UNIVERSITY OF EL SALVADOR Advanced Intensive English I (IAI114) SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCES Semester II 2015 FOREIGN LANGUAGE DEPARTMENT FINAL ORAL TASK Professor: Nelda Yvette Henríquez, M.A.

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THE STORYTELLERS Introduction

Storytelling can be an illuminating art medium through which to

inspire peace, justice, and positive social change.

Task Rationale and Overview Storytelling is one of humanity’s oldest

experiences. The term is, at the same time: a

noun and a verb, an action and an event. Any

definition of storytelling needs to also describe

the action of “imparting a verbally expressed plot

that is transmitted orally between the teller and

the listener.” This model – the living, verbal

transmission of imagery unfolding in a linear way

in time and space- is what that sets oral

storytelling apart from other more modern art

forms that have been inspired by storytelling and

that contain a narrative (for example: a play, a

puppet show, a book, a ballet, an opera, or a

movie, which might -like a story- have a plot).

Storytelling communication skills and creative

thinking ability are core competencies in artfully

leading change. Storytelling could provide leaders in change with an experiential

knowledge about innovative thinking, and with an appreciation for the power of story and

metaphor to convey ideas. Oral stories are a powerful and complex form of metaphor, and

storytelling has a positive impact on literacy and language development when integrated

into the educational setting.

At both the multicultural, global level and at the individual, human developmental level,

orality is older than literacy. In this task, through a literary writing process about your

own surroundings (place where you live, people you interact with, circumstances you

experience daily, etc.) or through fantasy, you will design, rehearse, and perform an

original storytelling work . In your own creative process, you must observe, describe,

interpret, and name in order to accurately and comprehensibly tell your story to an

audience.

Your story may interweave personal memoir, history, folklore, and current events. As a

storyteller, you will be composing and performing a complex tale, and as a change leader,

you will be designing and communicating a vision of change.

UNIVERSITY OF EL SALVADOR Advanced Intensive English I (IAI114) SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCES Semester II 2015 FOREIGN LANGUAGE DEPARTMENT FINAL ORAL TASK Professor: Nelda Yvette Henríquez, M.A.

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LIST OF TOPICS

Topics for your story may be (these are not TITLES, only topics):

- My forefathers - A tale about non-violence

- My folk tale (original) - A story about conflict resolution

- A day in the life of… - A story about equality

…which can contribute to reconciliation, social change and cultural understanding.

Task Guidelines 1. Individually, you will create an original story which should have an original title and

all the elements of a good story a) that contains a well-thought out plot (the accurate

recounting of a sequence of events) with a story grammar, event chain, and highpoint, and

b) that works with a range of language topics such as causality, coherence, usage,

conventions, and narrative structure.

2. In TEN MINUTES, you will deliver your story orally to the class: as the storyteller,

you will be a “culture bearer”, you will present the surroundings, relationships and

circumstances with rich contextual descriptions, language use, gestures, and performance

manner. Also included will be specific performance elements such as story choice,

gesture, spatial organization, word play, and vocal effects.

Depending on the story you decide, the tale might be told in the first person, it might tell

about the challenges of a specific character or place, etc.

Your story must cover several functions:

• To carry content

• To teach a moral message(s)

• To create a sense of community

• To reveal yourself and your vulnerability (openness).

3. You will choose one of

these options to present

your story:

a) Create a flip chart with

6 comic-like one-page

illustrations to present

your story.

b) Choose 6 objects that

will help you tell your

story to the class.

UNIVERSITY OF EL SALVADOR Advanced Intensive English I (IAI114) SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCES Semester II 2015 FOREIGN LANGUAGE DEPARTMENT FINAL ORAL TASK Professor: Nelda Yvette Henríquez, M.A.

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Methodology (How to create your story) First of all, choose your topic.

Next, to present a good story, you have to capture

information of the setting and context, depending

on your chosen topic (see LIST OF TOPICS on

page 1). Appropriate and effective methods you

might use to gather information include

interviews, field notes, recorded audios (which

you may use as “background sounds”), and

autoethnography (context).

Think about and prepare the story: plot, event chain,

highpoint and resolution, and the “linguistic components” that you will be using, such as

reference, tense, and the use of signposts (connectors) such as “and/then” in the retellings

of your tale.

In the following page, check the rubric to make sure you understand all the aspects that

will be scored in your oral presentation. Just a reminder: whichever way you choose for

the presentation, keep in mind that it has to be only 6

(SIX) images or objects. The images can be similar

to the illustrations posted on this page (an action,

a scene, the highpoint, etc.), but they must be the

size of the flip chart page so that everyone can see

them.

To narrate your story: you may use music,

background audio, sound effects, but no

PowerPoint or electronic presentations; only

the physical objects or the flip chart

(representing important scenes) from the

story may be utilized.

SOME LINKS FOR YOU TO VIEW:

THE ART OF STORYTELLING: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23frsMMKud8

EXAMPLE OF STORYTELLING (example of storytelling using music):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Iv2nZnZOrM

STORYTELLING COMPETITION (something NOT to do: the storyteller makes

unnatural pauses): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ScBQn-3MFeU

A LOVE STORY (example of storytelling using pictures):

https://vimeo.com/album/2471979/video/59248851

UNIVERSITY OF EL SALVADOR Advanced Intensive English I (IAI114) SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCES Semester II 2015 FOREIGN LANGUAGE DEPARTMENT FINAL ORAL TASK Professor: Nelda Yvette Henríquez, M.A.

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STUDENT: __________________________________________________________________________________________

TALE: _______________________________________________________________________________________________

Scoring Rubric for THE STORYTELLERS

RETELLING OF THE STORY (mechanics) 5 4 3 2 1

TOTAL /20

-body language and eye contact -contact with the public -poise (posture) -physical organization (visible, audible) LANGUAGE SKILLS 5 4 3 2 1

TOTAL /25

-correct usage and pronunciation -appropriate vocabulary and grammar -understandable (rhythm, intonation) -spoke loud enough to be easily heard - storytelling signposts and conventions

ORGANIZATION OF THE STORY (narrative structure) 5 4 3 2 1 TOTAL

/20 -event chain -highpoint -resolution -moral message taught MASTERY OF THE STORY 5 4 3 2 1

TOTAL /25

-setting mentioned -complexity (observed, interpreted, and

named)

-spoken, NOT READ - [rich/poor] contextual descriptions -does not exceed the time limit (10 mins. max) USE OF STORY AIDS 5 4 3 2 1

TOTAL /10

-flip chart / six objects (choose only one) -audio (background, effects, etc.) OVERALL IMPRESSION 5 4 3 2 1

TOTAL /25

-evidences task preparation & research -very [interesting / boring] -[pleasant / unpleasant] to listen to -[very good / poor] communication -knows the story completely and

TOTAL SCORE _______ / 125

GRADE