DIGITAL STORYTELLING AS A PEDAGOGICAL INNOVATION FOR DEVELOPING ENGLISH LANGUAGE SKILLS AND CREATIVE COMMUNICATION

Abstract

Digital storytelling has emerged as an innovative pedagogical approach that integrates language learning, creativity, and technology to enhance students’ communication abilities. Despite the increasing demand for technology-mediated English language learning, many traditional classroom practices continue to emphasize memorization and mechanical language exercises, creating limitations in learners’ speaking fluency, writing skills, and creative expression. This study investigates the role of digital storytelling as a pedagogical innovation for developing English language skills and fostering creative communication among learners. The research aims to examine how digital storytelling activities influence students’ linguistic competence, confidence, engagement, and ability to construct meaningful narratives. A mixed-methods research design was employed, incorporating classroom interventions, learner assessments, questionnaires, and semi-structured interviews to collect quantitative and qualitative data. The findings reveal that digital storytelling significantly improves vocabulary development, pronunciation, sentence construction, narrative organization, and overall communicative competence. Students demonstrated increased motivation, creativity, collaboration, and confidence in expressing ideas through multimedia-based storytelling tasks. The study highlights that combining digital tools with storytelling practices creates an interactive learning environment where learners actively participate in knowledge construction rather than passively receiving information. The research concludes that digital storytelling can serve as an effective learner-centered strategy in English language education by bridging technological skills with linguistic development. The implications suggest that language educators should integrate digital storytelling into curricula to promote creativity, critical thinking, and authentic communication skills among learners.