Oral Storytelling, Speaking and Listening and the Hegemony of Literacy: Non-Instrumental Language Use and Transactional Talk in the Primary Classroom

Abstract

We are hard-wired for story: as the oldest form of education oral storytelling has been used from time immemorial and from culture to culture as "a way of passing down…beliefs, traditions, and history to future generations" (Hamilton & Weiss, 1990; p.1). To these ends oral storytelling is connected to modes of understanding that have been recognized by theorists to be intrinsic to the way we think -we are literally hard wired for story (Bruner, 1990; Egan, 1989).Despite this innate predisposition, in the contemporary classroom oral storytelling is not strongly utilised. The presence of complex and interdependent 'literacy events' (Street, 1988) that incorporate all forms of language are significantly less ubiquitous in the instructional environment of the classroom than they are in everyday life. Generally it is an autonomous model of literacy that underpins school curricula, pedagogy and assessment (Larson, 2006). Such narrowly defined conceptions of literacy in the classroom can be "closely aligned with a deficit model [that results] in curricular and academic disadvantage" (Larson, 2006; p.320) due to an emphasis upon decontextualized drill and practice in alphabetic decoding skills and standardized assessment procedures. This emphasis puts children from backgrounds that are less saturated in the cultural capital that literacy affords (Lambirth, 2006) at a disadvantage in the classroom.This autonomous model contrasts with conceptions of language and literacy as multidimensional artefacts incorporating social, cultural, and integrated aspects that cumulatively create an "expansion of the boundaries of what counts as literacy and literate competency" (Cervetti et al., 2006; p.379). Research has demonstrated that literacy acquisition is strongly dependent upon participation in authentic learning experiences within each child's

A language focused approach to supporting children with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties (SEBD)

“…The CNGS examined the use of NGs in seven schools in the North West (Warin & Hibbin, 2016a, 2016b. We sampled five settings that utilised traditional NGs, and two alternative settings without NGs but utilising approaches strongly based upon nurturing principles and Attachment Theory.…”

“…This interest in relationality and communication now informs our analysis of the current RP data. We have maintained an interest in language-based effects, stemming from a pre-existing academic concern over the importance of language to children's education, wellbeing and development (Hibbin, 2013;Hibbin, 2016a, 2016b. Our analysis highlights the effects of language on the way that Nurture and RP are delivered, and we focus on these effects in four mainstream settings (2-4) and one SEND setting (5) across the two studies: 1) Auden Downs Secondary (Through) School -RP 2) Herdwick Primary School -CNGS 3) Beckworth Grange Secondary School -RP 4) Redferne Primary School -CNGS 5) Dale View Residential School -CNGS…”

Effectiveness of Digital Storytelling in Teaching Literature

“…When teaching literary pieces, such as poetry and prose, oral storytelling is mainly used. It is labelled as multi-dimensional learning as it involves speaking, listening, and understanding and a way of passing down beliefs, traditions, and historical culture to future generations (Hibbin, 2016). Moreover, Literature teachers utilized lecture-based with teacher-centred approach in which the main source of knowledge could be the content of the reference book or the teacher himself.…”

A Critical Investigation into How Year 8 Students’ Narrative Writing Skills are Developed Through the Medium of Oral Storytelling

“…One student commented that 'It helped [my] speaking get better not my writing as much', which corresponds to the arguments of Alexander (2008), Mercer (2016) and Hibbin (2016a). They argue that oracy, or, as Hibbin argues specifically, 'oral storytelling' should act as tools to improve talk, rather than act as a precursor to reading and writing.…”

“…As a form of speaking and listening, oral storytelling is also currently a learning tool that has little status or visibility in school, especially within secondary education ( Smith & Foley, 2015;Hibbin, 2016a). Smith and Foley agree that 'it appears the idea of storytelling is seen as an unnecessary luxury in today's assessment-driven culture' (Smith & Foley, 2015, p.63).…”