Mama gives international presentation on folktales

Webinar engages Pakistani educators

Raouf Mama, professor of English at Eastern Connecticut State University, gave a virtual international presentation titled “Webinar Series 4: Integration of Folktales in the English Language Teaching (ELT) Classroom” on Sept. 17 and 27. This webinar was a part of the Professional Development for Teachers Webinar Series hosted by educators in Pakistan.

The series included presenters and educators from different fields of study. Selected by the U.S. Department of State for this international assignment, Mama’s primary focus was implementing folktales in Pakistani classrooms to teach English.

Mama calls this a “powerful multicultural teaching tool,” and enjoys making connections with people in different fields, especially internationally. "Making international connections is of paramount importance to me,” said Mama. “As an educator, writer and artist I believe in the power of stories and storytelling to quicken our awareness of our membership of the human family and the urgency of our need to build a bridge of understanding and empathy across the chasm of prejudice and bigotry to make the world a kinder and gentler place for all.”

As an award-winning storyteller and best-selling author, Mama’s teaching and research interests primarily include African and Western literature, African folktales, storytelling and translating the languages of English and French.

The webinar was streamed live by the Regional English Language Office, which is a part of the Public Affairs Section of the U.S. Embassy in Pakistan, and appeared on the office’s Facebook pages. The web series was viewed by more than 9,000 people.

Written by Bobbi Brown

Categories: Faculty Research, English