Chapter 4

Using Stories in English Language Teaching

Storytelling has its own long-time history for thousand years before humans had letters
for recording their history. At that time, people passed on their stories through oral form
(Rothlein & Meinbach, 1996: 216). Since storytelling is a way to convey human language in
spoken form mainly, it is efficient media used for teaching English as a second language or
foreign language. Stories are composed by using simple language and daily life stories,
especially children’s stories. The structure and vocabulary are not too difficult for children to
understand. This chapter, therefore, will focus on using storytelling skill in teaching to create
a livelier language classroom.
1. What is a story?
A story is a narrative account of an event or a sequence of events. It can be true or
fictional. But a good story always has a core element of truth, even if it is fiction. The
message the story tells, must be true. It must be consistent and authentic.
A story adds emotion, characters and sensory details to plain facts. That’s why a
story grabs us, pulls us along its plot and delivers its key message powerfully.
Everyone has a story to tell. We all remember stories from our childhood. We know
real life stories from our friends and families. We read great books and saw memorable
movies that moved us, drove us to tears, or made us laugh out loud. Our organizations are
full of stories if you look close. Stories are all around us. Our lives are a collection of stories.
There are no fixed recipes for a story, but there are several ingredients which have
proven to work for thousands of years. You will learn how to use them in this course.
2. What is storytelling?
Storytelling is the art to tell stories in order to engage an audience. The storyteller
conveys a message, information and knowledge, in an entertaining way. Literary techniques
and non verbal language are his tools.
As the title of this course reveals, we focus on storytelling to influence audiences to
take action for nature conservation. You can tell stories to potential donors and convince
them your project really makes a difference. And you can tell stories to persuade
your target audiences to stop harming and start protecting nature by answering your call for
action.

