Journal of Discourse Review

Journal of Discourse Review

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Story Grammar as Pedagogic Discourse: Enhancing Narrative Comprehension among ESL Learners in West Bengal’s State-Run Classrooms

Madhusree Mukherjee1*

 

1 West Bengal State University, Berunanpukuria, India.

*Corresponding author: [email protected]

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Year: 2025, Page: 96-108,

Received: Feb. 16, 2025 Accepted: March 28, 2025 Published: April 22, 2025

Abstract

This exploratory study investigates the effectiveness of story grammar instruction in enhancing narrative text comprehension among upper primary English as a Second Language (ESL) learners in a Bengali-medium boys’ school in West Bengal, India. Drawing on Mandler’s framework of story grammar and Cooper’s instructional model, the study implemented an 11-day intervention with 15 Class V students divided into three groups: experimental, listening, and control. A quasi-experimental design employing pre-test, post-test, and maintenance test phases was used to measure changes in reading comprehension. The experimental group received explicit instruction through story mapping and visual aids, while the listening group engaged in passive narrative exposure. Statistical analyses revealed that the experimental group showed significant improvement in post-test and retention scores (p < 0.05), with a strong correlation between initial comprehension and maintenance. The findings suggest that structured story grammar instruction can support ESL learners in recognizing narrative elements and improving overall comprehension, offering valuable implications for curriculum design and pedagogical practice in lowresource educational contexts.

Keywords: ESL learners, Story grammar, Reading comprehension, Narrative texts, Story mapping, Primary education.

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Cite this article

Mukherjee, M. (2025). Story Grammar as Pedagogic Discourse: Enhancing Narrative Comprehension among ESL Learners in West Bengal’s State-Run Classrooms. Journal of Discourse Review, 1(1), 96-108.

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