JOSS:

Journal of Social Science

THE IMPACT OF SHORT STORIES FOR ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE AND FOREIGN LANGUAGE STUDENTS: A LITERATURE REVIEW

Zanyar Nathir Ghafar, Putri Amalia Zubaedah

ESP Department, National Institute of Technology, Sulaimaniyah, Kurdistan Region, Iraq

Postgraduate IAIN Syekh Nurjati Cirebon, Indonesia

Email: [email protected], [email protected]

KEYWORDS EFL, ESL, Short stories, Vocabulary, Reading comprehension, self-motivated

ABSTRACT Background: The importance of reading and comprehending short stories has been focused by many experts, particularly those who work in English as a second or foreign language (ESL) and (EFL). There has been a significant amount of investigation on how effectively employing brief narratives might aid ESL students' instruction. Aim: Many educators and researchers have been looking into more efficient approaches to assisting pupils in realizing their full academic potential as qualified readers. They support the idea that it would be beneficial to add literary works into language education, and they believe this would be beneficial. Suppose students of English as a second language (ESL) are taught literature in general and short stories in particular, effectively by ESL instructors. In that case, ESL and EFL students may get various benefits. Short tales, in particular, may be very beneficial. Method: Several databases have been utilized to search current research. Seventeen relevant papers were selected for evaluation on this topic. They were investigated extensively, and the results were conveyed normatively. Findings: This review paper summarizes the publications' most significant results and explains that short stories may be convincing to enhance vocabulary, self-motivated, and professionalism; this study's goal was to understand better how reading brief stories by students affected their comprehension processes. At the same time, they are correctly chosen and taught. The recommendation is obtained from the review, summarizing the most significant to applying ESL and EFL classes.

INTRODUCTION

Many ELT experts and educators have recognized the importance of short tales in helping students improve their reading comprehension skills for centuries. This usage of short tales has received a lot of attention and is highly recommended, especially in locales where English is a second language that is taught and learnt. One of the most crucial language abilities is reading comprehension. It is defined as the capacity of a language learner to comprehend a written text in order to identify the main concept and particular details (Hişmanoğlu, 2005). For students learning English as a Second Language (henceforth ESL), the capacity to deduce concepts from a text is crucial. The most crucial tool for academic contexts, according to (Anderson, 2003), is reading ability. This is so because reading encompasses a variety of skills. It is a set of abilities and procedures that readers use to engage with written material in order to gain knowledge and have fun. Writing, speaking, vocabulary, grammar, spelling, and other language skills may all be taught via reading, according to educators (Mourão, 2009). Reading also enables pupils to broaden their interests, comprehend the world, and overcome personal obstacles. What reading techniques can we use to encourage ESL students to broaden their frontiers of thought, investigate the world, and identify their own questions? Reading literary works is the straightforward solution. It's not a new idea to use literature while instructing ESL students. Literature was one of the primary sources used in the Grammar Translation Method in the nineteenth century (Khatib, 2011).

Because of their many pedagogical benefits, short stories are thus recommended by academics like (Brumfit & Carter, 1986) as one of the greatest ELT teaching techniques. They believe that short tales aid children in more successfully developing their language abilities. They are simple to do in class and are definitely understandable. Stories also hold the kids' interest longer than any other kind of reading. In light of the relevance of these perspectives about the use of short stories in ELT classes for the development of language abilities, the current article tries to explore how  EFL learners perceive this usage of short stories. The effectiveness of any content or process in the classroom is evaluated by the students and how they feel about its utilization. The study focuses on how short stories are currently used in English as a Foreign Language classes and presents the researcher's viewpoint on how to utilize short stories to enhance reading comprehension in such circumstances.

Given its ability to assist students improve the four skills listening, speaking, reading, and writing more effectively because of the motivating value incorporated in the tales, short stories seem to be the most appropriate option among literary genres (Pardede, 2011). Numerous ESL specialists agree that short stories, as a condensed literary form, are important for enhancing reading comprehension. They think that including literature into language training is beneficial. Short story usage has been extensively researched and advocated, in especially in regions where English is considered a second language and is both taught and studied. This is due to the fact that gaining knowledge and expertise a second language may be difficult for ESL students for a variety of reasons. The main cause is a lack of exposure to second languages. According to academics, using short stories in ESL classes is one of the best ways for instructors to close the knowledge gap that students experience owing to their limited exposure to second languages.

