
With a little encouragement even the apparently shiest seem to find a voice through stories. It is not so hard to find the actor in us, especially those aiming to become teachers, who have a little of the performer within us.
We can use this most profitable in practising pronunciation and fluency skills in particular. We have all seen students who simply need to practise speaking to improve their fluency but seem stuck for what to talk about. The story telling circle seems to break down their shyness barrier and also call on the fund of material within their heads from childhood.
4) Do the students feel they are taking a content based course only or alternatively something childish?
I certainly hope not. I feel that my students have learnt not only considered why there are so many flood stories in the basic mythology of so many cultures around the world but that they themselves used all their language skills to gain that information.
For example I provided various versions of flood stories from different cultures [including Noah and his ark] and asked students to read through and pick out the most important features and then teach their newly formed groups what they had discovered. Discussion of creation mythology proved a fruitful base for discussion as has the key features of fairy tales and their relation to modern life.
5) Where do I get all the materials from?
There are three main sources. The first is you. Most of us grew up on a diet of stories and in some cultures this is much stronger than in others. If you have no new glossy books start with those in your head
The second is the students. Use the stories that students bring to class in their heads. A most enjoyable activity I have found in simply putting students into small groups and asking them to jointly choose a well-known fairy tale and jointly put it together ins much detail as possible. This usually ends up in much discussion, if not heated debate, as to what really happened.
To sum up, imagination is your main tool. But if you do not feel very imaginative all is not lost. because ,thirdly, there are of course story books. All you need is the idea for the tale so it does not matter which language you access it from. There are several great books full of ideas how to approach the use of stories in the classroom.
The points above apply to the English language classroom in general but in addition I have particularly found great value in using them with would-be-teachers. Why use them with teacher trainers?
a) Trainees can collect a store of stories and example activities which we have tried ourselves in class. which they can then try later in their classes. I have asked students to keep a notebook throughout the course. Completion of a satisfactory collection of stories together with clear explanations of activities are one part of the assessment criteria for the course I have run.
b) The updated versions of some stories are not only amusing but can act as a springboard for discussion of certain classroom issues such as selection criteria for materials for young learners, or sexism and stereotyping {Why is the princess so often beautiful and totally passive and the prince adventurous, bold and handsome? How often is it that the princess saves the prince for a change ? Are children influenced by roles of the characters they read about, if so should we offer them alternatives or is fantasy a world best left alone?
c) When students reach their language classroom they find they need to read aloud and not all find they have the confidence in their own ability to make this a pleasant experience for them. As latest of pronunciation it has lost favour with many teachers. However the teacher training field is one where this technique should perhaps not be shunned. Reading aloud without a purpose can indeed be very tedious and few of us need to do it in our everyday lives. Story-telling is the most obvious use of this skill which like any other needs practice, by native speakers too, and students seem happy to do this.
Story telling is fun. My students listen to a story in a way I have not witnessed in any other lesson. The enthusiasm with which I see them trying to recount a tale to classmates without the inhibitions often encountered elsewhere is , for me, reason enough to carry on using them in as many ways as possible. I hope you find the magic of stories in your classrooms too.
Finally I would like to provide a list of some useful sources for stories and also activities.
Cohen, M. 1989. The Puffin Book of Fabulous Fables. Puffin. (A world-wide collection)
Crossley-Holland, K. 1991. Tales from Europe. BBC.
Horowitz, A. 1985. Myths and Legends. Kingfisher Books.
Jordan, M. 1993. Myths of the World. A Thematic Encyclopedia. Kyle Cathie Ltd. (A reference book - a fund of useful material for higher level classes)
Luke, D. (Trans) 1982. Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm. Selected Tales. Penguin.
Brown, S. 1992. Focus on European Fairy Tales. Macmillan (Interesting snippets of information about the origins and significance of some of the most well-known fairy tales plus activities for their use).
2) Updated stories:
Dahl, R. 1984. Roald Dahl's Revolting Rhymes. Picture Puffins. (for children of all ages 6- 60 ! Very amusing but help may be needed with language if used with lower levels]
Munsch, R N. 1980. The Paper Bag Princess. Scholastic. (young children's' level)
Ross,T. 1993 Tony Ross' Fairy Tales. Random House (Highly recommended - cassette also available - reading by Michael Horden]
3) The how and why of stories:
Brown, S. 1992. Focus on European Fairy Tales. Macmillan
Ellis, G & Brewster, J. 1991. The Story Telling Handbook for Primary Teachers. (See note below)
Harwood, R. Twice Told Tales. In: Forum. Vol XXVII/3.
Howe, A & Johnson, J. 1992. Common Bonds. Storytelling in the Classroom. Hodder and Stoughton.
Morgan, J & Rinvolucri, M. 1983. Once Upon a Time. CUP. {Highly recommended - packed with great activities]
JET Vol. 3 No.3, Issue 9 , May 1993 - special story issue.
(Ellis & Brewster was reviewed in the PTT 2/1, February 1994, pp.60/61. See also, on nursery rhymes for teaching young children, PTT 3/2, May 1995, pp. 17-21 - ED.)
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