Using folktales in language teaching
‘Folktale’ is used for several related kinds of stories. Most narrowly, a folktale is a traditional story that has been passed on by word of mouth – told from parent to child over many generations or passed on by countless storytellers sitting around countless evening fires. No one knows who the original author was, and there are usually different versions of the same story. Because folktales began as oral stories, they also have many characteristics that make them easier to understand than other types of literature. Since folktales are often published as a children’s book with easy language and context-providing illustrations, many are accessible to students with limited language abilities. Yet there are also many more difficult, literary retelling of folktales. This means that folktales provide material for all levels from beginner to advanced, with natural bridges from each level to the next. The varying levels of difficulty also make folktales very useful in the multilevel cla