Digital Storytelling as a Communicative Language Teaching Based Method in EFL Classrooms

Abstract

Communicative language teaching has emerged in second and foreign language pedagogy due to the inadequacy of previous language teaching methods to enhance English as a foreign language (EFL) learners’ communicative competence. However, old language teaching methods, mainly, grammar-translation and audio-lingual, are still prevalent in EFL contexts. One of the reasons behind EFL teachers’ hesitance to shift entirely to communicative language teaching (CLT) is the absence of clear guidance, including examples for classroom activities appropriate for this approach. Thus, the aim of this study is, first, to bridge this gap by suggesting digital storytelling as a classroom activity that is well-aligned with the principles of the communicative language approach. Second, to assess the effectiveness of digital storytelling activity on improving some linguistic aspects of students’ communicative competence. To this end, the study incorporated a case study design using multiple qualitative methods such as participant observation, semi-structured interviews and analysis of participants’ scripts and recordings to measure the improvement, if any. Participants were a class of 32 10th graders who collaboratively created five digital stories over 12 weeks. Results showed students’ favourable views to digital storytelling activity, particularly the ample opportunities it creates for communication inside the classroom. As for communicative competence, improvement in phonology, grammar, and lexicon were the most notable. Finally, suggestions for effective integration and possible future research venues based on these findings are provided.