Apart from the obvious enjoyment factor,
involving children in storytelling activities on a regular basis
can build up their confidence as learners of a new language. They
find support in the familiarity of stories and begin to realise
that they can follow what’s happening without necessarily having to
understand every word.
Listening to stories develops children’s active listening
skills as they search for key words or simply enjoy the sounds of
the new language. Story-telling allows children exposure to more
complex language taking their imagination and linguistic knowledge
to a higher level.
Questions
- Should you teach children key vocabulary
from the story before the first reading?
- Actions and sound effects are effective tools
in our repertoire of story-telling. What purposes do actions and
sound effects serve?
Activity
When using stories in the classroom, perhaps on the second or
third reading, try out the technique of asking children to pick out
familiar language, counting the number of times they hear familiar
words or phrases while listening to more complex language.