The Art of Storytelling: Perspectives from ESL Teacher Trainees

“Tell me a fact and I’ll learn. Tell me a truth and I’ll believe. But tell me a story and it will live in my heart forever” ( Native American Proverb)

Pulman (2014) opines that after nourishment, shelter and companionship, stories are the thing we need most in the world. In the same vein, Isak Dineson cited by (Gaita, 1998) posits that all sorrows can be borne if you put them into a story or tell a story about them. It is by telling stories that human beings try to make sense of their lives, sorrows and joys.

Storytelling is the one of the oldest of form of art passed down from generation to generation, as a means of explaining and understanding the world. Storytelling offers opportunity to widen awareness and respect for diverse cultural backgrounds, developing learners’ schema. Linguistic scheme theory was first applied to linguistics by Bartlett (1932). He noted that when an American Indian story was told to British people, they adapted the details when retelling it to fit with their own schemata, adding in familiar frameworks and leaving out unfamiliar ones. Nair (2003) notes how stories appear to have evolved across cultures, “A good story is one that can be ‘taken away’ by listeners and/or tellers and repeated in other conversations, other contexts, other cultures” (p.5).

The aim of using storytelling activities in the ESL classroom is to encourage a shared social practice through which explicit and tacit knowledge can be transmitted and identities acquired (Boje, 2001). The objective is to engage students’ interest, allowing learning to take place more readily and more naturally, in a meaningful and interactive communicative context (Fitzgibbon & Wilheim,1998). Storytelling can offer language practice in the safe and relaxed environment of a classroom, encouraging friendly and co-operative interaction between classmates. This will lower learners’ affective filter (Krashen, 1981) so that learning acquisition place more easily. In a comfortable learning environment students are more likely to develop language from their participation as both speakers and listeners and learn to respect the opinions of others. As future English language teachers, it is therefore imperative that storytelling be a part of the teaching curriculum

One of the courses that is currently offered in the recently revamped ESL teacher training curriculum is TSLB3483, Storytelling in the Primary ESL Classroom.This is a three-credit paper with both a combination of theoretical topics such as storytelling types,benefits, activities and also a component on the practical aspect of storytelling such as performing stories using engaging voices, gestures, emotions, props and characterization that are catered for young learners.This fully coursework based paper emphasizes on the ability of the student teachers to turn the concepts of storytelling learnt in the teaching classroom into creating stories and bringing them to life through imaginative performances. As teacher educators teaching this course, we were interested in exploring our student-teachers views on the ‘art of storytelling in the primary esl classroom’. The student-teachers were asked to provide some feedback and insights at the end of the course through an online questionnaire with a series of questions requiring their perceptions on challenges of storytelling in a language classroom and the relevance of storytelling in today’s world with this new generation of children. A focus group discussion was later carried out to explore their understanding of storytelling as a form of art and expression.

Storytelling is an art , do you agree with this statement and provide reasons

“Yes, I do agree with the statement as storytelling requires lots of creativity. It is also considered as an art not only through the preparation to symbolise the characters, facial expressions, voice projection itself is also a beautiful art that enhance the quality of a storytellling session” (FGD,R 3)

“Yes, I do agree with this statement because storytellers are free to express themselves using emotions and expressions. It also involves imagination which allows listeners to be creative as the story unfolds” (FGD,R 8)

“Yes, storytelling is an art. This is because it involves crafting narratives that engage, entertain, and often convey deeper meanings or messages to audiences. Furthermore, storytelling can have various forms such as serious storytelling and entertaining storytelling” (FGD,R 7)

“Yes, I agree with this statement. This is because drafting a compelling story requires creativity and imagination to create an interesting story. Storytellers must create characters, settings, and plotlines that could captivate and engage their audience” (FGD,R 10)

“Yes, I agree because because art is subjective, and storytelling is no different. Each listener or reader brings their own experiences and perspectives to a story, creating a unique interpretation. Moreover, storytelling requires creativity to craft compelling narratives, characters, and worlds just like an art form” (FGD,R 4)

In the focus group discussion, a majority of the student-teachers subscribed to the notion that storytelling is an art form indicating an awareness for subjectivity, creativity and imagination. This forms the basis of their inherent beliefs concerning storytelling which positions itself with Roney (1996)’s definition of storytelling in which a person (the storyteller) uses vocalization, narrative structures and mental imagery to communicate with the audience through body language and facial expressions making the entire experience both interactive and co-creative.

