Purposive Communication Storytelling
Purposive Communication Storytelling
One of the responsibilities of teachers is stimulating their student’s imagination and understanding of the world. One
approach that is commonly used is storytelling. STORIES according to (Alex 1998), play significant roles in students’
growth and through these, they would learn to appreciate literature.
STORYTELLING is a powerful way of communicating and conveying emotion by improvisation or embellishment. It is the
art of using language, voice, movements and gestures in order to reveal images and elements of the story to an
audience. This is often used by teachers, parents and professionals to elaborate or convey messages, to entertain, to
educate and to preserve culture.
1. Cooter (1991) and Bla (1998) forwarded that the excitement and drama pf storytelling provide a context that holds
students’ attention. Stories are used to motivate, create an immense interest, attracts listeners, and promotes
communication.
2. Stories are an enormous language treasure. Storytelling is one of the oldest arts of telling morals and thousands of
these stories have been created and passed down. Many old stories are regarded as the models of language and
treasures of the culture, from which learners at various language levels and age groups can find suitable stories to read
and tell.
3. Storytelling provides a lively atmosphere and a real-life environment that encourages the students to participate.
When they listen to stories, they easily can plunge into the plots and scenes and identify themselves among the
characters.
Based from my research another strategy for effective communication for teacher as well as the students
1) Be an Active Listener
A large part of developing strong communication levels is by actively listening to your students. It is vital that teachers
listen to their students and understand their thoughts and ideas. By actively listening, they will develop empathy and
understanding for their students and be able to assess if they understand what they are being taught. Students will feel
heard and this will go a long way towards strengthening relationship bonds.
2) Create a Supportive Environment
Creating a supportive environment where students feel their needs are being met and they can get help is vital to
classroom success. This includes showing students that you are approachable and if they need additional support you
have an open-door policy. All students will have different intellectual capabilities and learning speeds, so recognizing this
and providing extra support when needed is fundamental. During classes, this also means making students feel
comfortable to ask questions and ensuring they know it’s a safe space where they won’t be ridiculed. Another great way
is encouraging group projects where students work together rather than compete for grades and recognition. You will
find this approach fosters teamwork, cooperation and open dialogue between students and teachers.
As the saying goes, “credit where credits due” and this is especially important for young learners. It’s easy for teachers
to become frustrated with student behaviors and emphasize the things they do wrong and forget to highlight their
achievements. But this really serves to demotivate students and can totally derail their learning process. Focusing on
small or large achievements can really help to build students confidence and encourage them to keep trying. Maybe
they came top of the class in a test or helped another student in some way, whatever it may be, your commending their
efforts will not go unnoticed. It will strengthen your rapport and develop a mutual appreciation.
Children’s imaginations run wild during the early developmental phase and so it is no wonder studies have proven that
younger people respond better to visual representations than just written information. A highly effective strategy is to
install school notice boards in your classroom and display pictures, artwork, school projects and anything else that will
liven up the room. This will nurture a sense of creativity in students, spark enthusiasm and potentially open a dialogue
between them and their teachers. Students who are inspired will be more active in the learning process and this will
strengthen communication with their teachers.
Nothing will break down communication more than an uninspired and bored student. Naturally, their enthusiasm levels
will increase exponentially if they are excited by the topic or task and it challenges them. Giving them challenging tasks is
a great way to develop problem-solving and analytical skills needed in future life.