An interaction with a Russian teacher in Moscow for class 4B

Storytelling is a universal and traditional art form that has featured strongly in Indian culture as an effective communication tool. It has been used to inform, entertain and educate. It is also used as a medium to ingrain values, improve reading skills and open the minds of children to the world of imagination.

The students of class 4B had a virtual interaction with an educator from Russia. Ms Inessa Dayanova, teacher of English at the Berdsk Cossacks Cadet Corps School, in Moscow, conducted a captivating storytelling session on Russian fairy tales. The session was conducted via Google Meet with over 25 young Indianites, accompanied by their class teacher Ms Taniya Sutradhar, on 28 December 2020.

Ms Dayanova narrated the famous Russian fairytale The Little Round Bun. The fourth graders found it really interesting and were engrossed in the story which was told to them with creative gestures and facial expressions. The imaginative use of voice modulation and body language infused passion, enhanced imagination and introduced the children to new horizons. The plot was similar to The Gingerbread Man, the traditional English tale. The story taught the children important lessons on staying safe and being cautious.

The students seemed to be transported into an imaginary world like the age old way of listening to grandmas stories under a Banyan tree. The lit-up faces and mesmerised looks spoke volumes about the interest the session had generated in the children. This was followed by an interactive Q&A round where the students asked Ms Dayanova about the weather, cuisine, currency and the status of the Covid 19 vaccine in Russia.

After their queries were answered, Harshit Arora, Mohd. Ashhar Imam, Tanmay Gupta and Shashwata Sen Gupta shared some interesting facts about popular Indian folk tales. They told her about the Jataka and Panchatantra Tales from India and how each story contains a moral lesson. The session lasted for about forty five minutes.

The motto of creating global citizens by promoting internationalism through cross cultural connections, was well achieved through this session. The experience served as an impetus for creative thinking.