The efectiveness of storytelling in enhancing the sixth graders listening comprehension at phuc xuan lower secondary school

ABSTRACT This study investigates the impacts of Storytelling technique on helping students improve their listening comprehension ability, and students’ attitudes toward the use of the te

INTRODUCTION

Rationale of the study

English is a global language that shapes daily life, education, business, entertainment, the internet, science and technology, and culture It serves as the international language of communication, connecting people across diverse sectors and regions According to the British Council in 2016, English is the official language in more than 50 countries worldwide, illustrating its broad reach and influence.

In Vietnam, English has taken on a special significance as a bridge to the world during rapid industrialization and modernization This role explains the rapid growth of English learners and why English has become a compulsory subject in schools nationwide.

To keep pace with society’s general trend, Phuc Xuan Lower Secondary School (PXLSS) began teaching English from the sixth grade However, English teaching and learning at PXLSS still face several challenges, including limited time for practice and a lack of effective methods that stimulate students’ interest As a result, identifying and applying effective teaching approaches has become an urgent priority for both teachers and students at PXLSS Addressing these issues will require targeted instructional strategies and engaging activities that boost English proficiency and motivate learners.

From the researcher’s teaching experience, listening is among the most challenging language skills for students, with difficulties arising from the lack of visual support, the inability to ask for repetition, and limited opportunities to predict meaning during audio tasks Traditionally, learners listened to recordings and then completed the book tasks, which hindered authentic communication and comprehension As a result, listening was hard to learn and to teach To shift this dynamic, English teachers at PXLSS have experimented with diverse methods and techniques in their lessons, with Storytelling emerging as an effective approach to enhance listening skills.

Storytelling is widely regarded as one of the most effective methods for engaging students and is especially well suited to secondary school learners studying a foreign language It provides young learners with real-life contexts that enhance their language learning experience, helping them encounter authentic language use and develop communicative competence By weaving compelling narratives into language lessons, storytelling boosts motivation, expands vocabulary, and reinforces grammar in meaningful settings.

Storytelling is a teaching technique that helps students develop knowledge, literacy, imagination, creation, and critical thinking (Isbell, 2002) Barzaq (2009) emphasizes the vital role of storytelling in teaching, noting benefits such as igniting students’ imagination and interest in language learning, building vocabulary, improving comprehension, supporting story sequencing, and enhancing listening skills Integrating storytelling into instruction can boost engagement, strengthen language skills, and foster higher-order thinking across the curriculum.

As an English teacher, the researcher understood the benefits storytelling could bring to young learners in foreign language learning To examine how effective storytelling is in improving students' listening comprehension and enhancing their listening skills, the study titled "The Effectiveness of Storytelling in Enhancing Sixth Graders’ Listening Comprehension at Phuc Xuan Lower Secondary School" was conducted.

Aims of the study

This study investigates the effectiveness of storytelling as a method to enhance sixth graders' listening comprehension at PXLSS and aims to determine whether the storytelling approach improves students' listening skills while also examining students' attitudes toward listening comprehension when taught through storytelling.

In order to achieve the objectives stated, the study is meant to find out the answer to the following two research questions:

Question 1 To what extent is Storytelling effective in enhancing the sixth graders’ listening comprehension at Phuc Xuan Lower Secondary School?

Question 2 What are the students’ attitudes towards the use of Storytelling technique in teaching listening comprehension?

Scope of the study

This study investigates the influence of the storytelling technique on students' listening comprehension within the context of teaching and learning English as a compulsory subject at PXLSS in Thai Nguyen city Focusing on this specific setting, the research aims to reveal how storytelling can affect listening skills among learners and to provide practical implications for English instruction in PXLSS.

Due to the limited time, this research was conducted on only 60 sixth-grade students at PXLSS in the second term of the school year 2019 - 2020.

Significance of the study

This study holds potential significance for English language teachers and learners by detailing the application of storytelling and its impacts on listening instruction for 6th-grade students For teachers, it provides detailed information on how storytelling can be applied and how it affects listening outcomes, offering a practical reference for implementing this technique in classroom settings The findings are equally useful for students seeking effective ways to improve their listening skills, providing actionable insights to enhance their English proficiency.

Design of the study

The study included five main chapters: introduction, literature review, methodology, findings and discussion, and conclusion

Chapter 1: Introduction presented basic information such as the rationales, aims, scope, significance, and organization of the study

Chapter 2: Literature review set up the theoretical background that is relevant to the purpose of the study such as listening comprehension, storytelling, teaching listening comprehension using Storytelling as well as previous studies

Chapter 3: Methodology mentioned the method of conducting research including the method of the study, the study setting, participants, data collection instruments, data collection procedure, and data analytical method

Chapter 4: Findings and discussion presented research findings and discussed research questions

Chapter 5: Conclusion summarized the key issues in the study, points out the implications, limitations, and provides some suggestions for further study

LITERATURE REVIEW

Listening comprehension

Listening is said to be one of the most commonly used language skills People learn to listen as their first communication skill in their lives Listening is essential for both communication and language learning According to Hunsaker (1990), more than three-quarters of what students learn in school takes place while listening in the classroom If students do not understand the text they listen to, the learning process does not begin Listening is the primary skill that enables students to use their other skills If a learner is able to comprehend what they hear, their ability to speak and develop other language skills (Rost, 1994)

Listening, according to Rivers (1981), is a creative skill in which you know what action or non-action to take in response to what you hear Another view regarding listening is from Brewster, Ellis & Girard (2002), who defined listening as the selection and assignment of meaning to sound This is because while listening people tend to focus more on the important information and try to understand the message in order to respond to it appropriately

Although scholars define listening in different ways, they share the view that listening is a cognitive process in which listeners receive information and interpret the message of spoken language This process involves identifying the communicated message, understanding the topic, and grasping the relationships between the different parts of the spoken text.

Listening comprehension, as defined by Littlewood (1995), is an active process of constructing meaning in which language learners should be encouraged to participate In this framework, listening relies on more than linguistic cues; it also depends on non-linguistic information such as tone, prosody, facial expressions, and the surrounding context Effective listening requires learners to attend to both what is said and how it is said, becoming aware of speaker intent, implied meaning, and situational factors that influence interpretation.

Not all clues carry equal weight in conveying a message Building on Fang (2008), listening comprehension is an active process that encourages learners to concentrate on listening for meaning, drawing on both linguistic cues and nonlinguistic knowledge to interpret spoken messages effectively.

According to Millrood (2001), listening is a communication process that yields a concrete outcome: understanding the message The ultimate goal of listening comprehension is to grasp the conveyed message, and it is an interactive process in which listeners build meaning by integrating sound distinctions, grammatical structure, and other linguistic or nonverbal cues to interpret the message.

Listening comprehension is influenced by several factors Nunan (1991) categorized these into three groups: the type of language, the listening purposes, and the context of the utterances The difficulty of listening arises from a range of causes, including how information is organized, how popular or engaging the topic is, the clarity and completeness of the utterance, and the type of reference expressions used.

Listening comprehension difficulties can arise from hearing impairment, a lack of attention and concentration, unclear instructions, and the complexity of the listening text (Rost, 1994) In this study, the researcher focuses on the major problems her students face, which are presented below.

Students face several listening challenges: they struggle to recognize English sounds even with familiar words, and they have trouble distinguishing positive and negative forms A lack of concentration is a major factor, as limited listening experience makes it hard to stay focused and distracts them during lessons They also find it difficult to grasp the main points of the listening passage, often not knowing which information is important to listen for or how to deduce the main content from keywords.

