An Experimental Study on Teaching English Language through Digital Short Stories

Abstract

The present study is an Experimental design in identifying the effectiveness of narration approach for learning English in ELT classroom among first year engineering students in enhancing their English language through digital short stories. It is a data- based research that comes up with a conclusion that is capable of being verified by observation and experiment. The research design is ‘Two- group pretest- posttest design’. In this experimental hypothesis testing research a group which is exposed to usual conditions is termed as ‘control group’ where no novel teaching interventions will be undertaken whereas the group that is exposed to some novel ideas or special conditions is termed as ‘experimental group’ where narration approach is adopted. This study was carried out among two sections of first year B. Tech. engineering students during second semester of 2017-2018 batch at Dr.MGR Educational and Research Institute. Both qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis techniques were designed. For quantitative the data management and analysis was performed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) via paired samples t-test to statistically conclude the impact on the method adopted. And the qualitative data collection was done through questionnaires. To find the influence of the method adopted towards Technical English - II the model examination marks of both the groups was analyzed. The implication of the research was clear that digital short stories through narrative approach have enhanced the communication skills such as Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing (LSRW). It made the learners to master grammar automatically without grammar tables and boring drills. And it also build fluency such as slang and expressions with fun, fast and easy without any difficulties just as one masters their mother tongue which enhances all the four LSRW skills of communication. The major development in experimental group was in their oral competency. They were fluent in expressing easily and articulating smoothly though not accurately when comparing to the controlled group.