The benefits of storytelling for vocabulary acquisition and motivation among 5th grade EFL students in La Florida, Chile.

Abstract

This research project aims to establish the guidelines for an exploratory study in the EFL methodology field regarding storytelling as a teaching technique. As in Chile teaching English before 5th grade is not mandatory, there are certain differences in the language outcome between 5 th graders that had some previous English courses with those who did not, and this affects their subsequent courses (Marzolo, 2015; Nikolov & Djigunovic, 2006). Hence, it is necessary to implement and adapt new techniques to teach vocabulary to students who have not been trained in the target language. The research evaluated 5th graders’ vocabulary comprehension through the narrative-oriented storytelling technique and the Vocabulary Knowledge Rating sheet. Participants were two 5th grade groups from Colegio Nazaret de la Florida, whose levels of vocabulary knowledge were tested before and after the storytelling intervention. An interview with the teacher in charge of the English course was conducted to strengthen validity. Motivation in students was informed through a Likert-type scale model questionnaire after the implementation of the technique. Results demonstrated the effectiveness of the storytelling technique regarding vocabulary acquisition as well as motivation among students during the application of the technique.