Luận văn thạc sĩ using storytelling to develop speaking skills for young learners at an english center in quy nhon

QUY NHON UNIVERSITY PHAN THANH THANG USING STORYTELLING TO DEVELOP SPEAKING SKILLS FOR YOUNG LEARNERS AT AN ENGLISH CENTER IN QUY NHON Field: Theory and Methodology of English Langua

QUY NHON UNIVERSITY

PHAN THANH THANG

USING STORYTELLING TO DEVELOP

SPEAKING SKILLS FOR YOUNG LEARNERS AT

AN ENGLISH CENTER IN QUY NHON

Field: Theory and Methodology of English Language Teaching

Code: 8140111

Supervisor: Dr VO DUY DUC

TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC QUY NHƠN

PHAN THÀNH THẮNG

SỬ DỤNG KỂ CHUYỆN ĐỂ PHÁT TRIỂN KỸ NĂNG

NÓI CHO HỌC VIÊN NHỎ TUỔI TẠI MỘT TRUNG TÂM TIẾNG ANH Ở QUY NHƠN

Ngành: Lý luận và phương pháp dạy học bộ môn Tiếng Anh

Mã số : 8140111

Người hướng dẫn: TS VÕ DUY ĐỨC

STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP

I certify that this thesis is the result of my own study and that it has not been submitted to any other university or institution wholly or partially All statements of the thesis which are not my own are written in quotation and can be shown in the list of references

Quy Nhon, 2022

PHAN THANH THANG

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

For the completion of this thesis, I have received great assistance and support from my teachers, colleagues, students and my family

First of all, I would like to send my deepest thanks to my supervisor,

Dr Vo Duy Duc, for his encouragement, guidance and his critical comments, without which I could not have finished my thesis He also offered me great help in terms of ideas and materials

I am also grateful to all lecturers of M.A course at the Department of Foreign Languages and the Department of Pedagogy in specific and to Quy Nhon University for their valuable lectures from which I have had such a great motivation and benefited a lot in the writing of this thesis

My sincere thanks are due to all the colleagues, and students at International Active Learning Center (IALC) - an English Center in Quy Nhon for their cooperation in giving me valuable information

Last but not least, I am in debt to my beloved family and my wife who are always by my side with their constant help and spiritual support during

my studying process

I have made great efforts to complete the study However, I realize that this thesis is far from being perfect To make it better, the author expects any constructive criticism At last, the writer hopes that this research paper will be useful for all

ABSTRACT

In teaching a language, applying suitable method plays an important role in the success of the lesson Using stories for educational purposes is an effective teaching strategy especially for teaching young learners This study aimed at investigating the use of storytelling technique in teaching speaking at IALC - an English Center from teachers‟ perception and the difficulties they face The researcher used qualitative and quantitative research which used survey questionnaire, interview and observation as instruments The study findings showed that teachers have vague understanding about the storytelling technique and infrequent use of this technique in their teaching In addition, all of them say that this technique has many benefits to students and it can make students happy and easy to understand the lessons Finally, all of the teachers find that this technique is difficult to use, needs time and places to be applied and causes noise It is recommended that teachers need further training on the use of this technique because it is an important and effective technique to get students memorize the lesson and it also attracts students' attention, and it improves their prediction skills

