This paper is developed on the utilization of storytelling as a technique in teaching speaking in English as a Foreign Language. The idea lies on the assumption that storytelling will provide students with opportunity to improve their speaking skill, in particular, to present their ideas and knowledge in the spoken language. The writer has engaged this technique a few times in his teaching and found it interesting to his students as they always enthusiastically attended the class whenever they were doing storytelling.
Introduction
Storytelling is an old-age tradition that has existed since the dawn of time in every culture. It exists in many forms: the traditional tale around a campfire, fable, anecdote, legend, in the classroom, on the radio, television, movies, in the pages of books, end even now in hypertext form on the web.
Storytelling means many things to many people. It can be entertainment, a way of passing on a culture’s history, or a way of teaching to both the young and the old. It is something that must be experienced and tried before we can fully understand it. More than anything else, storytelling is actually an art that anyone can participate in. Realizing or not, we are all storytellers (Shepperd, 1996)
Originally, stories are to share and to tell. Sharing and telling stories require people to speak. It is common to us that we know some stories since they are easy to grasp and remain relatively longer in our mind. When we tell stories, we show our willingness to be vulnerable, to expose our deepest feelings, and our values (Baker and Greene, 1987). Enjoying a story together creates a common experience and if the storytelling is properly done, it will create relaxed and restful feelings.
Regardless of where we are from, we all grew up learning timeless stories. We heard them from our parents, our elders and our peers. They were told to us as part of our culture. We will probably forget the details of the stories that we have ever heard, but not the images. The images of the stories may hint us in retelling them and visualize them in our mind.
Strategies of Telling Stories
To tell a story, we have to consider several aspects, such as atmosphere, voice, expression, and timing (Chan, 1987).
Atmosphere can make or break a storytelling period. In classroom context, teachers have to make sure that it is quiet, secluded, and that there will be no interruptions during the telling. Besides, teachers should make students seated comfortably. For example, they may arrange the seat in semi-circle, so that the student who tells the story will take position at the center. In addition, it is also possible to bring students outside classroom; having a circle seat under a tree, or in the school yard. The important thing is that teachers should create a relaxed atmosphere.
In terms of voice, students might need to consider some points, such as speaking simply, quietly, and directly. They should use sufficient volume to be heard easily and they should be careful with enunciation. Another thing is that they should use low and pleasing tone quality.
Facial expression interprets the mood of the story. It means that the students should know what they want to say, express what they feel, and think what they mean. In addition, students should be as natural as possible in doing the telling. Timing is no less important. In this stage, students have to be aware of pausing, changing the speed and the pitch, vary the emphasis, and building up to climax.
Besides the four aspects, another important thing is how to end the story. To end the story, students are expected not to distract from climax. They should not suggest another story and point up a moral. What they need to do is ending the story with assurance.
Storytelling as a Technique in Teaching Speaking
There are several ways or techniques that we may use to make students actively speak in class, namely: conversing, explaining, interviewing, problem-solving, telephoning, explaining, demonstrating, describing, and telling stories. Storytelling itself is regarded as a new way in teaching speaking (Bailey and Savage, 1994)
Pellowski (1990) defined storytelling as the entire context of a moment when oral narration of stories in verse or in prose, is performed or led by one person before a live audience. The narration may be spoken, chanted, or sung, with or without musical, pictorial, or other accompaniment. It may be learned from oral, printed or recorded sources. From this definition, we may specify the storytelling in the context of language teaching as the narration of any kind of stories performed by students in front of the class by means of training them to speak in the language they are learning.
It may invite a question on how storytelling can be used by teachers as a technique of teaching speaking, since it is usually done in natural way outside the classroom. At this concern, the writer proposes some techniques or procedures of using storytelling in classroom environment, namely: supplied-content story, clued story, endless story, and collaborative story
Supplied-Content Story
The writer names this technique as ‘supplied-content’ story, since the content of the story that students will tell is provided by teachers. It is the task of teachers to provide stories appropriate to the students. The students’ part may be one or two sentences, or even one or two paragraphs. It may vary; depending on the students’ ability.
Teachers may provide stories by writing their own stories, or modifying the existing ones. It is suggested that in providing the story, teachers take into account the age of the students. Generally, younger children enjoy stories with plot and action. Teenagers like stories with more humor and interplay with characters (Chan, p.5).
The teaching procedure of this technique is as shown in the following:
Preparation
Two or three days
(Provide stories for students to read and learn at home. Explain that they are about to retell the stories in the next meeting)
Time
10-15 minutes
Resources
Short story, fable, legend, or folktale
Medium
None
Procedures
1. Let students have a last look at the stories (Approx. 5 minutes)
2. Point a student to begin the story. If possible, ask who will be the pioneer to do the telling.
3. Have the other students to pay attention to their friend telling the story. (This is to ensure that they attend and know exactly in what part their friend ends his turn).
