Improving Students’ Speaking Skills through Story-Telling

By: Besral

Even though Story-Telling technique has long existed in the Teaching English as
a Foreign Language (TEFL) literature, many of current Undergraduate students of this
field are still eager to reuse it for part of their thesis writing. There is nothing new to
learn as technique or research method being applied is quite irrational as reflected in
Zuhriyah (2017) which is published in English Education: Jurnal Tadris Bahasa
Inggris, Vol 10 (1), p. 119-134. The study which is claimed to be Classroom Action
Research in nature was aimed at finding out whether or not Story-Telling technique
improved students’ speaking skill at Hasyim Asy’ari University (UNHASY) Tebuireng
Jombang.
There are at least three main issues that capture my curiosity as the study is
explored in great details. First, collaborative research which is promoted in the study
may rise the sense of team works among EFL teachers in the country, suggesting that
we have to learn, share, and respect each other. This is the strength of the work as the
steps and procedures were collaboratively conducted among the team members of the
project. Second, lack understanding of the definition of speaking skill might have
pushed the researchers away from the main topic of story telling in practice. Finally,
the research method needs to be sorted out as to make strong claims as the final
product or findings of the study.