3. Features of Storytelling
Storytelling is the interactive art of using words and actions to reveal the elements
and images of a story while encouraging the listener’s imagination.
1) Storytelling is interactive.
Storytelling involves a two-way interaction between a storyteller and one or more listeners.
The responses of the listeners influence the telling of the story. In fact, storytelling emerges
from the interaction and cooperative, coordinated efforts of teller and audience.
In particular, storytelling does not create an imaginary barrier between the speaker
and the listeners. This is part of what distinguishes storytelling from the forms of theatre that
use an imaginary “fourth wall.”
Different cultures and situations create different expectations for the exact roles of
storyteller and listener – who speaks how often and when, for example – and therefore
create different forms of interaction.
The interactive nature of storytelling partially accounts for its immediacy and impact. At its
best, storytelling can directly and tightly connect the teller and audience.
2) Storytelling uses words.
Storytelling uses language, whether it be a spoken language or a manual language such as
American Sign Language. The use of language distinguishes storytelling from most forms of
dance and mime.
3) Storytelling uses actions such as vocalization, physical movement and/or gesture.
These actions are the parts of spoken or manual language other than words. Their use
distinguishes storytelling from writing and text-based computer interactions. Not all
nonverbal language behaviors need to be present in storytelling. Some storytellers use body
movement extensively, for example, whereas others use little or none.
4) Storytelling presents a story.
Storytelling always involves the presentation of a story—a narrative. Many other art forms
also present story, but storytelling presents it with the other four components. Every culture
has its own definition of story. What is recognized as a story in one situation may not be
accepted as one in another. Some situations call for spontaneity and playful digression, for
example; others call for near-exact repetition of a revered text. Art forms such as poetry
recitation and stand-up comedy sometimes present stories and sometimes don’t. Since they
generally involve the other four components, they can be regarded as forms of storytelling
whenever they also present stories.
5) Storytelling encourages the active imagination of the listeners.
In storytelling, the listener imagines the story. In most traditional theatre or in a typical
dramatic film, on the other hand, the listener enjoys the illusion that the listener is actually
witnessing the character or events described in the story.
The storytelling listener’s role is to actively create the vivid, multi-sensory images,
actions, characters, and events—the reality—of the story in his or her mind, based on the
performance by the teller and on the listener’s own past experiences, beliefs, and
understandings. The completed story happens in the mind of the listener, a unique and
personalized individual. The listener becomes, therefore, a co-creator of the story as
experienced.
Storytelling can be combined with other art forms. The fruit born by the vital,
contemporary storytelling movement includes the development of ways to combine
storytelling with drama, music, dance, comedy, puppetry, and numerous other forms of
expression. Yet, even as it blends imperceptibly into other arts, the essence of storytelling
remains recognizable as the intersection of the five components included in the above
definition.
Storytelling happens in many situations, from kitchen-table conversation to religious
ritual, from telling in the course of other work to performances for thousands of paying
listeners. Some storytelling situations demand informality; others are highly formal. Some
demand certain themes, attitudes, and artistic approaches. As noted above, the expectations
about listener interaction and the nature of the story itself vary widely.
There are many cultures on earth, each with rich traditions, customs and
opportunities for storytelling. All these forms of storytelling are valuable. All are equal
citizens in the diverse world of storytelling.
 4. The usefulness of storytelling
Storytelling is the original form of teaching. There are still societies in which it is the
only form of teaching. Though attempts have been made to imitate or update it, like the
electronic storytelling of television, live oral storytelling will never go out of fashion. A
simple narrative will always be the cornerstone of the art of teaching. While listening to
stories, children develop a sense of structure that will later help them to understand the
more complex stories of literature. In fact, stories are the oldest form of literature.
Through traditional tales, people express their values, fears, hopes, and dreams. Oral
stories are a direct expression of a literary and cultural heritage; and through them that
heritage is appreciated, understood, and kept alive. Though a story, listeners experience a
vicarious feeling for the past and a oneness with various cultures of the present as they gain
insight into the motives and patterns of human behavior. We can summarize the advantages
of storytelling as follows:
1) Stories are motivating and fun and can help develop positive attitudes towards
the foreign language and language learning. They can create a desire to continue
learning.
2) Stories exercise the imagination. Children can become personally involved in a
story as they identify with the characters and try to interpret the narrative and
illustrations. This imaginative experience helps develop their own creative
powers.
3) Listening to stories in class is a shared social experience. Reading and writing are
often individual activities; storytelling provokes a shared response of laughter,
sadness, excitement and anticipation which is not only enjoyable but can help
build up child’s confidence and encourage social and emotional development.
4) Children enjoy listening to stories over and over again. This frequent repetition
allows certain language items to be acquired while others are being overly
reinforced/ Many stories also contain natural repetition of key vocabulary and
structures. This help children to remember every detail, so they can gradually
learn to anticipate what is about to happen next in the story. Repetition also
encourages participation in the narrative. Following meaning and predicting
language are important skills in language learning.
5) Listening to stories allows the teacher to introduce or revise new vocabulary and
sentence structures by exposing the children to language in varied, memorable
and familiar contexts, which will enrich their thinking and gradually enter their
own speech.
 Listening to stories develops the child’s listening and concentrating skills via:
- Visual clues (for example, pictures and illustrations)
- Their prior knowledge of how language works
- Their general knowledge
This allows them to understand the overall meaning of a story and to relate
it to their personal experience.
How to Select a Story
Selection requires an ability to evaluate stories and to discriminate between those
that meet your learners’ needs and those that do not. Although learning stories directly
from other storytellers is the traditional method, you will learn most stories from books.
Many publishers produce simplified storybooks especially for children learning
English. However, there are many authentic storybooks written for English-speaking children
which are also suitable for those learning English. As they have not been written specifically
for the teaching of English as a foreign language, the language

6. Choosing the right kind of story

How will you choose stories for children? We have lots of them available in of
textbooks, supplementary readers, publications of NBT, CBT and Sahithya Academy and
many other private publications. Don’t you feel we need to choose the ones children like,
those that that match their age and language level? So consider the following when
choosing stories to tell in the classroom

- Find stories your children will like.

