本文是一篇英语论文，本研究基于苏州一所初中为期5个月的用讲故事的方法培养学生口语能力的实验。在本章中，将首先讨论主要发现。之后，对本研究的局限性进行了分析。还将为使用讲故事的方法培养初中学生的口语能力提供启示。最后，根据当前研究的局限性，提出进一步研究的建议。
CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study
The value of English education at the stage of basic education is to develop students’ key competencies by acquiring English language knowledge, cultivating their listening, speaking, reading and writing skills, and developing their comprehensive ability to use the English language. However, due to the difficulty of organizing and evaluating the oral test, the current school testing system generally does not include speaking ability. The application of storytelling to English speaking teaching can help teachers build up students’ confidence in speaking English. In terms of interaction and participation, the storytelling method provides students with more opportunities to use English for communication, especially to enhance their speaking ability.
Storytelling as a teaching method in foreign language teaching has a long history. Foreign scholars have conducted much research on the use of storytelling to develop students’ speaking ability. This topic has still attracted scholars’ attention in recent years abroad. Collins (1999) states that traditional stories are beneficial to the learning of literacy skills. Alterio & McDrury (2003) discusses the necessity of learning through storytelling during which learners’ reflection and experience are actively involved. Butcher (2006) uses narrative as a teaching strategy and emphasizes its importance in language learning. Mariar (2010) investigated how the dynamics of narrative development in a speaking performance could be captured to show the aesthetic and communicative effectiveness. Marzuki (2016) explored the relationship between the implementation of interactive storytelling strategy and English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners’ speaking ability. Mohamed (2019) found the pedagogic effectiveness of digital storytelling in improving speaking skills of EFL. Kallinikou & Nicolaidou (2019) also discuss the relationship between adults’ engagement in digital storytelling and their speaking skills, which provides inspiration for teaching speaking.
1.2 Purpose of the Study
To explore the role of storytelling in junior high school English speaking teaching and the effect of using storytelling to improve students’ speaking ability, this study aims to investigate how storytelling can be integrated into junior high school English speaking teaching.
This study is based on the author’s experiment in teaching first grade students in a junior high school by conducting action research. The research includes two rounds, lasting from February 14, 2022, to June 30, 2022. The following research methods, speaking test, questionnaire, classroom observation and interview are employed in this study.
The question of how the storytelling method can be applied in junior high school English speaking teaching will be discussed first based on the author’s practice. Then the focus will be shifted to how storytelling can improve students’ speaking ability of the experimental class. The research includes two rounds. As for the first round of teaching, the author observed and recorded students' classroom performance and evaluated their learning effect. After that, the second round of improvement and refinement was carried out. During the second round of teaching, the author continued to observe and record students’ oral output and compare the results of the first and second round to find out students’ progress in oral expression and draw conclusions about the changes in terms of using storytelling in speaking teaching.
CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 Definition of Storytelling Teaching Method
According to Chinese dictionary Ci Hai, story is defined as a literary genre that focuses on describing the course and process of events.
Oxford Learner’s Dictionary defines story as: A description of events and people that
