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Working with or without a native speaker, a storyteller can touch the minds and hearts of all listeners-even those with little or no English language skills. Here a group of expert storytellers share a variety of tips and techniques that help bridge the language gap; along with sample stories that librarians, teachers, and professional storytellers can easily incorporate into their repertoires. Four basic techniques for bilingual telling are explored: summarizing, line-by-line translation, tandem telling, and inserted phrases. In addition, contributors discuss such topics as the translator's role, using story in language instruction, presenting tellers of other languages, traveling and giving workshops abroad, and more.

CONTENTS:

Introduction
Chapter 1: Telling Through Translation
Chapter 2: Line-by-Line Translation
Chapter 3: Tandem Telling
Chapter 4: More than Words: Storytelling Without Translation
Chapter 5: One Teller, One Story, Two Languages
Chapter 6: On the Translator's Role
Chapter 7: Performing in a Second Language
Chapter 8: Story in Language Instruction
Chapter 9: Presenting Tellers of Other Languages
Chapter 10: Presenting Workshops Abroad
Chapter 11: Translation in a Signed Language
Chapter 12: Cultural Considerations
Chapter 13: A Language of No Words
Chapter 14: Tellers Travel

Tell the World: Storytelling Across Language Barriers

Author:

Illustrator:

Margaret Read MacDonald

Working with or without a native speaker, a storyteller can touch the minds and hearts of all listeners-even those with little or no English language skills. Here a group of expert storytellers share a variety of tips and techniques that help bridge the language gap; along with sample stories that librarians, teachers, and professional storytellers can easily incorporate into their repertoires. Four basic techniques for bilingual telling are explored: summarizing, line-by-line translation, tandem telling, and inserted phrases. In addition, contributors discuss such topics as the translator's role, using story in language instruction, presenting tellers of other languages, traveling and giving workshops abroad, and more.

CONTENTS:

Introduction
Chapter 1: Telling Through Translation
Chapter 2: Line-by-Line Translation
Chapter 3: Tandem Telling
Chapter 4: More than Words: Storytelling Without Translation
Chapter 5: One Teller, One Story, Two Languages
Chapter 6: On the Translator's Role
Chapter 7: Performing in a Second Language
Chapter 8: Story in Language Instruction
Chapter 9: Presenting Tellers of Other Languages
Chapter 10: Presenting Workshops Abroad
Chapter 11: Translation in a Signed Language
Chapter 12: Cultural Considerations
Chapter 13: A Language of No Words
Chapter 14: Tellers Travel

Categories

Learning to tell

Languages: Japanese

Translation

Editions

Paperback

2008

Libraries Unlimited

192 pages

9781591583141

Quotes

This is an indispensable guide for those wanting to share stories with audiences who speak another language. The author's advice, along with that of other experienced tellers, covers myriad facets of this special and relevant method of connecting with members of our greater yet smaller world community

School Library Journal, Jul1, 2008

Awards

Storytelling World Award

2009

Mouse illustration by Julie Paschkis

© 2025 Margaret Read MacDonald

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