1.2.2 Functions of “story telling”

Kainan (1995: 164) states in his work like this: As a learning tool, storytelling can encourage students to explore their expressiveness and can heighten a student's ability to communicate thoughts and feelings in an articulate, lucid manner. These activities benefit the students in not only giving them the art experience but also in supporting daily life skills. As Harriot and Martin (2004: 49) say, oral practice through storytelling increases speech and oral communication skills related to enunciation and articulation.

Storytelling is an effective tool in improving the oral competencies of students (Isbell, Sobol, Lindauer&Lowrance, 2004). Becoming verbally proficient can contribute to a student’s ability to communicate effectively and successfully. Negotiation, discussion, and tact are peacemaking skills. Being able to accurately express one’s thoughts and feelings is important in everyday communication. (Mokhtar et al., 2011)

Studies suggest that there are positive effects in intellectual, social and emotional development of students who are encouraged to use storytelling. As students are engaged in storytelling, they learn to listen, learn to participate in and understand storytelling and learn to create a path to the more sophisticated use of language, reading and writing in their everyday lives (Mallan, 1992). This is confirmed by Brice (2004), who said that story telling or retelling of stories is a successful strategy to increase pragmatic oral skills, the ability to use language in specific contexts for specific purpose, leading to greater ability to write. (Mokhtar et al., 2011)

As Mallan (1992) stated storytelling helps to develop the imagination which in turn builds on problem-solving competencies. Storytelling needs imagination and the power of listening and speaking to create artistic images. 

Children are delighted in listening to and telling stories instinctively. By means of telling stories, acting it out or other forms of storytelling, students are more likely to stimulate their desire and motivation on learning English, and also speaking in English.