- Stories that match their age and language level.
- Choose stories you like.
- Choose stories with simple structures
- Choose stories with positive values (positive aspects of human nature-
resourceful, humorous). Avoid didactic stories. Stories should be in such
as children may understand and critique actions, characters, ideas, themes
in them and make a judgement expressing their own opinions.
- Choose stories that relate to children’s daily life and their
thinking, curiosity and interest. (Adapted from Pederson 1995)
 5. How to Analyze a Story by using Story Grammar
Story grammar or story structure is a tool to help listeners or readers predict a story
and organize their idea for better understanding of the story. When we listen to or read
stories, we can recognize that most of the time writers composes the story in similar
components. As we can see in many stories which have the same opening scenes, they tend
to begin the story with “once upon a time” and to end with “They live together happily
every after”. In general the story grammar consists of 6 events as follows;
1. Setting. It is about an introduction of the protagonist which contains information
about physical, social, or temporal context. It is the beginning background setting in which
the remainder of the story occurs.
2. Initiating Event. An action, an internal event, or a natural occurrence which serves
to initiate or to cause a response in the protagonist.
3. Internal response. An emotion, cognition, or a goal of the protagonist.
4. Attempt. An overt attempt to obtain the protagonist’s goal.
5. Consequence. An event, action, or end state which marks the attainment or non-
attainment of the protagonist’s goal.
6. Reaction. An emotion, a cognition, an action, or an end state expressing the
protagonist’s feelings about his or her goal attainment or relating the broader consequential
realm of the protagonist’s goal attainment.

A well-formed story
1. Setting
a. Once there was a big gray fish named Albert.
b. He lived in a big icy pond near the edge of the forest.
2. Initiating event
c. One day, Albert was swimming around the pond.
d. Then he spotted a big juicy worm on top of the water.
3. internal response
e. Albert knew how delicious worms tasted.
f. He wanted to eat that one for his dinner.
4. Attempt
g. So he swam very close to the worm.
h. Then he bit into him.
5. Consequence
i. Suddenly, Albert was pulled through the water into a boat.
j. He had been caught by a fisherman.
6. Reaction
k. Albert felt sad.
l. He wished he had been more careful.

6. How to use story grammar in teaching

To activate listeners or readers to find out the story grammar, teachers can use
questions to be a guideline.
The setting – Where did the story happen? Who was the main character? What was the main
character like? What does the main character look like?
Initiating event – What was the main character’s problem? What did the main
character want? Why did the main character have the problem?
Internal response – What did the main character decide to do? What did the main
character try to do?
Attempt – How did the main character do to his/ her problem? What happened to
the main character? What would the character do next?
Consequence – How did the main character solve the problem? How did the
main character meet the goal? Did the main character reach his goal? What
would you do if you were the main character?
Reaction – How did the main character feel for the problem? Why did the main
character make this decision? How do you feel about the end of the story?

7. How to use storytelling in teaching English

1. Lead-in/ Pre-listening – Activate students’ background knowledge by using
pictures, actions, guessing what they will hear from the title of the story, introducing the
main character, places, scenes, important actions, etc.
2. While-listening – Tell the story actively. It would be great if you can get them to
response to your story or get them to say some words or sentences while listening to the
story.
- Ask some questions after you finish telling your story (They can be
yes/no questions or simple questions according to the story). You can prepare a game to
check students’ understanding by using the questions.
 3. Post-listening – Students can do a roleplay or tell a story. They can also adapt the
original story to be their own one, but you have to teach them how to do so.

8. Telling Stories
Storytelling, considered an art form, can be mastered by most people (Morrow,
2001). Storytelling is both an in-bred talent that we are all born with and a learned skill. We
are storytelling creatures; it is in our genetic code. At the same time, with practice and
coaching, we can become more proficient tellers of tales. Think about storytellers you have
seen. What do they do to bring the story to life? Who were your favorite professors,
teachers, preachers, and politicians? What techniques did they employ to hold your
attention, to make ideas live and breathe? Different personalities tell stories differently. The
most important thing is to find a presentation style that suits your personality.
There are a few general techniques to consider:
• Use your voice to create characters, express emotions, and experiment with pacing, tone,
accents, and sound effects.
• Use your body language, facial expressions, and gestures to convey the unspoken and
reinforce the words you are speaking.
• Use your imagination and include all five senses in the tale as you tell it. The more real
you can imagine it, the more real it becomes for your audience, even if it is a work of
fiction.
• Involve the audience with simple rhetorical questions or complex sing-a-long songs.
Within the body of the story, allow the listeners a chance to discuss an idea with a
partner or add elements of plot or characters to the story as you tell it.
• Invite them to sing-a-long or stand up and act out part of the story.
• Engage the audience as a partner in the telling of the tale.
• Use your voice, body, imagination, and the audience to tell, not read, the story.

