Legends and myths are prime examples of oral literature, crossing the line between fact and fiction, yet strengthened by constant retelling. One example of this would be american sign language, or asl. The significance of performance in actualization, transmission, and composition. The african folklore has become a more powerful and popular narrative with the continual growth of modern writing. Read the oral poem below then answer the questions that follow. Orality is thought and verbal expression in societies where the technologies of literacy especially writing and print are unfamiliar to most of the population. In oral cultures the genres described above are not simply categories in a library catalog but are part of an ensemble of actions that constitute the setting, often the ritual, and sometimes the music and dance of the performers. The southern slavs had a tradition of written literature since the end of the ninth century. What is the difference between oral and written literature.
Oral traditional poetics, a mythic episode, and arming scenes in the iliad 4. From oral to written literature alain ricard the issues of african poetics and oralwritten interface, raised in the first part of the nineteenth century by french protestant missionaries thomas arbousset and eugene casalis are still relevant. Associated with these peculiar differences is the impression that the oral style was inferior to the written. Oral literature has no transcription due to the language not being a written language. The concept has changed meaning over time to include texts that are spoken or sung oral literature, and non written verbal art forms. The oral artists agenda joseph muleka 87 p a g e the oral text naturally text is a crucial component in communicating messages. Several differences contrast oral and written communication.
Retention, preciseness and engagement are just a few main differences. Stories, songs, proverbs, riddles and jokes in oral literature use colorful words and vivid images to describe human beings, their feelings and their behavior towards one another. In an attempt to preserve this oral literature, several individual authors have collected tales, proverbs, riddles and published them in books. Ect 315 topic 4 teaching oral literature page 1 of 3 topic 4 teaching of oral literature topic objectives by the end of this topic you should be able to. Oral literature or folk literature corresponds in the sphere of the spoken oral word to literature as literature operates in the domain of the written word. Differences between oral and written discourse and the acquisition of reading proficiency donald j. This revised edition makes finnegans groundbreaking research available to the next generation of scholars. The perception of african oral literature nineteenthcentury approaches and collections. Rubin university of illinois at urbanachampaign april 1977 center for the study of reading the library of the oct 7 1981 jnivlrbi y of s atmpr. The english language conspires against a sharp distinction between writing and speaking. Oral literature in africa is part of the world oral literature series published in conjunction with the world oral literature project. Characteristics of oral tradition in world literature video.
Simply put, the term oral tradition refers to a process by which any information about a culture, such as literature, history, medicine, etc. What are the differences between oral literature and written literature. Yet, despite the existence of these books on oral literature, the young generation in africa that has grown under the western school system somehow feels estranged with respect to this oral literature. Apr 24, 2012 the importance of oral literature in society oral literature is meaningful and useful to us in many and different ways. The term oral literature is also used to describe the tradition in written. More restrictively, literature refers to writing considered to be an art form or any single writing deemed to have artistic or intellectual value, and sometimes deploys language in ways that differ from ordinary usage its latin root literaturalitteratura derived itself from littera. Explain the factors that affected the development of african oral literature during the colonial period. Orality, oral literature, nanaoture and neneiture3, oral writing, fiuriture and french. These are some of the devices of oral traditional poetics that are different from the poetics of written literature and stem from the method of oral composition by formula and theme. This study investigates the use of poetry and childrens literature written in verse as materials for helping advanced adult learners of english as a second or foreign language develop oral fluency skills. Oral communication involves individuals who converse with each other, and is the. Both are a form of communication in which the author or storyteller is trying to convey a message to the listerner. The oral nature of african unwritten literature the significance of performance in actualization, transmission, and composition.
Literature, most generically, is any body or collection of written works. Ruth finnegans oral literature in africa was first published in 1970, and since then has been widely praised as one of the most important books in its field. Both oral tradition and written literature can be used to convey or tell a story. Oral literature oral literature performance, content, and distribution. Paign university of illinois at urbanachampaign 1005 west nevada street urbana, illinois 61801. Epic poems narrative poems lyric poems nursery rhymes and nonsense verse puns proverbs kennings riddles hymns and other songs with words folk tales myths legends histories biographies. Oral literature is an aspect of literature preserved not in written form but in oral form. Oral literature in africa university of british columbia. The fact of writing does not inevitably involve a tradition of written literature. Pdf the arachne myth in oral and written literature. Each has its own advantages, but to communicate effectively in oral and written communications is to carefully learn the dynamics as well as limitations of each form.
What are the differences between oral and written literature. What began as oral tradition has evolved to include written literature. Now, most oral texts have been written down, of course, and are usually taught in the form of epic poems or plays or folk tales. Oral literature is done through words and speaking, whereas written is through the written word. Songsoral narrativesoral poetryriddlestongue twisters 3. The book is available as a free pdf and ebook download thanks to the generous support of interested readers and organisations, who made donations using the crowdfunding website unglue. Introduction to oral literature question papers 10437. Africa possesses both written and unwritten traditions. The symbiosis of the oral and the written seems to be a characteristic of contemporary native writing that warrants examination.
