Analysis of My Oral Story
Please click on the link here for my unscripted story (using the Notes app on my iPhone, voice-to text function).
Deviations from Written English
The text deviates from standard written English in several ways. Punctuation is minimal, capitalization is inconsistent, and there are many run-on sentences. Filler words like “like” and “yeah” appear frequently, reflecting natural speech. Some words were misheard by the voice-to-text app, such as “Convo lie lie” instead of Kadavu Lailai, and “gravel” instead of Gravol. I also corrected myself at times, pausing to find the right words. Such hesitation feels natural in speech but would be edited in writing. Even so, the main point comes through clearly.
Common Mistakes and What’s “Right”
From a written perspective, informal grammar, missing punctuation, run-on sentences, repeated filler words and misheard words are considered mistakes because they interrupt smooth reading. However, many of these “errors” work in speech. Repetition, incomplete sentences, and hesitations add pacing and emphasis: for example, repeating “getting on/off the boat” helps listeners follow the story.
Scripted vs. Unscripted
If I had scripted the story, it would have been easier to read, more concise, and free of filler words. However, scripting might have removed the humour, spontaneity, and personal voice that make the story lively. Speaking freely captures how I would naturally recount this adventure to friends. For example, my use of “Oh no!” conveys expression that would likely be lost in a script. This makes the story sound casual and conversational.
Oral vs. Written Storytelling
Oral storytelling differs from written storytelling in several ways. As Ong (2002) notes, language is fundamentally oral, and this orality is a permanent feature of human communication. Oral stories often use repetition, patterns, and rhythm to aid memory, while written texts preserve words, allowing reflection, editing, and dissemination.
For example, when my tote bag spilled, the oral transcript included a long, rambling sentence with repeated phrases and filler words:
“we were on the boat and I had like this tote bag with me like a tote bag and I had all my stuff in extra clothes so when I change out of my swimsuit and flip-flops book stuff like that, so I had it in my tote bag and we were going on the small boat to the island and for some reason the contents of my bag spilled out onto the bottom of the boat …”
If I wrote my story instead it might look something like this:
“On the small boat to the island, my tote bag with clothes, flip-flops and a book spilled onto the floor. Luckily, only a few items spilled.”
The oral version was lively and humorous but difficult to read, while the written version was smoother and structured. This shows oral storytelling captures spontaneity and voice, while written storytelling prioritizes clarity and structure.
Oral storytelling also maintains cultural identity. The Anishinaabemodaa (n.d.) video shows that losing a language is like losing a society’s memory and spirit; oral storytelling keeps culture alive, connecting learners to their ancestors. Written storytelling, in contrast, creates permanence and historical record. Hadley (2019) demonstrates that an Indigenous language app can preserve endangered languages and help learners reconnect with cultural knowledge.
Oral and written storytelling also share similarities: both communicate meaning, often have a beginning-middle-end structure and convey emotion. Ong (2002) notes that written storytelling depends on oral storytelling; without oral language, we could not organize or share thoughts effectively.
Final Thoughts
This exercise helped me see how spoken stories capture personality, humour, and lived experience, while written stories structure thought, preserve information, and allow for wider sharing. Using a voice-to-text app showed how technology shapes oral storytelling today: it captured my words but misheard some terms, preserving yet slightly altering the narrative. It also reminded me of the “telephone” game: a spoken story can never be repeated exactly. If I told the story again, I would likely add details, forget others, and change aspects in the retelling. This highlights the unique, fleeting quality of oral storytelling.
References
Anishinaabemodaa. (n.d.). Waking Up Ojibwe.
Hadley, H. (2019, January 11). New Indigenous language app targets ’21st century’ learners. CBC News. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/thunder-bay/indigenous-language-app-1.4970376
Ong, W. J. (2002). Chapter 1: The orality of language. In Orality and literacy: The technologizing of the word (pp. 5–16). Routledge. (Original work published 1982)