Tales have great values in the educational purposes. Tales are generally capable of generating interests among students. Therefore, it is a good method for the teacher to use Tales as a set induction, because it helps to activate students’ network of schemata or prior knowledge. When the teacher is able to engage students’ attention and interest since the beginning of the lesson, students tend to concentrate more during the rest of the class.
Besides that, tales are usually quite familiar to the students. Even though some of the students may not read the tales in English before, they might have read the tales in their mother tongues. Therefore, the students actually can understand the contexts of the story and the development of the plotlines even they do not have a very good command of English. Students can make prediction and guess out what the story is all about with their prior knowledge. In fact, we can say that tales are useful in helping students mastering the English language -- when students already have understandings towards the development of the story, they can concentrate better towards the use of the language. Perhaps, in the long terms, they can acquire more vocabularies indirectly.
Moreover, tales help to cultivate the reading habits of the students. Tales are easily digestible materials for the students; thus, it would not create high level of anxiety among the students even the teacher requires them to read up tales at home. When students have built up their confidence towards English reading materials, they are willing to read more and read in wider scope of genres.
In fact, tales are effective in enhancing students' learning experience in language classroom. There are many ways in which tales can be incorporated in a language classroom. First of all, tales can be incorporated in students' writing processes. The students can recreate and rewrite their own versions of the tales. In that way, students can fully utilise their creativity. For examples, they can create different beginning and different ending for a tale. A tale does not necessarily ends with the prince and princess live happily ever after.
Besides that, tales can be incorporated in role-play activities as well. Students can dramatise the tales and get a better understanding on the storylines. When students act out, they experience how a character behaves and feels, thus, making their interpretation of the text more personal and meaningful. In fact, pantomiming the tales would be an effective way for the students to demonstrate their creativity and maturity of thoughts. Actually, in a self-directed sketch, students also can design their monologues or dialogues based on the storylines of tales and fables.
In conclusion, tales have great values for educational purposes and they can be incorporated in many ways in our language classroom.
By: Chuah Kar Wooi (134185)
B. Ed. (TESL)
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