Digital storytelling (DST), which integrates narrative writing with multimedia elements, has emerged as an innovative approach in tertiary-level TEFL programs. This literature review explores the pedagogical benefits, implementation practices, and challenges of using DST to enhance English language learning. The review synthesizes findings on DST’s effectiveness in improving students’ speaking, writing, listening, and reading skills, while also fostering motivation, creativity, and intercultural competence. Implementation commonly follows structured phases—pre-production, production, post-production, and distribution. Despite its promise, DST adoption faces obstacles such as limited technological access, insufficient digital literacy, time constraints, and misalignment with traditional assessment methods. The review concludes that DST holds significant potential to enrich TEFL instruction by promoting holistic language development and 21st-century skills, though its broader application requires further research, teacher training, and institutional support.

Keywords: digital storytelling, tertiary education, motivation, constructivism, skills.

Introduction. Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) at the tertiary level refers to instructing English to non-native speakers in university or college settings. In these contexts, educators often seek innovative methods to engage learners and enhance language proficiency. Digital storytelling (DST) has emerged as one such pedagogical innovation. DST can be broadly defined as the practice of narrating stories in a digital format, blending traditional storytelling with multimedia tools. It involves creating short narratives (typically a few minutes long) using a combination of text, images, audio, video, and music, often with the storyteller’s own voice as narration (Moradi & Chen, 2019). Lambert (2013, as cited in Miao & Li, 2024), a pioneer in the field, describes DST as the mix of various digital media to present a narrative, usually in first-person perspective, thereby personalizing the storytelling experience. Hartley and McWilliam (2009, as cited in Alemi et al., 2022) further emphasize that DST is typically a “workshop-based practice in which people are taught to use digital media to create short audio–video stories, usually about their own lives”. In essence, digital stories carry the age-old tradition of storytelling into the modern age by leveraging technology to create personal, engaging narratives.

In the context of TEFL, DST represents a convergence of language learning and technology. It aligns with learner-centered, constructivist approaches by encouraging students to actively construct and share stories rather than passively receive information (Moradi & Chen, 2019). Over the past few years, a growing body of research has explored how DST can be integrated into higher education language programs to improve English learning outcomes. This literature review synthesizes these recent studies, focusing on the pedagogical benefits of DST in tertiary TEFL, the ways technology and storytelling are integrated in practice, the development of language skills (speaking, listening, reading, writing) and intercultural competence, as well as common challenges faced during implementation. Diverse perspectives from different contexts are included to enhance credibility, and gaps in current research are identified to suggest future directions.

Pedagogical Benefits of Digital Storytelling in TEFL. Arecurring theme across the literature is that digital storytelling offers numerous pedagogical benefits for EFL learners in higher education. By engaging in DST projects, students often become more motivated, creative, and active participants in their learning process (Miao & Li, 2024; Moradi & Chen, 2019).

Enhancement of Language Proficiency. Speaking Skills: One of the most documented advantages of DST in TEFL is its positive impact on learners’ speaking abilities. In a review of various studies, Nair and Yunus (2021) found overwhelming evidence that incorporating digital storytelling in English lessons improves students’ speaking skills (Nair & Yunus, 2021). Many of the analyzed papers reported that when students create and narrate digital stories, they practice pronunciation, oral fluency, and speaking confidence in a meaningful context. For instance, a controlled study by Tatlı et al. (2022) in a Turkish university’s online EFL course showed significant improvements in multiple dimensions of speaking. Over the course of creating three iterative digital stories, students’ spoken grammar, vocabulary use, fluency and coherence, and pronunciation all showed marked enhancement (Tatlı et al., 2022). The researchers observed continuous improvement with each version of the digital story that students produced, indicating that repeated DST activities can progressively build oral skills. Quantitative data from that study also revealed a statistically significant gain in learners’ English vocabulary knowledge after the DST intervention (pre-test vs. post-test) (Tatlı et al., 2022)., suggesting that developing a digital story helped expand students’ lexicon. The process of recording one’s voice and possibly re-recording to achieve the desired storytelling effect pushes learners to articulate clearly and improve their spoken English. Moreover, as students construct personal narratives, they often “train themselves to become more confident with their speech,” thereby reducing speaking anxiety (Nair & Yunus, 2021). Taken together, these findings across multiple studies indicate that DST is a potent tool for improving tertiary-level EFL learners’ oracy skills, including pronunciation and overall fluency.

