ERVING — Motoko Dworkin bowed before a group of second-, third- and fourth-graders and greeted them in a language entirely unfamiliar to them.
After listening to Dworkin speak in Japanese, the group of students broke out in giggles. “What?” many exclaimed, eager to learn more.
Dworkin, an award-winning Japanese storyteller, visited Erving Elementary School Friday morning to introduce all the school’s students to Japanese words, history, culture and folk tales. For the past 20 years, Dworkin has traveled the United States sharing her knowledge with children, while teaching them important life lessons that transcend cultural barriers.
“The folk tales all have lessons,” she said, particularly encouraging empathy and understanding.
For example, Dworkin told the tale of a man who hunted geese, but was then turned into a goose and found himself caught in a man-made trap. Only then did he learn the fear the geese felt when they were caught and, after he turned back into a human, he vowed never to hunt geese again.
“Stories are a fun way to learn things,” Dworkin said, adding that the students “will think of (the stories) within their own lives.”
While listening to the tale of the geese, students learned how to count from one to 20, then in multiples of 10 up to 100, in Japanese. They also learned how to say basic phrases like “yes,” “hello,” and “thank you.”
For second-grader Lorelai Galway, the tale of the geese was her favorite.
“It was fun when we learned how to count in Japanese,” she said.
Second-grader Derek Wilson enjoyed learning about the most popular sports in Japan, especially sumo wrestling.
Jane Urban, Erving Elementary School’s librarian who arranged the presentation with financial help from the Erving Cultural Council and Erving Elementary School Parent-Teacher Organization, was glad to see the children have fun while learning about another country and culture. For Dworkin, too, seeing the children’s excitement is her favorite part.
While exploring another culture, Dworkin said her presentations also help children discover verbal storytelling.
“I think it’s rare that an adult would tell them a story, as opposed to just read a book,” she said. “It’s an ancient art, and yet for the kids, it’s a discovery.”
Dworkin hopes the children will share her folk tales with their families, and take on storytelling in their own homes.
“This is something they could do too just as easily as I could,” she said.
You can reach Shelby Ashline at: sashline@recorder.com
413-772-0261, ext. 257