Storytelling and repetition in early childhood EFL: a classroom study

Authors

  • María Montserrat Posse Moure French school and Luxembourg secondary school

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.55040/amtk0161

Keywords:

early childhood education, storytelling, repetition, English as a foreign language, language acquisition

Abstract

This study is situated within the context of early foreign language learning in multilingual educational environments. The aim of the study is to examine how repeated exposure to language through storytelling influences learner engagement, comprehension and oral production among five-year-old pupils. The research adopted a qualitative action-research design and was conducted in a classroom in Luxembourg. The intervention consisted of daily storytelling sessions over an eight-week period using repetitive and predictable narratives supported by visual and interactive resources. The findings indicate increased learner engagement, improved comprehension and a noticeable development in spontaneous oral production. It is concluded that storytelling, combined with meaningful repetition, constitutes an effective and developmentally appropriate pedagogical strategy for early EFL learning.

Author Biography

  • María Montserrat Posse Moure, French school and Luxembourg secondary school

    I was born in Vigo, Spain, where I grew up and developed a great passion for languages, communication, and education from a young age. My academic and professional career has always been marked by an international and multicultural perspective, the result of my studies in Spain, Belgium, and the United Kingdom. This international experience allowed me not only to perfect various languages ​​but also to learn about different educational methodologies and approaches to teaching.

    I am a teacher specializing in foreign language instruction and have a solid academic background, including a Master's degree in Education and a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) obtained in the United Kingdom. Throughout my career, I have worked primarily in Early Childhood and Primary Education and in international and multicultural environments, where I have been able to combine my passion for languages ​​with my true vocation as a teacher.

    Teaching is one of my greatest passions. I thoroughly enjoy working with children and teenagers and supporting their academic, linguistic, and personal development. I firmly believe in an education based on empathy, creativity, and motivation, where students feel safe to learn, express themselves, and discover new cultures through languages.

    Throughout my teaching experience, I have designed dynamic and participatory activities adapted to different ages and educational needs. I am particularly interested in early foreign language learning and the use of creative methodologies in the classroom, such as storytelling, children's stories, music, play, and artistic expression. I have developed bilingual projects inspired by children's literature and aimed at creating meaningful and motivating learning experiences for young children.

    My experience in multicultural environments has taught me the importance of inclusion, diversity, and intercultural education. I feel especially comfortable working in international schools, where I can contribute both my linguistic expertise and my sensitivity towards students from different cultures and backgrounds.

    In addition to my teaching work, I maintain a strong interest in educational research and pedagogical innovation. I currently work on projects related to the use of stories and oral storytelling as a strategy to improve foreign language learning in early childhood education, an area that perfectly reflects my approach to teaching: humane, creative, and student-centered.

    For me, teaching is not just about transmitting knowledge, but about sparking curiosity, fostering confidence, and instilling a love of learning. Education and languages ​​are central to my professional and personal journey.

References

Alkilani, G. Y., & Zhang, Q. (2024). Effect of dramatic storytelling on emergent literacy in EFL: Evidence from the UAE kindergartens. Literacy Research and Instruction, 64(3), 322–340. https://doi.org/10.1080/19388071.2024.2329877

AlShareef, S. N. A. (2024). Applying the communicative approach in assessing EFL young learners. Eurasian Journal of Applied Linguistics, 10(1), 14–27.

Bland, J. (2019). Using literature in English language education. Bloomsbury Academic.

Bland, J. (2022). Compelling stories for English language learners: Creativity, interculturality and critical literacy. Bloomsbury Academic. https://doi.org/10.5040/9781350190016

Brilianti, A. E., & Sugirin. (2024). Boosting young EFL learners' English vocabulary acquisition by utilizing puppet pictures as storytelling media. Journal of Foreign Language Teaching and Learning, 9(2), 161–179. https://doi.org/10.18196/ftl.v9i2.21622

Cameron, L. (2001). Teaching languages to young learners. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511733109

Cenoz, J. (2013). El aprendizaje temprano de lenguas extranjeras. Síntesis.

Cohen, L., Manion, L., & Morrison, K. (2018). Research methods in education (8th ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315456539

Ellis, G., & Brewster, J. (2014). Tell it again! The storytelling handbook for primary English language teachers. British Council.

Ellis, R. (2020). A short introduction to instructed second language acquisition. Language Teaching, 53(3), 1–12.

