INTEGRATION OF ISLAMIC VALUES IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNING THROUGH STORYTELLING: STRATEGIES AND IMPACTS ON STUDENTS’ CHARACTER FORMATION (AGES 7–10)

Abstract

For both language development and moral foundation, the formative years of 7–10 are crucial. This study investigates the effectiveness of using storytelling to incorporate Islamic beliefs into English language learning (ELL). The study investigates how student involvement and character characteristics like honesty, empathy, and reverence are impacted by prophetic narratives and moral parables translated into English using a qualitative action research approach in an Integrated Islamic Elementary School setting. Teacher interviews, student reflective journals, and classroom ethnography were used to gather data. The results show that storytelling acts as a “moral bridge,” enabling pupils to learn English vocabulary and grammar while also internalizing Islamic Akhlak. According to the study’s findings, storytelling helps young students develop a comprehensive “Global Muslim” identity from an early age by reducing the “cultural gap” that is frequently present in Western-centric ESL materials. Keywords: ESL pedagogy, Islamic values, character development, young learners, and storytelling.