Narrative Frames as a Curriculum Assessment Tool: The Storytelling Test

Abstract

Getting first year students to enjoy speaking in English in class is often challenging. There are several reasons for this. In the Junior College English department, classes are reshuffl ed in the second semester according to studentsʼ achievement test scores. Some students may be placed in the same class along with the friends they made in the first semester. Naturally, if they are not, they may feel shy to speak to an unknown person. In addition, students may not feel confident enough in their English ability to speak freely at any length on a topic. One solution to this problem is what I coined the storytelling test (ST). This paper introduces the ST as a classroom activity used to develop confidence in English speaking ability by giving students the opportunity to learn an English childrenʼs story and to retell that story at a later time. In addition, the paper addresses the studentsʼ perceptions of the activity and their storytelling ability̶data gathered through narrative frames.