REFLECTION By Nadhia Shamsudin

1.0 Introduction Alhamdulillah, I have encountered the tasks under LGA3103 Stories for Young Learners within the time given. Basically, I learnt on storytelling, how to choose the best genre for primary schools pupils and how to deliver it to them. In learning this subject, I knew that stories are really important in teaching pupils of primary ESL Classroom. One of the reasons is stories may heighten pupils ability to communicate effectively in writing and speech. It can also build pupils basic competences such as language competence, culture and artistic competence. 2.0 Storytelling In delivering stories to pupils, there are many things that we need to take into account. For example, authentic vs. graded materials, students age, level of development, students interest, students level of English and students needs and purpose of the lesson. According to Graciela Billat, before telling a story, we must choose the target vocabulary and dramatize it and create and image. These unexpected ways of learning lead the children to discover that they can understand better and respond to language expressed in ways that they never heard before. At this point, I learnt that choosing a book is not something easy and could be any books to use in teaching. So, I chose fables and I find that fable is interesting to be taught to pupils. The main point of making it interesting is not because of the title of the book but the ways of delivering it. 2.1 Strengths & Weaknesses However, telling a story to pupils is not an easy job to be done. As a teacher, we need to know that not everybody can tell a story confidently like a storyteller. It is an art of telling story that born naturally in some people. Thus, there are few strengths and weaknesses of mine in telling stories to children. My lecturer said that I can always go into teaching and acting because I own that talent. This is due to my ability that I can change my original voice into another characters voice in seconds. Furthermore, I am also good in preparing props in telling the story. I used foams, facial cottons and some soft toys to make my story come real. I also turn myself

into a children storyteller by wearing a snow cap and gloves. This is to make the children feel their environments. My fellow friends told me that I may waste lot of money in producing a diorama for this session but I take it as just a word. I dont mind paying. I dont mind how much it is cost as long as I enjoyed my way of making this storytelling session as in a real context. As we all know, voice projection is one of the important aspect that storyteller should contemplate. I got full mark for voice projection because my voice is very clear. I speak clearly, loudly and pronounce word by word. I started with my original sound as I am the narrator and I change it to the lions voice as the main character in the story. Not only that, I also change my voice into the mouses voice which is more to weak, frightened and small. Not to forget, as a storyteller, I focused on the question asked during my delivery of the story. This is just to attract pupils attention and to know whether they really understand or just nodded their head as understand. According to Graciela, Storytelling is linguistically honest It is an oral language
which meant to be heard. So, in other to make them understand better, poking of questions are needed.

In handling this storytelling session, I tend to be packed out with my acting and I miss some words which make my grammar turn upside down. If I keep on telling stories without put any concern with the grammar used, pupils that who speaks English in their daily life may notice my mistakes and they may play me out. Besides, in handling too many of props make me become chaos. I have to be very alert like a magician handles his magic in order to be perfect in telling stories with many props. The choice of words that Ive used may be good in introducing them a new word but instead of using those vocabularies, I may use the simpler word in order to make them understand better so that they may use the word in their daily life and at the same time they learn to associate words around. 3.0 How to overcome In becoming a teacher for next few years, I am sure I have to make few improvements for this session. I should be more proficient in this language as I am going to be an English teacher soon. I should be aware of my grammar used in speaking English. People said if we practice every day, it might be familiar to us. So, I think I must start to practice more in correcting my grammar and also to lower the level of words used in telling story. This is because pupils may not pay any attention if the words they listen to could not make them understand its meaning. Furthermore, I also must discipline myself to handle the props and speak using the correct

grammar together. This is because it is like a waste of having good props but grammar used is not good. 4.0 Conclusion To conclude, I felt very happy and thankful to myself as I gained what I want. Alhamdulillah, my aim of telling the story is achieved. Although I dont get the highest mark among my friends, I felt relieved as I can use all my props and perform better than whom I am. Besides, I am glad that I had completed this assignment in the time given without any problem. This assignment had really taught me to be patient with pupils, time and so on. Last but not least, I also really hope that peoples saying that I can be a storyteller and actor at the same time is true. This is because I am happy if I can integrate that talent in my becoming profession.