STORIES FROM THE ENVIRONMENT AS A STRATEGY TO ENHANCE ORAL EXPRESSION IN RURAL SCHOOLS

Abstract

This article presents a pedagogical experience carried out in a rural school in southern Colombia, focused on using storytelling as a strategy to strengthen oral expression in second-grade students. Based on an instructional intervention grounded in the semantic-communicative approach and active pedagogy, a sequence of lessons was designed to link students’ experiences of their local environment with narrative practice in the classroom. The initial diagnostic assessment revealed significant difficulties in fluency, vocabulary, clarity, and emotional expression. The implementation of the proposal led to notable improvements in most of these areas, particularly in voice modulation and the use of storytelling as a communicative tool. The study concludes that incorporating the local environment as meaningful and living content enhances not only oral skills but also fosters stronger emotional and cognitive connections between children, their community, and their voice.