9. Using Books in the Classroom

There are a variety of simply and very effective ways of using books in the classroom
which will support your students as they learn to read. Reading aloud is a technique that
the teacher reads a book to the class or a group of students. There are 4 parts to s
successful reading aloud session: 1) introducing the book, 2) Reading the book, 3) talking
about what you are reading, 4) reflecting in the session.
1) Introducing the book
Introducing the book is done with the aim of helping your students prepare for the story.
Your introduction should be brief and should include identifying the title, author and
illustrator. You can then discuss the cover illustration, asking the students what they think
the story might be about, using the cover illustration as a clue.
You can encourage them by asking them, “and then what happens?”
You can also ask your students to tell you their own story based on the cover illustration.
2) Reading the book
Once you have finished the introduction you can begin reading the book. With
younger students you can use a pointer or your finger to point to each word as it is read.
This will help them concentrate in the words and match the written words with how they
sound when they are read. With older students it is not necessary to point to every word.
However, you can point to draw attention to words, information and pictures to help
your students understand the significance of these things.
Using pictures to encourage your students to predict words and meaning is a
particularly useful thing to do when sharing a book in this way.
While reading the picture book you can…
-Make the comments about the illustrations. When you say a word, point to the
illustration at the same time. Involve your students actively by asking them to point to the
illustration.
-Encourage your students to take part in the storytelling by repeating key vocabulary
items and phrases. You can invite them to do this by pausing and looking at them with a
questioning expression and by putting your hand to your ear to indicate that you are waiting
for them to join in.
-Use gestures, mime, facial expressions, varied pace and tone. Adapt your voice to
the different characters as much as you can to help convey meaning and to keep your
students’ attention.
3) Talk about what you’re reading
Whilst reading the book, you should stop occasionally to discuss what you’re
reading. You can ask your students questions that draw on the story. They can include
questions about what’s already been read such as, “Why do you think the character did
that?” or “What do you think the character feels?”
You can also ask your students to predict what will happen next, with questions
such as “what do you think she’s going to do now?”
This shouldn’t detract from the reading of the book, but should be used to
complement and enrich the reading.
 The aim is always to help children make sense of the text.
You should also discuss the book after you’ve finished reading it.
This might involve asking your students what they thought of the book, whether they
liked it, and who their favorite character was.
A wonderful way of encouraging children to talk about the book that’s just been
shared, is to ask them to discuss the book in small groups, answering questions like what
they most enjoyed about the book.
You can also try to relate the book to the children’s own experience. For example, if
a story is about a bicycle, you can ask children, “Do you like bicycles?” and “Do you know
anyone who owns a bicycle?”
4) Reflecting on the session
When the session has finished, it is important for you to reflect on how it went and to
consider how your students interacted with the text. You might want to write your
reflections in your lesson planning log book.
If you are teaching younger children, you can note their growing understanding of
how printed words work, observing who among your students is focusing on the text, who
is quick to join in with the reading and who asks questions about the text.
If you are teaching older children you can use your reading aloud session to gather
useful information about your students’ comprehension, vocabulary and their ability to
distinguish between different types of books.

Analyze the following stories and tell a story in groups.

How to Break a Bad Habit
From Margaret Read MacDonald, Twenty Tellable Tales, H.W. Wilson, 1986
Monkey and Rabbit sat talking
Rabbit twitched his nose.
Monkey scratched his back.
Rabbit twitched his ear.
Monkey scratched his leg.
Rabbit twitched his other ear.
Monkey scratched his head.
“Would you STOP that TWITCHING,” said Monkey.
“What a bad HABIT that is.”