Speech rate poses a significant challenge for students, who often struggle to keep up with a speaker's pace Many learners try to translate what they hear into Vietnamese before fully understanding the message, which forces their brains to juggle listening, translating, and comprehension simultaneously This heavy cognitive load slows real-time listening and hinders language acquisition, making it harder to develop effective listening skills and fluency.

For Vietnamese learners, the challenge isn't simply the size of vocabulary or the variety of sentence structures, but how many words they can recall and actively use in real communication The traditional approach—teaching vocabulary and grammar together with direct Vietnamese translations—limits long-term memorization and often leaves learners with forgotten words they struggle to retrieve in spontaneous speech A more effective strategy emphasizes context-based learning, active usage, and flexible sentence patterns without relying on translations, helping learners expand both receptive and productive vocabulary and improve fluency Techniques like spaced repetition, authentic dialogue practice, and immersive exposure support durable retention, enabling the retrieval of a wider range of words in real conversations.

Listening difficulties can vary widely, so teachers should consider the range of factors that influence listening performance By acknowledging these factors—such as students’ background knowledge, language proficiency, attention, classroom environment, and opportunities for guided practice—educators can help learners overcome problems in listening comprehension and achieve greater success in listening tasks.

2.1.3 The strategies of listening comprehension process

Listening strategies refer to the techniques or activities which listeners often make use of while listening to comprehend and recall of listening input Listening strategies fall in two main types The first one is top-down strategies, in which listeners use their background knowledge of the topic, the situation or context, the type of the text, and the language while listening Top-down strategies are divided into listening for the main idea, predicting, drawing inferences, and summarizing

Bottom-up listening strategies focus on the language that conveys meaning, with understanding built from the interaction of words, sounds, and grammar These strategies can be classified into three main branches: listening for specific details, recognizing cognates, and identifying word order patterns In addition, strategic listeners use metacognitive strategies to plan, monitor, and evaluate their listening performance Planning involves choosing which listening strategies will be most effective in a given situation; monitoring involves ongoing checks of comprehension and strategy effectiveness; and evaluation assesses whether the listening goals have been achieved and what adjustments might be needed for future listening tasks.

7 whether the combination of listening strategies selected was an effective one (Keatley&Kennedy:2004) cited in (Burkart:1998)

Richards (1987) identifies two complementary processes in listening comprehension: top-down processing, which relies on the listener’s schemata about the situation or topic to anticipate what will be said, reducing the need to decode every word; and bottom-up processing, which focuses on the actual sounds heard to identify meaning from the auditory input.

Storytelling

Storytelling is an ancient art and a fundamental form of human expression, functioning as a versatile vehicle for entertainment, education, and cultural preservation The term "storytelling" is used in many ways, which leads to a spectrum of definitions offered by linguists depending on context and emphasis Across these diverse perspectives, storytelling remains a powerful means of connecting people, sharing knowledge, and keeping cultural memories alive.

Storytelling, as defined by the National Storytelling Network, is the interactive art of using words and actions to reveal the elements and imagery of a story while inviting the listener’s imagination to come alive.

Berice Dudley (1997) defines storytelling as “the art in which a teller conveys a message, truths, information, knowledge, or wisdom to an audience – often subliminally – in an entertaining way, using whatever skills, (musical, artistic, creative) or props he chooses, to enhance the audience’s enjoyment, retention and understanding of the message conveyed Stories are sometimes told purely for joy and delight.”

Mc Drury and Alterio (2003) indicated that Storytelling is an effective technique to involve young students to actively participate in the process of learning a foreign language

Storytelling is also a great way to introduce new things for children because stories often provide familiar things to them and; therefore, they indeed love to listen to stories If there is a topic that is hard to explain to children we can start with a story This will help children to imagine the problem and understand the topic better

Maynard (2005) argues that storytelling is how people share their experiences, understand the experiences of others, liberate their imaginations, and make sense of the world and their place within it He adds that stories matter across personal life, politics, and education.

According to Barzaq (2009), Storytelling is a knowledge management technique, a way of distributing information, aimed at audiences and a sense of information She added that stories offer a natural connection between events and concepts

Even though there are various ways to define Storytelling from different authors, I prefer the simplicity in Dudley's definition Storytelling is truly conveying

9 a message to the audience using skills and make sure that the message passed across is understood

Barzaq (2009) considered storytelling as educational means because they are believable, memorable, and entertaining, and because they depend on humans and their experience that is considered as an authentic and credible source of knowledge According to Barzaq, Storytelling has following features:

- Storytelling is an interactive performance form that concentrates on interaction between the teacher and the learners as an essential element of storytelling

Storytelling is a co-creative teaching technique in which the teacher’s delivery shapes a shared learning experience By employing visual images, pictures, puppets, and technological tools, the teacher presents reading passages in engaging ways that illuminate meaning and support comprehension for learners This collaborative approach makes reading an active, interactive process where multimedia aids help learners connect with the text and build deeper understanding together.

Storytelling in the classroom serves multiple functions: it sparks learners' interest, smooths the flow of sessions, introduces new vocabulary, and makes material memorable It also helps overcome student resistance or anxiety and builds rapport between the instructor and learners, as well as among learners themselves, creating a more engaged and collaborative learning environment.

- Storytelling supports literacy development across the curriculum The technique improves concentration, reading skills, listening skills, and enriches spoken and written language

- Many teachers offer workshop sessions, which focus on storytelling and engage participants in creative activities which are linked to the reading passages

- Storytelling is a means for perceiving events, recognizing meaning and promoting language development in form of human communication

- Storytelling is an enjoyable tool for practicing reading comprehension sub- skills and facilitating meaning understanding

- Storytelling uses all kinds of language conventions to make the text vivid and memorable, so the learners learn instructions, warnings, questions and explanations

- Storytelling encourages the learners' imagination, a basis for hope and morality

Bausch (1994) identifies several traits of a good story: it provokes curiosity and compels repetition, so it grips listeners enough to want to hear it again and again Such storytelling unites people in a holistic relationship with nature, fostering a felt connection to the natural world and to the God of nature This connection cultivates a sense of holism among audiences, linking them to nature and to each other.

Stories are also help teach students about their culture and roots One may have common stories that evoke his or her identity to past generations and others' roots Besides, stories bind the listeners to the universal, human family One may be puzzled especially as believers to discover that other cultures have similar motifs These stories could have a binding effect and empower people to understand that they are all part of a universal family, regardless of color, race, or creed

Stories help their listeners to improve their memory Stories restore the original power of the word They evoke in the listeners the right-brain imagination and bring about a balance by calling the listeners to use the right side of the brain They also provide a basis for hope and morality

Storytelling in education, with its distinctive characteristics, stands as a promising method for teachers to develop students’ knowledge and skills throughout the learning process, especially in listening comprehension It also serves as an effective way to foster a positive attitude toward learning a new language and to enhance students’ motivation to engage with language tasks The researcher believes storytelling will heighten students’ interest in listening and sustain their curiosity and engagement more than before.

Storytelling benefits both teachers and students in the classroom by boosting expressive language development in both oral and written forms Isbell (2002) reports that storytelling introduces new vocabulary and complex language in a powerful way that motivates children to imitate the model they have experienced Ellis and Brewster (2002) add that storytelling also improves listening skills and helps students organize their narrative thoughts, contributing to stronger comprehension and communication in educational settings.

