Storytelling in Language Teaching

By:
Aeida Nurhafidzah Zahili
Habsah Mohd. Sabli
Sh Rusni Sayed Hasan
2014
Abstract
Purpose - Investigating the teachers prior knowledge on storytelling & expose
skills, techniques & build confidence in incorporating storytelling in teaching
esp. ESL through storytelling workshop.
Design/Methodology/Approach Survey among 30 workshop participants.
Findings workshop evaluation and workshop outcomes on storytelling skills,
techniques and styles.
Practical Implications Exposing teachers to skills and techniques of
storytelling in their teaching, ways to incorporate it in their teaching topics and
engage the students, so they would be more confident and instil the love of
storytelling in them and open their mind to another teaching technique that is
joyful and interesting.
Introduction
Storytelling is the art in which a teller conveys a message, truths, information,
knowledge, or wisdom to an audience of all ages in an entertaining way, using
whatever appropriate skills or techniques, to enhance the audiences enjoyment,
retention and understanding of the message conveyed.
Firstly Literature reviews
Secondly Storytelling in education in Malaysia
Thirdly Storytelling Workshop
Finally Findings & Conclusion
Fourthly Research Design &
Methodology
People are not build to memorize lists, but they remember stories.
Literature Review
Storytelling helped adults pass on wisdom, knowledge, and culture
through the generations before they were finally printed in written
form (Lockett, 2007)
A computer can tell us how many words are in a story, correct some
spelling errors, and execute other mechanical tasks but it doesn't
have a clue to what the story is about. Conversely, although children
will miscount the words and miss many spelling errors, they can
easily tell us the gist of the story and even imaginatively recount the
story in their own words,
(Barbara K. Walker, The Art of the Turkish Tale, 1990).

There are many ways to teach depending on the subject taught.
Diverse point of view, personal histories, prior experiences, and
learning styles can be used to greatly enhance teaching and
learning, (Koki, Are, & Told, 1998)
Once
upon a
time
Why tell story?
Why use storytelling techniques?
To be a person is to have a story to tell, Isak Dinesen (Danish Author)
People relate to stories, because stories are about beautiful
experiences, not just about words.
Storytelling in education in Malaysia
The differences between the international and local schools
The root of storytelling in education
Stories a r e a powe r f ul me a ns of l a ngua ge t e a c hi ng . A
s ki l l f ul t e a c he r c a n us e s t or i e s t o de ve l op mor e e f f i c i ent
l i s t e ni ng, mor e f l ue nt s pe a ki ng a nd t he a bi l i t y t o r e a d
a nd wr i t e e a s i l y a nd c ompe t e nt l y ( Ga r vi e 1 9 9 0 )
Facilitator Mr. Roger Jenkins
(Worlds Best Storyteller Kanoon, Iraq; 2013)
Sharing storytelling techniques and
skills.
- Draw and tell - Digital
- Picture puzzle - TPR & tweet
- Chain story, etc.
Research Design & Methodology
Questionaire instrument 3 sections
i. Demographic
ii. Workshop evaluation
iii. Workshop outcome
Following Krajie and Morgan (1970) proposed sampling size to
obtain the target respondents for the survey.
The reliability tests on the identified variables for this study were found to
be acceptable and reliable as the Cronbachs Alpha values for all the
variables are 0.847, and any value which is above 0.60 are acceptable and
are reliable.
Result & Discussion
Characteristics N (%)
School
Primary 18 60
Secondary 12 40
Subject
English language 29 96.7
Other 1 3.3
Years of
Teaching
Experience
< 5 years 19 63.3
5 to 10 years 1 3.3
11 to 15 years 5 16.7
16 to 20 years 2 6.7
> 20 years 3 10
Gender
Female 15 50
Male 15 50
Table 1: Respondents
Demographic Profile.
Table 2: Frequency and percentage for Workshop Evaluation I.