“Bad HABIT?” said Rabbit.”

 “Talk about bad HABITS...Look at YOU. Scratch....scratch.....scratch.... Now that is a
bad habit.”
“Well, I could easily STOP if I wanted to,” said Monkey.
“So could I!” said Rabbit.
“We’ll SEE!” said Monkey.
“Let’s have a contest, the first person to scratch or twitch LOSES.
Begin....when...I...say....GO!”
“ALL RIGHT!”
Rabbit sat very still.
Monkey sat very still.
No one could scratch. No one could twitch.
It was very hard to sit still.
“Let’s tell stories,” said Rabbit. I’ll tell you what happened yesterday.”
And Rabbit began to talk.
“Yesterday I walked by the marsh, and mosquitoes came after me. One bit me
here.” (Rabbit twitched his nose to show where he was bitten.)
“One bit me here.” (Rabbit twitched his other ear.) “And here...and here...and here...”
(Rabbit was twitching like crazy.)
“Wait! Wait! I’ll tell you a story!” called Monkey. “Yesterday I was walking in town.
And a little boy threw rocks at me. He hit me here.” (Monkey scratched his back.)
“He hit me here.” (Monkey scratched his leg.) “He hit me here.” (Monkey scratched
his head.)
“And here....and here...and here...” (Monkey was scratching all over.)
“I give up!” said Rabbit. “Me too!” said Monkey.
Rabbit and Monkey began to laugh. They laughed and laughed.
“After all,” they said, “It’s very HARD to BREAK A BAD HABIT. Let’s be FRIEND.”
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Little Monkeys
In the morning, the sun was shining.
The little monkeys went out to play.
Hand over, hand over hand, it’s fun!
Hand over, hand over hand, it’s fun!
Let’s play chase!
Got cha! Got cha! (Giggle-woohoo)
It was raining.
 The little monkeys were wet. The little monkeys were cold.
“What shall we do?”
“Let’s build a house”.
Hmm...tomorrow...tomorrow....tomorrow...
In the morning, the sun was shining.....(tell the previous story for 3 times before the
ending)
Don’t be like those monkeys. Build your house today, not tomorrow!
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There was an old woman who swallowed a fly.
There was an old lady who swallowed a fly.
I don’t why she swallowed the fly. Perhaps she’ll die.
There was an old lady who swallowed a spider that wiggled and jiggled and
tickled inside her.
She swallowed the spider to catch the fly.
I don’t know why she swallowed the fly. Perhaps she’ll die.
There was an old woman who swallowed a bird.
How absurd! She swallowed a bird.
She swallowed the bird to catch the spider.
She swallowed the spider to catch the fly.
I don’t know why she swallow the fly. Perhaps she’ll die.

There was an old lady who swallowed a cat. Imagine that! She swallowed a cat.
She swallowed the cat to catch the bird. She swallowed the bird to catch the spider.
She swallowed the spider to catch the fly.
I don’t know why she swallowed the fly. Perhaps she’ll die.