Barzaq (2009) also indicated that there are some benefits of Storytelling technique in teaching as sparking students’ imagination and interest in learning

Storytelling strengthens language skills, builds vocabulary, enhances comprehension, improves story sequencing, and develops listening abilities Barzaq notes that storytelling is a powerful way for teachers to explore students’ background experiences She outlines several benefits of this approach: it helps students develop verbal skills that support resolving interpersonal problems and other competencies; telling or listening to stories stimulates imagination, encourages thinking of new ideas, and boosts self‑confidence; and it teaches students how to behave in real‑world situations by learning from others’ experiences and wisdom.

Teaching listening comprehension using Storytelling technique

There are different ideas about how to tell a story According to Brewster, there are some recommended storytelling techniques The researcher suggested that

To help students who are unfamiliar with storytelling, begin with short sessions that do not tax their concentration or overextend them Teachers should read slowly and clearly, giving students time to relate what they hear to what they see in the pictures, to think, ask questions, and comment Other practical advice for teachers in telling stories includes using simple language, keeping a steady pace, linking narration to visuals, checking comprehension, and inviting student participation and discussion.

- Make comments about the illustrations and point to them to focus the students’ attention

- Encourage students to take part in the storytelling by repeating key vocabulary items and phrases

- Use gestures, mime, facial gestures to help convey the meaning

- Vary the pace, volume and your voice

- Pause where appropriate to add dramatic effect or to give children time to relate what they hear to what they see, and to assimilate details to the illustration

- Disguise your voice for the different characters as much as you can to signal when different characters are speaking and help convey meaning

- Ask questions to involve children The questions can be the characters of the story or their attitudes in the story

Don't be afraid to repeat, expand, and rephrase ideas when teaching language Repetition and elaboration increase exposure to the language and give children a second chance to grasp the meaning and have it confirmed.

- In the end of the storytelling, teachers must stimulate the children to the message or moral values in the story (Brewster et al., 1992)

Whaley (2002) had several ideas for storytelling as follows:

Round-robin storytelling, or sentence stories, is a kid-friendly activity that boosts imagination and language skills Choose topics familiar to young children—animal stories and short fables work especially well—to capture their attention Start the story with a simple, engaging setup, then invite kids to decide what happens next by predicting the next event or line of dialogue This collaborative format encourages listening, critical thinking, and expressive speaking as each child contributes a piece of the story By focusing on familiar themes and clear prompts, parents and teachers can create a fun, educational storytelling experience that supports early literacy and confidence.

- Theme stories Have children choose the theme for the story (e.g, a story about monkeys) and then proceed to create your own story as a teacher focusing on the identified theme

- Descriptive stories Once children have gained confidence in RoundRobin storytelling, help them expand their language through the use of more descriptive words to tell their stories

Picture stories for kids use photographs or magazine pictures as a starting point for creative storytelling By describing what they see and imagining what might be happening, children let their narratives unfold, building writing fluency and storytelling confidence through visual prompts.

Grab bag stories involve preparing a bag filled with familiar objects and inviting children to choose one item Each child uses the object as a prompt to tell their own story or to contribute to a group story that is already in progress, fostering creativity and collaborative storytelling (Henniger, 2002) This simple, tactile activity supports language development, imagination, and oral narrative skills as children build on each other's ideas.

Consider Storytelling techniques that affect people, experts recommended this technique by the following:

- First, to provide some intentional stories at homes, schools, and education centers to create the habit of reading useful stories

- Second, read a variety of real stories to your babies before bedtime to help them understand whatever is happening around them

- Last but not at least, to encourage students to write their own stories and to review them

According the researcher, to create a memorable story in the class, teacher should consider the following:

- Choosing stories: find stories that match students' age and their language level The stories with a simple structure and positive attitude

- Before telling the stories, study the story’s background and try to test your selection

- Designing activities for students including pre and post story telling

Teaching vocabulary is essential because a strong vocabulary helps children understand what happens in a story and follow its plot This understanding motivates students to stay engaged and listen all the way to the end.

- Using voice modulation and dramatize

- Telling your stories with gestures, body language and movement

- Making eye contact with each of your students to emphasize what is important

- Using pictures, flash cards, real things to tell the stories

Storytelling provides valuable input for students' language learning in the classroom, helping them build vocabulary, improve listening and speaking skills, and develop language comprehension To maximize impact, teachers should carefully select stories that match learners' interests and proficiency levels and employ a range of storytelling techniques—such as oral retelling, dramatization, dialogic reading, and multimedia storytelling—to actively engage students and support meaningful language use.

2.3.2 Storytelling in teaching and learning listening comprehension

Valenzuela (1999) highlights the significant role of stories in human life and education, arguing that narrative is how people understand themselves and their world In children's spontaneous play, the stories they tell reveal how they view social connections, who they hope to become, and how they expect others to behave Some authors choose to expand existing works, while others adapt stories by simplifying or reworking them to create new adventures for familiar characters or to introduce new characters into another writer’s world.

According to Garcon (2001), listening to a dramatic story can expand learners' imaginative and creative powers and evoke retelling, remembering, predicting, and memorizing, thereby developing their predictive skills Audiotape listening also provides listeners with moods, cues, and clues through music and sound effects, enriching engagement and comprehension.

Storytelling, as described by Harmer (2004), is a form of intensive or live listening that provides rich listening material for learners; while listening to a story, students can predict what will happen next and describe the characters or comment on various parts of the narrative.

According to Alsofi (2008), storytelling is a powerful and effective technique in language learning because it lets learners share and experience language-learning events in a more collaborative environment This approach enables listeners and learners to reconstruct shared meanings and ideas while integrating their feelings and existing knowledge.

Barzaq (2009) argues that stories serve several functions that can promote learning Foremost, stories create interest and engage learners, making content more accessible He advises article writers to frame discovery in a narrative form, because embedding exploration within a story enhances understanding and retention By presenting information as a story, readers are more likely to stay motivated, connect ideas, and grasp concepts, thereby increasing the educational impact of the material.

Suspense is created in storytelling through a carefully crafted chain of events that a writer uses to elicit interest and keep learners engaged with the details that follow As a result, learners become more interested in listening to stories and eager to discover what comes next.

Stories provide a structured framework for memorizing course material Learners often struggle to retain isolated concepts, but embedding difficult concepts and definitions within the flow of a story makes them easier to remember while listening This narrative approach links ideas into a coherent sequence, improving recall during both learning and assessment By turning complex content into a story, educators boost memory retention and enhance listening comprehension.

Stories are familiar and accessible forms of information sharing, and storytelling in education can help learners master and understand material Opening scientific tasks with a narrative provides concrete, real-world examples that illuminate key ideas, helping students grasp specific cases before moving on to the more challenging points and boosting engagement, retention, and conceptual understanding.

Previous studies

A number of studies have been done to investigate the roles of storytelling technique in teaching and learning language for students of all ages

Rebecca Isbell (2002) conducted a study to evaluate the benefits of storytelling versus reading stories for language development and comprehension in children aged three to five The results showed that both storytelling and reading supported language growth, but the group that heard the stories demonstrated greater comprehension, as reflected in their ability to retell the narratives The authors note that storytelling is an effective strategy for developing listening skills and keeping young learners engaged in language learning.