The student-teachers were also able to articulate the various benefits of storytelling in the language classroom as the responses below would exemplify, which fortifies their conviction of the importance of incorporating storytelling in the language classroom. This is in line with Halliday (1985)’s conception of language as a social phenomenon in which it operates within a system of functions for the purpose of making meaning. Similarly, Morgan (1983), is of the opinion that authentic communication consists of different speech acts and discourse events which are both socially and culturally reflexive. Many researchers concur that storytelling comes from the realms of living speech and experiences reported by others, as it is the narrative of daily life and human communication practice and telling one’s stories invites reciprocation of people’s own stories (Bejamin, 1973; Fogarty, 1997; Geissner, 1995).

“Storytelling enhances social skills by promoting empathy, active listening, and effective communication. Engaging in storytelling encourages individuals to connect with others, share experiences, and understand different perspectives, fostering stronger interpersonal relationships and social bonds” (OL, R5)

“Storytelling in a language classroom can encourage vocabulary and idiom acquisition because stories are rich in descriptive language and idiomatic expressions. Other than that, stories that are interesting and engaging can create a sense of curiosity and suspense that captures the listeners’ attention and makes them want to find out what happens next. This naturally draws students in and keeps them motivated to continue listening and learning. Besides that, storytelling activities can provide opportunities for learners to share their own stories or retell stories in their own words which can boost their confidence in speaking and self-expression, as well as reinforce their language skills” (OL, R9)

While the student-teachers’ views of storytelling as an art form and its benefits in the language classroom display a sense of positive understanding nevertheless, the student-teachers voiced out concerns and challenges from a teacher’s perspective in carrying out storytelling in the language classroom. Among the responses that were gathered through the online questionnaire are :

One of the concerns is ensuring that the stories are appropriate for the student’s language proficiency level, as overly complex narratives may cause confusion or frustration. Additionally, maintaining student engagement throughout the storytelling session can be challenging, especially with longer stories or if students have short attention spans. Another concern is managing time effectively, as storytelling activities may take longer than planned, potentially impacting the completion of other lesson objectives. Moreover, assessing student comprehension and language acquisition from storytelling activities may be less straightforward compared to traditional exercises. (OL, R21)

Storytelling in a language classroom presents the challenge of maintaining students’ interest and attention, especially in larger classes with diverse language levels and learning styles. Teachers must employ engaging techniques to sustain participation. Additionally, stories often contain unfamiliar vocabulary and idioms, requiring teachers to balance introducing new language elements while ensuring comprehensibility. Furthermore, effective storytelling demands adequate time allocation for introduction, narration, comprehension checks, and follow-up activities, which can be difficult to manage within the constraints of a set curriculum and limited class time. (OL, R14)

Sometimes with too many students in a classroom, all with different paces in learning, it can actually make teaching slower. It is hard for teachers to take full control over the students focus while still making the storytelling interactive and interesting for the whole class session. (OL, R5)

One of the challenges would be the cultural sensitivity, because if no research is done about cultural aspects of the story, it might cause some misunderstanding. Another challenge would be in regard of the students attention. This is because, if the story is not captivating enough, it might cause some students to lose their focus and not engage well in class. (OL, R30)

Large classroom sizes, sustaining learner engagement, cultural sensitivity and time constraint issues were among the most commonly cited challenges by the student-teachers. Although the student-teachers who were a part of this small scale study had not had any teaching practicum experience yet, their responses were similar to that of the in-service teachers who were the subjects of a study by Yahya, Razali and Baki (2018). In their study, the teachers highlighted the feasibility of carrying out storytelling with their large number of students in terms of the classroom arrangement, grouping and their learners’ engagement and monitoring them throughout the entire process.