Writing Skills: DST also contributes substantially to developing writing skills in EFL. Because creating a digital story typically begins with writing a script or narrative, students get authentic practice in written composition. Several studies have reported that EFL learners write more willingly and skillfully when tasked with digital storytelling, as opposed to traditional writing assignments (Alemi et al., 2022). Kazazoglu and Bilir (2021, as cited in Alemi et al., 2022) observe that DST is a “promising tool that encourages learners to write in a foreign language,” helping even reluctant writers to overcome fears of spelling or grammar mistakes by focusing on content and story. A 2022 experimental study by Alemi et al. investigated the effect of DST on young Iranian EFL learners’ writing skill and motivation. Over a 10-week period, learners created digital stories based on topics from their coursebook. The results showed a clear improvement in the participants’ English writing performance post-intervention, as measured by writing tests. Additionally, qualitative interviews revealed that DST made writing a more enjoyable and “favourable” activity — students developed a positive attitude toward writing in English and felt more motivated to express themselves (Alemi et al., 2022). Similarly, in a case study at a Cypriot university, Meletiadou (2022) found that having undergraduate ESL student-teachers create digital stories led to significant gains in their academic writing skills. Students in that study reported that the DST project helped them organize their ideas better and write more coherently, and test score analysis confirmed improvements in their writing performance. Notably, DST assignments allow learners to iterate on their writing: they draft a narrative, receive feedback from peers or instructors, and refine their scripts, which mirrors a process-writing approach. This iterative script development helps students pay closer attention to content, language accuracy, and narrative structure. Some researchers have even suggested that DST can improve aspects of writing mechanics — for example, Sylvester and Greenidge (2009, as cited in Alemi et al., 2022) noted that struggling writers made fewer spelling and punctuation errors when engaged in digital storytelling, as the multimodal aspect kept them motivated to polish their text. While that study is older, recent research upholds the general claim: DST tends to “encourage the students to write more and better” by providing a creative outlet and authentic audience for their writing (Alemi et al., 2022).

Reading and Listening Skills: Improvements in reading and listening are less directly reported than speaking or writing, yet DST can still support these receptive skills. The act of creating and sharing digital stories inherently involves listening and reading in various ways. Learners listen to peers’ stories during class showings or online exchanges, training their ear to understand diverse accents and narrative styles in English. They also often read scripts or storyboards created by classmates to provide feedback, which can enhance reading comprehension and critical reading skills. While empirical studies specifically measuring reading or listening gains from DST are scarce, some researchers posit that DST’s multimodal nature promotes overall language literacy (Alemi et al., 2022). For example, Maureen et al.(2018) argue that using DST in language programs can strengthen “all four language skills as well as…digital literacy”of learners (Alemi et al., 2022). This is because a single DST project typically requires an integrated use of skills: students read source material or example stories as models, write their own script, speak the narration, and listen to the playback or others’ stories. Furthermore, the outcome of DST — a video or multimedia story — can be used as listening material for the class. In practical implementations, educators sometimes have students exchange digital stories and respond to questions about each other’s narratives, thereby turning the creative project also into a comprehension exercise. Although reading and listening benefits are more implicit, it stands to reason that DST can create a rich English input environment. Learners have reported increased exposure to new vocabulary and language structures through both the creation and viewing of digital stories (e.g., picking up phrases from peers’ narratives or improving pronunciation by listening to their own recorded voice) (Tatlı et al., 2022, Nair & Yunus, 2021). Future research is still needed to explicitly quantify the impact on reading and listening, but current literature suggests that DST provides a holistic language learning experience touching on all skill areas.

Technological Integration and Implementation in Tertiary Classrooms. Implementing digital storytelling in a tertiary TEFL program requires thoughtful integration of technology with pedagogy. How instructors weave DST into their curriculum can vary, but common practices and frameworks have emerged from recent studies. Typically, a digital storytelling project in a language course follows several phases: planning, production, and presentation. Moradi and Chen (2019) outline four main phases of DST implementation — (a) pre-production, (b) production, (c) post-production, and (d) distribution — each involving specific activities for students and teachers. In the pre-production phase, learners brainstorm and plan their story. This often includes writing a script or narrative, storyboarding the sequence of events, and conducting peer reviews of the script. For example, a teacher might first stimulate ideas by posing questions related to a theme (e.g., “Describe an experience that taught you an important lesson”) to help students choose a story topic (Moradi & Chen, 2019). Students then research vocabulary or content, draft their story in writing, and give each other feedback to refine the narrative. Many implementations also involve creating a storyboard — a visual outline of the story scenes — which helps students organize their ideas and ensure the story has a clear structure. This planning stage is crucial in a TEFL context because it is where a lot of language learning happens (e.g., discussing the story in English, improving the script’s grammar and coherence, etc.).