TABLE OF CONTENTS

STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP i

ABSTRACT iii

TABLE OF CONTENTS iv

LIST OF TABLES vii

LIST OF FIGURES viii

CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION 1

1.2 Rationale 1

1.3 Aims of the Study 2

1.4 Research questions 2

1.5 Scope of the study 3

1.6 Significance of the Study 3

1.7 Organization of the study 3

CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW 5

2.1 Speaking 5

2.1.1 Definitions of speaking skill 5

2.1.2 Speaking teaching techniques 6

2.1.3 Techniques to teach speaking skill to young learners 7

2.2 Storytelling 8

2.2.1 Definition Storytelling 8

2.2.2 The Advantages Storytelling 9

2.2.3 Storytelling Techniques 10

2.2.4 Procedures Teaching Speaking with Storytelling Technique 12

2.3 Difficulties Applying Storytelling Technique 13

2.4 Previous Studies 15

2.5 Summary 19

CHAPTER 3 RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY 20

3.1 Research Design 20

3.2 Context Of The Research 21

3.3 Participants 23

3.4 Materials 23

3.5 Research Instrument 23

3.5.1 Survey Questionnaire 24

3.5.2 Interview 24

3.5.3 Observation 26

3.6 Data Collection 26

3.7 Data Analysis 27

3.7.1 The Questionnaire Data Analysis Procedures 28

3.7.2 Interview Data Analysis Procedures 28

3.7.3 Observation Data Analysis Procedures 29

3.8 Summary 29

CHAPTER 4 FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION 30

4.1 Questionnaire 30

4.1.1 Teachers‟ opinion about speaking skills 30

4.1.2 Teachers‟ perception about the use of communicative activities in teaching speaking skills 31

4.1.3 The frequency of using storytelling activities in teaching speaking 32

4.1.4 Teachers‟ role in designing and managing storytelling activities in classrooms 33

4.1.5 Teachers‟ implementation of storytelling activities 34

4.1.6 Benefits of use storytelling activities in teaching English speaking skill to young learner 35

4.1.7 Difficulties the teachers encounter when conducting

storytelling activities in teaching speaking skills 36

4.2 Interview 38

4.2.1 Teachers‟ understanding and practicing storytelling technique 38 4.2.2 Storytelling is beneficial 39

4.2.3 Teachers‟ Challenges of Using Storytelling 41

4.3 Observation 43

4.4 Chapter Summary 46

CHAPTER 5 CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTIONS 47

5.1 Conclusion 47

5.1.1 The teachers‟ perceptions of storytelling in a speaking class 47

5.1.2 The challenges teachers face in using storytelling to enhance students speaking skill 48

5.2 Implications 49

5.3 Limitation 50

5.4 Suggestions for Further Studies 50

REFERENCES 52 APPENDICES

LIST OF TABLES

Table 1: Roles of the teacher during storytelling activities 33 Table 2: Teachers‟ perception of the aims of storytelling activities 34 Table 3: Teachers‟ ways to promote storytelling activities 35

CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION 1.2 Rationale

The mastery of speaking skills in English is a priority for many second

or foreign language learners and teaching speaking in language classes plays

an important role When teaching speaking, teachers learn that there are many challenges to creating a good speaking class Teachers should think about whether or not the way they teach speaking is good Biyem (1997) says that teachers have a lot of problems when it comes to teaching and learning the English language For example, there are not enough classrooms and educational technology Moreover Punthumasen (2007) also found that most students do not want to learn English because they find it boring and the way

it is taught is not interesting Also, there aren't enough interesting English textbooks and other materials to get them to study

When teaching English as a foreign language (EFL), a teacher should set

up a classroom where students can have real-life conversations, do real-life activities, and do meaningful tasks that help them use oral language Nunan (1991) says that teachers should help their students by coming up with ways

to handle all kinds of communication This will make sure that all students get the same chances to improve their speaking and listening skills with other people The lessons will be more fun if the teachers can come up with fun activities by using techniques that are right for the level of the students

These reasons support the idea that language teachers at all levels in IALC English Center in Quy Nhon should use more interesting activities, technology, or appropriate methods to improve their teaching

One way to teach young children English is to use different methods, such as language games, songs, role-playing, storytelling, etc The technique

of telling stories has been used a lot in education, and it has helped teach

language speaking in many ways Many researchers around the world (Nunan 1988; Brimful et al 1991; Ellis and Brewster 1991; Wood 1998; Brewster et

al 2004; Write 2004; and others) suggest that storytelling is a good and effective way to improve young learners' skills and interest in English and help them learn more

In conclusion, the purpose of this study is to find out more about how teachers see and understand the role of stories in teaching English to Young Learners The other goal of this study is to find out how teachers feel about using storytelling to teach young students in the classroom The researcher hopes that the results of this study will give teachers both theoretical and real-world reasons to use stories to teach young students in the classroom Moreover, this research was also conducted to solve the teachers‟ problems in teaching speaking through storytelling

Teachers at the IALC English Center in Quy Nhon have been using this method, but it hasn't worked as well as they hoped Lessons that teach how to tell stories aren't part of the curriculum, so they're always taught after school There's always not enough time, classrooms, teaching tools, etc Because of this, students don't get many chances to practice speaking in a storytelling classroom, so their speaking skills do not get much better

1.3 Aims of the Study

The study aims at examining objectives in their speaking classes and investigating what problems teachers have when using storytelling to teach speaking

2 What are challenges teachers face in using storytelling to enhance students speaking skill?

1.5 Scope of the study

The study was conducted at IALC – an English center in Quy Nhon The research concentrates on the young learners The participants involved in the research are students at IALC This research was conducted at IALC – an English center in Quy Nhon because this English center uses storytelling as a method to teach speaking skills to young learners Therefore, the researcher wanted to examine the teachers‟ perceptions of storytelling to teach young learners in classroom and solve the teachers‟ problems in teaching speaking through storytelling

1.6 Significance of the Study

This study attempts to describe the teaching of English to young learners through using storytelling in speaking class at IALC – an English center in Quy Nhon The findings of the study contributed a number of strong points to the center‟s head-office, English teachers and researchers of the related fields

The study was also significant for the teachers It was expected that the English teachers could have deeper understanding about the technique and the effectiveness of using storytelling and they would know what they need supporting It means that the result of the study can be used as a feedback by the teacher to improve their teaching

Finally, the study could give contribution to other researchers as references in conducting further researcher

1.7 Organization of the study

This minor thesis is divided into five chapters:

CHAPTER 1: “Introduction” presents rationale, statement of the

problem, aims and objectives of the study, research question, the scope of the study, significance of the study, and the design of the study