Storytelling is an art of telling a story orally using words and actions to a listener (Mckay, 1997). It includes the components of gestures, intonations, the images in the storybook, the song or sound to be described, and the actions to be elaborated in front of an audience. Digital storytelling on the other hand, is a modern way of telling a story; from the conventional way of using a storybook to telling a story through a screen. It incorporates the use of digital cameras, computers, and non-linear authoring tools to form short, multimedia narratives (Meadow, 2003). The use of digital images, videos and sounds enables the audience to immerse themselves into a story. It also allows the story to be presented using softwares such as Moviemakers, iMovie and Photo Story in creative and interesting ways (Ahmad and Yamat, 2020).

The present study was also interested to uncover the perceptions of the student-teachers in regards to the relevance of storytelling with the current generation of young learners. A majority of the student-teachers were of the view that the conventional approach of storytelling must be abreast with the technology of today as some of the responses gleaned from the online questionnaires would show:

By incorporating multimedia elements such as animations and sound effects can enhance the storytelling experience and appeal to the multimedia preferences of today’s students. This is to create dynamic and visually engaging narratives that capture students’ attention and stimulate their senses. (FGD, R16)

Like everything else in the modern world, the act of storytelling will also undergo some changes such as the medium it takes place in. By inserting digital elements into storytelling, students can expand their creativity and continue to be engaged with the story. Teachers can also show various types of storytelling to identify which type is suitable for the students. Teachers could also provide room for discussions and ask the students to make independent conclusions based on the stories. (OL, R18)

Today’s students are digital natives, so integrating technology into storytelling can make it more appealing. For example, teachers can encourage students to create visual stories using tools like comics, memes, or short video clips. Other than that, teachers can gamify storytelling by incorporating elements of gamification, such as points, badges, or leaderboards, to make storytelling more engaging and motivating for students who enjoy game-like experiences. (OL, R23)

Incorporating technology into storytelling makes it relevant for today’s generation. There are many digital tools and platforms available that enable students to create multimedia stories using images, videos, audio, and interactive elements. These tools not only make storytelling more dynamic and engaging but also develop students’ digital literacy skills. (FGD, R6)

Today’s generation of pupils are digital natives, bombarded with information and accustomed to fast-paced, interactive experiences. Thus, teachers can incorporate technology to make stories more engaging. For instance, teachers can use podcasts, interactive stories on apps, or even virtual reality experiences to create immersive narratives. (FGD, R13)

The realisation of the importance of incorporating elements of digitalization more so with the current generation of young learners is aligned with numerous studies exploring preferences between conventional and digital storytelling approaches. The participants which were a group of primary school students in a study by Ahmad et al (2020), revealed a preference toward digital storytelling as compared to conventional storytelling methods. The interactive features in digital storytelling were one of the main attractions for these students which provided more opportunities for them to participate actively.

It is unfortunate that the storytelling course the student-teachers underwent did not have a component on digital storytelling, although they do have other technology-based elective courses with elements of making interactive videos. Nonetheless, a more comprehensive merging of all these courses and topics may be more relevant and useful to the student-teachers as they navigate through a teaching landscape that is forever evolving. As stated by Lazar et al (2020), pre-service teachers of this new generation have different learning profiles than previous generations, necessitating the use of diverse and innovative instructional resources to support their abilities and motivation for teaching. Digital competence an important skill to be acquired and they should be given the opportunity to learn how to improve their digital competence and use technology in their teaching to facilitate new teaching and learning possibilities, thereby contributing to the advancement of new learning strategies (Instefjord & Munthe, 2015). This transformation shift in knowledge production for future teachers under training is reliant on teacher educators and the changes we must make in the way we train our students for the new generation of learners.

References

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Yahya, H., Razali, A. B., & Baki, R. (2018). To tell or not to tell: Exploring Malaysian teachers’ perceptions towards storytelling in English classrooms. International Journal of Academic Research in Progressive Education and Development, 7(4), 319-339.

Written by Shubashini Suppiah & Juliana @ Julie Johari