METHODOLOGY

In order to carry out a search of the current form of published research, a variety of different databases have to be used. Regarding this subject, 17 articles were chosen for review since it was felt that they contributed anything significant to the discussion at hand. They were subjected to an extensive inquiry, the findings of which were then reported in narrative form after the investigation had been concluded.

RESULT AND DISCUSSION

Many Benefits That Come With Teaching Short Stories

(Pathan, 2013) breaks down the many advantages of utilizing short tales in EFL classes into multiple categories, including linguistic, sociocultural, personal, and emotional benefits. She then explores each benefit in depth, paying particular attention to any potential ramifications for EFL instructors and students. Additionally, Mouro (2009) provides a list of thirty benefits of using short tales in ELT classes. Short tales provide teaching and learning materials that are engaging, genuine, and have high educational value, according to (Lazar, 1993). Stories aid in language learning and assist pupils in understanding a different culture. Additionally, they assist pupils improve their language awareness and interpretive skills. Additionally, by injecting some excitement into the classroom and allowing for a change in routine and a fresh recipe, stories empower students to communicate their ideas and emotions while also making language learning interesting. For this reason, academics like (Garvie, 1990) advocate for using stories to teach foreign languages.

In a study of 10 students and 10 instructors in tertiary education, (Barzani, 2020) points out that short stories promote the teaching process and improve ESL learners' reading comprehension. There are a plethora of benefits to telling short tales in ESL classes. This review, however, highlights that short stories increase interest in reading, improve reading comprehension skills, provide cultural knowledge, teach moral values, provide effective tools to teach children, and stimulate prior knowledge by taking into account a wide range of prior empirical studies conducted in the field.

Short stories have several linguistic benefits, such as simple sentence structures and terminology that is utilized in context, which facilitates acquiring foreign language abilities. They assist EFL students in expanding their vocabulary while encouraging them to better grasp each of the four language abilities of speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Find out (Murdoch, 2002) for further details on this language component. He contends that stories can be used to teach all language proficiency levels the four language skills, and that when used properly, short stories can significantly improve ELT programs for participants at intermediate proficiency levels.

Additionally, there are several socio cultural advantages to using short tales. Stories may also be the most effective way to transfer moral and cultural values in culturally sensitive environments like Libya, just as they have been for ages when it comes to teaching principles, values, and common sense. According to (Kirschenbaum, 1995), telling tales is "one of the most successful methods for fostering ethics, especially for the youth, as stories contain powerful visuals and metaphors that function on both unconscious and conscious levels, conveying intellectual and emotional meaning" (p. 68).

Reading skill is more engaging for those who have read short stories.

According to (Hussein et al., 2021), the telling of a short story is one of the most essential components in the process of acquiring a second language, both in terms of teaching and learning. They highlight the ways in which the form and content of literary works have the potential to motivate and inspire students learning English as a second language. If teachers of English as a second language (ESL) wish to obtain more of the desired outcomes for their students and help ESL learners acquire near-native competence, the findings of their research, which involved forty students, suggest that instructors should employ texts from literature in ESL training. According to (Puri et al., 2019), reading proficiency is essential for English as Second Language learners to overcome obstacles in all language skills. Indonesia's reading interest index touched 0,001, suggesting just one person out of a thousand had an enthusiasm in reading (Puri et al., 2019). Puri and her coworkers performed their study to see how they might encourage or raise the interest of Indonesian pupils in reading. Since short tales were the best option for enhancing students' four skills reading, writing, listening, and speaking they chose to employ them. (Puri et al., 2019) study leads them to the conclusion that reading short stories increases kids' reading engagement and reading comprehension skills. Additionally, the authors provide some suggestions. They advise English instructors to provide engaging written material and visuals. Additionally, instructors should encourage students to participate in class discussions and be more involved throughout the learning and instruction process.