CHAPTER 2: “Literature Review” provides a literature review on

theoretical issues related to speaking and storytelling

CHAPTER 3: “Methodology” describes an overview on context of

the study, research design, instrument used in the study

CHAPTER 4:“Data analysis and discussion” results from the

investigation of the factual situation in teaching speaking applying storytelling technique at IALC – an English center in Quy Nhon

CHAPTER 5: “Conclusion” provides a summary of the thesis'

accomplishments and recommendations to education management, instructors, and future scholars

CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW

In this chapter, the role of speaking is presented and speaking teaching techniques and storytelling technique Toward the end of the chapter, the difficulties in applying storytelling are given

2.1 Speaking

2.1.1 Definitions of speaking skill

According to several educators and scholars, communication is a vital ability for everyday living Bailey and Savage (1994) underline that speaking is a fundamental ability that is the result of reading and listening, and that it is used daily In a similar vein, Hayride (2006) asserts that speaking

is a critical component of language acquisition since the capacity to communicate is crucial to students' academic and professional success

Nunan argues that speaking is equated with oral communication, which are typical means of conveying information, expressing ideas, and articulating thoughts Nunan (1991) According to this perspective, it is evident that speaking is the act of delivering speeches and discussions to express one's views In addition, according to Chaney's definition, speaking is the act of constructing and communicating meaning via the use of verbal and nonverbal symbols in a variety of circumstances Chaney (1988) From this perspective, body language can only be used to clearly convey emotion and opinion while speaking

In summary, most of these show some common characteristics which speaking uses the words and produces the sound to express their ideas, feeling, thought through ordinary voice Moreover, speaking needs verbal and non-verbal symbols to express speakers‟ knowledge, opinion in communication

As result, speakers need to combine various skills in speaking

2.1.2 Speaking teaching techniques

Speaking is the process through which individuals express and transmit their thoughts to others verbally Speaking, according to Girt and Hans in Ferial (2012), is speech or utterances made by the speaker with the aim of being known, and then the listener analyzes the sayings to determine the speaker's intention Speaking, according to Irawati (2014), is the action of producing sayings in the form of words and phrases verbally in order to interact with others Khorashadyzadeh (2014), on the other hand, says that speaking requires not only an understanding of how to use linguistic skills like grammar, pronunciation, and vocabulary, but also an understanding of sociolinguistic skills like when, why, and how to speak Bahadorfar and Omidvar (2015), say that a person's speaking skills are good when the listener can understand what the person is saying

Also, Ur in Akhyak and Indramawan (2013:20) say that speaking activities that go well have a few things in common First, the people learning the language want to talk as much as they can Second, everyone who takes part in the speaking activity gets a chance to talk Third, the people learning the language are very motivated and interested in speaking Finally, the level

of language used is good enough

Speaking is the way that humans share and talk about information, ideas, and feelings through spoken language The goal of speaking is for the speaker and the listener to talk back and forth with each other Both the professors and the students hope that the students will be able to speak English fluently in class and in the real world Teaching speaking is what teachers do to help their students get better at expressing their thoughts, feelings, and ideas out loud

Speaking is the way that humans share and talk about information, ideas, and feelings through spoken language The goal of speaking is for the speaker and the listener to talk back and forth with each other

Both the professors and the students hope that the students will be able to speak English fluently in class and in the real world Teaching speaking is what teachers do to help their students get better at expressing their thoughts, feelings, and ideas out loud

Students can improve their speaking skills in many ways, such as by practicing dialogues, playing games, singing songs, telling stories, giving oral reports, role playing, having small group discussions, giving speeches, reading the news, reading poetry, and debating Young people can improve their speaking skills by listening to and telling stories

2.1.3 Techniques to teach speaking skill to young learners

Nunan (1991) recommends that learners would be better if they are given the maximum number of chances to practice the target language in meaningful situations Moreover, Nunan (2003) has provided some suggestions for teaching speaking as below:

Teachers must first arrange their lessons with consideration for the context variations between two languages and two cultures He says that pupils struggle to acquire a foreign language in a variety of circumstances because they have limited opportunity to apply it outside the classroom Therefore, some learners of a foreign language are unable to comprehend or converse with native speakers in real life Secondly, at the early and intermediate levels, it is essential to build fluency and precision Teachers should give pupils with opportunities to improve their fluency It is certainly true that committing errors is a normal part of learning a new language, yet accuracy is also the goal of the process

Thirdly, using group or pair work enhances the effectiveness of the speaking lesson Activities including pair and group work may improve the amount of time students speak the target language In addition, there are additional opportunities for students to share speaking-relevant information

Next, teachers should design speaking activities that require negotiation of meaning via clarification, repetition, or explanation requests Teachers should design speaking activities that are appropriate for all levels

of students in the classroom in order to assess their abilities

Finally, teachers should construct classroom activities that provide instruction and practice in both transactional speaking (communicating to complete a task, such as the trade of products) and interactional speaking (communicating to engage with others)

2.2 Storytelling

2.2.1 Definition Storytelling

Before going to bed, the majority of kids look forward to hearing bedtime stories from their grandparents or parents This was back in the days before the development of television, computers, or the internet According to Rubin (1990), storytelling is the "oral interpretation of literature and folklore." This definition indicates that the narrative, the storyteller, the place, and the listeners are the elements that make up the medium of storytelling According

to Harari, the difference between humans and animals is that people are capable of creating tales that are rich in both imagination and experience Harari (2014) It is the way that has been used by people throughout their history and is completely natural to pass on their knowledge from one generation to the next

In today's world, writers use a wide range of linguistic devices to articulate their understanding of the term "storytelling."

