Teaching Idiomatic Expressions Through Storytelling Based on Narrative Thinking

The purpose of this paper is to observe how efficiently idiomatic expressions are taught through storytelling based on narrative thinking. Storytelling is an enjoyable technique, and it is believed that students can learn cultural and historical knowledge from idiomatic expressions. Therefore, the combination of storytelling and idiomatic expressions can be an effective method for teaching sporadic EFL learners who struggle with consistent English study. Five working adult learners were selected as participants and provided with idiomatic expressions from YouTube Shorts. After 12 weeks, they took four tests: vocabulary, idiomatic expression translation, idiomatic expression memorization, and grammar. Additionally, participants’ responses were collected through a survey. Results showed that all participants performed excellently on the vocabulary test. The translation of idiomatic expressions was successful, with four participants achieving perfect scores and one missing only one item. In the idiomatic expression memorization test, all participants demonstrated good results. In the grammar test, they showed notable proficiency. In response to open-ended questions, all participants agreed that learning English with idiomatic expressions through storytelling was enjoyable. Based on these results, this study suggests that learning idiomatic expressions can enhance the interest and engagement of sporadic learners.