Development of a Program for the Story-based Integrated Teaching through Storytelling in Elementary English Education

The purpose of this study is to apply storytelling in elementary English education in order to suggest a story-based integrated teaching method which enhances educational effects. In order to do so, the theoretical backgrounds of integrated education in English education and integrated education through storytelling were observed. Furthermore, the methods in which integrated education through storytelling was applied in the main English textbooks of the currently revised curriculum were analyzed. In order to implement story-based integrated teaching which is based upon storytelling, teachers must first scan through various books and select books with consideration of students’ perceptual and language levels, characteristics and interests. Next, teachers can establish a story-based syllabus once they have extracted story-based integrated teaching factors from storybooks by taking the age, conceptual level, demands and interests, language levels, prior language learning experiences, organizational characteristics and other elements of students into consideration. Furthermore, once teachers brainstorm the various integrated subject activities which can be implemented through story books, they are divided into pre-, while-, and post-storytelling activities. A story-based program which may either be used over one semester or one year is completed based upon this. Not only the language functions/structures and vocabulary which will be taught through each story but also the various cross-curricular storytelling activities which will be integrated through a teacher’s lesson plan must be suggested. It is considered that a continuous and multilateral research on the story-based integrated teaching method, which applies storytelling and can be applied effectively and efficiently, is necessary.