ERIC Number: EJ1087083
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2016
Pages: 14
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1916-4742
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
A Story-Telling Approach to Teaching English to Young EFL Iranian Learners
Kalantari, Farzaneh; Hashemian, Mahmood
English Language Teaching, v9 n1 p221-234 2016
This study investigated the effects of the storytelling approach on improving of EFL learners' vocabulary knowledge. To this end, 30 upper-beginner EFL learners (out of a population of 134) were selected by means of an OPT test and were assigned to 2 groups: 1 experimental and 1 group. The participants were selected from among young EFL learners who were between 8 and 14 years old. They had already registered for English classes in Paya Language Center, Isfahan, Iran. As for the materials, they were mainly prepared by the teacher/researcher. Based on the units of "Backpack" books--taught in Paya Language Center--some stories were prepared and adopted by the teacher/researcher along with a visual presentation using the PowerPoint software. In carrying out the study, the participants were taught the key vocabulary via pictures and gestures. Once the participants had identified the new words, the teacher started telling and introducing the stories. While reading the stories, the teacher directed the participants' attention to the PowerPoint presentation that included the visual representation of the story to facilitate the comprehension process. After the treatment, there was a posttest to assess the participants' improvement. Results of data analysis revealed that the storytelling approach to teaching vocabulary proved effective for the experimental group. All the experimental group participants experienced a significantly meaningful increase in their vocabulary knowledge, compared to the control group. Finally, there was a boost in the interest rate of the experimental group participants in terms of motivation.
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Teaching Methods, English (Second Language), Second Language Instruction, Story Telling, Vocabulary Development, Experimental Groups, Control Groups, Comparative Analysis, Pictorial Stimuli, Nonverbal Communication, Computer Software, Visual Stimuli, Pretests Posttests, Instructional Effectiveness, Student Motivation, Statistical Analysis, Early Adolescents
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Iran
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A