African oral genres tales, proverbs, riddles, and lullabies. A lot of oral literature too has been made available in the form of books. The study of orality is closely allied to the study of oral tradition the term orality has been used in a variety of ways, often to describe, in a generalised fashion, the structures of consciousness found in cultures that do. Using clear illustrations, discuss the relationship between oral literature and society. In addition,oral skills are needed for officers to understand and transmit statements made by citizens, suspects, and superiors. Developments in print technology have allowed an evergrowing distribution and proliferation of written works, culminating in electronic literature. Oral communication is the transmission of spoken messages through the mouth, while written communication is written down on paper.
Hussein faculty of education, alemaya university abstract every african society south of the sahara has a long history of transmitting knowledge and human experience through the medium of. Oral and written literature are the two major forms of literature. This is a very huge difference in terms of both composition and recitation. The social, linguistic, and literary background 51. The different types of literature that have stood the test of. Written communication skills are required for law officers to fill out various police reports, draft narrative summaries, and understand written policy directives. What are the similarities and differences in oral and. Their contribution, however, is not well known since it was written in.
Examines discourse conflicts between the structure of written text and the oral expectations of young readers. The term oral literature is also used to describe the tradition in written civilizations in which certain genres are transmitted by word of mouth or are confined to the socalled folk i. The different types of literature that have stood the test. Oral literature is a performed art which in most cases uses words as a medium of communication. Based on years of fieldwork, the study traces the history of storytelling across the continent of africa.
Differences between oral and written narratives in persian in. Oral literature, the standard forms or genres of literature found in societies without writing. All communication includes the transfer of information from one person to another, and while the transfer of information is only the first step in the process of understanding a complex phenomenon. These are far from the only important genres of literature.
A popular eurocentric perspective in the early 19th century was that before the arrival of europeans africa was a savage continent devoid of culture. Unlike written literary genres, oral literature is conveyed or passed down to future generations by word of mouth, typically through memorization and recitation. Laroque emphasizes the transitional nature of a literature proceeding from the oral to the written ibid. Written communication is formal communication, which is used in schools, colleges, business world, etc. It is only material from the past but also a great deal of new material is being composed and performed today. Similarities and differences between oral and written. While written litaratere could be rigidly fossilized, same cannot be said of oral. Oral literature is a broad term which may include ritual texts, curative chants, epic poems, musical genres, folk tales, creation tales, songs, myths, spells, legends, proverbs, riddles, tonguetwisters, word games, recitations, life histories or historical narratives. To some people, oral literature is only but a mirage.
On the borders of oral and written art carl lindahl core. Syracuse university, school of education, 150 marshall street, syracuse, ny 210 abstract. This literature through narrative, poetry, song, dance, myths and fables, and texts for religious rituals provides a portrait of the meaning of life as experienced by the society at its. Choosing between the two communication mode is a tough task because both are good at their places.
It is highly valued in africa in general and in igbo in particular mainly because of its didactic nature. Written literature can be in the form of short stories, novels and. The oldest type of literature, and the foundation on which culture was built. Differences between oral and written discourse and the. Hussein faculty of education, alemaya university abstract every african society south of the sahara has a long history of transmitting knowledge and human experience through the medium of oral tradition. The poems geographical and generational african references prompt an investigation of the. Another example of oral literature would be that of native americans. Oral literature makes us aware of ourselves, other human beings, our environment and our history. Lore is seen in societies with vigorous oral conveyance practices to be a general term inclusive of both oral literature and any written literature, including sophisticated writings, as well. There is no standard definition as folklorists have varying descriptions for oral literature or folk literature but a broad conceptualization refers to it as literature characterized by oral transmission and the absence of any fixed form. Major differences between oral and written language styles. How does oral literature affect written literature. Difference between oral literature and written literature. Jan 22, 2017 lore is seen in societies with vigorous oral conveyance practices to be a general term inclusive of both oral literature and any written literature, including sophisticated writings, as well.
The most surprising difference between the two is the method of recollection and transmission of a work of literature when writing did not play a role. The definition of oral literature would be literature or story telling that uses the spoken work or word of mouth. The arachne myth in oral and written literature article pdf available in clcweb comparative literature and culture 71 march 2005 with 547 reads how we measure reads. Most of us intuitively understand that there are differences between oral and written language. It can be a worthy and demanding study in its own rightone. Before humans developed writing, we passed down stories in the form of oral literature. Differences between oral and written communication. The place of literature in language teaching has long been debated.
Analyses of differences between written and oral language. Indira gandhi theory and practice national open university school of humanities block 2 comparative indian. Similarities and differences between oral and written comprehension. Recent trends in african studies and the revival of interest in oral literature. In addition, oral skills are needed for officers to understand and transmit statements made by citizens, suspects, and superiors. From oral to written literature alain ricard the issues of african poetics and oral written interface, raised in the first part of the nineteenth century by french protestant missionaries thomas arbousset and eugene casalis are still relevant. Albert bates lord, the singer resumes the tale foreword preface 1. Oral communication is an informal one which is normally used in personal conversations, group talks, etc.