Sánchez (2013) stated that storytelling highly contributes to the development of listening and therefore also improves pupil’s concentration and comprehension skills This is due to the fact that while the teacher tells the story in the classroom, students have to pay attention and try to understand the meaning of different words, linguistic structures in order to comprehend the stories use

Another research about the effect of Storytelling on listening skills of primary pupil in Ibadan North Local Government Area of Oyo State, Nigeria was also done by Akintemi, Eileen Oluwakemi (2014) The findings revealed that there was a significant

16 effect of treatment on the listening skills of primary pupils Those exposed to storytelling with illustration had higher listening skills mean score than those exposed to storytelling without illustrations This supports the assertions that storytelling with illustration helps in the improvement of the listening skills of children

Gareth Davies (2018) conducted a small study where he told his students a story each week, sometimes at the start or end of a lesson with little or no activities, and other times building an entire lesson around the story; he occasionally discussed the story briefly and, in some sessions, used actions, pictures and sounds to convey meaning The students enjoyed the stories and produced notable work based on them, and by the end of the course they could list the stories they had learned and retell them to peers Davies concluded that storytelling has a place in language learning, especially for listening, because it provides enjoyable, understandable input that increases students' interest in the listening skill From Davies’s perspective, storytelling in teaching listening can be a beneficial technique to help students improve their listening skills.

Research on using storytelling to enhance listening skills in young English learners indicates potential benefits However, these studies often come with limitations in design and context While a number of studies have been conducted, the specific influence of storytelling on secondary students’ listening comprehension remains unclear.

To address a gap in the literature, this study examines the effectiveness of storytelling on the listening comprehension of sixth-grade students at PXLSS in Thai Nguyen City, aiming to determine whether integrating storytelling into classroom instruction enhances listening skills and to provide evidence that can inform teaching practices and curriculum design.

Summary

Evidence from the studies reviewed in this chapter shows that listening comprehension plays a crucial role in foreign language learning At the same time, learners face substantial difficulties in attaining effective listening comprehension The review highlights these challenges and suggests that improving listening skills requires targeted instruction, ample authentic listening practice, and strategies to manage cognitive load during listening tasks.

Storytelling is an effective technique for engaging students in learning a new language and improving listening comprehension, making it a valuable strategy in language instruction By capturing student attention and fostering active participation, storytelling supports the development of key listening and overall comprehension skills Earlier studies corroborate these findings, highlighting storytelling's role in enhancing students' language proficiency and listening abilities.

METHODOLOGY

Method of the study

This study was designed according to experimental research According to Nedha (2015), the term "experimental research" refers to research in which the researcher manipulates a variable to make a conclusion or else to present a result She also added that experimental research is a powerful design for testing the hypothesis of causal relationships among variables By using this method, the researcher controls the independent variable and monitors the effects of the dependent variable

Nunan (1992) categorized experimental research into three primary designs: pre-experimental, quasi-experimental, and true experimental In pre-experimental designs, only the experimental group receives the treatment, there is no separate control group, and pretest and posttest measures may be used to gather information Quasi-experimental designs collect data using pretest and posttest measures from both control and experimental groups and compare outcomes to infer the treatment's impact, but they lack random assignment to groups True experimental designs are the most rigorous, featuring random assignment of participants and pretest and posttest measures administered to both experimental and control groups to collect information.

Quasi-experimental design, the second type of experimental research, allows researchers to evaluate the effects of most independent variables under naturally occurring conditions It is a common approach in educational research, especially when random assignment of students to experimental and control groups is not feasible or desired This design offers a practical balance between experimental control and real-world relevance, enabling causal inferences in settings where true randomization cannot be implemented.

Because the experiment was conducted outside class hours, random assignment of subjects was not feasible Consequently, a quasi-experimental design was adopted to describe and demonstrate the effectiveness of storytelling techniques in enhancing sixth graders' listening comprehension at Phuc Xuan Lower Secondary School.

This study adopts a quasi-experimental, non-equivalent control group design, appropriate because it includes both a control group and an experimental group but lacks random assignment of participants Class rosters for the two sixth-grade classes, 6A and 6B, were determined by the school at the start of the year, so the researcher could not randomly select students for the treatment The intervention used a storytelling technique to teach listening comprehension to sixth graders The dependent variable was students' scores on listening tests, which served to measure the impact of the storytelling intervention.

Figure 3 1 Non-Randomized Control Group Design

During the study, the experimental group received the treatment in the afternoon outside regular class hours because morning sessions focused on textbook-based instruction, while the control group followed the standard teaching schedule with listening activities drawn from the textbooks For the experimental condition, a panel of teachers who teach students of the same age selected the stories, choosing them from validated sources such as official websites of established educational organizations and from stories published in books.

Twenty stories published by reliable publishing houses were evaluated When evaluating a story, they based their decision on the proficiency level indicated by the publishers They also read the stories in advance and discussed whether each one was appropriate and likely to engage sixth graders before deciding which stories to use.

The study setting

The study was carried out at PXLSS in Thai Nguyen City This is a small school in the west of the city with 12 classes and 26 teachers

Students at PXLSS largely come from Phuc Xuan Commune, Thai Nguyen City Despite three years of primary school English, their proficiency varies, with many learners strong in grammar but weak in listening They can complete grammar exercises quickly yet struggle to understand recordings, and they often feel unconfident when listening to foreigners speaking.

Participants

This study involved 60 sixth-grade students from PXLSS in the second term of the 2019-2020 school year, drawn from two classes, 6A and 6B The experimental group (EG) consisted of 30 students in class 6A, while the control group (CG) consisted of 30 students in class 6B All participants were twelve years old.

From the end-of-first-semester exam results, the researcher found that students were at comparable proficiency levels, as their average scores differed only slightly This indicates that overall performance across the cohort was relatively uniform.

Data collection instruments

This study seeks to determine how effectively a given technique improves students' listening comprehension and to explore their attitudes toward learning under its influence To this end, pre-tests and post-tests, together with questionnaires, were used to collect both qualitative and quantitative data.

Tests are among the most common research instruments, and opinions on what a test is vary Hughes (2003) describes a test as a tool for measuring a student's language proficiency, while Brown (2004) states that a test is a measure of a person's ability or performance in a given area.

Tests provide objective information about participants' knowledge and skills and enable easy comparison and analysis across respondents in a survey Therefore, this study uses tests as the primary data collection instrument to ensure reliable measurement and straightforward interpretation of the results.

To quantify differences in listening comprehension scores, the study administered a pre-test to both the experimental group, which learned with a storytelling technique, and the control group before the intervention, establishing the initial level of listening comprehension and enabling a comparison with post-test results After the intervention, a post-test was administered to students in both groups to measure the influence of using storytelling on listening comprehension and to compare the gains between the experimental and control groups.

Test questions were designed to assess students' understanding and retention of vocabulary, as well as their ability to listen for detailed information in the stories they heard Given that Grade 6 students typically have varying proficiency levels, the questions focused on detail rather than listening for gist or making inferences, which could be too challenging and not suitable for them.

The 30-minute test had four different parts The task types included listening and writing the words they heard, deciding the True/False value of the given statements, choosing the best answers for the given questions and filling in the gaps Each part had five questions and the total number of questions in each test was 20

To improve the reliability of the tests as well as ensure the consistency of the difficulty level, stories for the tests were chosen from the resources for the same proficiency level The first drafts of the two tests were cross-reviewed twice by some

22 teachers at the same school who were in charge of teaching students at the same age Based on the teachers’ suggestions for amendment, the tests were then edited to have the final version for use

Questionnaires are among the most widely used tools for collecting mass information from study participants because of their convenience Nunan (1992) notes that questionnaires enable researchers to obtain information from large groups of subjects in a short time, facilitating efficient data collection Additionally, the data gathered through questionnaires are easy to summarize and report, supporting quick analysis and clear presentation of findings.

