Storytelling and listening go hand in hand. While they come naturally to some, both are skills that can be acquired over time.
Thankfully, storytelling remains an important feature in primary schools. Competitions are still held regularly to encourage pupils and help them feel at ease when speaking in public.
During my primary school days in the 1960s, it was teachers who told us stories. My friends and I really looked forward to those sessions, and we would always give our full attention when the stories were being told.
When I was in Standard Four, teacher Ng Ban Lee would gather us outside the classrooms, under the shade of trees. We would bring our chairs, sit in a semi-circle, and listen intently to the stories she told.
Then there was N. Krishnasamy in Standard Five, who would tell us stories as a reward for good behaviour in class. He was a gifted storyteller, narrating as if the events were unfolding in real life. Two of his gems were King Solomon’s Mines and The Hound of the Baskervilles.
The storytelling culture continued into my secondary school years. When I was in Form One, our History teacher Manonmany Panicker – whenever she had time to spare – did a superb job of bringing captivating tales to life.
Thanks to these informal storytelling sessions, my friends and I acquired good listening skills.
Sadly, children nowadays no longer have the patience and focus to listen to stories. Many are poor listeners with short attention spans. After a while, their thoughts begin to wander, as is often evident from their body language.
These children don’t realise that they are losing out in the long run by missing out on firsthand information and knowledge when they tune out while someone is speaking.
As I was an attentive listener, and had a decent memory, I acquired an abundance of knowledge, which I am now able to translate into stories.
We need to inculcate the storytelling culture in schools again and train children to become better listeners from a young age. Only then will listening come naturally to them in later years.
Listening and storytelling are skills that prove useful particularly during interviews, public speaking and essay writing in university and beyond.
THIAGAN MATHIAPARANAM
Retired teacher
Klang
