Volume 4 : Issue 1 & 2 January to June (2017)

ON HOW ORAL STORYTELLING DEVELOPS THE TOLERANCE FOR AMBIGUITY NEEDED FOR ADULT SECOND LANGUAGE LEARNING

The difficulties concerning adult second language acquisition are well-known. One aspect that deserves attention is that of the role of tolerance for ambiguity. Adult language learning is facilitated by rich and intentional use of oral storytelling which fosters a renewed tolerance for ambiguity. This paper presents the fieldwork of Originateve carried out over a 2-year period time and delineates a path towards second language learning that strongly suggests a re-enchantment with the long forgotten oral tradition.

Tolerance, ambiguity, ESL, oral storytelling

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