This study collected qualitative data via questionnaires, using a pre-questionnaire and a post-questionnaire to assess students’ attitudes toward learning listening comprehension before and after applying the storytelling technique The questionnaires were distributed exclusively to the experimental group that received the storytelling treatment To ensure comprehension, the researcher translated all questions and response options into Vietnamese prior to distribution.

The pre-questionnaire consisted of four questions: the first assessed students' views on the importance of listening comprehension in language learning; the second evaluated their interest in listening comprehension lessons at school; the third gathered students' self-evaluations of their attention during listening lessons; and the fourth inspected the problems students face when learning listening (see Appendix 1).

The post- questionnaire had five items The first question was to investigate students’ opinions on the level of interest in listening lessons The second one was to find out their level of attention after storytelling was used in their classroom The information from the first and second questions were then compared to their answers for the two similar questions in the pre-questionnaire to look for a change of attitudes (if any) after the research period The third question investigated students’ evaluation of the effectiveness of storytelling integrated in teaching listening The final question

23 was to know whether students would like to continue using storytelling for teaching listening (See Appendix 2)

Data collection procedure

Before Storytelling was applied, the researcher assigned one class as the control group and the other as the experimental group and conducted a pre-test with both groups A pre-questionnaire was then administered to students in the experimental group to assess their attitudes toward the listening comprehension lesson under normal teaching conditions.

In the second stage, the researcher used the Storytelling technique with the

With the help of a researcher, the teacher prepared eight distinct stories to be told over eight weeks to sixth graders The stories were chosen based on criteria such as difficulty level, the quantity and complexity of words used, and the attractiveness of the topics to students An activity sheet for each story was prepared in advance, focusing on testing the vocabulary learned and the ability to listen for details The teacher delivered the stories using pictures, PowerPoint slides, videos, and realia to engage students After listening, students completed the corresponding activity worksheets The control group continued learning under normal conditions without any special treatment.

At the end of the eight-week study, a post-test was administered to both the experimental group (EG) and the control group (CG) to compare their listening performance and assess the effectiveness of the storytelling technique in teaching listening After the test, the EG completed a post-questionnaire to explore differences in attitudes toward using storytelling in listening instruction.

- Ss (students) do the survey (Pre- questionnaire)

- Ss do the first listening test (Pre-test)

2 30 mins - Handouts, tapes, real things, PowerPoint, pictures, flash cards,

- T tells the story called A Midsummer

- Ss listen and do the activities

3 30 mins - Handouts, tapes, real things, PowerPoint, pictures, flash cards,

- T tells the story called Angel! Look out!

- Ss listen and do the activities

4 30 mins - Handouts, tapes, real things, PowerPoint, pictures, flash cards,

- T tells the story called Elizabeth I

- Ss listen and do the activities

5 30 mins - Handouts, tapes, real things, PowerPoint, pictures, flash cards,

- T tells the story called George and the dragon

- Ss listen and do the activities

6 30 mins - Handouts, tapes, real things, PowerPoint, pictures, flash cards,

- T tells the story called Why Anansi has thin legs!

- Ss listen and do the activities

7 30 mins - Handouts, tapes, real things, PowerPoint, pictures, flash cards,

- T tells the story called The sneaky rabbit

- Ss listen and do the activities

8 30 mins - Handouts, tapes, real things, PowerPoint, pictures, flash cards,

- T tells the story called Eric the engine

- Ss listen and do the activities

9 30 mins - Handouts, tapes, real things, PowerPoint, pictures, flash cards,

- T tells the story called Twins’ week

- Ss listen and do the activities

- Ss do the survey (Post-Questionnaire)

- Ss do the Post-test.

Data analysis

Data from tests and questionnaires were collected, organized in Microsoft Excel, and presented through charts and tables The quantitative data, comprising pre-test and post-test results for both groups, were synthesized, with average scores and score gains calculated The results for the two groups were then compared to determine any significant difference in test performance, which might indicate the effect of the storytelling technique on improving students' listening skills.

Qualitative data from the questionnaires were first summarized in a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet and then analyzed quantitatively Specifically, the frequency of similar responses for each item was counted, transformed into percentage data, and presented with charts and tables to clearly illustrate the statistics In addition, students' self-evaluations of their level of interest in listening and their attention during listening lessons, recorded both before and after the storytelling intervention, were compared to assess whether storytelling influenced students' attitudes toward listening.

Based on the findings from the test results and questionnaires, the researcher compared the new data with findings from previous studies to identify similarities and differences, and then discussed how the current results align with or diverge from the existing literature to draw clear conclusions from the integrated evidence.

Summary

This chapter has described in detail the method and the setting of the study The participants, data collection instruments, data collection procedure, and data analysis method used in this study was also given Data analysis is presented and discussed in the next chapter

FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION

Pretest and post-tests results

The results of the pre and post listening comprehension tests are illustrated in the following chart and specifically presented in the table below it

Figure 4 1 Pre-test and post-test average score results

The chart shows that both groups began with a comparable level of proficiency in the pre-test, indicating a similar baseline In the post-test, both groups demonstrated improved performance However, the difference in gains between the groups was not statistically significant, suggesting that the experimental period affected both groups similarly.

Pre-test and post-test average score results

In this analysis, the experimental group (EG) exhibited a more significant score gain than the control group (CG) The magnitude of the difference in gains between the two groups is summarized in the tables below.

Table 4 1 Minimum and maximum scores of the pre-test and posttest

Group Test Minimum score Maximum score

The table presents the minimum and maximum listening scores for students The data indicate that both groups—those receiving treatment and those not—improved over time after the listening instruction Nevertheless, the experimental group (EG) attained higher results than the control group (CG).

During the pre-test, there were no significant differences between the experimental group (EG) and the control group (CG) in minimum and maximum scores: the lowest scores were 4.5 (EG) and 5.0 (CG), while the maximum scores were 8.0 for both groups For the post-test, the EG showed higher minimum and maximum scores than the CG, with the EG ranging from 6.5 to 9.0 and the CG from 5.5 to 8.5 Information about the average scores and average score gains is presented in the following table.

Table 4 2 Pretest and posttest’s average score report

Group Test Number of students

The results show a minimal baseline difference, with a pre-test mean of 6.4 for the experimental group and 6.5 for the control group After the storytelling intervention, the experimental group’s post-test mean rose to 7.5, while the control group reached 6.9, indicating a more pronounced improvement for the experimental group The score gains were 1.1 for the experimental group and 0.4 for the control group, suggesting that intensive storytelling positively influenced students’ listening skill development Detailed scores are provided in appendices 6 and 7.

Findings from the questionnaires with the experimental group

4.2.1 Findings from the pre-intervention questionnaires

Students’ attitudes towards the importance of listening comprehension in acquiring a language

The investigation of students’ attitudes towards listening comprehension before applying Storytelling was documented in students’ pre-questionnaire The information gathered is presented and analyzed as follows

Students’ opinion on the importance of listening in language acquisition

In response to the first question about the role of listening comprehension, the study found that although responses varied slightly, the majority of students surveyed agreed that listening comprehension plays a crucial role in language acquisition.

