Using Folktales for Language Teaching

Abstract

Folktales in general are part of folk literature, which is more widely referred to as folklore. Simply put, a folktale is a traditional story that has been passed on by words of mouth before writing systems were developed. Folktales typically include distinctive linguistic and structural features, such as novel words, onomatopoetic sounds and repeated or paralleled phonological or grammatical patterns that create interesting rhythms. Various studies have been conducted on folktales from cultural-historical, philological-literary, sociological and psychological aspects, reflecting the wide-ranging and multidisciplinary interest in them. However, in the field of language teaching, the richness and potential of folktales seems to have been under-utilized in today’s language classes. In this paper, I will draw on a linguistic and structural analysis of folktales, and argue that there are certain major benefits in using folktales for teaching English as a foreign or second language (EFL/ESL). In particular, I will discuss the ways in which folktales can be useful for facilitating EFL/ESL learners in their understanding of the importance of language form to achieve specific communicative purposes, and also for enhancing their cross-cultural awareness.