<![CDATA[Speaking skills in high school English learning are often treated as measurable competencies rather than meaningful communicative experiences, leading to low student confidence, anxiety, and disengagement. This community service activity addressed the gap in existing research by exploring high school students' perspectives on literature-based storytelling training considered as a dimension frequently overlooked in prior studies that predominantly focused on linguistic outcomes. Using Participatory Action Research (PAR), this program engaged 32 Grade XI students from a public high school in Semarang as active participants throughout the planning, implementation, and reflection stages. Data were collected through open reflective questionnaires, focus group discussions, and voluntary student journals, then analyzed using inductive thematic analysis. Four key themes emerged from the findings: (1) storytelling as a psychologically safe space for self-expression, (2) literary texts as a bridge to cultural reflection, (3) a motivational shift from obligation to genuine enjoyment of English, and (4) a growing aesthetic awareness of the art of storytelling. These findings affirm that literature-based storytelling holds significant transformative potential beyond linguistic skill development, fostering students' identities as language users. Integrating storytelling as a regular component of English-speaking instruction, alongside culturally relevant text selection and qualitative evaluation, is strongly recommended for sustainable and student-centered language learning.]]>
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