Next, in the production phase, students gather or create the media elements and actually produce the digital story. Here they might use computers or mobile devices to record their voice narration, take or find photos, create simple videos or animations, and assemble these elements using software. Modern DST in classrooms does not necessarily require advanced equipment; many studies report using accessible tools like CapCut, iMovie, or online platforms (e.g., Canva, which provides templates for combining text, images, and audio) (Meletiadou, 2022). In Meletiadou’s (2022) project, for instance, students used Canva to integrate text, images, videos, and even podcasts into their digital stories. Others have used PowerPoint or mobile apps to create story videos (especially in contexts with limited resources, as PowerPoint can export slideshows as videos). During production, students often work independently or in small groups, and the teacher’s role becomes one of facilitator or technical support. It’s common for instructors to schedule workshops or lab sessions to assist students with the technological aspect — ensuring everyone knows how to record audio, add subtitles, or synchronize elements. The production phase is highly engaging but can be time-consuming, as students learn to blend their language output with digital content.

After production comes the post-production phase, which involves editing and polishing the digital story (Moradi & Chen, 2019). Students might refine the timing of slides, improve audio quality, or add background music for effect. This phase again ties into language skills: students could be asked to caption their videos in English or double-check that their intended message is clearly conveyed. Some projects include an additional round of feedback here, where peers watch draft versions of the digital story and give suggestions for improvement (focusing on both content and language accuracy). Finally, the distribution phase is where the completed digital stories are shared with an audience (Moradi & Chen, 2019). In a classroom setting, this could mean an in-class “story screening” session or uploading the videos to a learning management system or private YouTube channel for classmates to view and comment. At the tertiary level, a few innovative projects have even organized public showcases or cross-class exchanges of digital stories, further authenticating the experience for learners. Distribution is not merely for celebration; it closes the learning loop by allowing students to receive recognition and feedback on their work from others. As Moradi and Chen (2019) point out, this “dynamic and systematic procedure of creative storytelling encourages students to take a more active role in learning” and deepens their connection to the material. Indeed, knowing that their story will be distributed, students are often motivated to ensure their English is clear and their message well-structured, effectively engaging in self-editing and rehearsal which improve their language proficiency.

From a technological standpoint, successful integration of DST in TEFL hinges on choosing appropriate tools and ensuring accessibility. The reviewed studies cover a range of tech setups, from fully online courses to traditional classrooms with occasional computer lab use. Tatlı et al. (2022) demonstrated DST in an online EFL course, where students created and submitted digital stories via an online platform. In that scenario, all interactions (feedback, story viewing) happened virtually, and the researchers even measured cognitive load to ensure students were not overwhelmed by the online DST tasks. They found that while nearly all students did experience some cognitive load (multimedia projects are cognitively demanding), it was manageable with proper support — only a few students felt “overloaded” by the process (Tatlı et al., 2022). This indicates that, when integrating DST, teachers should be mindful of the extra mental effort students invest in juggling language production with technical creation. Providing training sessions on the digital tools at the start or breaking the project into smaller milestones can help mitigate overload. In face-to-face university classes, many instructors adopt a blended approach: class time is used for story circles (discussing and planning stories orally) and script writing workshops, while students are expected to do the bulk of multimedia production as homework or in computer labs. This approach was noted by Razmi et al. (2014) and others, who often split the class into those working on DST and those following conventional methods to compare outcomes.

Challenges in Implementation. While digital storytelling offers many benefits, educators and researchers have identified a number of challenges in implementing DST in tertiary EFL settings. These challenges range from technical and logistical issues to pedagogical and attitudinal hurdles. Recognizing these difficulties is important for devising strategies to overcome them. Key challenges reported in the literature include:

– Technical Constraints and Access: Not all EFL classrooms, especially in developing regions, have ready access to the technology needed for multimedia projects. Insufficient computer labs, limited numbers of devices, or low-performance hardware can impede DST activities. Additionally, unstable internet connectivity is a common obstacle. Without addressing these, the promise of DST may not be fully realized for all students.

