Oral Lit Thriving

Mbugua wa Mungai (Daily Nation, 20^th April 2013) is spot-on: Oral Literature is very much alive and thriving. And true, some teachers make Oral Literature seem a dead subject, just as some make it quite interesting to study and perform - when they approach it as oral artists. The Teacher-Oral-Artist tells stories, poses riddles, puns, employs tongue twisters, gladly (but with requisite sensitivity) participates in student mchongoano, sings and recites when teaching oral literature, language skills, life skills and when giving guidance and counseling - literally in all their interactions with their students. It works; I have been doing it all my teaching life.