Theatrical storytelling and ESL learners’ oral communicative competence: A quasi-experimental intervention

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Oluwatunmise I Oladoyinbo
Wisdom Ayodeji Ebai
Ifeoluwa Theophilus Akinsola

Résumé

The study aimed to test the efficacy of Theatrical Storytelling ESL instruction on learners’ oral communicative competence while moderating for speaking anxiety. Adopting a quasi-experimental research design, the study determined the effects of a six-week treatment procedure on 31 SS II ESL learners in two purposively selected senior secondary schools in Ibadan metropolis, Nigeria. The result of the ANCOVA conducted at p<0.05 revealed that the main effect of treatment on ESL learners’ oral communicative competence was not statistically significant (F (1; 31) = .033; p=.857>0.05), although the ESL learners taught using theatrical storytelling had a slightly higher oral communicative competence. Similarly, the main effect of speaking anxiety was not significant (F (2; 31) = 2.98; p=.069>0.05), although the ESL learners with low anxiety level had the highest oral communicative competence. However, the two-way interaction effect of treatment and speaking anxiety was statistically significant (F (1; 31) = 5.710; p=.025<0.05) in favour of learners with low speaking anxiety in the Theatrical Storytelling ESL classroom. Therefore, with a prolonged period of theatrical storytelling in ESL instruction, learners’ oral communicative competence could improve. Therefore, ESL teachers in Nigeria should adopt the strategy.

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Oladoyinbo, O. I., Ebai, W. A., & Akinsola, I. T. (2026). Theatrical storytelling and ESL learners’ oral communicative competence: A quasi-experimental intervention. Research Journal in Translation, Literature, Linguistics, and Education, 2(1), 34-48. https://doi.org/10.64120/79a9zt80
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Oladoyinbo, O. I., Ebai, W. A., & Akinsola, I. T. (2026). Theatrical storytelling and ESL learners’ oral communicative competence: A quasi-experimental intervention. Research Journal in Translation, Literature, Linguistics, and Education, 2(1), 34-48. https://doi.org/10.64120/79a9zt80

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