Figure 4 2 Students' opinion on the importance of listening in language acquisition

According to the chart, 97% of students perceived listening as important or very important for language acquisition Only 3% held a different view, considering listening to be only slightly important, and none regarded it as having no importance These findings show that virtually all students recognize the essential role of listening in teaching and learning a new language.

Question two asked about students' interest in learning listening comprehension at school A significant number of students admitted that they lacked interest in listening lessons The chart below presents the statistical details, illustrating the distribution of interest levels among students and highlighting the low engagement with listening activities.

Figure 4 3 Students’ interest in listening lessons

Students' opinion on the importance of listening in language acquisition (%) very important important slightly important not important

Students' interest in listening lessons (%) very interested interested slightly interested not interested

A chart of students' attitudes toward listening lessons shows that more than 60% find them only slightly interesting or not interesting at all Specifically, 37% say listening lessons are slightly interesting, while 27% are not interested In contrast, only 15% view them as very interesting and 22% as interesting.

Students’ lack of interest in listening emerged as a potential factor influencing their participation in listening lessons The pre-intervention questionnaire addressed this by asking Question 3 to measure students’ level of attention during listening tasks, and the responses are shown in the chart below These results underscore the link between attention and engagement in listening lessons, suggesting that boosting interest and focus could improve participation.

Figure 4 4 Students’ attention during listening lessons

According to the figures in the chart, the number of students who admitted that they were very attentive during listening lessons accounted for only 13%, which is the smallest proportion of the chart In contrast, the figure for those who acknowledged that they were not attentive was a little higher, at 20% The most significant figure was for students who were only slightly attentive, which accounted for 43% of the students surveyed The difficulties that students encountered in listening could explain this fact Statistics are presented in the following table

Students' attention during listening lessons (%) very attentive attentive slightlyattentive not attentive

Table 4 3 Students' difficulties in listening

Students' difficulties in listening Number of students %

I find it hard to understand what I listen to without looking at the tapescripts 19 63

I often don’t recognize the words I have learnt when listening 20 67

I often don’t understand the details of the texts I listen to 22 73

I often find it hard to focus when listening 18 60

I don’t know how to catch the key words while listening 23 77

Some words are new to me 16 53

I often feel stressed when listening 15 50

The table shows that students faced several listening difficulties, with the biggest challenges being catching key words (77%) and understanding the details of the listening texts (73%), while recognizing words they had learned previously also posed problems Staying focused during listening activities affected 60% of students, and about 63% reported relying on transcripts to understand the listening texts Roughly half of the students attributed their difficulties to new vocabulary and stress Overall, the data suggest that a lack of interest, insufficient practice, and limited listening skills are the main factors behind these challenges, indicating a need for targeted interventions to help students improve their listening abilities.

4.2.2 Findings from the post-intervention questionnaires

To assess the impact of the storytelling technique in listening lessons, a post-intervention questionnaire was designed to capture students’ attitudes toward its use The instrument also aims to identify the benefits students reported from applying the storytelling technique in the classroom Analyzing the responses helps determine how favorable attitudes relate to perceived gains in listening practice and classroom engagement These findings support storytelling as a viable instructional approach for listening lessons and offer practical guidance for integrating the technique into language curricula.

The chart below shows students’ attitudes towards learning listening through Storytelling technique

Figure 4 5 Students' interest in listening lessons through Storytelling

Post-treatment, students' attitudes toward learning listening were predominantly positive Learning listening through storytelling led 40% of students to rate it as very interesting and 34% as interesting, corresponding to increases of 25 and 12 percentage points, respectively, from pre-treatment levels (15% very interesting; 22% interesting) By contrast, 26% of students found listening with storytelling not interesting (3%) or only slightly interesting (23%), a marked decrease from 64% who held those views before the treatment.

Regarding students’ level of attention in the listening lesson, the following bar charts visualized the change of students’ opinions towards learning listening before and after the use of Storytelling

Students' interest in listening lessons through storytelling(%) very interested interested slightly interested not interested

Figure 4 6 Students’ attention during listening lessons before and after the use of Storytelling technique

The chart above compared the level of attention that students in the experimental group paid to the listening lessons before and after the treatment period

The data show a clear shift in attitudes toward listening lessons when storytelling is used When the storytelling technique was applied, students were significantly more attentive during listening tasks The shares of students who were very attentive and attentive rose from 23% and 20% before the intervention to 50% and 33% after storytelling Conversely, the proportions paying slight or no attention dropped from 43% to 7% and 13% to 3%, respectively These results indicate that storytelling is a compelling technique that boosts students’ interest and engagement in listening activities.

An evaluation of storytelling as a method to improve listening comprehension showed that 22 of 30 students (73%) found storytelling to have a positive impact on their listening skills, and all students (100%) would like their teacher to continue teaching listening through storytelling Students also described the benefits they gained from this approach, with their opinions summarized in the following table.

60 very attentive attentive slightly attentive not attentive

Students' attention during listening lessons before and after the use of Storytelling (%) before storytelling after storytelling

Table 4 4 Students’ opinions about the benefits of learning listening through

Benefits of learning listening through Storytelling

It’s easier for me to remember the words learnt from stories 21 70

I remember the meaning of the words learnt from stories for a longer time 17 56

I know how to catch the key words while listening 19 63

I am more familiar with the pronunciation of the words learnt 22 73

I can understand the details in the stories I listen to 18 60

I often predict what happens next when listening to a story 14 46

Listening to stories can be a form of entertainment for me 18 60

I feel more interested in learning listening 19 63

Consistent with prior studies, this research shows that the storytelling technique enhances listening learning by delivering multiple benefits More than 70% of students reported that storytelling improved their familiarity with the pronunciation of the words they learned and helped them remember the meanings of new words more easily The technique also boosted listening skills by helping learners catch key words (63%), stay focused (66%), and understand the details of stories more readily (60%) Additionally, storytelling enhanced vocabulary retention, with 56% of participants noting they remembered the learned words for a longer period.

Storytelling enhances listening skills by developing the ability to predict, as students actively imagine and anticipate events while listening to a story This engagement strengthens listening subskills and boosts learner motivation; in fact, 63% of students reported that storytelling made them more interested in learning to listen.

Discussion

Data presentation and analysis show that storytelling has a positive impact on students' listening comprehension and transforms their attitudes toward learning listening skills The findings address the two research questions, with the discussion outlining how storytelling enhances listening abilities and promotes more positive motivation and engagement in listening activities.

Question 1 To what extent is Storytelling effective in enhancing the sixth graders’ listening comprehension at Phuc Xuan Lower Secondary School?

Comparing pre-test and post-test scores, both groups showed improvements, but after the storytelling intervention, the experimental group achieved significantly higher post-test results than the control group that received no treatment This suggests that storytelling positively affects students’ listening comprehension These findings align with prior research by Hemmati, Gholamrezapour, and Hessamy (2015), Sánchez (2013), and Oluwakemi (2014).

Storytelling as a listening instruction technique for grade 6 students supports stronger listening skills through repeated exposure to narratives Mallan (1992) argues that listening to a story helps students learn how to listen itself, not just the content Ongoing storytelling practice makes learners more familiar with pronunciation features—individual word pronunciation, word and sentence stress, intonation, linking, and ellipsis—building their listening accuracy over time Consequently, students tend to focus on content words to infer sentence meaning rather than trying to hear every word, which enhances overall comprehension.

