A storyteller, folklorist, music advisor and language arts teacher uses storytelling in his classroom to inspire students to talk, write, perform, listen, and learn. Beginning with a seventh-grade elective class, the teacher (an employee of the Foxfire project and not trained as an English teacher) decided to spend two weeks with the students…

Six Ilianen Manobo stories transcribed from oral performances, are presented here. The stories selected are those frequently used to transmit highly-valued Manobo cultural goals and values, including those used as parable in establishing precedent in the formal setting of custom-law cases. An introductory chapter provides background information on…

As an instructional tool, folk literature can foster literacy, promote cultural awareness, and create connections with the content areas. Yet few resources provide background about folk literature and how to use it your classroom. "Happily Ever After" fills this gap with a reader-friendly collection of articles that define folk literature and its…

Emphasizes that language taught in a meaningful context is readily acquired by second-language learners and suggests that stories from the oral tradition of any Spanish-speaking cultures are excellent sources of material for language in content. These stories may be used to supplement traditional textbooks and readers. (13 references) (Author/CK)

Reports on an ethnographic research project in Liverpool, England. Aimed to build an understanding of the communicative and symbolic roles of languages and literacies in the Liverpool Somali community, which forms part of the Somali diaspora within Britain. The role of literacy is of particular interest in the context of a vigorous oral tradition…

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)

Suggests that studying myth, and what it can tell of the history of people's perceptions of values, will provide a basis for future growth. Provides various examples from literature that define myth and relate the power of myth in modern society. (AEF)

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)

Presents activities found to be useful in English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) classes, including a game in which the teacher guesses the meaning of words in students' native tongues; an exercise in which students write predictions, such as weather forecasting, in English; a game in which students explain the meaning of selected idioms in their own…

McClellan Hall describes his life experiences and what motivates him: Native American traditions such as the leadership role of women, speaking to youth from a positive perspective, listening to the Creator and being humble, and reliance on family. His concluding story illustrates that we have the responsibility to take care of the planet and all…

Non-Native scholarly interpretations of The Three Bears--a traditional story of the Nlha7kapmx Nation--focus on mythology as simplistic science to explain the physical world. In contrast, a Nlha7kapmx interpretation illuminates connections of land to people. Such stories reinforce cultural identity and teach young people about the spiritual power…

This report is designed to examine the construction of cultural memory, specifically the interpretation and transmission of historical knowledge in Spain and Catalonia. The study contends that in modern complex societies the genre commonly categorized as history represents a particular form of cultural construct devoted to the transmission,…