Stories in language learning

Written by: Matera Sultan

Introduction:
Stories are representing a major part to establish a thick structure for language learning
in Oman. Question: how to demonstrate effectively the benefits of shared reading through
stories in the Omani young learner classroom for English language learning?
In Oman, the lack of awareness about the relevance of the story, sometimes makes
teaching it, is not affective. A story which embodies the tool of language learning, needs
good strategies which get Omani teachers follow them correctly for constructive
purposes that utilize children’s opportunities for language learning. So, my assignment
will focus on stories which can develop the basic language skills positively.
Thereupon, my framework consists of three sections. The first section shows the values
of the stories. In second section, I am going to talk about the importance of shared
reading that requires than including my seven criteria that good story should have,
information about my learners. After that, I will talk about the follow-up activity. The
third section shows the evaluation about my story according to the seven criteria which I
mentioned. The fourth section mentions about the problems that my learners have in
learning English and the conclusion.

Section one:
In this topic I am going to talk about the relevance that the pupils gain from stories for
language learning. Stories represent the vital part of language learning in contrast,
children enjoy the stories; stories are developing their different skills. So, stories have
values which show the importance that the stories have.

Thus, one important value of stories for language learning is enjoyment. Children enjoy
the story, because stories are a tool of fun so, the story can attract their attention to follow
it from the beginning to the end. And children’s desire is to reach to the ultimate of
enjoyment. Malkina (1995:38) says that stories and fairy tales are inherently interesting
to children because stories are an effective tool for early language teaching. So,
enjoyment in stories is one aspect of children’s desire to discover the small world that
they imagine it.
Second value of stories for language learning is encouraging children to use their
imagination. Like this, imagination can create the language that children need to explore.
Cameron (2001:159) mentions” stories offer a whole imaginary world, created by
language that children can enter and enjoy, learning language as they go”. So, children
have great imagination to develop their capacities to create stories that spring from their
thoughts.

Third value of stories for language learning is encouraging children to express their ways
of thinking and feelings. Through stories, children can get more opportunities to think
and predict about what the story holds of events so, they predict the events of the story,
thinking of sequences of events. Fitzgibbon and Wilhelm (2001:231) discuss "storytelling
is promoted as fostering natural communication, allowing students to experience
authentic language input". So, it is another way to understand the direction of the whole
story and to elicit meaningful ideas that the story includes.

Fourth value of stories for language learning is moral reasoning through significant
massage that convey to the listeners. So, when children assimilate with the story, they
imagine and relate the story with their real life. Therefore through this massage, they can
learn between the good habits that they should they learn about it and the bad habit that
should they avoid it in their surroundings. Moreover this important massage can change
their behavior positively. Pedersen (1995:2) shows that "stories have numerous affective
benefits for social and emotional development".

Fifth value of stories for language learning is encouraging children to be aware of

language that the story holds. In this way, children can expand their knowledge through
new vocabulary and chunks, so, they need to be aware of the language that explore which
is appropriate to their level, accordingly, they are able to grasp the meaning. In
consequence, to follow the story in correct way, to predict, and to reach to a significant
massage, children need to understand the language that the story holds. Gravie (1990:12)
comments" one aspect of language awareness in the general sense which has been
focused upon lately is that of language for particular needs and purposes".

Sixth value of stories for language learning is developing children’s basic language skills.
For instance, reading skill can helps children to read the stories from simple language to
depth afterwards and from this point, they can build up their vocabulary affectively.
Otherwise, children can develop their oral language to express their thoughts, listening to
the storytellers, and writing their own story. Pedersen (1995:2) says "while listening to
stories, children develop a sense of structure that will later help them to understand the
more complex stories of literature".

Seventh value of stories for language learning is stimulating children’s motivation.

Stories create the spirit of motivation which gets children to enter to the languages that
helps children to communicate. Wright (1995:6) mention because children willing to
listen or to read, they have a constant need for stories.

