Investigating Students’ Attitudes About The Role Of The Storytelling In Improving Efl Learners’ Use Of Some Aspects Of Connected Speech

Résumé: Considering the natural predispositions of human beings for telling stories, it has been adopted since ages as an instructors' predilection for using it as either an entertaining activity or a teaching method in their classrooms. The present study investigates students' attitudes towards the role of storytelling as a pedagogical strategy in improving EFL learners' use of some aspects of connected speech. Therefore, the aim of the study is to assess learners' attitudes towards the implementation of storytelling as a means of learning a FL and for the improvement of using (some) aspects of connected speech conveniently .The study attempts to answer the research question which states that storytelling might be adopted as a method of leaning\teaching a FL which may enhance EFL learners' pronunciation of some aspects of connected speech, particularly when EFL learners are engaged in speaking. Considering the happening of the Covid 19 era during the process of research, the sample enclosed only 22 third year students from the department of English in OEB University. The adoption of a qualitative method which consisted of analyzing the students' questionnaire revealed that despite the fact that these EFL learners have already studied the suprasegmentals, during their second year, including the aspects of connected speech; they still have no actual mastery of these phonetic aspects (in theory and/or in practice). They not only lack the proper knowledge about connected speech, but they also pay no attention to the changes that happen during the course of speech due to the use of some connected aspects as used by native speakers. The researcher, has therefore, urged educators and instructors to reconsider the teaching of the aspects of connected speech by adopting the strategy of storytelling. The latter has to be implemented as an effective technique in EFL teaching so as to lead gradually their learners to an appropriate use/practice of the connected speech aspects. The result would be a relative improvement of their EFL learners' pronunciation. Some other recommendations and implications have been suggested on the basis of the results drawn from the questionnaire.

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