According to Safdarian (2013), students are considered to be engaging in storytelling when they repeat tales in their native tongue after listening to the stories told by the instructor In a different sense, storytelling is an oral activity that involves improvisation in the telling of a story, facial gestures, and body movement This type of storytelling is used to grab the attention of audiences by utilizing multi-sensory techniques that stir the emotion associated with an event in a story Stanley and Dillingham (2009) In addition, Champion, who is referenced in Irawati (2003), elucidates that storytelling is an oral activity in which words and gestures may be employed

in a colorful manner to construct scenes in a sequence This idea is presented

in the context of storytelling

All of the information shown up to this point suggests that telling stories orally involves arranging imaginative situations in a progression that stimulates children's imaginations, helps them acquire languages, and motivates them

2.2.2 The Advantages Storytelling

According to the findings of a large number of academics, telling tales has a variety of benefits, including those related to language development, creativity, and motivation The importance of storytelling in the development of one's imagination is emphasized by Ellis and Brewster (2002) Children get more emotionally invested in a narrative when they are able to recognize themselves in the artwork and characters Their creative ability is enhanced by the experience of using their imagination Storytelling

is another effective method for connecting a child's actual environment with his or her fantasies and imagination According to Hayriye (2006), creating stories allows students to convey their thoughts freely and imaginatively without having to worry about whether or not they have reached the appropriate conclusion

Children are better able to grasp the contents of the tales and recall what occurred in the stories when they are exposed to spontaneous recurrence

of essential vocabulary and phrases found in stories As a result, the use of tales may facilitate the development of language acquisition within the environment Ellis&Brewster (2002) In addition to this, Ellis and Brewster highlight the fact that tales may bridge the gap between language study and language usage and also connect classroom learning with the world outside of the classroom Some of the activities may not necessarily have a very strong aspect of language, but they are still significant in generating the impression among the students that studying English means having fun, being active, being creative, and having pleasure Ellisand Brewster (1991:1)

According to Stockdale's (1995) theory, the art of storytelling boosts learner motivation because it has the ability to thoroughly captivate students via its unique blend of educational value and entertaining content According

to Krashen (1981), it is easier for students to be successful in the acquisition

of a second language if they have high levels of motivation, self-confidence, a positive self-image, and a low degree of anxiety The transmission of pictures, ideas, and emotions that inspire students to learn a language may be accomplished via the use of storytelling, which, as a result of these advantages, helps students strengthen their speaking abilities

2.2.3 Storytelling Techniques

The education system relies heavily on its instructors to impart knowledge and foster student growth They have a significant obligation to impart their expertise and information onto the pupils, to direct students in the process of intellectual growth, and to instruct pupils in the methods necessary

to assimilate, evaluate, and broaden their own specific knowledge and capabilities

Before they can begin sharing tales with pupils, instructors must, first and foremost, prepare themselves The best way for educators to prepare for their role as storytellers is to get acquainted with the books and artwork in them by determining in advance which drawings or elements they will highlight It is important for instructors to pay close attention to the recording

of the tale in order to build their self-assurance It is important for educators

to read a narrative several times until they feel comfortable with it and are able to explain it in an adequate manner Ellis& Brewster (2002)

In addition, in order to achieve these goals, it is necessary to have strategies for teaching public speaking via the use of narrative Some of the following strategies were recommended by Zaro and Salaberri (1995:5):

i Firstly, instructors should recognize that narrative may generates

curiosity since it awakens students‟ imagination and interest in language proficiency

ii Secondly, while demonstrating a narrative, the instructor should allow

students to experience the target language and encourage their cooperation

iii Next, educators may utilize their native language, voice, facial emotions,

and hand gestures to reinforce the tale as appropriate Ellis and Brewster (2002) concur that instructors should establish an environment for storytelling in which both the teacher's face and the visuals are visible to students Teachers employ gesture, mime, facial expression, and a range

of tempos and tones to transmit meaning and maintain students' attention Richard-Amato (2003) adds that if a pupil tells a story without emotion, feeling, or bodily engagement, it may be useless

