I’ve shared Bible stories with children in the Philippines, Sabah and the Solomon Islands with varying degrees of success.  At best I conveyed the Good News of the Gospel.  At worst I was an entertaining lady.  To make an impact with your story telling in a foreign country you need a translator.

Line by line translating works best for storytelling.  You say a line and the translator repeats it in their language.   It may sound jerky but when you work with a good translator you create a rhythm. Here’s some tips to help you be effective in sharing Jesus with children in other nations.

Prepare Your Story

• Choose short, straightforward Bible stories.
• Consider items or cultural practices you may have to explain in your story.  In the Solomon Islands I had to explain what a sheep was.
• Research greetings in the language of the country you’re going.
• Is it a nation that uses imagery in its traditional storytelling? Can you insert any into your story?  (E.g, expressions used to describe the monsoon season)
• Make a list of sounds.  (E.g. does a donkey or sheep make the same sound as in English?)
• Practice, practice and polish your story.
• Recite your story in front of others and ask for feedback. If you can find someone from the country you’re visiting to critique you even better.
• Think about your timing. Some cultures, like Japan, enjoy pauses.  They have a different sense of timing.  Some countries enjoy a slower paced way of doing things.
• Find out if there are gestures that are offensive in the country you are going to visit. Finger pointing or patting someone on top of the head can be insulting in some cultures.
• Pause before you begin your story, drawing in the audience before you begin.
• Close by holding silence at the end.

Find Your Style as a Storyteller

• Vary your voice to distinguish different characters.
• Use an expressive voice to show characters emotions.
• Use eye contact.
• Use hand gestures that mime story action.
• Use body language and change your posture portraying different characters.
• Visuals aids help. Puppets, props and flashcards assist children with the unfamiliar.
• An easy lullaby, rhyme or chant will encourage children to sing along even if they’ve never heard it before.
• A baby game like Peek-a-Boo makes a fun addition to your story.
• Playing an instrument can convey mood.

What Your Translator Needs from You

• Copies of the Bible stories. You may not be able to access a computer or photocopier.
• Talk through the Bible stories ahead of time.
• Tell the translator the focus of the story so they don’t change it.
• Explain any unfamiliar words or names.
• Check out the storytelling space together and discuss how to use it .
• The translator is in the spotlight too so be respectful and guide or correct in private.

Translating Techniques to Try

The Voice Over:

The translator starts translating the line while you are finishing a phrase. Or maybe there’s repetition in the story  so the translator begins translating during the second repetition so you’re actually speaking at the same time.

The Replay:

The translator repeats the line as a question like you’re having a conversation.

Storyteller:  The boy had two loaves and five fish

Translator:  The boy had two loaves and five fish?

Storyteller:  The boy had two loaves and five fish.

Translator:  The boy had two loaves and five fish.

Using Language Partners:

Using two storytellers who talk to each other and two translators who talk to each other when translating.  It’s fun and engaging but takes some rehearsal.  Even better if you can add a song.

 

‘I am deeply convinced that storytelling, while language based, need not be language bound.’

Regina Ress

 

As a Bible storyteller in the Mission field you never know where you may end up sharing the Gospel.  In the market, in a Church or in a school.  And things do not always go as planned.  Remember Isaiah 55:11 ‘So shall My word be that goes forth out of my mouth; it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall  prosper in the thing for which I sent it.  God can and will open up all sorts of opportunities for you.  So use these translation tips to perfect your Bible storytelling…and hang on!