Stories, as literacy texts, illustrate particular language patterns and structures, including targeted vocabulary (Alsofi, 2008) Consequently, storytelling serves as a valuable tool for helping students learn vocabulary and develop their overall language proficiency By integrating narratives into instruction, educators provide meaningful context for new words, support reading comprehension, and create abundant opportunities to practice vocabulary across listening, speaking, reading, and writing.

36 structures, the elements that play important roles in conveying meanings Once knowing words and structures, it is easier for students to understand a listening text

Storytelling, which relies less on printed pages, enables speakers to use gestures and movement while focusing on the listener, helping students pay closer attention and stay more focused on the storyline This heightened attention makes storytelling a powerful tool for student engagement and learning, a finding noted by Hemmati, Gholamrezapour and Hessamy (2015) Attentive studying is a key factor in ensuring learning effectiveness.

Listening to stories activates a broad range of cognitive processes that help learners interpret and make sense of narratives Stories expose learners to new language elements—vocabulary, pronunciation, grammar, and meaningful utterances—enhancing listening comprehension Storytelling also strengthens sequential thinking, raises awareness of story structure, and improves recall and understanding As a result, students in the experimental group found it easier to parse details in the listening text, grasp the stories’ meanings, and retain vocabulary, which contributed to higher posttest scores.

Question 2 What are the students’ attitudes towards the use of Storytelling technique in teaching listening comprehension?

Questionnaire results indicate a change in students' attitudes toward learning listening after implementing storytelling Before introducing storytelling, most students in the experimental group showed little interest in listening instruction The post-questionnaire data reveal that many students found listening more engaging, which led to greater attentiveness in listening lessons This positive shift in attitude may be explained by the engaging and motivating nature of storytelling.

Being young learners, they hold the typical characteristic of students at their age as being willing to seek out and engage in imaginative experiences (Moylett,

2014) As stories engage students’ thinking, emotions and imaginations (Green and

Brock, 2000), storytelling has the potentials to attract students and satisfy their curiosity and exploration need

When students listen to a story, they follow each line to see what happens to the characters, and their anticipation of the next events and the ending keeps them focused This engagement enhances listening comprehension by helping them understand and retain spoken language Consequently, storytelling acts as a powerful motivational tool that encourages learners to listen more attentively and improve their overall listening skills.

Storytelling appears to enhance students’ attitudes toward listening by providing clear benefits beyond traditional methods It makes listening practice more enjoyable, and with sustained attentive exposure, it helps learners acquire vocabulary, improve pronunciation, and master language structures while engaging with interesting content Listening through storytelling thus becomes not only a method for developing listening skills but also a form of entertainment, and a large majority of students in the experimental group expressed a desire to continue learning listening through this technique.

CONCLUSION

Summary of the study

This study investigates the impacts of the storytelling technique on Grade 6 students' listening comprehension and examines their attitudes toward using storytelling in listening lessons It aims to determine whether incorporating storytelling into listening activities enhances students' ability to understand spoken language and how learners perceive and engage with storytelling as part of their language learning By analyzing both performance outcomes and learner attitudes, the research offers insights for educators seeking effective strategies to improve listening skills in upper elementary grades through storytelling.

This quasi-experimental study involved 60 students from two classes, with 30 students in the control group and 30 in the experimental group Data were collected using two instruments: pretests and posttests for both groups, and a pre/post questionnaire administered to the experimental group The pretest and posttest shared the same format to enable direct comparison of scores between the control and experimental groups before and after the intervention The researchers aimed to detect any significant differences in test results between the groups, which would indicate the impact of storytelling on the improvement of listening ability.

Pre- and post-questionnaires were administered specifically to the experimental group to capture changes in attitudes toward listening and to assess perceptions of the storytelling technique's impact on listening lessons The pre-questionnaire, administered before integrating storytelling into listening instruction, examined students' views on the importance of listening, their interest and attention, and the difficulties encountered when learning this language skill Following the study period, the post-questionnaire collected students' opinions on their level of interest and attention in listening lessons featuring storytelling and the benefits they perceived from this storytelling approach.

Findings from the data indicate that storytelling is effective in improving students' listening comprehension overall It particularly supports vocabulary acquisition and pronunciation, enhances the ability to listen for specific details, and provides practice across diverse listening skills.

39 understand the meaning of stories After the research period, students in the experimental groups found that the use of Storytelling technique made learning listening more interesting to them They also received a number of other benefits associated with the use of the technique in listening lessons.

Implications

Based on the findings in the previous chapter about the effectiveness of storytelling on enhancing students’ listening comprehension, it can be concluded that storytelling could be a useful method to be integrated in teaching listening This section would provide some suggestions and recommendations for the use of storytelling to teach listening in language classroom

Many students are not yet familiar with using storytelling to improve listening, so teachers should clearly explain the benefits of storytelling in listening instruction to boost motivation They should provide clear, actionable instructions so students know exactly what is expected when learning listening through storytelling, helping them get the most benefit from the activity.

At the start of the learning period, students may experience stress when they don’t understand stories or feel overwhelmed by long listening passages Researchers advise teachers to carefully select stories that match students’ level, using simple and appropriate language, engaging plots, and clear messages Such stories are more attractive and less challenging, supporting better listening comprehension and increased motivation for early learners.

To foster engaged listening, activities for students should be designed to maximize their participation Storytelling becomes more compelling when supported by visual aids such as picture illustrations, videos, and realia Using these tools during storytelling helps capture students' interest and keeps them attentive listeners, turning listening practice into a more immersive learning experience.

New vocabulary can pose a significant challenge for students, and an abundance of unfamiliar words in a story can hinder listening comprehension and demotivate learners Therefore, teachers should provide adequate support, such as a glossary for each story or other effective scaffolds, so students can understand the text and stay engaged.

40 pre-teach the new difficult vocabulary for students to facilitate interpretation of the message

Beyond teacher-led storytelling, digital storytelling offers a multimedia approach that helps students visualize the content and hear the narrative, making stories more engaging and delivering a richer learning experience The combination of visuals and sound brings stories to life and supports diverse learning styles, boosting comprehension and retention More importantly, digital storytelling enables learners to continue exploring topics after class hours, reducing dependence on teachers and promoting independent, self-paced study.

Limitations of the study

This study evaluates the effectiveness of storytelling in enhancing the listening comprehension of sixth graders at PXLSS in Thai Nguyen City It focuses on storytelling as a pedagogical approach to improve learners' listening skills and classroom engagement Although the researcher has made considerable efforts to conduct this thesis, several limitations exist that may influence the interpretation and generalizability of the results.

Limitations tempered the study's conclusions: time constraints and an inconvenient academic schedule reduced the opportunity to use storytelling to its full lesson content; the study's sample was small, with only 30 students per group, limiting generalizability; the researcher did not pilot the pre- and post-tests prior to use, which may threaten the validity of the assessments; and the investigation examined only the effectiveness of storytelling in enhancing listening comprehension, without evaluating potential impacts on other language skills.

Suggestions for further study

Based on the limitations of the study, several recommendations for future research can maximize the benefits of storytelling for teaching English at PXLSS First, the effectiveness of storytelling on improving listening comprehension could be more clearly demonstrated with a larger sample size, so future studies should involve more students to produce more robust data Second, more detailed tasks and accompanying assessments should be designed to investigate how storytelling influences the development of different listening subskills, enabling researchers to delineate the extent of its impact on listening proficiency.

Section 41 facilitates the development of listening ability Moreover, tests should be piloted in advance to increase the reliability of the results and their interpretation.

