The Language Teacher
02 - 2002
Contagious Storytelling
Sato Kazuyoshi
Nagoya University of Foreign Studies
The other day I told my colleague about the most exciting class I had last year. It was my content-based instruction class on Australia. I enjoyed teaching it mainly because I had learned a lot from my students. In particular, I learned about how my personal storytelling could motivate my students to speak up and get them curious about the topic. They taught me how important it was to share stories with one another through their comments, their excitement, and their requests for more stories.
This article focuses on the impact of my personal stories on students in a content-based language teaching class in a Japanese university. Recently, classroom research on the teacher's use of narrative as an instructional strategy has gained greater attention (see Bruner, 1996; Martin, 2000; Witherall & Noddings, 1991). Martin (2000, p. 349-350) claims that "[t]hrough the mutual sharing of stories and the construction of a social self within the classroom students and teachers can be motivated to explore alternative interpretations to classroom material and experience (Bruner, 1996)."
In other words, teachers and students can create new relationships "through teaching and learning interactions and communication" (Martin, 2000, p. 350). More recently, in the field of applied linguistics, second language acquisition research has begun to take into consideration social, institutional, and classroom contexts where learning and teaching take place (Kramsch, 2000; van Lier, 2000). However, little research has been done which documents how the teacher and students interact through storytelling. This study attempts to describe the interactions not only between the teacher and students but also among the students.
Course Description and Data Collection
I taught a course entitled "Australian English and Culture" to 55 first-year English major students (38 women and 17 men) during the spring semester of 2000. Students met once a week (90 minutes) and 13 times over the semester. The course outline, which is given to the students, includes the following goals:
This course aims to foster your understanding of Australian English and culture through authentic materials such as TV commercials, newspapers, and films. You are expected to develop your communication skills in English through various activities such as pair-work and group work. You are encouraged to participate in a discussion from your perspectives, compared with Japanese culture. Furthermore, you are assigned to do mini-research on your favorite topics about Australia in a group and make a presentation.
Students wrote action logs (see Woo & Murphey, 1999) after each class, which included the date, their English target (the percentage of how much English they want to use in class) and English used (the percentage of how much English they actually used in class), today's partner, and evaluation of each activity by using an interesting and a useful scale, comments about what they learned and liked, and new information about Australia (they were supposed to find a new piece of information every week). Students shared their comments and new information based on their action logs during pair-work in the next class. It was one of the main activities to facilitate dialogue and was recycled in every class. Action logs were collected every other week and returned to the students with the instructor's comments. Moreover, newsletters were made from their comments in their action logs and delivered in class in Weeks 3, 7, and 11. Students enjoyed reading the newsletters. They seemed to be happy when they found their comments in the newsletter. In Weeks 5 and 9, students exchanged their action logs in a group of four in class and read their classmates' comments and information about Australia. As a result, they started to write more comments, looked for more information about Australia, and used more English during pair-work.
Besides participatory classroom observations, students' comments from action logs were the main source of data. In addition, three newsletters, comments from nine reading assignments, and self-evaluations students wrote at the end of the course were included in the data collection. Inductive approaches were employed to analyze the qualitative data from written documents. I read the data carefully and repeatedly, searched for patterns, and interpreted the data so as to discover tacit rules (see Glesne & Peshkin, 1992).
Results
I told four stories during the course. These were: a) self-introduction; b) my mistake story; c) my Australian student's story; and d) my experience in Sydney. These stories were not planned originally and were instead developed spontaneously. Noticing that students were highly engaged after my first personal story, I introduced others. In other words, I responded to my students' requests to hear more stories. Below is a more vivid description of what happened in the classes.
Self-introduction
At the beginning of my first lesson, I introduced myself and talked about why I decided to go to Australia and what I did there. After that, I asked students several questions in English. I noticed that students were nervous in class. As I introduced myself with some jokes, they seemed to relax and pay attention to my story. Comments from students' action logs documented their feelings in the first lesson (quotes uncorrected).
Yoshi's experience in Australia made me excited. After his speech, he asked some questions about him. All of the students who are asked could answer correctly. I think the students of this class have good skills of English. I must study hard to catch up with them. (Yumiko, AL- 1)1
I was worried a little and also was looking forward to come to this class. I got surprised because even through you're Japanese you taught class in English at first but I like the way you teach. It'll help our English skill to improve. I was pretty interested in your self-introduction. I enjoyed tutoring Japanese while I was in Canada, so I'd like to know how you became a Japanese teacher in Australia and stuff more. Maybe you can tell me more in class? (Mari, AL-1)
My mistake story
After the third lesson, I noticed that a few students often used Japanese during activities. I did not want to force them to use English because I wished to maintain a relaxed atmosphere in class. In the fourth week I decided to introduce stories of making a lot of mistakes in America while trying to learn English. For example, when I went to America as a college student, I asked several people, "How can I get a bus to Hollywood?" I could not understand what people said and continued to ask other people for directions. Finally, one gentleman said to me, "I will drive you." I thought I was lucky. Then, I got in his car. While driving, he suddenly asked me, "Are you a homosexual?" I was very embarrassed, but he kindly dropped me off in front of the Chinese Theater. Here are some comments from students' action logs following my telling of this story.
