The Implementation of Storytelling and its Effect in Students' Oral Proficiency in an Armenian Setting

Abstract

This study investigated the effects of practice in retelling stories on the improvement of students’ oral proficiency. The subjects in this study were 30 students (9-15 age range) of English language courses of Experimental English Classes in American University of Armenia. Students were beginner language learners. At each of the 17 sessions, the subjects listened to the teacher telling a story and then they retold the story. The achievement was measured with two oral tests: before the treatment and after the treatment. The results of this study did not support the hypothesis that by storytelling, students’ oral proficiency will be developed. The findings of this study show that the students of the experimental group did not demonstrate improvement, which means the storytelling did not improve the students' oral proficiency.