Effect of online digital storytelling on the comprehension of authentic listening materials and engagement of junior high school EFL learners

Storytelling has long been used to support language learning; however, the potential of online digital storytelling (ODST) to enhance authentic listening and engagement in public-school EFL classrooms remains underexplored. This study examined whether ODST can improve Grade 7 learners' comprehension of authentic spoken English and their behavioral, emotional, and cognitive engagement. A mixed-methods, quasi-experimental design was employed with two intact Grade 7 classes in Guangzhou, China (N = 59; experimental n = 30, control n = 29). Both groups completed parallel pre- and posttests of authentic listening comprehension and an 18-item engagement scale. The experimental class received an eight-week ODST intervention integrating narrated online stories with captions, visuals, and sound effects. In contrast, the control class followed textbook-based audio activities aligned with the national syllabus. Baseline equivalence was established on listening and engagement. Quantitatively, posttest outcomes were analyzed using MANCOVA/ANCOVA with pretest scores as covariates. Qualitatively, semi-structured interviews (n = 20) were thematically analyzed, with saturation assessed by codebook stability (i.e., no substantively new themes emerged in the final interviews). Compared with conventional instruction, ODST led to significantly greater improvement in authentic listening comprehension. ODST also yielded significantly higher post-intervention engagement overall and across behavioral, emotional, and cognitive subdimensions, with effects in the medium-to-large range. Interview data converged with these findings, highlighting greater enjoyment, stronger motivation to persist with challenging input, clearer understanding through multimodal cues, and increased confidence in listening. ODST yielded dual benefits for junior high EFL learners in a public-school context, improving comprehension of authentic spoken English and enhancing behavioral, emotional, and cognitive engagement. Because this is a single-site, quasi-experimental study with intact classes, causal claims and generalizability should be interpreted cautiously. The study advances ODST research by empirically linking multimodal narrative scaffolding to both authentic-listening gains and multidimensional engagement in an ecologically realistic public-school setting, and it justifies broader, longitudinal, and multi-site replications.