Orality

In 1996, Wycliffe Canada's Yves and Christine Leonard began living among the Baka, a pygmy group in southeastern Cameroon that had no written language. Yves began by learning their language, with the long-range goal of developing an orthography, or writing system, so that he could help translate the Scriptures for them. But the Baka, who still live much as their ancestors did on the edge of Cameroon's rainforest, seemed uninterested in becoming literate.

For the Baka and many other language groups around the world, information has always been communicated by oral means. Oral learners may be described as people who either cannot or do not read. In these societies, storytelling is a key means of transmitting information and values.

Initiatives such as OneStory, a partnership involving Wycliffe and several other mission organizations, are helping to meet the needs of oral societies in creative new ways. For example, "chronological Bible storying" is a method used to tell Bible stories without interruption or comment. Stories are told in their chronological order and afterwards, their meaning and significance are discussed.

Other tools for sharing Scripture orally include:

The JESUS film
Digital audio devices
Plays or skits
Songs
Radio and television broadcasts

Many Wycliffe members around the world must wrestle with the challenges of providing God's Word for oral societies. On the one hand, many translators recognize that the local church values and needs the written Word of God as a resource for Bible-based ministry; but on the other hand, it is important that the local believers actively experience the living Word of God.

For mainly oral societies, the stories from the Bible provide an immediate connection with which they can identify. For some language groups, effective oral presentations of Bible stories help to stimulate interest in the gospel and in the written Word.

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