Storytelling for understanding: a case study of an English-language digital storytelling service-learning subject for refugee children in Hong Kong

PurposeWhile most language departments of the university offer service-learning (SL) subjects based on language teaching, such as "Teaching Chinese as a Second Language in Local Schools" and "Serving the Community through Teaching English," this paper aims to argue that teaching students to teach language(s) is yet to be the best strategy to serve the service recipients.Design/methodology/approachSL is widely understood as an experiential learning pedagogy that integrates academic focus, reflection and community service and is shown to be impactful. In Hong Kong, the first university that has made SL a graduation requirement is the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (the University). Considering this, new SL courses have proliferated over the past decade. Adopting a narrative inquiry approach, this paper examines personal narratives from a new SL subject aiming to raise awareness of refugees in Hong Kong. The data includes students' reflective journals, co-created personal narratives and podcasts and semi-structured interviews.FindingsThis paper finds that crafting and recording narratives of shared experiences deepens cultural understanding, cultivates empathy and facilitates language learning in a genuine setting.Social implicationsUltimately, this paper advocates a well-designed SL that combines language, content and technology as a powerful, transformational experience for both college students and service recipients.Originality/valueThis paper focuses on a brand new SL course, "Storytelling for Understanding: Refugee Children in Hong Kong," offered in Semester 1, 2022-2023. The subject was developed by the two authors from a language division affiliated to the University. The deliverables were podcast recordings, co-authored and co-edited by the students and the children.