Argues that, by reading literature that incorporates folklore and oral traditions, students learn to recognize and appreciate how oral traditions have influenced all cultures. Argues that a study of contemporary American written literature which incorporates elements of the oral tradition introduces students to old and deep wisdom and to a diverse…

Through a story of experiences at a library and two museums, a Cree university student demonstrates how such institutions fail to adequately respect and portray Native culture, despite good intentions. (TD)

This study argues for the integration of African oral traditions and other elements of traditional learning into the modern school curriculum. It thus contributes to supporting the increased relevance of education to local communities. In particular, using the example of riddles collected from one of the main ethnic groups in Northwestern…

Examines the challenges accompanying inserting Francophone literatures of the Caribbean and sub-Saharan Africa into the curriculum. This article suggests additions to the syllabus and discusses three theories useful in weaving together all Francophone literatures--a process duplicating the "metissage" of cultures. (31 references)…

Notes that jump rope rhymes and street chants are part of an oral tradition that links communication and play. Although rarely incorporated into the elementary curriculum, they expose children to rhyme, rhythm, humor, and poetry. Discusses opportunities for student involvement and integration of rhymes and chants across the curriculum, and…

Anne Carroll Moore, who introduced children's services at the New York Public Library, a Newbery-winning author discusses libraries, collection development, book costs, the publishing industry, fear of change, oral and print tradition, writing for children, the impact and shortcomings of technology, books going out of print, and the need for…

This article focuses on the particular challenges, choices, and celebrations relevant to teaching in an urban setting. The speech of African American students is described as rich and reflective of the African American oral tradition. The article also discusses the meaning, rules and the evolution of African American English.

Until American Calvinist missionaries created a Hawaiian alphabet and writing system after their arrival to the Hawaiian islands in 1819, all Kanaka Maoli literature was oral. By inventing a Hawaiian alphabet, the missionaries were able to teach Kanaka Maoli reading and writing; by the early 1830s the first missionary-controlled printing press was…

The genre of fairytales, one structured form of storytelling, has been labeled "Marchen." German culture is orally transmitted in this generic form, and can be traced to a collection of 210 fairytales, the Grimm brothers'"Kinder-und Taus-Marchen," first published shortly after 1800. For this study, research questions were posed…

The persistent cultural conservatism in Western scholarship has led to the exclusion of Chinese rhetoric from the canon of rhetorical studies. However, the assumption that Chinese culture does not have a rhetorical tradition is misleading and inappropriate. It stems from any number of notions: that the Chinese language is not as logical as those…

Aboriginal literacy encompasses oral tradition, culture, language, identity, and world view in addition to the written word, and is a process of lifelong learning, much of which occurs beyond school walls. When defining Native literacy, one must move away from measuring Aboriginal students by Euro-Western definitions and move toward a balanced,…

Native American storytelling contributes to maintenance of Native cultures; development of individual identities rooted in awareness of family, community, heritage, and land; and the flourishing of contemporary Native American fiction. Today, stories are transmitted by oral tradition and the writer's craft. Includes author's recollections of…

Explores the role of language and the related linguistic skills (oracy) in traditional, indigenous African education, addressing the role and nature of proverbs, riddles, word games, arithmetic puzzles, dilemma tales, and fables, myths, and legends as well as the use of praise songs and praise poems in traditional African communities. (Author/SM)

Compares the ancient oral tradition of storytelling with modern interpretations where storytelling is blended with acting. Provides guidelines for an exercise in which the students interview members of their family and bring the results to life on stage. (PA)

Argues that children and society as a whole have an inherent need for a cosmic story whose purpose is to provide insight into people's place in the universe. Describes the importance, role, and place for a cosmic storyteller in modern society. (SD)