Today Yoshi said "Many mistakes in English are OK." Japanese people are often shy. So we're afraid of mistakes, but I think foreigners don't like being shy. So Japanese people should be more active, and I want to be more active without being afraid of mistakes. (Kenji, AL-4)
In today's class, "My story" interested me very much. You said "Nobody [can] jump each stage." I'm encouraged by your story. I was filled with anxiety, because everyone in my class seemed to speak English very well, but I can't speak at all. However, I don't feel so. I respect your fighting spirit. It is difficult to put ideas into action. In spite of that, you went to America and learn English. It is great. (Kanako, AL-4)
Quite a few students responded to my mistake story. They seemed to be encouraged by my story. Moreover, I learned that they were able to capture what I intended to say -- making mistakes is a natural step to improve communication skills in the target language. Thus, students perhaps learn better through an example and demonstration in a story than being lectured explicitly and directly.
I wanted to share these valuable comments with other students in class. So, I created a newsletter out of students' comments. It was one or two pages with some pictures that students had drawn. Students enjoyed reading classmates' comments in the newsletter, and many were happy to find their own comments. Students started to write more comments in their next action logs. More interestingly, they began to share their personal experiences, particularly in Australia, spontaneously.
When I went to Australia, I went to Australian school almost every day. My Australian teacher taught us about Australian English such as "Good day, mate," and I saw postcards that is written "Gooday, mate" there. I'm very interested in Australian culture, so I really happy to learn Australian language, so I hope I can learn it more next time. (Tomomi, AL-5)
When I went to Australia, my host family was from Peru. Father was a American, Mother was a Peruvian. They spoke both English and Spanish very well. I was surprised!! (Masashi, AL-5)
I know the Japanese is the most popular foreign language in Australia. When I went there, many children and friends gave me letter in Japanese, and they tried to speak Japanese! Australia is interested in Japan. (Sayuri, AL-5)
I learned that storytelling had a reciprocal effect on students. These students also shared their wonderful experiences with other students in class.
My Australian student's story
After noticing the powerful effect and rich feedback from students by sharing my learning experience, I decided to introduce another story about one of my Australian students in Week 6. Brad, one of my students in my Japanese class for beginners at Griffith University, tried to find opportunities to actually use Japanese outside of the class. Also, he travelled around Japan hitchhiking toward the end of his second year. Students responded to the story in their action logs as follows:
I really enjoyed your student's story. I think Brad is very active in learning Japanese. He tried to make use of any chances as possible as he could in Australia. That's why he could get a big chance to be a teacher [of English] in Japan. I don't want to miss any chances to be with English, I 'd like to broaden my outlook little by little. (Tsutomu, AL-6).
I thought "learning Japanese" and "learning English" is same. I have to use and make mistakes. I must not [be] ashamed of making mistakes. (Reiko, AL-6).
I was interested in Yoshi's student's story. He looked for chances to use Japanese and found them. So he could improve his Japanese very well. And I think if I have will and try hard I can do anything. (Aya, AL-6).
After this story, I noticed quite a few students tried to find opportunities to use English outside of the class. Some students spoke to exchange students from Australia and Australian teachers. Others got in touch with host families they had met in Australia.
I was happy to know many Australian English. After the class, I met my friends of foreign students from Australia and tried those phrases. They could understand me! They also advised me not to use "Ta!" It seems like a rude vocabulary word. It is right? (Chihiro, AL-6)
I'm looking forward to the Olympic. My Australian teacher said that swimming team of Australia is strong! (Yuki, AL-6)
Your student's story was so fun. It was good to use Japanese outside of the class. Sometimes I talk with my host mother over an international telephone. And I work part time at Japanese-style restaurant. Last Tuesday, we had customers from South Africa. I made a companion for them because other waitresses couldn't speak English. It was good for my speaking practice. (Tooru, AL-6)
These students seemed to be inspired by my storytelling and tried to emulate my Australian student in their own ways (see Kusano, 2000).
