Why storytelling is important?
Everyone’s life is usually full of all
manner of stories, some may be boring or unpleasant, some, on the other hand,
are so exciting that we may remember them vividly. As for me, there is
something that has remained on my memory of such a tremendous impression while
making my recollection work.
I do
well remember when the door swings open, and then I rush in no time into his
room and threw myself into his arms, thirsting for the flow of words coming
from the mouth of an older-timer. He used to hug me and start, with no
hesitation or delay, narrating his impressive and never-ending stories, effect
of which still working to date. I used to let my soul saunter along that street
of thoughts and emancipating myself from every possible earthly link that could
have subverted the enjoyment of the moment. I used to succumb to his eloquence
of an experienced story-teller, and though sometimes people were present,
obliviousness was dominant, however. My imagination grew wide by attempting to
visualise every part of the story, and it was as though I had been watching a
movie. The man died two years ago.
Through this personal experience, and child
as I was, I would like to tell that this process of narrating a tale, or even
while reading, could inevitably have a potent effect on a child’s imagination
and his intellectual stamina.
When a child is listening to an individual
who is narrating a story, the brain, through its sophisticated mechanism, turns
into what let me call it the like of Hollywood’s studios; as a result, it makes
up for the role of the television, by visualising the characters mentioned in
the story, as well as their countenance and demeanour, and the whole course of
the events. To reach this stage, the child makes an effort that helps him uncover
his dormant skills that are likely to broaden his ability to imagine things.
In fact, imagination plays a critical role
in how to shape a child’s personality, to wit:
§ It sometime helps him rely on himself to
sort out his problems without asking for someone’s intervention, by improvising
or coming up with a way out. This could pave the way for building up
a sturdy and self-made person.
§ It has a good
effect on enhancing the child’s style of writing by helping him acquire the
capacity of organising his ideas following a perfect chronology, as well as
providing him with abundance in ideas always on standby.
§ Imagination is the
mother of invention:
It is no wonder
that technology advances quickly, but what should be understood that no advance
could have been reached if it were not to imagination. Ideas represent the real
capital to be based on while attempting to improve human being’s life. A
dreamer child is a future inventor.
§ A good listener, a
good thinker, then a good communicator:
What distinguished
civilised nations from “the uncivilised ones” is their capacity and readiness
to settle their conflicts and frictions peacefully, but the origin of this
emanates from the whole process of education. It starts at an earlier age of
the kid, by instilling in him the basic principles to make him a person of
dialogue. Story-telling, besides reading, can make a child a good listener and
thinker, and also bring about the existence of individual who can grasp the set
of rules within his geographical extremities, and cooperate in accordance with its
laws and customs. When a misunderstanding is discerned, he tries to fix it by
means of communication or following the path of institutions.
By Ismail KAMAL
