Storytelling as a Pedagogical Tool in Thai Higher Education: An Ethnomethodological Study of Lecturers’ Practices
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15503/jecs2026.1.813.833Keywords:
storytelling, Thai higher education, ethnomethodology, English as a foreign language (EFL), language teaching strategyAbstract
Aim. This qualitative study explores how English language lecturers (ELLs) in a Thai university employ storytelling as a pedagogical tool in English as a foreign language (EFL) instruction. While prior research supports the benefits of storytelling in language learning, a notable gap remains concerning its application and underlying pedagogical principles in higher education EFL settings.
Method. Framed within an ethnomethodological perspective, the study addressed two key questions: (a) What are the storytelling practices of ELLs in a Thai university? and (b) What pedagogical principles underlie such practices? Data were collected through in-depth interviews and classroom observations, and the qualitative data were analysed thematically.
Results. Findings revealed recurring storytelling practices, including unlocking vocabulary, using visuals to facilitate comprehension, facilitating dialogic questioning for comprehension and critical engagement, using roleplays for practice, and employing activities that enhance creativity and critical thinking skills.
Conclusions. These practices appeared rooted in pedagogical principles such as vocabulary learning as comprehensible input, images and visuals as optimal input, promoting communicative competence through interaction, roleplays as socially constructive tools for language learning, and fostering creativity and critical thinking through constructivist pedagogy. The study’s implications for the strategic and culturally responsive use of storytelling in tertiary EFL instruction is also discussed.
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