Finally, narrative should be lighthearted and casual

In addition, Brewster, Ellis, and Giard (2004) suggest the following approaches for incorporating narrative into the classroom:

a) Teachers could begin with a brief session with modest criteria if their pupils are unfamiliar with storytelling

b) Teachers should present a narrative slowly and clearly so that kids have time to detect sounds and words, match what they hear to what they see

in the visuals, ponder, ask questions, and provide feedback

c) Teachers should remark on the artwork and direct students' focus in order to capture their attention

d) Teachers could encourage children to participate in the retelling of a narrative by having them repeat essential vocabulary terms and phrases e) Teachers should employ a variety of gestures, mimes, facial expressions, voice projection, and pauses to communicate meaning and inspire children to narrate tales

f) Teachers should ask students questions while relating a narrative in order to encourage interaction between students and the tale

g) The instructors generate opportunities for the pupils to expose themselves to language and give them chances to figure out the meaning and retain it by repeatedly telling the tale Brewster et al (2004:21)

In conclusion, the function of the teacher as a storyteller who has a voice that

is both natural and appealing will be very important In order to capture the attention of the pupils, the teacher simplifies the narrative while maintaining

an animated facial expression

2.2.4 Procedures Teaching Speaking with Storytelling Technique

Many researchers around the world (Scott 1985; Brewster, Ellis, and Girard 2004; Samantaray 2014; Fikriah 2016) have suggested ways for teachers to use storytelling to teach speaking in their own way

The researcher synthesize the most common procedures based on the

collected information:

(1) The teacher divides class into some groups, each group includes

5-6 students, and the number of group depends on the number of students in the class

(2) The teacher gives different written stories for groups to choose (3) The teacher asks every group take a paper from the white board (4) The teacher asks them to develop a story in 15 - 20 minutes

(5) The teacher asks them to retell their story based on the group discussion

(6) The teacher gives award to the group considered as the best group

2.3 Difficulties Applying Storytelling Technique

Even though the storytelling method in the classroom has a lot of benefits, some teachers experience certain difficulties in applying it

The lack of adequate supplies and pedagogical aids in the classroom presents the first issue with the use of storytelling in the classroom According

to Biyaem (1997), it is difficult for instructors to teach and master the English language due to issues such as classrooms that are not well-equipped and a lack of educational technology Additionally, there is an insufficient quantity

of English textbooks and other resources that are attractive enough to motivate children to learn Technology may be an effective tool for teaching pupils how to communicate with one another, but it cannot take the place of a qualified language instructor, as Prapphal (2003) points out

The second obstacle faced by teachers is the psychology of the learners Because of the ways in which the students' mother tongues influence their English, particularly in the way that they articulate words, the students report that they do not feel comfortable speaking English with their instructor and classmates They also do not have sufficient opportunities to use English

in their day-to-day lives According to research done by Jaiyai, Torwong,

Usaha, Danvirattana, Luangthongkam, and Piyadamrongchai (2005), a significant number of students lacked the ability to effectively apply their English abilities, particularly in the areas of hearing and speaking In addition, Punthumasen (2007) discover that the majority of students do not have an interest in learning English since both the subject matter itself and the manner

in which it is presented in the classroom are boring

The next problem is running out of ideas Most of the time, teachers tell stories with the same idea in mind Setyariny (2011) also says that the stories that are already on the market are limited and not good enough for teaching, so teachers have to make their own

In addition, the adoption of this strategy is often overlooked by educators because of challenges such as distracting background noise in the classroom and a shortage of available class time According to Awed Sulaiman Keshta (2013), the fact that storytelling has not been the primary teaching method and that lessons using storytelling are not included in the students' curriculum is one of the challenges that teachers face when attempting to implement the storytelling method in their teaching As a result, there is not enough time to concentrate on developing the narrative approach

In Quy Nhon city, where we were born and raised, when educators employ the narrative approach as a method in speaking classrooms, they also confront certain challenges The majority of instructors we spoke to agreed that the textbook that is used to teach English in schools is not very useful It ignored one of the most crucial aspects of language: the ability to communicate orally Since there is no speaking exam included in the curriculum, the instructors have little choice but to focus primarily on grammar as the most important component of learning English and have disregarded other activities that may be done in the classroom

Students, in point of fact, do not feel at ease participating in speaking lessons

because they lack the confidence to articulate their thoughts and are fearful of making grammatical errors when speaking When attempting to use this strategy, educators often face challenging obstacles, such as a lack of available time or distracting background noise in the classroom It's possible that this is due to a lack of familiarity with or experience with the approach in question These factors lend credence to the notion that language instructors at the IALC English center, regardless of the level of their students, ought to incorporate into their lessons a greater number of engaging activities, forms of technology, web-based projects, online self-evaluations, and electronic portfolios

2.4 Previous Studies

In King's (2007) view, tales are important resources for the development of imagination and creativity, as well as for gaining knowledge and providing consolation In this piece of writing, King discussed her own experiences as well as her use of the collaborative story creating process with students of all ages and adults working in a variety of educational settings According to what the author mentioned, the process of generating collaborative tales provided numerous chances for students to produce beautiful stories based on stories, utilizing image creation and abstract prompts as inspiration She said that the iterative process enables children to enhance both their speech and written expressiveness as well as their vocabulary King extended an invitation to other educators, urging them to incorporate collaborative story making into their repertoire of teaching strategies in order to improve not only their own reading, writing, speaking, and listening abilities but also to foster a community of learners who are supportive of one another

