Directing the Story: Enhancing L2 Oral Fluency and Narrative Complexity through Student-Generated 360° Content

Abstract

This case study examines how Thai EFL demonstration students in Bangkok develop L2 oral fluency and narrative complexity as they enact the role of “360° narrative directors'' in an AI virtual tour project. Embedded in a thematic English subject, the intervention in the demonstration classroom, guided students through a multi-step workflow, which included the construction of locally relevant themes, creation of 360° images, use of Gemini AI to draft and refine descriptions for six focused-object hotspots, Panoee integration, and delivery of a tour with a simulated tourist for a guided Q&A. Data sources included]; teacher observation notes, written descriptions and scripts, audio and video rehearsal recordings, video of final performances, and short reflections of tool use and learning after the project. Analyses showed many students developed their ability to speak with oral fluency as they bridged fragmented heavily scripted delivery to more continuous speech with clearer sequencing and fewer breakdowns. improvement was also noticeable as they transcended from object listing to constructing clear narratives with audience and purpose focused storylines, causally and temporally interrelating hotspots and positioning her as a visitor to the scene. students used Gemini to create a first draft of their vocabulary and sentence structures, and Panoee to spatially story map the term, and to help them with the flow of their tours. Teachers noted a change from students copying an AI text to leveling and contextualizing AI to suit their own purposes. The data suggests that student generated 360° content, generative AI, and performance based assessment, can help improve oral fluency and narratives. Additionally, it helps develop tourism-oriented English for Specific Purposes language, in the Thai secondary EFL context.