1. Orality in Christian Mission
The Need For Oral Strategies
Among An Oral Communication
People
Session One

2. Rationale for an Oral Strategy
in CPMs
q Missiology Factor
q Literacy Reality
q Oral Preference Factor
q Resistance to Gospel Factor
q Hostility to Gospel Factor
q Oral Bible Factor

3. Orality Classification
Definitions
q “Oral Communicators” — Those who
depend mostly on verbal, nonprint
means to learn, to communicate with
others, to express themselves, to
celebrate their culture and for
entertainment.

4. Orality Classification
Definitions
q “Primary Oral Communicators” —
Those who have not become literate,
or at least do not read and write.
They are totally dependent upon oral
methods and visual signals for their
learning and communicating with
others.

5. Orality Classification
Definitions
q “Residual Oral Communicators” —
Those who may be able to read, but
do not depend on it much. They
retain the characteristics of an oral
culture. Have learned survival
literacy to sign one’s name, read
simple signs and even comics.

6. Orality Classification
Definitions
q “Secondary Oral Communicators” —
Those who depend upon electronic
audio and visual communication for
information and learning. They may
be highly literate, but prefer media
programs for communication and
learning.

7. Range of Literacy
Rectangle 16
Competency Levels
q Cannot read or write
Oral q Words are sound
Communicator pictures of events
q Words have no exact
Nonliterate meaning except in
context
q Story is the dominant
communication style

8. Range of Literacy Competency
Levels
q Can read simple things
Oral q Do not reproduce ideas
Communicator through literate means
Functional q Values not shared via
Nonliterate literate means
q Makes use of story
communication

9. Range of Literacy Competency
Levels
q Read and write, can
function as a literate
Oral/Print q Comfortable with
Communicator information presented in
Semi- literate format
Literate q Learns and handles
concepts and principles
presented literately
q May learn best through
oral communication

10. Range of Literacy Competency
Levels
q Can summarize what
they read and list
Print important points
Communicator q More dependent on
recorded notes and
information
Literate
q Retain ability to
appreciate oral
communication

11. Range of Literacy Competency
Levels
q Spends time daily using
reading and writing
Print skills
Communicator q Thoroughly word-culture
Highly q Have surrendered oral
Literate communication skills in
process of becoming
literate
q Can still respond to oral
communication

12. Characteristics of an Oral Culture
q How they process information:
– Learn by hearing
– Learn by observing and imitating, by
hearing and repeating
– Talk about events and people, not abstract
ideas
– Use stories of human action to store
information
– Memorize past information, value tradition

13. Characteristics of an Oral Culture
q How they relate events and information:
– Wholistic, viewing matters in totality of their
context
– Learn and retain knowledge in relation to
real or imagined events in life
– Recite genealogies, but make few lists
– Identify with and relate to people and
events they know about
– Think and talk about people and events

14. Characteristics of an Oral Culture
q Types and manner of their discourse:
– Reason from experience and association
– Organize content by mentioning events
associated with points made
– Tend to communicate in groups
– Learn mostly by interaction with others
– Don’t think a long time without dialog

15. Characteristics of an Oral Culture
q Place Emphasis upon the sound of the
communication:
– Deeply affected by sound of what they
hear
– Emphasize style of speech and vocal
emotion
– Enjoy hearing reading aloud or recitation
– Participate by responding to speakers
– Can produce beautiful oral art forms

16. Advantages and Disadvantages
of Oral Teaching & Learning
q People learn best when information is
presented in a familiar way that suits their
learning style.
q Messages are more appealing and
memorable if presented in narrative format
such as stories.
q People are encouraged to listen to messages
that relate to their lives, experiences & felt
needs

17. Advantages and Disadvantages
of Oral Teaching & Learning
q People are more likely to repeat messages
appropriately presented, relating to their lives
and worldview.
q Most of the Bible is already oriented toward
oral communicators
q Presentation of biblical information in a clear
chronological order enables acquiring a
worldview to understand the Gospel.

18. Advantages and Disadvantages
of Oral Teaching & Learning
q Reliance on stories and dialog by story
characters can be a primary communication
of truth, assisted by appropriate
teaching/learning activities.
q New stories from outside sources may
parallel local oral traditions and be confused
and mixed with them.
q Embed necessary explanation, exposition
and exhortation within framework of a
narrative event or real life situation.

19. Advantages and Disadvantages
of Oral Teaching & Learning
q Provide for listeners’ participation in
storytelling events and teaching activities.
q Frequent repetition of stories is mandatory for
oral communicators to learn.
q Modeling is important as oral communicators
learn by imitating the manner information is
presented to them.
q Periodic refreshing of stories and teaching is
needed to maintain accuracy of stories as
they tend to fade in time.

20. Advantages and Disadvantages
of Oral Teaching & Learning
q Storytelling event and the storyteller may be
as important as the story being told.
q Bible stories and other memorized passages
become tools for oral communicators to use
in evangelizing, discipling, and ministering.
q Abstract visual representations are not
generally helpful to oral cultures who are
more likely to understand and accept images
reasonably complete, familiar and realistic.

21. Some Potential Problems in
Using Stories to Teach
q Individual stories are subject to free
interpretation unless locked into a setting of
other stories to fix their meaning.
q Local oral traditions may interfere with a new
story that negates or supercedes teaching in
existing oral traditions.
q Only certain storytellers may be acceptable to
listeners.

22. Some Potential Problems in
Using Stories to Teach
q There may be certain time and place where
telling of true stories is acceptable.
q Failure to carefully observe cultural norms
may negate the message of the story or
obscure its message.
q Failure to properly prepare listeners for a
story may leave them unprepared to receive
the message or precipitate a hostile reaction
breaking the relationship with the storyteller.

23. Some Potential Problems in
Using Stories to Teach
q Stories leading to a difficult truth or
conclusion may be best told in a continuum
without interruption to preserve emotional
content of the stories.
q Interruptions to the storytelling cycle may
necessitate extensive review of previously
told stories, or beginning the cycle anew.

24. End