There was an old lady who swallowed a dog. She went whole hog to swallow a dog.
She swallowed the dog to catch the cat. She swallowed the cat to catch the bird.
She swallowed the bird to catch the spider. She swallowed the spider to catch the fly.
I don’t know why she swallowed the fly. Perhaps she’ll die.
There was an old lady who swallowed a cow. I don’t know how she swallowed the
cow.
She swallowed the cow to catch the dog. She swallowed the dog to catch the cat.
She swallowed the cat to catch the bird. She swallowed the bird to catch the spider. She
swallowed the spider to catch the fly.
 I don’t know why she swallowed the fly. Perhaps she’ll die.
There was an old lady who swallowed a horse. She died of course. I don’t know why
she swallowed the horse and that she died.
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Goldilocks and the Three Bears
Goldilocks was a playful little girl who had lovely golden hair and that is why she was
called Goldilocks.
One day, while roaming the woods, she saw a pretty cottage. She went inside and saw
three bowls of porridge on the table.
Tasting the porridge in the biggest bowl she said, “This porridge is too hot!”
She tasted some porridge from the second bowl and said, “This porridge is too cold!”
Then tasting some porridge from the third bowl she said, “This porridge is just right!”
and she ate all of it.
After that Goldilocks felt sleepy, so she went upstairs where she saw three beds.
She lay on the first bed and said, “This bed is too hard!”
She lay on the second bed and said, “This bed is too soft!”
Finally, she lay on the third bed and said, “This bed is just right!” And so, Goldilocks
curled up and went to sleep.
The cottage actually belonged to three bears. When they came home in the evening,
the three bears saw that someone had been there.
Mama and Papa Bear ate their porridge but the little bear wailed, “There is nothing
left in my bowl!”
When they went upstairs to sleep, Papa Bear and Mama Bear found their beds had
been used.
Papa Bear shouted, “Someone has been sleeping in my bed!”
Then, Mama Bear cried, “Someone has been sleeping in my bed!”
The little bear saw Goldilocks sleeping in his bed and squealed, “Someone is still
sleeping in my bed!”
Goldilocks awoke and seeing the three bears, she jumped up in fright and ran out of
the door, never to be seen in the woods ever again!
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Gingerbread Man
 Once upon a time there was a little old woman and a little old man. The little old
woman thought she'd make a gingerbread man. She rolled out the dough, and cut out the
shape, and she put raisins for his eyes, and peppermints for his teeth, and put icing on his
head for the hair. Then she put him in the oven, and when it smelled good, she opened up
the door to take a peek and
--- Yooop!---
out jumped the gingerbread man.

"Stop! Stop, little gingerbread man!" said the little old lady. "I want to eat you!"
"No!" said the little gingerbread man. "I can run away from you!"

"Run, run, fast as you can!

You can't catch me, I'm the gingerbread man!"

And away he ran!

He ran till he got outside, where he saw the little old man. And the little old man said,
"Stop! Stop little gingerbread man! I want to eat you!"

And the little gingerbread man said: "NO! I ran away from the little old woman, and I can run
away from you too!

Run, run, fast as you can!

You can't catch me, I'm the gingerbread man!"

and away he ran!

He ran till he came to the pigsty. And the pig said

"(Oink Oink)-- Stop! Stop little gingerbread man! I want to eat you!"
But the gingerbread man said, "NO! I ran away from the little old woman, I ran away from
the little old man, and I can run away from you too!

Run, run, fast as you can!

You can't catch me, I'm the gingerbread man!"

and away he ran!

He ran till he came to a house. And in front of the house was a dog. And the dog said,
"STOP! Stop stop stop stop stoooooooooop! Little gingerbread man! I want to eat you!"

But the gingerbread man said, "NO! I ran away from the little old woman, and the little old
man, and a pig, and I can run away from you too!"

Run, run, fast as you can!

You can't catch me, I'm the gingerbread man!"

and away he ran!

He ran till he came to a field full of cows. And the cows said,

"Mooooo! Stoooooooop! Stoooooooop little gingerbread man. We want to eat you!"

But the gingerbread man said, "NO! I ran away from the little old woman, I ran away from
the little old man, and a pig, and a dog, and I can run away from you too!

Run, run, fast as you can!

You can't catch me, I'm the gingerbread man!"

and away he ran!

He ran till he came to a river. And next to the river was a fox. The fox said, "Hello little
gingerbread man."

The gingerbread man said, "HELLO! I ran away from the little old woman, I ran away from the
little old man, and a pig, and some cows, and I can run away from you too!
Run, run, fast as you can!
You can't catch me, I'm the gingerbread man!"
"But," said the fox, "I never run. And I don't want to eat you!"

The gingerbread man said

Run, run, fast as you can!

You can't catch me, I'm the gingerbread man!"

The fox said, "Run all you want, I'm not going to chase you. But-- I would like to ask you a
question."

The gingerbread man said, "What?"

The fox said, "How do figure you're going to get across that stream without getting wet? I
mean, if you get wet, you'll get soggy, right?"

The gingerbread man didn't say anything, but he looked very thoughtful.