My experience in Sydney
Toward the end of the course, I introduced a fourth story about my experience in Sydney. I went to see Mardi Gras -- a parade in celebration of the first protests against discrimination against gays in 1978. One student wrote a comment as follows:
Today's "My story" was very interesting. I have watched a gay parade on TV. Some people are joining a parade in a fancy dress, aren't they? Australia has multiculture. But I think Japan is a multicultural country because Japanese people celebrate Christmas though they aren't Christian. It's very strange. They are easy to accept many kinds of cultures. (Miki, AL-11)
Students' comments such as this showed that my personal stories served as a catalyst to promote dialogue in class.
Students became more interested in Australia as they shared information with one another. Some students also compared Australia and Japan critically, and deepened their cross-cultural understanding.
I was very surprised that if Australians don't go for voting, they have to pay some money!! I couldn't believe it, but if Japanese voting systems adopt this Australian voting systems, more and more Japanese people vote. (Hiromi, AL-8)
I'm dissatisfied with the Howard's comment in a radio interview -- he should have reflected on what the government had done, and made an apology for the Aborigines. We also have racial problem in Japan such as Koreans, the Ainu, and foreigners living in Japan. It could happen that those people seek formal apology from us. (Ippei, Reading Assignment 9)
Thirteen weeks passed very quickly. Students had little knowledge about Australia at the beginning of this course. However, they searched for new information by themselves and collaborated for the group project. Almost every student wrote that they enjoyed the class in their self-evaluations. A majority of them wrote that they wanted to hear more about my personal stories. One student commented:
Today we listen to the final song. After it I felt sad. I don't know the reason. Perhaps I like this class. I don't want to finish this class. Always, when the Friday morning come, I come to school early, I looked forward to doing something in this class, for example, what song we will listen, what story the teacher will talk, and who are my today's partner, etc. I didn't have the same feeling in other class. I learned many things in this class, and I got many friends in this class. Thank you, Yoshi. (Masako, Self-evaluation)
Conclusion
I have learned that my personal stories served as catalysts to create a collaborative learning environment. Stimulated by my stories, students told their own experiences reciprocally, changed their beliefs about mistakes, and started to use English outside the classroom. Sharing personal experiences, comments, and new information with one another through pair and group work, they learned not only from the instructor but also from classmates. Finally, they deepened their cross-cultural understandings by comparing Australia and Japan critically.
Through this classroom research, I was conscious about breaking the ice in my learning environment, in particular, at the beginning of this course. However, it was not until I told my mistake story to students that I became aware of the impact of storytelling and the importance of learning from students in foreign language classrooms (see also Sato, in press). Students were interested in how I learned a foreign language. Receiving specific feedback from students in their action logs, I revealed my personal stories one after another to facilitate further dialogue in class. It was my first attempt to have used personal stories. As I shared my stories with students, they reciprocally shared their own stories. Moreover, they wanted more stories from me. Storytelling had a contagious effect on both the teacher and the students in the classroom. It triggered the telling of students' stories and inspired them to use English outside of the class. I agree with what Weinstein (2001) has noticed: "I've come to believe that teachers are also learners, who learn best when they have a chance to share their own stories" (p. 7).
References
Bruner, J. S. (1996). The culture of education. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Glensne, C. & Peshkin, A. (1992). Becoming qualitative researcher. New York: Longman.
Kramsch, C. (2000). Second language acquisition, applied linguistics, and the teaching of foreign languages. The Modern Language Journal, 84(3), 311-326.
Kusano, A. (2000). Contagious motivation through reciprocal near peer role modeling. Nanzan's LT Briefs,13.
Martin, K. J. (2000). "Oh, I have a story": narrative as a teacher's classroom model. Teaching and Teacher Education, 16(3), 349-363.
Sato, K. (in press). Seeking satisfaction. In K. E. Johnson & P. R. Golombek (Eds.), Teachers' narrative inquiry as professional development (pp. 215-233). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
van Lier, L. (2000). From input to affordance: Social-interactive learning from an ecological perspective. In J. Lantolf (Ed.), Sociocultural theory and second language learning (pp.245-259). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Weinstein, G. The power of learner narratives: Building learning communities through shared stories. Teacher Education Interest Section Newsletter (TESOL), 16(2), 5-7.
Witherall, N. & Noddings, N. (1991). Stories lives tell: Narrative and dialogue in education. New York: Teachers College Press.
Woo, L. & Murphey, T. (1999). Activating metacognition with action logs. The Language Teacher, 23(5), 15-18.
1 All names are pseudonyms; and the codes AL-1 for instance indicate Action Log No.1.
Sato Kazuyoshi holds a PhD in Applied Linguistics from The University of Queensland, Australia. He has written several papers on communicative language teaching and teacher education. His current interests include teacher development, culture teaching, and learning strategies
All materials on this site are copyright © by JALT and their respective authors.
For more information on JALT, visit the JALT National Website