– Digital Literacy and Training Needs: Both teachers and students require a certain level of digital literacy to execute DST projects, and a lack of technical know-how is a barrier. Educators have reported feeling unprepared to integrate storytelling technology into their teaching. Even at the tertiary level, not all instructors are comfortable with video editing software or online tools, and they may need professional development before rolling out DST assignments. On the student side, while today’s learners are often assumed to be “digital natives,” in reality their expertise may be narrow and not extend to multimedia content creation. Non-traditional or older students in particular may find DST daunting.

– Time Constraints: Implementing DST is time-intensive for both instructors and students. Planning, creating, and editing a digital story typically require significantly more time than completing a conventional worksheet or essay. Instructors must allocate sufficient course time (or homework time) for the DST project, which can be challenging in a packed syllabus. In some cases, teachers have been hesitant to adopt DST because they worry it will detract from syllabus coverage or exam preparation. Some instructors address this by integrating DST as a semester-long project, working on it bit by bit each week, rather than a short, intensive module. Additionally, institutional factors like class duration, academic calendars, or credit hours can either constrain or enable the integration of DST.

– Assessment and Academic Acceptance: Traditional language assessments do not directly measure the skills utilized in DST, which can make it tricky for instructors to justify and evaluate digital storytelling tasks. If a curriculum is very exam-driven, teachers might be reluctant to dedicate time to DST, fearing it won’t directly raise test scores or that its outcomes are too subjective to grade. This challenge is partly perceptual and partly practical. Until DST gains wider acceptance as a pedagogical approach, individual teachers may face the challenge of justifying its inclusion, especially if it’s an innovation in their context.

– Student Resistance or Anxiety: Although many students enjoy DST, not all adapt easily to this mode of learning. Some EFL learners may feel shy about sharing personal stories or having their voice recorded in English. This can be due to fear of judgment, low confidence in language ability, or simply discomfort with appearing on video/audio. In such cases, students might participate minimally or choose very safe, impersonal topics that don’t fully engage them in storytelling. Furthermore, if group work is involved, interpersonal dynamics can introduce challenges (e.g., unequal contribution, disagreements on creative decisions).

Conclusion. Digital storytelling has established itself as a dynamic tool for teaching English as a foreign language at the tertiary level. Over the last seven years, open-access studies have documented how DST transforms the language classroom into a creative space where students actively engage in producing language rather than just consuming it. The literature shows that integrating DST can enhance EFL learners’ speaking, writing, and multiliteracy skills, boost their motivation and engagement, foster creativity and autonomy, and even heighten their intercultural awareness — all of which underscore DST’s potential as a holistic educational practice. Notably, these benefits align well with contemporary goals of higher education, which aim to develop well-rounded communicators and critical thinkers.

At the same time, this review has highlighted that successful implementation of digital storytelling in TEFL comes with challenges. Adequate technological infrastructure, teacher and student training, careful time management, and supportive institutional attitudes are essential ingredients to make DST initiatives work. When these challenges are met, however, the outcomes can be very rewarding. In a field often concerned with measurable results, DST reminds us of the intangible yet invaluable aspects of language learning — personal expression, identity, and human connection — facilitated through narrative.

In moving forward, researchers and educators are encouraged to continue innovating with digital storytelling and investigating its impacts. By addressing the gaps in research, such as exploring long-term effects and refining methods for broader implementation, the academic community can develop a more comprehensive understanding of DST’s role in language education. There is also room for interdisciplinary collaboration, bringing insights from digital media studies, storytelling research, and second language acquisition together to enrich DST practices.

In summary, digital storytelling in tertiary TEFL programs represents a convergence of pedagogy, technology, and artistry. It aligns with a learner-centered paradigm that is increasingly relevant in the 21st century. The evidence to date positions DST as a promising approach to not only enhance language skills but also to engage and inspire students in new ways. The continuing evolution of DST — with new tools, new research, and new narratives — will no doubt contribute to the ongoing improvement of English language teaching and learning in higher education.

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