Students must use a number of skills to comprehend the text while reading in a second language since it is difficult. According to the reader's reading objectives, (Pourkalhor & Kohan, 2013) mention a number of different comprehension styles. In the Longman Dictionary of Language Education, the following words are often used:

1. Reading with the purpose of eliciting a feeling or other good response from the text is referred to as appreciative comprehension (Pourkalhor & Kohan, 2013). Appreciative comprehension is a kind of reading that is becoming more popular.

2. Understanding anything critically or evaluatively involves reading with the intention of contrasting the material in a piece with the reader's previous experiences and worldview.

3. Comprehension of the text in its literal form refers to the act of reading with the intention of comprehending, memorizing, or retrieving specific information included in the section.

4. Informational comprehension refers to the process of locating data that is not expressly addressed in the passage via the use of the reader's prior experience and intuition in addition to inference.

The Short Story Is a Source of Cultural Understanding

Students may improve their understanding of the language and become more sensitive to cultural differences by reading short stories.

They are capable of conveying a great deal about the various peoples' and countries' respective cultures. from different religious systems to different manners of life to different ways of living. The purpose of (Pardede, 2011) research is to educate English as a Second Language (ESL) teachers with the benefits of introducing short stories into EFL sessions. According to (Pardede, 2011), it is necessary for a teacher to choose stories that will be interesting to their students, tales that the instructor is interested in reading and discussing with their students, and tales that have been adapted into movies so that they may be viewed visually. In other words, students are more interested in reading and like the content if it is relevant to their lives and interests. In order to back up their assertion, (Pardede, 2011) provides evidence from their study.

According to (Pardede, 2011) one of the advantages of including literature into language education is that it provides insight into the culture associated with the language being taught. Students of a foreign language may get a more in-depth understanding of the country and the people who speak the target language by reading literary works, as stated by (Pardede, 2011), who cited Collie and Slater (1991). With the use of short stories, students are able to investigate communication in a wide variety of social and cultural settings with the purpose of improving their language skills. The end result of this will be that students will have a deeper comprehension of the characteristics, as well as the depth and diversity, of the language. By reading works of literature, children have the opportunity to see the world from the viewpoints of other people, see the expression of human values in a variety of lifestyles, and get an understanding that individuals in their immediate environment live in cultures that are very different from their own. Students will understand the social, economic, historical, and cultural events that take place in a particular society, and they will also develop a comprehensive knowledge of these events (Pardede, 2011).

The Moral Lessons That Can Be Learned from a Short Story

Every short story has a message to deliver about a certain topic. Because every narrative seeks to instruct the reader in some way, they all to some degree convey an ethical principle, whether it be overt, subliminal, or pedantic. (Pathan, 2013) discusses a range of short story's social and cultural benefits. He contends that brief tales the most efficient way to impart cultural and moral concepts. Short story instruction may be the most successful way to teach cultural and moral concepts in culturally sensitive contexts like Libya, claims (Pathan, 2013). For millennia, tales have been the most effective way to transmit values, principles, and common sense. According to (Kirschenbaum, 1995), "stories are one of the effective tools for inculcating morality, especially for youngsters, as they feature compelling metaphors and pictures and operate on both conscious and unconscious levels, conveying intellectual and emotional meaning" (P. 31). Pathan cites (Kirschenbaum, 1995) as stating this. He elaborates on this justification for the usefulness of short stories, highlighting that they can be applied in a variety of contexts, such as the contemporary, culturally arid world, where cultural values are eroding daily and numerous evils and tribulations are infecting our horrible deeds that we performed when we were young, as well as our actions. The telling of stories is by far the most efficient approach to impart life-affirming cultural and moral concepts to others. (Pathan, 2013) assertion that short stories may be utilized as a teaching strategy and tool, particularly to assist pupils improve their reading comprehension is reiterated by (Jeni, 2020). This is due to the fact that moral teachings and active learning are used to encourage students via short tales.

Learners may be taught a lot via the use of short stories as an effective learning tool.