Poveda and Cuevas (2008) stated that teaching story-telling to children

has been the focus of much research that has been conducted mostly in schools and families while other settings where these practices also take place have been ignored This article gives an examination of storytelling events for children that took place in three urban informal settings in the city of Madrid These contexts were a children's bookshop, a park, and a library (Spain) The investigation is qualitative in nature and makes use of a variety of methods, such as observation, audio and video recordings, documentary materials, and interviews In the analysis, these occurrences are seen of as opportunities for literature socialization, and the primary emphasis of this study is on the practice of exposing oneself to many literary voices as one component of literary language acquisition In order to do this, a thorough model of the many narrative voices used by storytellers has been presented This approach

is utilized to identify distinctions across the three settings, and via a case study for each context, the different forms of interactions that children in the audience have with these voices are investigated The focus of the conversation is on the unique impact that children's involvement in these types of settings may have on their development as readers and writers

The article "Emergent Biliteracy in English and Chinese of a Old Chinese Child with Wordless Picture Books" was written by Commeyras and Hu (2008).The purpose of this case study is to evaluate the development

5-Year-of a kid's language and literacy skills in English and Chinese within the setting of a 10-week tutoring session for a child who is 5 years old For the purpose of encouraging emerging illiteracy, the primary materials consisted of wordless picture books based on the narrative content In terms of the technique, the key activities in each session were Storytelling in both English and Chinese Extended activities included of things like labeling, writing up sentences, and making up spellings The child's progress in English and Chinese alphabet and character recognition, oral reading, and vocabulary

development were investigated via the examination of collected data According to the findings, wordless picture books centered on narrative material and paired with extended literacy exercises made it easier for the youngster to acquire language in both languages

This study is an action research that is related to storytelling technique, the researcher points out that this style has a great effect on sequential thinking, additionally This study also looks into whether or not students can

do better in school if they use the storytelling technique to practice sequential thinking The main goal of the study is to find out how much and how well storytelling is used to get kids interested in learning She thought that this method was the most powerful way for a language teacher to use language and psychology In this study, the researcher found that telling stories to children that are imaginative and have a great style can help them improve their language skills and encourage them to read more Also, listening to stories gave them real-life experiences that helped them learn more Storytelling connected students to schools by having them listen, which was

an important act of negotiation and diplomacy After talking about it, the researcher came to the conclusion that children will be familiar with the main parts of the story, which improves their study skills and helps them recognize the parts of any learning text Stories introduce students to all parts of a new language, whether it's the rhythm, the vocabulary, the grammatical structures,

or the meaning In the classroom, stories create real worlds They also make the classroom environment more fun and entertaining She also said that when students retell the stories, it gives them a real reason to learn new language Stories can make a set of teaching activities flow together

They can also help students connect with their own interests, concerns, and learning needs

Using stories to teach people how to speak is a new trend that is

attracting more and more researchers Ampha (2013) conducted a study to find out if teaching English through stories helps sixth-grade students improve their listening and speaking skills The goal of this study was to find out how well teaching through stories works and how students feel about learning this skill The participants were 220 high school students who got five weeks of instruction based on stories The research found that teaching English through stories helped students improve their speaking and listening skills It was shown that teaching through stories works It also showed that when students learned English through stories, they were very happy with their progress

Mukminatus (2017) used the observation as well as the questionnaire in order to assess the efficiency of storytelling in increasing one's speaking ability According to the findings of this study, sharing stories to one another has the potential to help students at HasymimAsy'sari University enhance their speaking ability Even though students were extremely engaged in their discussions and had an interest in the issue that was presented to them, they were still able to recount the information that was presented in the reading text that was included in the module

The research "Using short tales to increase the effectiveness of teaching speaking and listening skills to students at the Hai Phong foreign language center" by Nhan (2010) at the University of Language and International Studies The goal of the study was to see how short tales affected the training

of speaking and listening skills It also looked at how students felt about employing short tales in language classes As a consequence, sharing short stories in the classroom helps kids improve their listening and speaking abilities

Furthermore, it lessens students' anxiety by establishing a welcoming and soothing classroom environment that encourages them to participate in class activities

2.5 Summary

Overall, learning a foreign language entails knowing how to use that language in real-life settings As a consequence, speaking ability is considered since the most significant of all language talents, as it represents the manner

in which people interact with one another This chapter shed light on the significance of speaking ability, its definition, and the obstacles that instructors face while using storytelling The next chapter will go through the research design used, the variables under investigation, the study location, the target population, sampling processes and sample size, research tools, piloting, data collecting methodologies, data analysis, and finally ethical and logistical issues

CHAPTER 3 RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY

The purpose of this study was to investigate the perceptions of using storytelling technique by English teachers at IALC - an English Center in Quy Nhon and the difficulties they face

