Effect of Using English Storybooks for Improving Korean English Learners’ Reading and Writing Skills and Their Learning Attitudinal Factors

This paper explores the effect of using children's storybooks through a variety of activities for improving Korean primary school EFL students' reading and writing skills and their learning interest, confidence, and motivation. It focuses on why and how children’s storybooks can be a fundamental context for increasing students’ reading and writing skills and their learning attitudinal factors. One hundred and twenty Korean 5th grade English students were randomly chosen and participated in this study. Data was gathered through pre- and post- tests in terms of reading and writing skills and preand post- questionnaires with regard to their interest, confidence, and motivation. The analysis revealed that: (1) the students who received the lessons through children’s English storybooks performed better on reading and writing skill post-tests than those who learned only through the English course book; and (2) the students in the experimental group showed more significant increase in their interest, confidence, and motivation than those in the control group. The results of this study conform with the educational values of using English storybooks for Korean primary school EFL students. The pedagogical implications for EFL educators and teachers are described.