A concise story might be an effective method for teaching youngsters a second language while also providing them with an environment that is both natural and fascinating. Reading aloud to children has a multitude of benefits in addition to teaching them the English language. They nurture children's creative potential, inspire children to learn about other cultures, and teach youngsters about the outside world. (Handayani, 2013) came to the conclusion that reading children short tales may be an effective educational technique since it can be tailored to the needs of students of every reading level, from novices to more experienced readers. This is due to the fact that students of all reading levels, from novices to more experienced readers, may benefit from reading short tales. It is hoped that students would have a less difficult time following the action of the story. In addition to this, it will maintain the children's enthusiasm for reading. with addition to that, it assists children with expanding their vocabularies, enhancing their capacity for critical thinking, elevating their levels of desire, and practicing their linguistic talents. Last but not least, according to (Handayani, 2013), reading short stories may help children become better readers. In a manner that is analogous, (Pardede, 2011) asserts that children may learn about a second language via the use of short stories since these stories provide children real-world examples of syntax and vocabulary.

Reading of a Short Story May Enhance Previous Experience

The use of a brief story in English education should encourage students to put what they have learned into practice. (Sagita, 2019) highlight how crucial short tales are for igniting past knowledge. They contend that reading comprehension is a means of understanding a book that takes into account the readers' ability to relate their past knowledge and reading objectives to the meanings of the text. They also discuss how the short tale is used in English classes to encourage students to put what they have learned so far into practice. As a result, the student becomes the focal point of the educational process. In addition, when students read a short story, they were able to conclude the story on their own. They have a limited but unique chance to comprehend the material of the book in conjunction with the significance of the location and its chronological progression.

Students' comprehension increases when there is a link between the primary idea, the end result, and the reader's emotions as they read a paragraph. (Sagita, 2019) claim that short tales help students relate new information to what they already know. They get familiar with a variety of concepts and words. Students may feel satisfied in their English-language growth as a result. In other words, one of the best methods for teaching pupils to read and retain what they have previously learned is to read them a short narrative.  (Ceylan, 2016) provides an additional insight on the connections that may be made between short stories and the igniting of past knowledge. She is of the idea that having children read children's short stories helps them develop their ability for analytical thinking, emotional sensitivity, and creative thinking, which in turn helps them become more imaginative people.

Improvement of oneself and introspection

The evolutions of a learner’s own experience and their ability to reflect on life via literature, reading, analyzing, and appreciation depend heavily on short tales. Literature may "open horizons of possibility, allowing students to question, interpret, connect, and explore," according to (Turg’unboyeva & Umaraliyeva, 2023). The fact that we are teaching a language as well as a people's culture makes literature an excellent teaching instrument. Reading literature is more likely to provide pupils the chance for reflection and personal development, according to (Tasneen, 2010). Due to its advantages in terms of content and language use, literature has also been utilized to teach other languages. It has been regarded as the finest method for learning vocabulary, idioms, and information. Collie and Slater (2005) 11 highlight some specific advantages of using literature in the educational setting, including the fact that it is real-world material that illustrates people's cultures, offers information from all over the world, enriches language learning, and encourages students to get involved in the subject (P. 46).

The fundamental characteristics of short stories

Short stories may be used to teach a foreign language, but instructors must choose the right texts based on their students' language proficiency. If not, reading could be an extremely challenging chore for them. In this respect, according to Hismanoglu (2005), "the language teacher must consider and take into consideration the needs, motivation, interests, cultural background, and language level of the students when determining texts from literature to be used in language classes" (p. 57). In order to lead activities in a meaningful manner that may help to ensure a positive outcome of academic work, instructors must really come to know and understand their pupils. He said that it is fascinating to evaluate short stories since it is a component of literary works. The tale may be thoroughly developed despite having a very little storyline, a small cast of people, and a limited number of locations and eras as settings. Because short stories are concise and have a clear emphasis, they encourage learners to follow along and comprehend the plot as thoroughly as possible. Students are better able to get an appreciation for the customs and defining traits of other people's cultures when they are exposed to brief literary works that take into account the variety that exists among the world's many different ethnic groups. Reading works of literature from a wide variety of cultures may assist pupils in developing an awareness of the beliefs and behaviors of other people. Literature is an effective method for educating students about the relative nature of other cultures' value systems as well as the inherent challenges involved in intercultural dialogue. Literature also helps us to comprehend how people think, act, and communicate in connection to the circumstances, time period, and region in which they are living (Amer, 2012).