4. Have the others to continue the story. (Remember not to spend most of the time. So, if the students get stuck, let him / her finish his / her turn).
5. When the story is finished (Approx. 10 minutes), have a five-minute discussion on the story as reinforcement.
Clued Story
This technique provides some clues for students to tell a story. The clues may be some words, phrases, pictures, or charts. In other words, we have to set the scene of the story. If possible, teachers may include the characters involved in the story when they are providing the clues. The students, then follow the frame to do the telling.
Another way of doing clued story is by giving students two or three archetypal characters and having them tell the story by using the characters provided. It is also possible to have students prepare cards with various characters, setting, and plot. The cards, then, are placed in boxes that are labeled “character”, “setting”, and “plot”. After that, we may have students choose a card from each box and make up a story incorporating various ideas (Hamilton and Weiss, 1990).
Details of the teaching procedure is as shown in the following:
Preparation
Approx. 5 minutes
Time
10-15 minutes
Resources
None
Medium
Clues: Story map, charts (cue cards), pictorial outline
Procedures
1. Provide students with clues; either cards, charts, or pictures.
2. Have the students learn the clues.
3. After 5 minutes, they successively tell stories based on the given clues.
4. Help them to pattern the true plot of the story if they go along with wrong direction.
5. Have a brief discussion. Let them debate the plot of the story.
6. Conclude the story.
Endless Story
In endless story, the students are free to tell the stories to whatever direction they prefer. The procedure is simple. First, point one of the students to begin his / her story. After that, the student may point out another student to continue the story. At this stage, the student who is pointed out, has to begin his story by continuing the previous story told by the first student. After certain extent, he or she may direct the story to whatever he or she wants. Then, it is the turn of another student.
Details of the teaching procedure is as shown in the following:
Preparation
None
Time
10-15 minutes
Resources
None
Medium
None
Procedures
1. Have a student to tell his or her own story.
2. The next student should continue the story. (This is in terms of picking up some ideas of the previous story. After that, he or she may lead the story on his or her own).
3. Have the rest of them do the same procedure.
Collaborative story
In writing, we can make students collaborate to produce a “piece” of writing (Battersby, 1995). At this concern, this idea is adapted to the speaking class, particularly in storytelling activities. Students are expected to work together in group or in pair to make up their own story. They may successively present it to the class. Each student within a group, for example, has his or her own part to tell to the class. If this is not possible, they may point a student in their group to tell the stories.
Details of the procedure are as follows:
Preparation
Two or three days
Time
10-15 minutes
Resources
Student’s story
Medium
None
Procedures
1. Form students in group of four or five. (This is to be done two or three days prior to the time of presentation).
2. Instruct each group to create a story of their own.
3. At the presentation, each group presents their story. (Each member of the group will be taking part).
4. Have the class discuss the presented stories. (If possible, each group has the copy of other’s story).
Reflections
The nature of storytelling is that it mainly takes place in the public or in the society, either in the form of festival, sharing stories, or family stories. This idea is brought into classroom environment. The implication is that we do not merely adopt this technique and implement it, but we have to adapt certain characteristics in order to meet the needs of classroom. For example, from theories we find that storytelling is mainly for children. The writer, then, needs to adjust this idea in order that it is also applicable to students of high school, or even college students.
Despite the students’ enthusiasm in doing the telling and the promising response to the activities, we need a more comprehensible study on this subject.
References
Bailey, Kathleen & Savage, Lance. (1994) . New Ways in Teaching Speaking. California: TESOL, Inc.
Baker, Augusta & Greene, Ellin., (1987) Storytelling: Art and Technique (second edition), New York & London: R.R. Browker Company.
Battersby, Alan (1995). Collaborative Writing for Intermediate and Upper-intermediate Learners. Modern English Teacher, 4 (20), 29-52.
Chan, Aline G., (1987). The Art of Storyteller. (http://www.skypoint.com/members/srtobin/document/storytel.html).
Dougall, Carolyn B., (1996). Helping Students Create Their Own Stories. TESOL Journal, 5, (4), p.28.
Hamilton, M & Weiss M. (1990).Children Tell Stories: A Teaching Guide. New York: R.C.Owen Publishers Inc,.
Pellowski, Anne. (1990). The World of Storytelling (Expanded and Revised Edition). New York: Wilson Company.
Shepperd, Tim. (1996). Storytelling: Frequently Asked Questions. (http://www.lilliput.co.uk/faq.html).
