Exploring teachers’ challenges and strategies in storytelling-based in EYL teaching activities

This study explored the challenges faced by teachers and the strategies they employed when implementing storytelling activities in English for Young Learners (EYL). Although storytelling is widely recognized as an engaging and meaningful approach in early language learning, its classroom implementation presents practical challenges. This research employed a descriptive qualitative design involving four purposively selected English teachers at Main Harmoni Class, an informal education institution where storytelling was integrated into English instruction. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using the qualitative data analysis model proposed by Miles et al. (2014). The findings revealed three main challenges: limited availability of appropriate story material, vocabulary comprehension difficulties, and limited student attention span. To address these challenges, teachers employed a range of strategies, including dialogic reading, voice modulation and expressive storytelling, repetition and story segmentation, translanguaging, teacher confidence and preparation, and the use of media and learning resources. The study highlights that storytelling is not merely a reading activity but a dynamic instructional practice shaped by contextual constraints and teacher mediation. Overall, this research contributes to a deeper understanding of teachers’ classroom realities and emphasizes the importance of strategic pedagogical adaptation in supporting effective English language learning for young learners.