Storytelling in Teaching Listening Narrative Text

    Storytelling can be used to develop listening comprehension skill. A teacher can tell a narrative text and then ask the students to recall the important events in the order of their occurence (Tidyman, et al., 1964). When students listen to a narrative text, the students pick up the information in order to comprehend the narrative text. Comprehension can be described as that process which enables the receiver to make meaning from verbal and non-verbal information. Non-verbal information may include background knowledge based on past experience or visual information. By storytelling, the teacher can give exercise on listening skill.

    There are some principles of using storytelling in teaching listening. First, read various types of narrative texts (Pederson, 1995). The teacher can learn most narrative text from book. Wide reading gives authority to the teacher in telling the narrative texts. It is necessary to read all types of traditional narrative texts to fulfill the students' need.

    The second principle is choosing the narrative text. Wright (1995) suggested that the teacher chooses the narrative text which offers the children a rich experience of language and does not have long descriptive passage. Therefore, it is better to choose narrative texts that have simplicity of structure and language, and far away from complex literary tales. In addition, Morgan and Rinvolucri (1983) gave two main criteria in selecting stories for the classroom. The first, choose a narrative text that we would enjoy to telling and the second. choose the narrative text that our students might be entertained. The teacher cal select the narrative text in which she/he feels comfortable with and which have meaning. It is also important to find stories that the students will like, and that match their age and language level.

The third principle is the analysis of the narrative text's background (Pederson, 1995). Knowing something of the cultural, social and historical background of the narrative text and the country of its origin will help the teacher to comprehend the narrative text.

    If the teacher cannot put the narrative text in context, and its content are not universal, it is better to choose another. It is advisable that the teacher use the narrative texts which are close to the students' culture.

Test the selection is the fourth principle. Final selection is done through trial, ultimately through the positive or negative reactions you get from your audience (Pederson, 1995). If the students do not show their interest in the narrative texts, the teachers should consider the narrative text.

Reference

Morgan & Rinvolucri. 1983. Onece Upon a Time: Using Stories in the Language Classroom. Cambridge University Press.

Pederson, E. M. 1995. Storytelling and the Art of Teaching. English Teaching Forum, 33(1). pp. 2-5.

Tidyman, W.F. Smith, C.W. & Butterfield, M. 1969. Teaching in Language Art. New York: Mc Graw-Hill Company.

Wright, A. 1995. Storytelling with Children. Oxford: Oxford University Press.