Communicative Activities for Written and Spoken Production of Narrative Tenses in English

Abstract

Grammatical forms like narrative tenses might be challenging for English language learners from diverse educational contexts. This study, therefore, proposes alternative communicative activities to embed narrative tenses into contextualized practice through creative writing and imaginative speaking scenarios. Employing a qualitative action research method, the researcher recommends two communicative grammar activities on narrative tenses. To test the effectiveness of these teaching activities, the researcher exploits a test of grammar, an open-ended survey, student artifacts, and observational notes. Findings indicate positive learner perceptions of incorporating such activities in teaching narrative tenses. They also reveal significant improvement in learners’ grammatical accuracy. Accordingly, the two contextualized communicative activities for written and oral production that foster narrative tenses are presented. The preparation and procedures for these activities are explained. Possible adaptations to context, level, modality, and assessment are dis-cussed. In addition to bridging the gap between controlled grammar practice and authentic language use, the teaching activities proposed in the current study intend to promote contextualized grammar practice, creative learner engagement, productive skills integration, and storytelling skills. The study’s originality lies in reporting the findings of teacher-led classroom practice and proposes two contextualized teaching activities for the communicative practice of narrative tenses, an un-der-researched area.