THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE STORYTELLING METHOD ASSISTED BY VISUAL MEDIA ON STUDENTS’ SPEAKING SKILLS IN EFL CLASSROOMS

Abstract

This research aims to investigate the effectiveness of the storytelling method assisted by visual media in enhancing students’ speaking skills in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learning at SMAN 15 Palembang. The study was motivated by the observation that many students still struggle to express their ideas fluently and confidently in English. The lack of engaging and interactive learning strategies used by teachers often leads to low participation and limited speaking practice. This study employed a quantitative approach with a quasi-experimental design (Nonequivalent Control Group Design). The population consisted of 64 tenth-grade students from two classes, divided into an experimental group (32 students) and a control group (32 students), selected using simple random sampling. Data were collected through observation and speaking performance tests, while data analysis involved normality tests, homogeneity tests, independent t-tests, and effect size (Cohen’s d) calculations. The results revealed that the mean posttest score of the experimental group (87.45) was higher than that of the control group (75.28). The independent t-test result showed a significance value of 0.000 < 0.05, indicating a significant difference between the two groups. The calculated effect size of 1.76 indicates a large effect, meaning the storytelling method assisted by visual media had a strong positive impact on students’ speaking performance.