In this study, the quantitative approach was a descriptive statistic that employed numbers and percentages to analyze the teacher's experience with utilizing storytelling to teach speaking Aliaga and Gunderson (2002) define quantitative research methods as looking into a social issue, collecting numbers, and analyzing things using math-based methods, especially statistics

Besides, Johnson and Christensen (2012:33) that qualitative research methods work well when "little is known about the topic or phenomenon and the researcher wants to learn more about it" As was mentioned earlier, it is difficult to come by information about IALC English center teachers‟ practices and attitudes concerning the use of storytelling in language teaching Therefore, a qualitative approach to the issue appears sensible It would have been interesting to combine semi-structured interviews with observation with only 2 teachers addressed, but, due to the scope of this project, I find it necessary to limit the study to qualitative research

According to Duff (2012), qualitative studies' greatest strength is their capacity to represent bigger processes or circumstances in a highly accessible,

tangible, direct, and human way In qualitative research, insights provided by data collection may result in new paths for the discipline Because qualitative studies seek depth rather than breadth in their scope and analysis, their purpose is to particularize rather than universalize, yielding discoveries of possibly broader relevance and theoretical value Furthermore, since qualitative studies often include a limited number of persons and places, participants may be simpler to recruit and permissions may be easier to secure than in a research with a different design, which may need hundreds of approvals from institutions, etc

To reach the study's goals, the teacher wants to know how much teachers know about how to teach with storytelling and how they use this method in the classroom as well as problems facing them

3.2 Context Of The Research

The research was carried out at IALC - an English Center This language center is in Quy Nhon City, Binh Dinh Province, Vietnam This research took place in this English Center since this center uses storytelling as one of the methods to teach young learners in the classroom English is the language of teaching at this English facility In the classroom, the instructors would utilize around more than 80% English and fewer than 20% Vietnamese

The questionnaire was provided to the subjects The questionnaire consisting of 14 questions was delivered to the teacher‟s respondent Both open-ended questions and close-ended questions were exploited Careful attention was paid to the clarification of each question to ensure validity

The interview questions were designed to elicit thorough responses from instructors on storytelling as a strategy for teaching English language skills Open-ended inquiries may expose the depth and specifics of the participants'

sentiments, they have “limitations related to the writing skills of respondents, the impossibility of probing or extending responses, and the effort required of the person completing the questionnaire” (Patton, 1988, p 29)

Question 1 was formed to find out the teachers‟ background

Question 1: How long have you been teaching English?

To answer the Research Question about teachers‟ understanding and practicing Storytelling technique, question 2 was concerned with the English teachers' perception about the definition of storytelling technique and the use

of storytelling technique

Question 2: In your opinion, what's story telling?

Question 3, 4 and 5 was concerned with the English teachers' perception about teaching Storytelling process and the characteristics of storytelling technique

Question 3: Do you use story telling in your speaking class?

Question 4: Can you describe generally about teaching Storytelling

Question 6: What are the benefits of this technique?

Question 7 was formed to find out the English teachers' challenges in using storytelling technique in education and the suggestions they want to put forward

Question 7: What are the difficulties of using storytelling technique? Question 8: Do you put forward any suggestions to overcome the

difficulties mentioned?

3.3 Participants

Two teachers who are now teaching English at IALC - an English Center, Quy Nhon City, Binh Dinh Province were purposively selected as the participants in this study The researcher is one of the teachers in this center and the two other teachers are now the participants of the research The reason of selecting of these participants was because all of the teachers

of the English center use storytelling in class, so that they are familiar with the use of storytelling Additionally, the participants were selected by purposive sampling method in order to get the exact data of teachers‟ views about storytelling

To make the content in the textbook more effective and more interesting, in the research, the plot of stories used in the study is based on Oxford Owl, an award-winning website from Oxford University Press, which

is constructed to help children‟s learning, including storytelling support It is notable that the students‟ program at the English center seems to be matched and suitable with the researcher‟s stories collections

3.5 Research Instrument

To answer the Research Questions mentioned in the previous part, the

researcher uses survey questionnaire, interview and observation as Research Instrument

3.5.1 Survey Questionnaire

The researcher employed semi-structured questionnaires for instructors, which were sent to English teachers at the IALC English Center In the research, questionnaires for teachers were recommended because they were the best tools

for gathering information on people's beliefs and attitudes, as well as efficient

in collecting data and simple to administer." (Baker &Westrup: 2003)

3.5.2 Interview

For research purposes, the researcher conducted face-to-face interviews with two English teachers in IALC English Center Semi-structured interview which was used in this project asks open-ended questions of the interviewees Semi structured interview was used to get deeper data about teachers‟ perspectives on storytelling Additionally, it also can get more data about the interesting information about the storytelling According to Bernard (1988), the best time to use semi-structured interviewing is when you won't get more than one chance to interview someone and when you will be sending several interviewers out into the field to collect data In other words, use semi-structured interviewing when you won't get more than one chance to interview someone

