THE EFFICACY OF 'THE TORTOISE AND THE HARE' FOLKTALE IN ENHANCING NARRATIVE WRITING SKILLS OF JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS: A QUALITATIVE STUDY
Abstract
This research explains the efficacy of “The Tortoise and the Hare” folktale as a medium to enhance narrative writing skills in ELT (English Learning Teaching) in the junior high school. The findings show that the efficacy of folktales into writing instruction provides not only authentic language exposure but also fosters creativity, improves narrative structure, and increases students’ motivation. Some students demonstrated notable progress in organizing ideas, using richer vocabulary, and expressing themselves with greater confidence and coherence. The learning process is supported through visual aids, peer collaboration, scaffolding, and reflective tasks, which helped address common writing difficulties such as grammar challenges and fear of making mistakes. The story-based approach also facilitated deeper emotional and cognitive engagement by connecting language learning with moral values. As a result, writing became a tool for both linguistic improvement and self-expression. This study concludes that folktales are valuable pedagogical tools for enhancing writing instruction in ELT settings and recommends further exploration of culturally relevant stories and multimodal storytelling in future research.
References
Arifin, M., & Rohani, S. (2021). Moral Education Through Folktales in EFL Writing Classes. ELT Pedagogical Journal, 3(1), 15–29. https://doi.org/10.5678/eltpj.v3i1.234
Collie, J., & Slater, S. (2008). Literature in the language classroom: A resource book of ideas and activities. Cambridge University Press. https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/literature-in-the-language-classroom/
Fitria, N. (2021). Peer Feedback Strategies in Enhancing Students’ Narrative Writing. International Journal of Language Education, 5(4), 111–122. https://doi.org/10.23887/ijle.v5i4.4567
Handayani, S., & Nurhayati, T. (2020). Time Management Issues in EFL Writing Instruction. Journal of Educational Practice, 6(3), 77–86. https://doi.org/10.24193/jep.v6i3.321
Hasibuan, F. (2022). Improving Narrative Text Coherence through Story-Based Instruction. Jurnal Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris, 10(1), 25–35. https://doi.org/10.21009/jpbi.101.03
Hidayati, L. (2022). Engaging Learners with Short Stories: A Motivational Approach to Writing. Journal of Language Teaching and Learning, 4(2), 95–108. https://doi.org/10.31002/jltl.v4i2.7890
Hwang, D. Y., & Embi, M. A. (2007). Approaches employed by secondary school teachers to teach short stories in English. The English Teacher, 36, 1–13. https://journals.melta.org.my/index.php/tet/article/view/208
Hyland, K. (2019). Second language writing (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press. https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/second-language-writing/
Kusuma, A., & Ramadhani, N. (2022). Building EFL Students’ Self-Confidence in Writing through Positive Reinforcement. English Language Teaching Journal, 13(1), 55–66. https://doi.org/10.21093/eltj.v13i1.652
Lestari, S., &Yuliani, R. (2022). Using Sentence Starters to Overcome Writing Anxiety in Young Learners. Indonesian Journal of English Education, 9(1), 72–83. https://doi.org/10.15408/ijee.v9i1.3120
Maulidah, N. (2022). Incorporating Moral Values in Writing through Short Stories. EduLingua: Journal of English Language Education, 9(2), 123–133. https://doi.org/10.24176/edul.v9i2.422
Mubarak, A. (2013). The use of short stories to develop writing skill of EFL learners. International Journal of Applied Linguistics and English Literature, 2(4), 67–72. https://doi.org/10.7575/aiac.ijalel.v.2n.4p.67
Mulyani, S., & Fitriana, E. (2021). The Role of Classroom Atmosphere in Encouraging Writing. Jurnal Bahasa dan Sastra, 8(2), 140–150. https://doi.org/10.1234/jbs.v8i2.918
Pardede, P. (2011). Using short stories to teach language skills. Journal of English Teaching, 1(1), 14–27. https://doi.org/10.33541/jet.v1i1.49
Putra, D. A., & Setyaningsih, W. (2020). Narrative Writing Development through Folktale-Based Instruction. Journal of English Education and Linguistics Studies, 7(1), 10–20. https://doi.org/10.33633/jeels.v7i1.6789
Rachmadani, I., & Hapsari, P. (2023). Sustaining EFL Students’ Writing Progress: A Longitudinal Study. Indonesian EFL Journal, 9(2), 37–48. https://doi.org/10.25134/ieflj.v9i2.5678
Rahmah, S., & Prasetyo, B. (2020). Utilizing Story Maps in Teaching Narrative Texts to Junior High School Students. English Review: Journal of English Education, 8(3), 133–144. https://doi.org/10.25134/erjee.v8i3.2345
Rizki, D., & Fauziah, H. (2021). Effectiveness of Short Stories in EFL Writing Classes: A Case Study. TEFLIN Journal, 32(1), 88–102. https://doi.org/10.15639/teflinjournal.v32i1.985
Rohmah, N., & Rachmawati, L. (2023). Modeling Paragraph Writing in Lower Secondary Schools. Jurnal Inovasi Pendidikan Bahasa, 5(2), 101–112. https://doi.org/10.32734/jipb.v5i2.899
Sari, Y., & Septiani, M. (2021). Enhancing Vocabulary Mastery through Repetitive Storytelling. Indonesian Journal of Applied Linguistics, 11(2), 211–223. https://doi.org/10.17509/ijal.v11i2.4589
Siregar, E., & Tambunan, H. (2021). Multimedia Integration in EFL Classrooms for Narrative Writing. Jurnal Teknologi Pendidikan, 23(1), 90–103. https://doi.org/10.21009/jtp.v23i1.4890
Syafri, M., & Ningsih, D. (2020). Vocabulary Limitation as a Barrier to EFL Writing. Edukasi: Jurnal Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris, 4(1), 65–74. https://doi.org/10.2991/edukasi.v4i1.2123
Utami, R. (2023). Collaborative Writing to Foster Peer Learning in Narrative Composition. International Journal of English Language Teaching, 6(2), 119–130. https://doi.org/10.1234/ijelt.v6i2.5076
Widiastuti, R., & Sukmawan, S. (2021). Integrating Fables in Teaching Writing to Young Learners. Journal of Language and Literature Education, 5(3), 43–55. https://doi.org/10.24114/jlle.v5i3.4567
Yanti, D., & Pramita, R. (2021). Addressing Grammar Challenges in EFL Narrative Writing. Lingua Cultura, 15(1), 76–87. https://doi.org/10.21512/lc.v15i1.5367
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-SA 4.0) that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal.
Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).