Section two:
This section comprises of three parts, the first part explains about important purpose of
shared reading. The second part shows my seven criteria for an effective shared story
reading. Then the third part explicates the follow-up activity.
Hence, shared reading in stories as skill, it is very relevant for children to develop their
fluency otherwise; teacher can discover children’s abilities through shared reading and to
give them opportunities to develop reading skill and this is means that children through
stories, can join in their experience with concepts that the story holds. Tomlinson and
Brown (1995:276) explain that" shared reading is a term being used to describe a number
of teaching strategies that attempt to draw on the natural literacy learning that has long
occurred in book-loving homes around the world an this various strategies, provide
children with opportunities to experience good literature as they are learning to read".
Now, I am reading to talk about the seven criteria that I think the good shared story
reading should include:

First criterion interesting story

My first criterion is the story should be interested. So, it is essential to get children
interesting with the story and follow it affectively. And to get the story interesting for
them, the story should be appropriate to their level to understand it as will as they can and
to grasp the meaning otherwise, children should find surprising atmosphere in the story
so this is will assist them to keep the story in their mind afterwards. In the words of
Tomlinson and Brown (1995:122) "young children often ask for the same book time after
time, because they love the story and the words. Quite naturally, they memorize the text
and, in this way, learn many of the fundamentals of reading" and this desire shows how
children interested with the story so the story should be interest to let them to contact
with it.

Second criterion: attract children attention

My second criterion for a good story in the YL classroom is that it should attract
children’s attention to motivated them to the story and without this criteria, the story will
not be effective. Scovel (2001:71) points out that attention show the thoroughfare for
many connections: from stimulus to response for instance. So, to prepare children to the
story, firstly, creating a comfortable non-threatening environment in the classroom will
help children to prepare themselves for the story. Ghosn (1997:39) says:"stories
contribute to establishing a classroom environment that will stimulate thought and feeling
while cultivating listening and speaking skills". Secondly colorful pictures; attract
children to see the remaining pictures because the picture in the story is the primary
source information. Thirdly, we should to draw their attention and stimulating them to
talk and predict.

Third criterion: prediction skill

My third criterion is good story should encourage prediction skill. This is very important
to get children thinking about what will happen in the story so they can involve in the
story. They express their way of thinking and thoughts to follow it positively. Brewster
and Eills (1991:57) explain that “predicting is very useful for children to predict what
they think might come next in spoken massage and this means children will listen to
whether their expectation matches the reality of what they hear”.

My fourth criterion: authentic, understandable language

My fourth criterion is language of a story should be authentic and understandable. This is
a fundamental part of major criteria to get children aware of language that the story
includes. Wright (1995:7) discuss that “stories introduce children to language items and
sentence constructions without their necessarily having to use them productively”.

My fifth criterion: repetition

My fifth criterion is good story should have lots of repetition. This is important because
repetition helps children to memorize words thus they can use language inside and
outside the classroom and I think that receptive words to memorize, means the presence
of language. Cameron (2001: 169) mentions that “the build-in repetition of words and
pareses is one of the features of stories that are most helpful for language learning”.

Sixth criterion: encouraging imagination

My sixth criterion is a good story should encourage children’s imaginations. This is
significant to get children think and imagine the story through characters, places and
periods of time. Brewster and Ellis (1991:158) point out creative powers which children
need, spring from imaginative experience.

Seventh criterion: the moral of the story

My seventh criterion is a good story should have a moral. And this is very important part
in stories to pick up a vital massage that children need next. Furthermore, through moral
of a story, children can explore positive and negative descriptions of character’s behavior
so, through the moral children can relate the story with the real life. Tomlinson and
Brown (1995:4) remark that situations in the story through the characters and the moral
decisions help children to formulate their own concepts of right and wrong.

Conclusion
On the whole, in this assignment, I tried to answer my question about how to demonstrate
effectively, the benefits of shared reading in the Omani young learner classroom for
English language learning. And if we hold the awareness about values that the stories
have, I think that this perception will lead us to affective strategies which assist the
Omani learners to build up their basic skills that they require in constructive way.

References:
Ellis G., Brewster I. (1991) the Storytelling Handbook for Primary Teachers
Cameron, L. 2001. Teaching Languages to Young. Learners. ...
Fitzgibbon, H.B. & Wilhelm, K.H. (2001). Storytelling in ESL/EFL classrooms
Ghosn (1997). Four good reasons to use literature in primary school. ELT
Malkina, N. (1995). Storytelling in early language teaching
Pedersen, M (1995). Storytelling and the Art of Teaching. FORUM.

Scovel (2001:71 Scovel, T. (2001). Learning new languages. A guide to second language
acquisition. Boston: Heinle & Heinle.

Tomlinson, M and Brown, C (1995) Essentials of Children's Literature

Wright (1995). Storytelling with children. Oxford.