As is customary for semi-structured interviews, the topics to be covered and the questions to be asked will be prepared in advance by creating an interview guide This will enable me to tailor the questions to the specific circumstances of each interview, and the utilization of the guide will ensure that all of the pertinent subjects are covered during the course of the conversation

In addition, Dicicco- Blum and Crabtree (2006) contend that the semi structured interview provides useful information on the participants'

perspectives on particular topics in more detail All of the interviews lasted somewhere between fifty and twenty minutes apiece, and they were carried out at the schools in which the instructors are employed All of the interviews were taped, so the interviewers had plenty of time to focus on the questions and the flow of the conversation, just as Kvale recommended (1996)

Each interview began with some opening questions about the teachers‟ background in terms of working experience and education This information was relevant for the later analysis, because the researcher is interested in looking for a correlation between the teachers‟ background and their attitude towards the storytelling method General questions were about teaching methods and materials used in the classroom and the teachers‟ experience with them This approach provided the interviewees with an opportunity to talk about the positive and negative aspects of the different techniques they use

After that, the researcher continued to ask questions about the benefits and difficulties when applying storytelling technique This information was very useful for the study and related with the research questions mentioned in the previous part

Finally, the interviewees were given a question about the suggestions

to overcome the difficulties they mentioned

The researcher did the interview with 2 participants for 15-20 minutes

in length The interviews were conducted in the center's academic room and recorded through audio recorder The aim of the interview was to capture and communicate the participants‟ perspectives on using storytelling to teach young learners in classroom and the difficulties they face The use of the interview is very advantageous as the researcher believes interviews help in revealing facts that cannot be obtained in written form as people are more willing to speak than write on a paper

It was not an easy job to conduct the interviews with busy teachers at IALC English Center The researcher had to carry them out amid the many working responsibilities that the researcher had too After greeting the interviewees and thanking them for participating, the researcher explained the purpose of the research and its significance Interviews were in English

The interview data collection process was conducted from January to Match, 2022 Firstly, the writer analyzed the research questions and gave suitable interview questions so that they were related to the research questions and the objectives of the study After having a list of interview questions, the writer continued to contact with two English teachers at IALC - English Center in Quy Nhon to set the date of the interview Each teacher was noted a day before the interview day At 5:30 P.M February 09th, 2022 after work, the researcher began the interview with the interviewees at the center academic‟s room After greeting them and thanking them for their attendance,

the researcher explained the purpose of the research and its significance The interviewees were willing to answer the questions The researcher interviewed

one by one Each interview took around 15 to 20 minutes Interviews were in English The interviews were recorded through the tape recorder The appendix of the interview is given at the end of the study

Before doing the real interview, the researcher did the data piloting first The aim of piloting was to check the recorder, time (min 15 minutes), and the interview question before doing the real interview The researcher did the piloting with 1 teacher The result of data piloting indicated that there were some questions that need to be dug deeper and the right audio recorder should be well prepared

After the piloting had been done, the next thing to do was conducting the interviews The researcher interviewed 2 teachers from IALC English Center in Quy Nhon City related to the list of questions that have been prepared The interviews took 15-20 minutes for each interview

After conducting the interviews, the process was transcribed that have been recorded in a written form To help to analyze the data, the researcher categorized into some points to get the results Lastly, the data were analyzed that had been collected from the interviews

This study used observation because the person doing the research teaches This was done to find out how involved the students are in each lesson It also keeps track of what they do during the lesson, and how much the stories affect them Even how the section for checking homework is filled out is written down The observation form was used five times between the first and fifth meetings

3.7 Data Analysis

Data analysis was performed utilizing both qualitative and quantitative data

to answer the research questions and achieve the study objective The survey questionnaire was gathered, sorted, and the responses to each question were

carefully tallied and recorded The raw numbers were computed, summarized in tables, and displayed through comparison and contrastive approaches

The purpose of the investigation and the nature of the data both have a significant impact on the analysis that is performed (Kvale and Brinkmann 2009:199) Materials obtained in the study comprised a combination of notes taken during the interviews, and extensive notes made during the analyzing process The notes were coded and structured according to the three subsections mentioned in the interview guide (background information, general teaching methods and materials and the storytelling approach)

3.7.1 The Questionnaire Data Analysis Procedures

The first step was to conduct a survey of English center teachers to get information about their present circumstances and the most frequent challenges they face while utilizing storytelling to teach English In addition, they looked at what variables affected their ability to communicate effectively

as a teacher Careful attention was paid to the clarification of each question to ensure validity The questionnaire was constructed within Vietnamese contexts, aiming to provide a general picture of background to each situation and to capture the participants‟ own response and reflections toward the issues The technical terms were simplified so that the questions can be understood exactly Moreover, all the questions were arranged in a logical order so that they could lead the respondents to the themes of the study The questionnaire was designed and developed based on the author knowledge, observation and experience

3.7.2 Interview Data Analysis Procedures

The data that the researcher got from the teachers were analyzed and presented qualitatively in the finding section The audio recording of the interviews were examined individually in order to transcribe the interview