Exploring Students’ Perceptions of Storytelling as a Tool for Enhancing Speaking Skills

This study explores students' perceptions of using storytelling to improve speaking skills in English-speaking classes. Conducted at Wiralodra University, Indramayu, this descriptive qualitative study involved 20 students from the second and fourth semesters of the English Education Department. Data were collected through questionnaires and interviews. The questionnaire focused on motivation, interest, usefulness, and benefits of storytelling in learning speaking skills. Meanwhile, the interviews explored difficulties in storytelling, the use of media properties, and overall student opinions. The results indicate that storytelling significantly enhances students' motivation and confidence in speaking. Over 90% of participants agreed that storytelling is fun (mean score 3.35) and engaging, with 85% showing increased focus during activities (mean score 3.1). Storytelling was also perceived as highly useful, with 92.5% agreeing it enhances speaking skills and introduces new vocabulary and pronunciation (mean score 3.35). Furthermore, 90% believed it helps them understand content better (mean score 3.25). However, challenges include time required to understand stories, anxiety during presentations, and difficulties with complex vocabulary and props preparation. Interview findings highlighted that participants valued storytelling for fostering creativity and spontaneous language use. This study concludes that storytelling is an effective method for fostering a positive and dynamic learning environment, helping students overcome speaking anxiety and enhance their communicative competence. It is recommended that educators adopt storytelling as a strategy to develop speaking skills while addressing the challenges identified to optimize its benefits.