Vocabulary use in short stories: its significance

Teachers have realized that in order for students to learn, they need the ability to comprehend written materials. (Abdalrahman, 2022) claims that reading literature "helps learners learn the meaning of the words in context." Students have the opportunity to improve their English competence by expanding their vocabulary, which is essential for making effective use of the language in everyday situations. To put it another way, children who acquire new vocabulary have an easier time acquiring English language skills. The teaching of foreign languages comes very near to becoming a duty for the teachers. Because language instruction has to be a part of the whole learning process that is structured around the Colombian curriculum. Students are able to more effectively communicate their thoughts and feelings to others when they have a vocabulary that is rich in terms that are used in short stories. Teachers should thus urge pupils to read straightforward literature and search up the definitions of new terms in order to encourage them to learn new words. Then, instructors may assist their pupils in greatly expanding their vocabulary by choosing appropriate short tales. "And, the more they read, the more their vocabulary will grow," writes (Barton, 2001). Students will be motivated to read more once they have an adequate vocabulary. In fact, the kids wouldn't be able to understand the materials adequately without enough words. According to (Vanisree & Charyulu, 2015), "vocabulary gives chances for the learners to communicate successfully in English. Additionally, it fosters an interest in in-depth literary reading and aids students in internalizing the values portrayed in literature (P. 39). Therefore, it is important to stress that vocabulary refers to the understanding of words and their meanings. It is essential to enhancing a learner's ability to speak English.

CONCLUSION

The use of short stories in EFL and ESL to improve students' reading comprehension skills, the use of short stories in EFL and ESL classrooms has long been recommended by professionals in the area. This is due to the fact that tales may help language students on a number of stages, namely linguistic, interpersonal, sociocultural, cognitive, and affective. Given that they are written by imaginative writers with more advanced language abilities, stories are believed to be full of language and amusing in style and help overcome the problem of EFL learners' unfavorable attitudes about reading comprehension capacity. EFL students are introduced to the effective, contextual, and metaphorical uses of language via stories, which helps them learn and understand the nuances and intricacies of a foreign language like English. In addition to other things, ESL students could gain from learning about people's customs, ways of life, and culture. It is believed that the world of short stories mimics and mirrors human existence. For instance, a reader's capacity to understand a brief story depends not just on their language skills but also on how much of their general knowledge of the outside world they are ready to impart. In conclusion, foreign language instructors and students in academic settings will be better prepared to teach English as a foreign language in an authentic environment if they are able to overcome their preconceived views and shame about the use of short tales in ELT courses. If selected and taught appropriately while taking into consideration the levels and perspectives of the students, short stories may perform miracles in improving language abilities like reading comprehension as well as socio-cultural, moral, and other personal elements for EFL students.

a. The ability to speak clearly and fluently in the language that is being taught is the primary objective of English as a second language instruction. Teachers should provide pupils with examples of how language is utilized in the actual world. The short tale is very helpful in ESL classes in achieving this aim since it integrates both literary and cultural components.

b. Students may enhance their interpretative skills while also learning a variety of linguistic concepts via the use of short tales, which provide an engaging setting for the instruction of these concepts. Reading fiction and poetry in language classes gives ESL students a number of benefits that may help them improve their language skills. It's possible that the benefits are connected to human factors like inspiration, cultural norms, and language. Students of English as a second language may find it motivating, intriguing, and engaging to learn short stories.

c. Students of English as a Second Language (ESL) may find that reading short stories, in particular, helps them become more creative and open to the cultures of different countries. As a consequence of this, instructing ESL students in the study of short stories assists in the development of their imaginative abilities, artistic abilities, and sense of identity.

d. Some academics, short tales are the perfect literary tool for classroom use since they may be employed as a motivating stimulus for pupils. The tales include a motivating component.

e. One of the best methods for teaching ESL students to read is to teach them short tales. Short stories help students increase their reading comprehension of English-language content by using the short story technique. They introduce children to a variety of words and subjects.

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Copyright holders:

Zanyar Nathir Ghafar, Putri Amalia Zubaedah (2023)

First publication right:

JoSS - Journal of Social Science

This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International