UNIVERSITY OF EL SALVADOR

SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

FOREIGN LANGUAGE DEPARTMENT

FINAL ORAL TASK

Advanced Intensive English I (IAI114)

Semester II 2015
Professor: Nelda Yvette Henrquez, M.A.

THE STORYTELLERS
Introduction
Storytelling can be an illuminating art medium through which to
inspire peace, justice, and positive social change.
Task Rationale and Overview
Storytelling is one of humanitys oldest
experiences. The term is, at the same time: a
noun and a verb, an action and an event. Any
definition of storytelling needs to also describe
the action of imparting a verbally expressed plot
that is transmitted orally between the teller and
the listener. This model the living, verbal
transmission of imagery unfolding in a linear way
in time and space- is what that sets oral
storytelling apart from other more modern art
forms that have been inspired by storytelling and
that contain a narrative (for example: a play, a
puppet show, a book, a ballet, an opera, or a
movie, which might -like a story- have a plot).
Storytelling communication skills and creative
thinking ability are core competencies in artfully
leading change. Storytelling could provide leaders in change with an experiential
knowledge about innovative thinking, and with an appreciation for the power of story and
metaphor to convey ideas. Oral stories are a powerful and complex form of metaphor, and
storytelling has a positive impact on literacy and language development when integrated
into the educational setting.
At both the multicultural, global level and at the individual, human developmental level,
orality is older than literacy. In this task, through a literary writing process about your
own surroundings (place where you live, people you interact with, circumstances you
experience daily, etc.) or through fantasy, you will design, rehearse, and perform an
original storytelling work . In your own creative process, you must observe, describe,
interpret, and name in order to accurately and comprehensibly tell your story to an
audience.
Your story may interweave personal memoir, history, folklore, and current events. As a
storyteller, you will be composing and performing a complex tale, and as a change leader,
you will be designing and communicating a vision of change.
1

UNIVERSITY OF EL SALVADOR
SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
FOREIGN LANGUAGE DEPARTMENT

FINAL ORAL TASK

Advanced Intensive English I (IAI114)

Semester II 2015
Professor: Nelda Yvette Henrquez, M.A.

LIST OF TOPICS
Topics for your story may be (these are not TITLES, only topics):
- My forefathers
- A tale about non-violence
- My folk tale (original)
- A story about conflict resolution
- A day in the life of
- A story about equality
which can contribute to reconciliation, social change and cultural understanding.

Task Guidelines
1. Individually, you will create an original story which should have an original title and
all the elements of a good story a) that contains a well-thought out plot (the accurate
recounting of a sequence of events) with a story grammar, event chain, and highpoint, and
b) that works with a range of language topics such as causality, coherence, usage,
conventions, and narrative structure.
2. In TEN MINUTES, you will deliver your story orally to the class: as the storyteller,
you will be a culture bearer, you will present the surroundings, relationships and
circumstances with rich contextual descriptions, language use, gestures, and performance
manner. Also included will be specific performance elements such as story choice,
gesture, spatial organization, word play, and vocal effects.
Depending on the story you decide, the tale might be told in the first person, it might tell
about the challenges of a specific character or place, etc.
Your story must cover several functions:
To carry content
To teach a moral message(s)
To create a sense of community
To reveal yourself and your vulnerability (openness).
3. You will choose one of
these options to present
your story:
a) Create a flip chart with
6 comic-like one-page
illustrations to present
your story.
b) Choose 6 objects that
will help you tell your
story to the class.

UNIVERSITY OF EL SALVADOR
SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
FOREIGN LANGUAGE DEPARTMENT

FINAL ORAL TASK

Advanced Intensive English I (IAI114)

Semester II 2015
Professor: Nelda Yvette Henrquez, M.A.

Methodology (How to create your story)

First of all, choose your topic.
Next, to present a good story, you have to capture
information of the setting and context, depending
on your chosen topic (see LIST OF TOPICS on
page 1). Appropriate and effective methods you
might use to gather information include
interviews, field notes, recorded audios (which
you may use as background sounds), and
autoethnography (context).
Think about and prepare the story: plot, event chain,
highpoint and resolution, and the linguistic components that you will be using, such as
reference, tense, and the use of signposts (connectors) such as and/then in the retellings
of your tale.
In the following page, check the rubric to make sure you understand all the aspects that
will be scored in your oral presentation. Just a reminder: whichever way you choose for
the presentation, keep in mind that it has to be only 6
(SIX) images or objects. The images can be similar
to the illustrations posted on this page (an action,
a scene, the highpoint, etc.), but they must be the
size of the flip chart page so that everyone can see
them.
To narrate your story: you may use music,
background audio, sound effects, but no
PowerPoint or electronic presentations; only
the physical objects or the flip chart
(representing important scenes) from the
story may be utilized.
SOME LINKS FOR YOU TO VIEW:
THE ART OF STORYTELLING: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23frsMMKud8
EXAMPLE OF STORYTELLING (example of storytelling using music):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Iv2nZnZOrM
STORYTELLING COMPETITION (something NOT to do: the storyteller makes
unnatural pauses): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ScBQn-3MFeU
A
LOVE
STORY
(example
of
storytelling
using
pictures):
https://vimeo.com/album/2471979/video/59248851

UNIVERSITY OF EL SALVADOR
SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
FOREIGN LANGUAGE DEPARTMENT

FINAL ORAL TASK

Advanced Intensive English I (IAI114)

Semester II 2015
Professor: Nelda Yvette Henrquez, M.A.

STUDENT: __________________________________________________________________________________________
TALE: _______________________________________________________________________________________________
Scoring Rubric for THE STORYTELLERS
RETELLING OF THE STORY (mechanics)
-body language and eye contact
-contact with the public
-poise (posture)
-physical organization (visible, audible)
LANGUAGE SKILLS
-correct usage and pronunciation
-appropriate vocabulary and grammar
-understandable (rhythm, intonation)
-spoke loud enough to be easily heard
- storytelling signposts and conventions
ORGANIZATION OF THE STORY (narrative structure)
-event chain
-highpoint
-resolution
-moral message taught

TOTAL
/20

TOTAL
/25

TOTAL
/20

MASTERY OF THE STORY

-setting mentioned
-complexity (observed, interpreted, and
named)
-spoken, NOT READ
- [rich/poor] contextual descriptions
-does not exceed the time limit (10mins.max)

TOTAL
/25

USE OF STORY AIDS

-flip chart / six objects (choose only one)
-audio (background, effects, etc.)

TOTAL
/10

OVERALL IMPRESSION
-evidences task preparation & research
-very [interesting / boring]
-[pleasant / unpleasant] to listen to
-[very good / poor] communication
-knows the story completely and

TOTAL
/25

TOTAL SCORE _______ / 125

GRADE
4