To what extent storytelling skills is important for a language teacher in order to create an effective Malaysian primary learning environment?

In teaching language to the primary ESL classroom, one of the best methods that can be used is storytelling. For some reasons, this method is effective and attracts pupils’ interest with the lesson. So basically, a language teacher must master storytelling skills as a tool to help him or she conducts the lesson. But, to what extent storytelling skills is important for a language teacher in order to create an effective Malaysian primary learning environment?

        Before I proceed with the answers, I will give short definition of storytelling skills. Based on the website http://createyourlifestory.com/, it is the art of taking a story, our own story or from others and retelling that story. Then, we as the storyteller utilize all the skills to modifying the environment and style of storytelling to suit and engage with the audience, so they will drift into altered state and become part of the story itself (n. p, 2014).

        Now, let’s return to our main question, to what extent storytelling skills are important for a language teacher.  In order to create an effective Malaysian primary learning environment, the teacher itself should be creative and skillful. This is because students tend to lose their interest with the lesson especially during language session. Many students find it is difficult to deal with subject which specify of language such as English subject. So the first challenge for the language teacher to create an effective Malaysian primary learning environment is to get students interested with the lesson and participate with the language lesson itself.

          Here comes the need for storytelling skills. Many teachers can tell an interesting story to the primary students. But did they manage to do it properly? Well, it depends on how they present the story. By using the storytelling skills, it helps the teacher to conduct the lesson more effective and interactive (Barbour, 2008). For example, one of the storytelling skills is making sound effects. If the teacher is telling a story about the animals in the farm, the teacher should be able to produce animals sound. If the teacher cannot make it by using his ability, then he should bring a tape or MP3 player which can plays the sound of animals. Just imagine if the teacher is telling a story about animals, and tell so many things about the description of the animal itself. For sure student will get bored with the lesson. But, by adding some elements of animals’ sound, with the help from MP3 player or produced by the teacher itself, it makes students become excited with the lesson. Moreover, there will be sense of humor which is really important because humor will make the students to stay with lesson until the end.

        Furthermore, storytelling skills is not only important to get students to be interested with the lesson only. But more importantly, to get them learn and acquire knowledge. For example, the use of elements technology in conducting storytelling session such as using LCD projector, playing video and so on, should be utilized to the highest level. There is no point of just let the students to be enjoyed and participate with the lesson if the end product, they earn nothing from the activity.

         Moreover, students in this millennium are exposed with so many kinds of gadgets and devices. Ipod, Ipad, and many others are examples of high technology which can be found easily in this modern era. To face this situation, ICT skills are another skill in storytelling which a language teacher must acquire (Gere, 2012). The uses of ICT such as LCD projector, MP3 player and many other that I mentioned earlier are not just attracts the students’ attention, but also make the process of learning itself more fun and interactive. Last but not least, the way a language teacher presents the storytelling itself is very important. Voice projections, facial expressions, body movements, and interaction with the students are some important aspects which should not be neglected by the teacher because all of these aspects will affect the effectiveness of the storytelling session. By utilize all these aspects to the maximum level, then language teacher should be able to manage storytelling skills in order to create an effective Malaysian primary learning environment.

         Now, I will proceed with the strengths and weaknesses of storytelling session that I did with my course mates. As for the strength, I found some positive aspects in my storytelling. Firstly, my voice projection is very good and my facial expressions are quite convincing for the audiences. Based on the website Association for Psychological Sciences, voice projection and facial expression are two abilities which we should use wisely in order to help people understand things that we are talking about (Green, 2003). Even though some of my friends sat at the back of the classroom, but they managed to hear my voice clearly and understand what story that I was presented in front. They also can saw my facial expression such as happy, angry, confuse and so on even they quite far from me. The combination of these two aspects is really helping in my storytelling session. Furthermore, I also made up my own story which titled “The Innocent Prince”. Since it is something new, so I attracted my friends’ attention to listen until the end because it is not the same as the other story such as Snow White, Jack and the Beanstalk, Rapunzel and many others which we used to grew up with  (McKay & Dudley, 1996).

          However, there are also weaknesses that I found in my storytelling session. Basically, I did not use any kind of prop or material during this activity. This is because I was totally using the script which written in my mind, voice projection, body movements and facial expressions to present my story. The students focus were totally to myself alone because to understand the story, they need to listen, see and understand what I present in front carefully. Actually, it is supposed to be more fun because my story is more like adventure and fantasy genre. But without any prop around, I can tell that it’s a bit boring.  As a result, there are some changes that need to be done to make my storytelling session more fun and attractive. First, I must use the element of props in my story. For example are the swords, the crown, and others. Then, I should add in element of technology such as LCD projector and sound effect. Actually, I can use the LCD to project some picture such as the characters of the story, the setting and even the materials that exist in the story (Story Arts, 2000). By this way, it helps students to be clearer and understand the story more effectively. While for the sound effect, it helps to make my storytelling more alive because is not listen to my voice only. But they also can listen to some exciting sounds such as the tiger’s roar, the swords fight, and the magician’s spell which help to make this storytelling session more exciting and crowded.

 Bibliography

Barbour, R. (2008). The Art of Storytelling. Retrieved on September 3, 2014, from Scholastic Education: http://education.scholastic.co.uk/content/2554

Create Your Life Story (2014). Telling Your Story – Authentic, Laconic and Captivating. Retrieved on September 2, 2014 from Create Your Life Story: http://createyourlifestory.com/podcast/storytelling-skills-technique/

Gere, J. (2012). Storytelling Tools for the Classroom. Retrieved on September 3, 2014, from Pacific Resources for Education and Learning: http://www.prel.org/products/pr_/storytelling.htm

Green, M. C. (2003). Storytelling in Teaching. Retrieved on July 2, 2012, from Psychological Science: http://psychologicalscience.org/observer/getArticle.cf?id=1562

McKay, H., & Dudley, B. (1996). Types of Story. Retrieved on September 4, 2014, from Australian Storytelling: http://www.australianstorytelling.org.au/txt/m-types.php

Story Arts. (2000). Retelling Folktakes. Retrieved  on September 4, 2014, from Story Arts: http://www.storyarts.org/classroom/retelling/index.html