Are you digitized? Ways to provide motivation for ELLs using digital storytelling

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is designed to explore the effects of using digital storytelling in after school English classroom on Korean ELL learners’ attitudes and perception toward learning in English. In a public elementary school located in Eastern Kyunggi province in South Korea, 32 ELL learners in the 5th grade participated in 12-week study experiencing digital storytelling in English class. ‘Digital storytelling’ as a primary teaching and learning resource was introduced and adapted, which had been designed and developed by the researcher. And to figure out the impact and effect of digital storytelling, a mixed research method was conducted for looking to students’ response. Students’ self-evaluation report and lecture review report gathered for data analysis along with quantitative data which were pre-/post-survey on the change of students’ learning attitude and reading comprehension. The findings showed that the potential benefits of digital storytelling brought positive effects on the 5th grade ELL students’ attitudinal changes in learning English by helping them to have deeper understanding of the lesson, which led their voluntarily active class participation. The results also revealed that digital storytelling made students engaged in the content of the story not only by promoting motivation and interest, but also by providing confidence in learning English.