Authentic digital storytelling in the english speaking skill

Abstract

The present study aims to determine the use of Authentic Digital Storytelling as an alternative strategy to improve the English Speaking Skill. It is a correlational, quantative and quasi-experimental design without a control group in a one-group pretest-posttest activity which aims to prove a research hypothesis. The research was conducted with 4th level English language learners from the English intensive courses. For this evaluation, a specific rubric was developed based on students´ needs and evaluation purposes. A special care was given to the independent variable (Authentic Digital Storytelling) described by Robin (2016) in relation the dependent variable (English Speaking Skill). For the analysis and interpretation of results a survey was applied to fifty students and sixteen teachers. The results were considered for the statement of conclusions and recommendations in this research study. In order to determine survey reliability, the surveys were analyzed using Cronbach´s Alpha Coefficient showing a high level of acceptability of the instruments. Once the results were tabulated, after a pretest and posttest activity where Authentic Digital Storytelling telling was applied as an alternative communicative strategy to improve the English Speaking Skill two web-based softwares were used Kinemaster and Windows MovieMaker where the correlation between the two variables was established. Afterwards, all the results from the pretest and the posttest were analyzed using an Excel Package called SPSS. This package allowed the use of a Wilcoxon Test for two correlated variables where the use of Authentic Digital Storytelling was proven to improve the English Speaking Skill accepting the alternative hypothesis proposed in this research study. Finally, an instructional guide to enhance the English Speaking Skill was designed based on the International exam TOELF to evaluate the speaking skill.