Brief Introduction

Today in English Studies 12, we talked a lot about oral storytelling. We spoke about its value  and how it was questioned in the past. Hearing my own classmates stories and sharing my own has fostered a deeper connection with the class and the students in it. Before leaving today, we were told to write a reflection either on what we learnt or what this lesson made us think about.

The Reflection

Learning about oral storytelling has helped me understand its value and how it was disregarded in the past. I had not realized how little value people placed on these kinds of stories. Though I do understand the worry over the possibility of changes as the story is retold and passed down, is it not true that the message would remain the same? The story has a purpose and that would not change due to a few minor differences. Additionally, learning about oral storytelling has helped me place more value on the oral stories my own family has told me. My grandfather often reminisces about his past and the things he has gone through. Much of my family writes these stories off as the ramblings of an old man. However, now I see the value in the passing of these life lessons and understand that his stories have a purpose. For example, the stories my grandfather has of his school days and how he was not a good student. He does not tell them just to be funny and laugh at the idiocy; he means to share how he placed little value on education in his youth and that my cousins and I should work hard and value education.

A Picture: My grandparents and some of my cousins