Future research should explore the effects of storytelling on students' development of language skills such as speaking, reading, and writing This work can identify which storytelling approaches best support these skills and reveal practical ways to integrate storytelling into language instruction Additionally, researchers may adopt alternative designs, such as action research, to investigate the impact of storytelling in the language classroom and to refine procedures that maximize the technique's effectiveness.

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This survey aims to collect information for a study on the effectiveness of storytelling in enhancing sixth graders' listening comprehension at Phuc Xuan Lower Secondary School Your participation in completing the items is greatly appreciated Please be assured that this research is conducted for scholarly purposes only and that your identity will remain confidential in any discussion of the data.

1 What do think about the role of listening comprehension in acquiring a language?

2 Are you interested in listening comprehension lessons at school?

3 How attentive are you in the listening comprehension lessons?

4 What are your difficulties in learning listening? (Tick all that are true for you.)

A I find it hard to understand what I listen to without looking at the tapescripts

B I often don’t recognize the words I have learnt when listening

C I often don’t understand the details of the texts I listen to

D I often find it hard to focus when listening

E I don’t know how to catch the key words while listening

F I often feel stressed when listening

Thank you for your cooperation!!

This survey collects information for a research study titled 'The Effectiveness of Storytelling in Enhancing Sixth Graders’ Listening Comprehension at Phuc Xuan Lower Secondary School.' Your participation in completing the following items is greatly appreciated This study is for research purposes only, and your responses will remain anonymous and confidential in any discussion or reporting of the data.

1 How interesting do you think storytelling is?

2 How attentive are you when learning listening through Storytelling?

3 Do you think the use of storytelling is effective in improving your listening comprehension ability?

4 In your opinion, what are the benefits of learning listening through Storytelling? (Tick all that are true for you.)

□ It’s easier for me to remember the words learnt from stories

□ I remember the meaning of the words learnt from stories for a longer time

□ I know how to catch the key words while listening

□ I am more familiar with the pronunciation of the words learnt

□ I can understand the details in the stories I listen to

□ I often predict what happens next when listening to a story

□ Listening to stories can be a form of entertainment for me

□ I feel more interested in listening

5 Would you like your teacher to continue using storytelling technique in your class?

Thank you for your cooperation!

APPENDIX 3: PRE-TEST FOR STUDENTS Full name:

ENGLISH LISTENING TEST Time: 30 minutes

Question 1: Listen and write the word under the picture

II- LISTEN FOR SPECIFIC INFORMATION

Question 2: Listen again then tick true (T) or false (F)

1 Mummy Duck had four little eggs and one big egg

2 She thought the ugly duckling was strange

3 His brothers and sisters wanted to play with him

5 The pig, goat, cow and horse didn’t want to play with him

Question 3: Listen again and choose the best answer:

1 It started to get ……… so he lived in an empty barn a cold b warm c hot

2 He went back to the ……… a river b lake c pond

3 was very……… a thirsty b hurry c hungry

4 He was a beautiful, ……… duck a blue b white c black

5 He ………… away with his new friend a flew b ran c went

Question 4: Listen to the story again and fill the gaps

Mummy Duck lived on a pond In her nest, she had five little eggs and one big egg Five pretty, yellow baby ducklings came out of the little eggs Then one big, ugly duckling came out of the big egg No one wanted to be his friend It started to snow but then spring came He saw a beautiful white swan in the water He met another swan and they became friends forever.

The tape script: The ugly duckling

Mummy Duck lived on a farm, and in her nest there were five little eggs and one big egg One day, the five little eggs began to crack—tap, tap, tap—and five pretty yellow baby ducklings emerged.

Then the big egg started to crack Bang, bang, bang! One big, ugly duckling came out ‘That’s strange,’ thought Mummy Duck

Nobody wanted to play with him ‘Go away,’ said his brothers and sisters

The ugly duckling was sad So he went to find some new friends

‘Go away!’ said the pig ‘Go away!’ said the sheep ‘Go away!’ said the cow

‘Go away!’ said the horse

Nobody wanted to be his friend, and as winter grew colder and the snow began to fall, the ugly duckling found an empty barn to shelter in, feeling cold, sad, and alone When spring arrived, he left the barn and returned to the pond.

He was very thirsty and put his beak into the water He saw a beautiful, white bird!

‘Wow!’ he said ‘Who’s that?’

‘It’s you,’ said another beautiful, white bird

‘Me? But I’m an ugly duckling.’

‘Not any more You’re a beautiful swan, like me Do you want to be my friend?’

All the other animals watched as the two swans flew away, friends forever

APPENDIX 4: POST-TEST FOR STUDENTS Full name:

ENGLISH LISTENING TEST Time: 30 minutes

Question 1: Listen and write the word under the picture

Question 2: Listen again then tick true (T) or false (F)

1 The other servants were very mean to Dick, so Dick decided to run away

2 The businessman took the dog on his ship to catch rats

3 Dick decided to travel to Liverpool and become a rich man

4 A church bell seemed to say, ‘Turn back, Dick Whittington, Mayor of

5 Dick started a very successful business of his own

Question 3: Listen again and choose the best answer:

1 When Dick arrived in London there were no streets of …… silver / gold / money

2 Dick worked very hard and was ……… sad / rich / happy

3 At night, rats ran around the ……… and kept him awake kitchen / bedroom / castle

4 Dick found the fastest rat-catching ……… in London mouse / dog / cat

5 Dick was very ……… to see the cat go sad / happy / excited

Question 4: Listen to the story again and fill the gaps

Dick Whittington traveled to London with dreams of becoming rich A wealthy businessman offered him a job cleaning his house, and Dick’s cat proved invaluable by catching the rats that prowled the place Impressed, the businessman allowed the cat to accompany him on his rounds to keep the rats under control The other servants were cruel to Dick, so he decided to run away A church bell seemed to cry out, “Turn back, Dick Whittington, Mayor of London,” a prophecy foreshadowing his future rise to power in the city.

London!’ The businessman gave Dick a reward and promoted him to his assistant Dick started a very (5) ……… business of his own

The tape script: Dick Whittington

Dick Whittington was a poor orphan boy from a village where locals believed the streets of London were paved with gold Inspired by that legend, he decided to travel to London to seek his fortune and become a rich man This move set the stage for the famous tale of Dick Whittington and his quest for a better life.

Dick walked for many days, but when he arrived in London there were no streets of gold! Tired and hungry, he fell asleep on the steps of a great house

The house belonged to a wealthy businessman who hired Dick to clean the kitchen Dick worked very hard, felt happy with his new job, had enough to eat, and could sleep by the fire at night But there was a problem: rats roamed in the kitchen at night and kept him awake.

Dick travels to London to find the fastest rat-catching cat, and he discovers a feline famed for speed The cat catches every rat that enters the house, keeping the London home free of pests With the rats eliminated, Dick can sleep soundly at night This simple pest-control solution shows how a skilled cat can restore peace to a busy household in London.

The businessman heard about the amazing cat and asked Dick if he could take it on his ship to catch rats on his next journey Dick agreed, but was very sad to see the cat go

While the businessman was away, the other servants were very mean to Dick, so Dick decided to run away But as he was leaving, one of the great church bells rang It seemed to say, ‘Turn back, Dick Whittington, Mayor of London!’

Dick returned home just as the businessman arrived, thrilled that Dick’s cat had caught all the rats aboard the ship The businessman rewarded Dick and promoted him to his assistant.