Item Frequency Percent
Workshop Venue is
comfortable
Agree 12 40.0
Strongly Agree 18 60.0
Total 30 100.0
Well Located Strongly disagree 2 6.7
Disagree 1 3.3
Agree 13 43.3
Strongly Agree 14 46.7
Total 30 100.0
Food and Refreshments Strongly disagree 9 30.0
Disagree 12 40.0
Agree 4 13.3
Strongly Agree 5 16.7
Total 30 100.0
Workshop Content is
Relevant
Agree 9 30.0
Strongly Agree 21 70.0
Total 30 100.0
Cont..Table 2: Frequency and percentage for Workshop Evaluation
Item Frequency Percent
Comprehensive Agree 9 30.0
Strongly Agree 21 70.0
Total 30 100.0
Easy to understand Agree 7 23.3
Strongly Agree 23 76.7
Total 30 100.0
Workshop Handouts
supported presentation
material
Strongly disagree 1 3.3
Disagree 4 13.3
Agree 17 56.7
Strongly Agree 8 26.7
Total 30 100.0
Provided useful additional
information
Disagree 4 13.3
Agree 21 70.0
Strongly Agree 5 16.7
Total 30 100.0
Cont..Table 2: Frequency and percentage for Workshop Evaluation
Item Frequency Percent
Well, clear and organized Strongly disagree 1 3.3
Disagree 3 10.0
Agree 19 63.3
Strongly Agree 7 23.3
Total 30 100.0
Well-paced Agree 8 26.7
Strongly Agree 22 73.3
Total 30 100.0
Breaks were sufficient Disagree 3 10.0
Agree 9 30.0
Strongly Agree 18 60.0
Total 30 100.0
A good mix between
listening and activities
Disagree 1 3.3
Agree 5 16.7
Strongly Agree 24 80.0
Cont..Table 2: Frequency and percentage for Workshop Evaluation
Item Frequency Percent
Activities are useful Agree 7 23.3
Strongly Agree 23 76.7
Total 30 100.0
Facilitator is knowledgeable Agree 1 3.3
Strongly Agree 29 96.7
Total 30 100.0
Facilitator is Well Prepared Agree 2 6.7
Strongly Agree 28 93.3
Total 30 100.0
Facilitator is Responsive to
participant
Disagree 1 3.3
Agree 1 3.3
Strongly Agree 28 93.3
Total 30 100.0
Table 3: Frequency and percentage for Workshop Evaluation II
Item Frequency Percent
More Confident to
use storytelling
techniques in ESL
lesson
Yes 26 86.7
No 4 13.3
Total 30 100.0
Storytelling helps
Language Development
in L2 Students
Yes 27 90.0
No 3 10.0
Total 30 100.0
Choices of story
play important roles
Yes 29 96.7
No 1 3.3
Total 30 100.0
Table 4: Frequency and percentage for Storytelling Workshop Outcome
Before After
Frequency Percent Frequency Percent
Knowledge to link
between Storytelling
Workshop and
English Language
Poor
4 13.3
0
0
Fair 16 53.3 3 10.0
Good 9 30.0 22 73.3
Excellent 1 3.3 5 16.7
Total 30 100.0 30 100.0
Frequency Percent Frequency Percent
Knowledge of how
storytelling techniques
applies to Core
Characteristics of
ESL.
Poor
2 6.7 0 0
Fair 20 66.7 2 6.7
Good 7 23.3 23 76.7
Excellent 1 3.3 5 16.7
Total 30 100.0 30 100.0
Frequency Percent Frequency Percent
Knowledge of
Opportunities in
choices of stories to
influence the interest
for English Language
in L2 learners
Poor
1 3.3 4 13.3
Fair 18 60.0 18 60.0
Good 10 33.3 8 26.7
Excellent 1 3.3 30 100.0
Total
30 100.0 30 100.0
Cont..Table 4: Frequency and percentage for Storytelling Workshop Outcome
Before After
Frequency Percent Frequency Percent
Confidence to work
within the context of
storytelling and ESL
teaching.
Poor
0 0
0
0
Fair 19 63.3 3 10.0
Good 10 33.3 20 66.7
Excellent 1 3.3 7 23.3
Total 30 100.0 30 100.0
Frequency Percent Frequency Percent
Knowledge of
storytelling Terms and
Technique
Poor
1 3.3 0. 0.
Fair 17 56.7 3 10.0
Good 11 36.7 19 63.3
Excellent 1 3.3 8 26.7
Total
30 100.0 30 100.0
Frequency Percent Frequency Percent
Skill and Strategies to
work with students
Poor 1 3.3 0 0
Fair 18 60.0 3 10.0
Good 10 33.3 21 70.0
Excellent 1 3.3 6 20.0
Total 30 100.0 30 100.0
CONCLUSION
Teachers and educators should be exposed to techniques like storytelling to
enhance their teaching skills through workshop and trainings.
The workshop held was a very successful one, not only in sharing and teaching
the respondents (who are teachers) skills and techniques of storytelling in their
teaching, open ways to incorporate it in their teaching topics and engage the
students, but also instill the love of storytelling in them and open their mind to
another teaching technique which is joyful and interesting.
Having a knowledgeable facilitator helps to develop the teachers knowledge and
skills.
Teachers have also gain confidence though the workshop because they now
have the skills and knowledge to execute them in class. They have been
showed many interesting ways of storytelling to help them to develop their
students especially in learning English Language.
KNOWLEDGE IS THE..
KEY
Discussion
Malaysian Education Department should exposed various teaching techniques
in the countrys education system so that students would not feel so bored and
open their mind to a more creative ways in learning and encourage them to think
more critically and creatively through the techniques.
Storytelling stimulates the imagination. Scientist Albert Einstein said that
"imagination is more important than knowledge. Thus, skills and techniques like
storytelling in education especially language teaching; in this case English
Language could help to improve students interest in learning the subject and
promote a life-long learning process.
Storytelling by teachers motivates students to tell stories. Students recognize
storytelling to be an authentic activity, and a skill that is well-worth acquiring.
Recommendation
Other than language context, stories teach lessons. Hence, they are excellent
tools for teaching about desirable behaviors and strengthening character. The
method of storytelling should be used widely not only in schools but also higher
learning institutions in Malaysia, not only for language teaching but also other
subjects as implemented in the international education system.
Future research scope should be extended to a higher learning institution by
implementing storytelling method in teaching and learning process; e.g.
Communicative English subject taught at Polytechnics of Malaysia
Perhaps investigation on the impact of this technique in other subjects of higher
learning; e.g. finance, entrepreneurship, etc.
Story makes a difference in education.