The fox said, "I've got an idea."

The gingerbread man said, "What?"

The fox said, "I'm going to swim across, right now. If you want, you can hitch a ride on my
tail."

The gingerbread man said, "OK," and grabbed the fox's tail. The fox started to wade into the
water.
After a few steps, the fox said, "Oh, little gingerbread man. The water is getting kind
of deep. I'm afraid you might get wet. Why don't you climb up onto my back?" The
gingerbread man looked, and said, "Gee, the water is getting kind of deep, ok," and he
climbed up onto the fox's back.
After a few more steps, the fox said, "Oh, little gingerbread man, the water is getting
even deeper, I'm afraid you might get wet. Why don't you climb up onto my-- neck?" The
gingerbread man looked, and said, "Gee the water is getting kind of deep, ok," and he
climbed up onto the fox's neck.
After a few more steps, the fox said, "Oh, little gingerbread man, the water is getting
even deeper, I'm afraid you might get wet. Why don't you climb up onto my-- head?" The
gingerbread man looked, and said, "Gee the water is getting kind of deep, ok," and he
climbed up onto the fox's head.

After a few more steps, the fox said, "Oh, little gingerbread man, the water is getting even
deeper, I'm afraid you might get wet. Why don't you climb up onto my-- nose?" The
gingerbread man looked, and said, "Gee the water is getting kind of deep, ok," and he
climbed up onto the fox's nose.

And the fox went-- SLLLURP!-- and that was the end of the gingerbread man.
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Pig and Dog (Retold by Dr. Wajjupa Tossa)
Long time ago, a farmer had a pig and a dog to help him work. One day, he had to
go to town. He told his pig and dog, “I have to go to town. You two must go to plough the
rice field. Try to finish it before I come back home”.
“Yes, father.”, Dog and Pig said.
Pig and Dog went to the field. When they were at the field, Dog said, “This is a big
field. Why don’t I plough half and you plough the other half? And Pig, Why don’t you go
first? When you finish, let me know.”
Then Pig started to plough the field. When he finished, he called Dog. But Dog said,
“Oh, Pig, can you help me? I have a headache.” Pig Was a good friend. He said, “No
problem. I will help you. Take some rest.”
Dog tool a nap and Pig went to plough the other half of the rice field. Then Pig went
on working until he finished. He called Dog, “Dog, I’ve finished the whole rice field. How are
you?”
Then Dog woke up quickly. He said, “I’m fine now. Thank you for your help. Why
don’t you take a nap? You should take some rest.” Then Pig took a nap.
So, Dog went to the rice field and walked on the rice filed. He left his footprints all
over. When the farmer came back, he asked Pig and Dog about the rice field. Dog told him
that he did all work but Pig went to sleep all day.
Pig tried to tell the farmer the truth. Dog told the farmer to look at the footprints.
The farmer could see only Dog’s footprints. He did not let Pig stay in his house. Pig could
eat bran and stay in the mud. For Dog, he could eat rice and stay in the house.
Use the evaluation form to evaluate yourself and your friends.

Storytelling Self-Evaluation Form

Titile of story: _______________________________________
Date presented: ___________________________________
Age of group: ___________________________________
Props used: _____________________________________
Presentation:___________________________________________
Part of story that seemed most effective: _____________________
Part of story that seemed least effective: ____________________
Reactions of the audience: _______________________________
What I should do differently next time: _______________________
Questions that initiated meaningful discussion :________________
Additional comments: ____________________________________

Audience Evaluation Form for Storytelling

Title: _______________________________________________________
Was rapport established? 1 2 3 4 5
Was there eyes contact? 1 2 3 4 5
Was storytelling dramatic? 1 2 3 4 5
Was voice level, use of voice, and pronunciation
appropriate? 1 2 3 4 5
Did the storyteller appear to know 1 2 3 4 5
the story well?
Did the storyteller hold your attention? 1 2 3 4 5

Total Point ________

Comments:________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
Name of evaluator: _________________
Date: _______________________
Note: 5 is the highest point score; 1 is the lowest.