The Effect of Storytelling and Retelling and Higher Order Thinking on Oral Performance of Elementary Students in English as Foreign Language (EFL) Program - A Pilot Study in Mainland China and Taiwan

Oct 15, 2026

This pilot study evaluates the impact of Story Telling and retelling and higher order thinking via the STELLA approach on English oral proficiency for elementary learners where English is taught as a foreign language in Mainland China and Taiwan. A 6-week intervention combined direct vocabulary instruction, reading modeling, and a leveled questioning strategy delivered by certified English teachers after weekly virtual professional training. An oral vocabulary measure for 10 Mainland China students and 9 Taiwan students was administered before and after the program. Paired-sample t-tests showed significant improvements in oral proficiency at both sites.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages11

Reading Time28 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Literature Review

Status of English Language in Mainland China and Taiwan

Method

Results and Discussion

References

Bibliography

The Effect of Storytelling and Retelling and Higher Order Thinking on Oral Performance of Elementary Students in English as Foreign Language (EFL) Program: A Pilot Study in Mainland China and Taiwan 1,2,3,4,5,6Center for Research and Development in Dual Language and Literacy Acquisition College of Education and Human Development Texas A&M University College Station, TX 77843-4225 ( 􀀣 Corresponding Author) Abstract The purpose of this pilot study was to evaluate the effect of Story Telling and retelling and higher order thinking for English Language and Literacy Acquisition (STELLA) on the English oral proficiency of elementary students in Mainland China and Taiwan, where English is taught as a foreign language. The 6-week intervention incorporated direct vocabulary instruction, modeling reading, and leveled questioning strategy through storytelling and retelling, and was delivered by certified English teachers who received weekly virtual professional training in two public schools in Mainland China and Taiwan. An English oral vocabulary measure was administered among 10 students in Mainland China and 9 students in Taiwan before and after the intervention. Paired-sample T-tests were conducted to examine the progress from pretest to posttest on the two cohorts, respectively. The results showed a significant improvement on students’ oral proficiency at both sites. Keywords: English oral performance, Story telling/retelling, Elementary school, EFL, Leveled questions. Contents 1. Introduction ......................................................................................................................................................................... 24 2. Literature Review ................................................................................................................................................................ 24 3. Method ................................................................................................................................................................................. 27 4. Results and Discussion......................................................................................................................................................... 30 References ................................................................................................................................................................................ 31 Bibliography ............................................................................................................................................................................ 33 Citation | Pei-lin Yang; Fuhui Tong; Beverly J. Irby; Rafael Lara-Alecio; Norma Ramos; Miranda Nava-Walichowski (2016) . The Effect of Storytelling and Retelling and Higher Order Thinking on Oral Performance of Elementary Students in English as Foreign Language (EFL) Program: A Pilot Study in Mainland China and Taiwan. Asian Journal of Education and Training, 2(1): 23-33. DOI: 10.20448/journal. 522/2016 .2. 1/522 .1.23.33 Licensed: This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License Author(s) Contribution: All authors contributed to the conception and design of the study. Funding: This study received no specific financial support. Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interests. Transparency: The authors confirm that the manuscript is an honest, accurate, and transparent account of the study was reported; that no vital features of the study have been omitted; and that any discrepancies from the study as planned have been explained. Ethical: This study follows all ethical practices during writing. Publisher: Asian Online Journal Publishing Group 1. Introduction English, undeniably, has shifted to a global language for communication among people with diverse national, cultural, racial, and linguistic backgrounds in different areas in the world

FAQs

What is the purpose of the STELLA pilot study?

The study aims to evaluate how storytelling and retelling together with higher order thinking affect elementary students’ English oral proficiency in Mainland China and Taiwan.

How was the 6-week intervention implemented?

The intervention used direct vocabulary instruction, modeled reading, and a leveled questioning strategy through storytelling and retelling, delivered by certified English teachers after weekly virtual professional training.

What evidence was used to measure student progress?

An English oral vocabulary measure was administered to students in both regions before and after the intervention, and paired-sample t-tests assessed progress from pretest to posttest.

Oct 15, 2026

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