STORY TELLING

When you hear the compound word STORYTELLING, what ideas come to your mind?

STORYTELLING

• According to the National Storytelling Association of the United States of America,

STORYTELLING is the art of using language, vocalization, and/or physical movement and
gesture to reveal the elements and images of a story to a specific, live audience.

• 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.

Stories are used to share

• values

• experiences

• attitudes

• wisdom

• beliefs

• habits

Stories have been present in society for as long as mankind exists. It has been used for many different
purposes. They have been present in every culture everywhere to:

• Entertain

• Inform

• Persuade

• Instill moral values

• Transmit culture

• Inspire
Good stories have the following elements or tools for their massages to be more effectively conveyed
their audience and listeners:

• Setting

• Characters

• Plot

• Conflict

• Theme

Telling stories have been used in the teaching - learning process to make lessons come alive. Teachers
are expected to become excellent story tellers. The world’s literary culture is very rich. Teachers may
use a variety of tools to give life to their everyday lessons.

• stories

• poems

• comic strips

• editorials/features

• song lyrics

• movie scripts

Part of being an effective storyteller requires three (3) preliminary steps:

• Finding the correct story

• Know your audience
• Pre-reading

EFFECTIVE STORYTELLERS CAN MAKE WORDS COME ALIVE. THEY CAN MAKE THE AUDIENCE AND
LISTENERS SEE, HEAR, TASTE, SMELL AND FEEL WHAT THE CHARACTERS IN THE STORY ARE FEELING.
ACCORDING TO BARRY MCWILLIAMS, THERE ARE ESSENTIAL DELIVERY ELEMENTS:

SINCERITY and WHOLE-HEARTEDNESS - storytellers should deliver the story honestly and earnestly.

ENTHUSIASM – Storytellers should show genuine excitement in the story. This will make the listener
feel how great a story is.

ANIMATION – storytellers are animated beings. They put together gestures, body language, eye
contact, facial expressions and projection of the voice to deliver their story well.
 McWilliams further added particular oral storytelling skills that storytellers must possess:

EMPHASIS – When telling a story ,one should know when to stress a word, a phrase or an entire
dialogue for effect.

REPETITION – Sometimes, words and lines must repeated in order to get he desired feeling and
emotions.

TRANSITION – This is the transfer from one part of the story to another. Necessary inflections of the
voice and pacing of the words make transitions very smooth.

PAUSE – Storyteller stop for a while at any point in the story for effect or to check for understanding
by asking questions.

PROPORTION – This refers to the bulk of information presented in a part of the story. A storyteller
should know what part of the story is being presented so that he/she can make the necessary
adjustment that would suit the time allotted for storytelling and the attention span of the audience
and listeners.

In storytelling it is important that the listeners are engaged all throughout the process. This will
ensure better understanding of the story and more reflective thinking at the end. Here are some
suggested strategies to keep the listeners in tune with the storyteller:

ACTIVE INVOLVEMENT OF THE LISTENERS – use the audience to read a part of the story or yell out
words or dialogues, do some actions answer some questions.

SHIFTS AND PROJECTION OF THE VOICE – a sudden change in the pitch, tone and volume of the
storytellers voice can sustain and regain the attention of the listeners.

AN UNEXPECTED TWIST IN THE NARRATION – this keeps the listeners anticipating what will happen
next.

CONSTANT ANIMATION – this keeps the listeners glued to the storytellers every move, gesture, facial
expressions and body language.

EFFECTIVE STORYTELLING PERFORMANCE

SKIILS
4 3 2 1

(Accomplished) (Proficient) (Intermediate) (Beginner)

Voice Storyteller Storyteller Storyteller Storyteller never
Mechanics always speaks sometimes seldom speaks speaks with
with speaks with with appropriate appropriate
appropriate appropriate volume, volume,
volume, volume, enunciates enunciates words
enunciates enunciates words clearly clearly and uses
words clearly words clearly and uses non- non-monotonous
and uses non- and uses non- monotonous vocal expressions
monotonous monotonous vocal
vocal vocal expressions.
expressions expressions.
throughout the
story telling.

Facial Storyteller Storyteller never Storyteller storyteller never

Expressions, always uses speaks with seldom uses uses non-verbal
Body Language non-verbal appropriate non-verbal cues cues to effectively
and Gestures cues to volume, to effectively deliver the
effectively enunciates deliver the message of the
deliver the words clearly message of the story.
mess and uses non- story
monotonous
vocal
expressions

Focus Storyteller Storyteller Storyteller fairly storyteller does

excellently satisfactorily maintains not maintain
maintains maintains concentration, concentration ,
concentration, concentration, eye contact and eye contact and
eye contact and eye contact and strong presence strong presence
strong strong presence
presence

Characterization Storyteller Storyteller Storyteller fairly storyteller does

excellently satisfactorily makes the not make the
makes the makes the characters come characters come
characters characters come alive through alive.
come alive alive through effective
through effective dialogue
effective dialogue delivery
dialogue delivery
delivery
Pacing Storyteller Storyteller Storyteller fairly Storyteller does
excellently satisfactorily employs proper not employ
employs proper employs proper pacing for effect proper pacing for
pacing for pacing for effect effect.
effect