MULTICULTURAL FOLKTALES IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING: PROMOTING COMMONALITY IN DIVERSITY

Abstract

Many of us work with groups of students from more than one cultural background groups of students. In this case, there is opportunity to celebrate diversity through the telling of traditional tales. Folk tales from all cultures have universal themes and at the same time tell us about specific features that can illuminate and alter our perception of those other cultures. Sometimes the students I teach are for the first time mingling socially with peers from cultures they know little about. For them to operate effectively as a group, one of my main roles as a teacher is to give them the chance to learn about each other’s culture so mutual understanding needs to be nurtured. By giving the students the opportunity to tell short folk tales from their own cultures in English the cultural divide is often bridged through a blend of curiosity and the realization that they have a great deal in common. I believe that the most assuring way of managing diversity in such a peaceful andsustainable dynamic is learning otherness through the folktales of others. Learning by heart the folktales will make young people grow with understanding and respect for themselvesand others.