Gao, Y.-L., Wang, F.-Y., & Lee, S.-Y. (2023). The effects of three different storytelling approaches on the vocabulary acquisition and response patterns of young EFL students. Language Teaching Research, 27(5), 1078–1098. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362168820971789

García Mayo, M. P. (2021). Child task-based language teaching. Language Teaching for Young Learners, 3(2), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1075/ltyl.3.2

Garton, S., & Copland, F. (2021). The Routledge handbook of teaching English to young learners. Routledge.

Harashchuk, K. V. (2025). Integrating storytelling in English language teaching: Enhancing young learners' engagement and comprehension. Zhytomyr Ivan Franko State University Journal. Pedagogical Sciences, 1(120). https://doi.org/10.35433/pedagogy.1(120).2025.18

Hepburn, E., Egan, B., & Flynn, N. (2010). Vocabulary acquisition in young children: The role of the story. Journal of Early Childhood Literacy, 10(2), 159–182. https://doi.org/10.1177/1468798410363754

Khudaverdiyeva, T. (2024). Enhancing language learning in young learners through Azerbaijani fairy tales. EuroGlobal Journal of Linguistics and Language Education, 1(1), 141–150. https://doi.org/10.69760/g6vv0g32

Krashen, S. D. (1985). The input hypothesis: Issues and implications. Longman.

Laliena, D., Tabernero, R., & Yebra, J. M. (2023). The picturebook and EFL teaching: A pilot study of teachers’ beliefs. Aula Abierta, 52(4), 341–348. https://doi.org/10.17811/rifie.51.4.2022.341-348

Lightbown, P. M., & Spada, N. (2013). How languages are learned (4th ed.). Oxford University Press.

Melzi, G., Schick, A. R., & Wuest, C. (2022). Stories beyond books: Teacher storytelling supports children’s literacy skills. Early Education and Development, 33(3), 485–505. https://doi.org/10.1080/10409289.2021.2024749

Mourão, S. (2016). Picturebooks in the primary EFL classroom. Children’s Literature in English Language Education, 4(2), 25–43.

Nation, I. S. P. (2013). Learning vocabulary in another language. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139858656

Nguyen, T. T. P., & Phillips, L. G. (2025). How storytelling can work as a pedagogy to facilitate children’s English as a foreign language learning. Language Teaching Research, 29(7), 3080–3103. https://doi.org/10.1177/13621688221135481

Nikolov, M. (2020). Early learning of foreign languages. Language Teaching, 53(2), 1–15.

Nikolov, M., & Timpe-Laughlin, V. (2021). Assessing young learners' foreign language abilities. Language Teaching, 54(1), 1–37. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0261444820000294

Pinter, A. (2021). Teaching young language learners. Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Education. https://doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780190264093.013.1213

Richards, J. C. (2022). Exploring emotions in language teaching. RELC Journal, 53(1), 225–239. https://doi.org/10.1177/0033688220927531

Richards, J. C., & Rodgers, T. S. (2014). Approaches and methods in language teaching (3rd ed.). Cambridge University Press.

Shi, H., & Cheung, L. M. E. (2024). Storytelling for understanding: A case study of an English-language digital storytelling service-learning subject for refugee children in Hong Kong. Journal for Multicultural Education, 18(1–2), 81–97. https://doi.org/10.1108/JME-10-2023-0116

Shin, J. K., & Crandall, J. (2022). Teaching young learners English: From theory to practice. National Geographic Learning.

Tomlinson, B. (2018). Materials development for language teaching. Cambridge University Press.

Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes. Harvard University Press.

Webb, S. (2016). Learning vocabulary through meaning-focused input: Replication of Elley (1989) and Liu & Nation (1985). Language Teaching, 49(1), 129–140. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0261444815000051

Webb, S., & Nation, I. S. P. (2017). How vocabulary is learned. Oxford University Press.

Wright, A. (2004). Storytelling with children. Oxford University Press.

Downloads

Published

2026-07-01

Issue

Vol. 6 No. 2 (2026)

Section

Original papers

License

Copyright (c) 2026 María Montserrat Posse Moure

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0

How to Cite

Posse Moure, M. M. (2026). Storytelling and repetition in early childhood EFL: a classroom study. EDUCA. International Journal for Educational Quality, 6(2), 1-16. https://doi.org/10.55040/amtk0161

Similar Articles

1-10 of 108

You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.