The impact of digital storytelling on the speaking skills of English language learners

In this study, the effect of digital storytelling method on 7th grade students' English speaking skills and speaking anxiety was investigated. In the study conducted with a quasi-experimental design, the students worked for a total of 9 weeks using digital tools such as ChatterPix Kids, Canva and Google Classroom; in the first week, they started with digital story introduction activities, and in the following 8 weeks, they created digital stories, voiced these stories and shared them online via Google Classroom. In the control group, traditional teaching methods were applied. In the study, pre-test and post-test were applied to measure speaking anxiety; semi-structured written interviews were collected from the students and the teacher at the beginning, middle and end of the process, and the process was monitored by the researcher observations. Quantitative findings showed that there was a positive tendency for a decrease in the level of speaking anxiety in the experimental group. Qualitative data show that students are more motivated with digital tools, their interest in the lesson increases and their self-confidence improves. In addition, students who actively participated in the digital storytelling process showed a noticeable improvement in their English speaking skills. Students had the opportunity to use the target language more fluently, accurately and confidently during the story creation and vocalisation stages; their vocabulary, pronunciation and fluency improved. In particular, students who had reservations about speaking English in the classroom environment recorded and shared their own stories in the digital environment, making the speaking process less anxiety-provoking and more enjoyable. Teacher's and students' opinions also revealed that there was a significant improvement in students' ability to express themselves in English. In conclusion, the digital storytelling method has positive effects not only on the development of linguistic skills but also on students' engagement in the learning process, motivation and self-expression skills.