Oral Literature

Did you know that April is National Poetry Month in the United States and Canada? Every year since 1996, poetry lovers have come together to celebrate.

As Maya Angelou said, "Poetry is music written for the human voice." Many cultures have a strong tradition of oral literature.

In West African societies, the griot has the respected function of maintaining and reciting histories and genealogies. But, oral traditions are not limited to that region alone.

Explain to students that literature is still transmitted orally in many cultures. Using the CultureGrams World Edition, ask students to read The Arts sections of the Senegal and the Gambia reports to learn about the role of the griot. Then have them compare this oral tradition to that of other countries by assigning them The Arts sections of Azerbaijan, the Marshall Islands, Mongolia, Somalia, and Yemen.

Lead a class discussion about the similarities and differences between the cultures. How is the oral tradition similar? Are there notable differences? Is there an oral tradition in our own culture?

Have the students individually read a folktale to themselves, silently. Then, read the folktale aloud to the students. Afterward, discuss how listening to a story provides a different experience than reading it. Have the students identify what those differences are.

For homework, have the students find pieces of folklore from their own families or culture. Or, have them find folklore from other sources (e.g., other families, books at the library on other countries, etc.). Ask them to bring to class examples of the folklore they learned about and talk about them or recite portions, if possible.