BRIDGING LITERATURE AND LANGUAGE: THE CONSEQUENCES OF TEACHING GRAMMAR USING SHORT STORIES

Abstract This study investigates the impact of teaching grammar using Afro-Asian short stories on Grade 8 student participants in one of the schools of Misamis Oriental, Philippines. The focus was on these student participants’ proficiency levels and behaviors through closed-ended self-assessments. Employing a quasi-experimental design, 16 students participated in 5-day grammar sessions covering context clues, structural analysis, modal verbs, transition signals, and parenthetical phrases, accompanied by a self-assessment survey. Pre-test results showed a mean score of 20.94, reflecting low initial grammar proficiency. The lessons integrated Afro-Asian short stories aligned with the Most Essential Learning Competencies (MELCs) and the English Curriculum Guide (ECG), utilizing Vygotsky's Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) and Sysoyev's 3Es (exploration, explanation, expression) as theoretical foundations. Posttest results indicated a mean score of 32.75, demonstrating a significant improvement in students' grammar proficiency. The Wilcoxon Signed-rank test confirmed a highly significant difference between pre-test and posttest scores, indicating the effectiveness of the intervention and a marked enhancement in students' grammar proficiency.