Sarcouncil Journal of Education and Sociology

Abstract: Speaking skills play an important role in learning English. In reality, the difficulties in teaching English in rural areas still persist. Many primary school students in rural areas lack confidence when practicing speaking. In teaching English to elementary school students, the application of innovative and engaging teaching techniques brings many benefits to them. One of the effective methods to enhance children's English speaking skills is to use stories in the teaching process. This study investigates the effectiveness of storytelling activities in improving speaking skills (including fluency, vocabulary, pronunciation) and learning attitudes of primary school students learning English as a foreign language (EFL) in Vietnam. The study was conducted on 30 fifth-grade students at a rural elementary school through an action research design over a period of 4 weeks. The results show that students achieved significant improvement in speaking skills and had very positive and enthusiastic attitudes toward lessons based on storytelling methods, thereby affirming the effectiveness of this teaching method and technique for elementary school students, especially in rural areas of Vietnam in particular and the country in general.