DIALOGIC ENGAGEMENT IN EMI THROUGH DIGITAL STORYTELLING: INSIGHTS FROM A SOUTHEAST ASIAN COLLABORATION

Abstract

This study explores how digital storytelling enhances dialogic engagement in English as a Medium of Instruction (EMI) in a Southeast Asian collaboration. The research engaged two teachers and seven Filipino and Indonesian students collaboratively co-authoring a digital storybook through WhatsApp and Canva. Chat transcripts, reflections, and the final product were analyzed thematically to identify the teacher–student and student–student interaction patterns. Findings reveal that digital storytelling created a shared communicative space where participants negotiated meaning, scaffolded language, and co-constructed knowledge. WhatsApp enabled sustained, low-stakes interaction, while teacher facilitation promoted learner autonomy. The study demonstrates how accessible digital tools can transform EMI into a dialogic, collaborative practice that fosters engagement, confidence, and intercultural awareness.