Effects of implementing digital storytelling on the oral production of English learners

a task-based study

Abstract

Considering the rapid change of technology nowadays and the possibilities of using new digital tools for building knowledge in different contexts, the interest of researchers and practitioners has grown considering how to best allign digital technologies and education. Nonetheless, plenty of unanswered doubts remain regarding the more adequate ways in which technology and pedagogical activities can be integrated as a potential for learning, especially in second language (L2) contexts. Taking this into consideration, the present study aimed at investigating the effects of a task cycle (ELLIS, 2003) with digital storytelling on the oral production of L2 learners of English at a public university of Bahia. Oral data from fourteen participants were gathered in three moments – pre and post-tests – via Whatsapp and analysed considering complexity, accuracy, fluency and lexical density dimensions (SKEHAN, 2003). Results in general suggest an improvement in participants’ L2 speech for some of the measures investigated, despite the short experimental time. Therefore, the potential of digital storytelling is discussed as an alternative tool for L2 enhancement in formal teaching and learning contexts, taking into account the need for further studies whose aim is to unveil and inform issues about the use of technologies in the language classroom.