Department of B.Ed.: Storytelling in Regional Languages

A storytelling session in Malayalam and Gujarati was conducted by two B.Ed. trainee teachers at Loreto Day School, Dharamtala on October 11, 2023. The session was attended by 41 students of the school. A second storytelling session in Bengali was conducted by a B.Ed. trainee teacher at Loreto House, Park Street, on October 13, 2023. The total number of students present for this session was 50.

The topic chosen for storytelling in Malayalam and Gujarati was Navaratri. The trainee teacher whose regional language is Malayalam described how Navaratri is celebrated in her home state, Kerala, explaining how the temples are decorated and how pujas are conducted every day. She narrated to the students the story of Devi Durga’s victory over the buffalo demon Mahishasura in Malayalam, and then translated it into Hindi. She also shared the names and significance of the ten different incarnations of Durga on the days of Navaratri, and the importance of Vidyarambham celebration (first day where an infant learns to write) which occurs on Vijayadasami day.

The other trainee teacher spoke about Navaratri celebrations in her home state, Gujarat. She explained the significance of Dussehra, which is celebrated at the end of Navaratri. She narrated the story of the victory of Lord Rama over the demon king Ravana in her regional language and then translated it into Hindi. She concluded the session with the message that Navaratri celebrates the victory of good over evil, ushers in joy and happiness, and encourages people to share and care for others. As a home assignment, the students were asked to record their responses to the session by writing a short narrative in their mother tongue.

The Bengali storytelling session illustrated the simple joys of childhood. The trainee teacher whose regional language is Bengali read out the story “Apnar Katha” by Rabindranath Tagore, which depicts snippets from the author’s childhood. She explained how Tagore portrays a time when children found amusement in the mundane events of everyday life, and how this is different from the lives of children living in the present age. Through her reading of the story, the trainee teacher introduced the students to Tagore’s rich literary and artistic legacy, evoking a sense of nostalgia and the timeless qualities of innocence and wonder. The session concluded with the message that the simplicity of everyday life, from the taste of a ripe mango to the joy of flying kites, is worthy of being celebrated. As a home assignment, the students were again asked to write a short narrative in their mother tongue about their take on the session.