The Importance of Storytelling 讲故事的重要性

Last week, students were paid a visit by British actor, drama therapist and professional storyteller Ursula Holden-Gill. We speak to Ursula about her visit and the importance of storytelling for children.

上周，英国演员、戏剧治疗师、专业故事讲师Ursula Holden-Gill到校访问。Ursula同我们讲述了她的此次到访以及讲故事对于孩子的重要性。

Please introduce yourself.

请介绍一下自己

For a decade I worked as a professional actor, appearing in particular on British television, but I have always been committed to using drama for good. I am a professional writer and storyteller, and alongside performing at events and festivals, I work with social services, adoption services and charities to bring drama and storytelling to the lives of vulnerable young people.

十年来，我一直是一名专业演员，大家经常能在英国的电视上见到我，我一直致力于在生活中运用戏剧。同时，我也是一名专业作家和说书人，除了在活动和节日里表演，我还会与社会服务、领养服务和慈善机构合作，为弱势年轻人的生活带来戏剧和故事。

In 2014, I joined the travelling storytelling company “Dream On Productions”, which is what brings me to Beijing.

2014年，我加入了旅游故事公司“Dream On Productions”，公司将我带到了北京。

What is the importance of telling stories to children?

为孩子讲故事为什么很重要？

I have worked with many children, and I can instantly tell when a child has been read to. Their listening, imaginative and creative skills are significantly more developed and they are able to engage with stories in a completely different way. This goes on to help them enormously in school. 

我与许多孩子一起工作过，可以立即分辨出有没有人经常给某个孩子讲故事。因为这些孩子的倾听能力、想象力和创造技能都得到了更好的发展，他们能够以完全不同的方式进入故事。这些能力也可以帮助他们在学校的学习。

How can parents encourage their children to love reading?

父母如何鼓励孩子读书？

Reading should never be a chore or a punishment. Endeavour to share stories at home every day. When you read a book to your child, create a focused storytelling environment away from distractions – and don’t be afraid to stray from the book! Open up your child’s imagination by asking them questions about the story and its characters. These things bring stories to life.

阅读不应该是一件苦差事或者惩罚。努力每天在家里分享故事。当您为孩子读书时，创造一个专注于讲故事的环境，不要分心—不要害怕偏离书本内容！可以通过向他们提问有关故事及角色的问题，发展孩子的想象力。这样做可以让故事更加生动。

To continue reading about Ursula’s visit to YCIS Beijing, click “Read more” below.

想要继续了解Ursula本次对北京耀中的访问，请点击下面的“阅读原文”。

[WRITER IN RESIDENCE] Delighting Writing! Our Writer in Residence 愉快的写作！ 北京耀中作家驻校课程

[DRAMA WORKSHOP] AMDA Runs Workshop at YCIS Beijing  AMDA在北京耀中举办工作坊

[PERFORMING POETRY] The Art of Poetry: Secondary Coffeehouse  诗歌艺术：中学部咖啡馆阅读活动