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 classroom.

In addition, folktales are especially useful for developing cognitive and academic skills. Folktales also fit well with communicative approaches that focus on teaching language while communicating meaning. And folktales are excellent for addressing listening, speaking, reading and writing – either separately or in integration with each other. 

Characteristics that contribute to easy reading and listening

Although there is a lot variation between one folktale and the next, and even between two telling of the same tale, certain characteristics typical in folktales contribute to relatively easy reading. These include :

- Time – ordered story structure

- Repetition and redundancy

- Predictability

- Relatively simple grammar

- Concrete ideas

- Illustrations that provide support and context for the text

- A unique reader – writer relationship

Characteristics that contribute to interest and relevance for both adults and children

Folktales are typically considered children’s stories in the modern western world, and they certainly often appeal to children. But despite their outwardly simple appearance, folktales address themes and issues that are profound and significant for all ages.

Language teaching and the cultural elements of folktales

- Common elements across cultures – a cultural bridge

- Culturally distinctive elements – an opportunity to introduce and discuss cultural differences.

Integrating folktales with any language skill

Some activities with folktales that develop key language skills are listed briefly bellow.

Listening

- Stories read aloud by the teacher

- Stories told orally without a book by the teacher

- Tapes of stories

- Folktales for other cultures as told by other students

- Dramatic presentation of folktales

- Jigsaw and information – gap activities

Speaking

- Students telling tales from their own cultures

- Discussion activities

- Negotiating with other students to create new variations for exiting stories or to create completely new stories

- Jigsaw and information – gap activities

- Creating and presenting stories dramatically

Reading

- Individual, extensive reading

- Jigsaw reading

- Analytical reading involving comparison / contrast, analysis, and so on

Writing

- Recording stories from the student’s own culture

- Writing new endings to existing stories

- Composing original tales

- Writing papers comparing, analyzing, evaluating, and criticizing stories

- Writing summaries of stories

- Responding to stories on a personal level

Pronunciation

- Chanting rhymed potions of tales and repeated refrains to practice aspects of pronunciation like stress, rhythm, and intonation that go beyond the individual sounds

- Using Jazz Chant Fairy Tales By Caroline Graham (1988), also for practice of stress, rhythm, and intonation.

And this is the example of folktale.

The Adventures of Little Peachling

By A. B. Mitford

MANY hundred years ago there lived an honest old woodcutter and his wife. One fine morning the old man went off to the hills with his bill hook to gather a faggot of sticks, while his wife went down to the river to wash the dirty clothes. When she came to the river, she saw a peach floating down the stream; so she picked it up and carried it homeward with her, thinking to give it to her husband to eat when he should come in. The old man soon came down from the hills, and the good wife set the peach before him, when, just as

she was inviting him to eat it, the fruit split in two and a little

baby was born into the world. So the old couple took the babe and brought it up as their own; and because it had been born in a peach, they called it Momotaro, or Little Peachhing!

By degrees Little Peachling grew up to be strong and brave, and at last one day he said to his old foster parents-

"I am going to the ogres' island, to carry off the riches they have stored up there. Pray, then, make me some millet dumplings for my journey."

So the old folks ground the millet and made the dumplings for him; and Little Peachling, after taking an affectionate leave of them, cheerfully set out on his travels.

As he was journeying on, he fell in with an Ape, who gibbered at him, and said,

"Kia! kia! kia! where are you off to, Little Peachling?"

"I'm going to the ogres' island, to carry off their treasure," answered Little Peachling.

"What are you carrying at your girdle?"

"I'm carrying the very best millet dumplings in all Japan.

"If you'll give me one, I will go with you," said the Ape.

So Little Peachhing gave one of his dumplings to the Ape, who received it and followed him. When he had gone a little farther, he heard a Pheasant calling-

"Ken! ken! ken! where are you off to, Master Peachling?"

Little Peachling answered as before; and the Pheasant, having begged and obtained a millet dumpling, entered his service and followed him. A little while after this they met a Dog, who cried-

Bow! wow! wow! whither away, Master Peachling?"

"I'm going off to the ogres' island, to carry off their treasure.

"If you will give me one of those nice millet dumplings of yours, I will go with you," said the Dog.

"With all my heart," said Little Peachling. So he went on his way, with the Ape, the Pheasant, and the Dog following after him.

When they got to the ogres' island, the Pheasant flew over the castle gate and the Ape clambered over the castle wall, while Little Peachling, leading the Dog, forced in the gate and got into the castle. Then they did battle with the ogres and put them to flight, and took their King prisoner. So all the ogres did homage to Little Peachling, and brought out the treasures which they had laid up. There were caps and coats that made their wearers invisible, jewels which governed the ebb and the flow of the tide, coral, musk, emeralds, amber, and tortoise shells, besides gold and silver. All these were laid before Little Peachling by the conquered ogres.

So Little Peachling went home laden with riches, and maintained his foster parents in peace and plenty for the remainder of their lives.

(from The Junior Classics: Volume One, Fairy and Wonder Tales , selected and arranged by William Patten)

Cited in using folktales

Eric K. taylor

Cambridge university press

2000