Folk Tales and Stories to Enhance Reading Skills in EFL Learners

Abstract

Reading stories and folktales benefits students in multiple ways, including improving their English reading skills, oral and written language proficiency, imagination, and socialization. It also improves your knowledge and contributes to preserving Ecuadorian culture, aligning with efforts to improve the quality of education globally. A common problem in educational units is the insufficient use of effective teaching methodologies to improve reading comprehension in English. Reading Ecuadorian stories and stories in English serves as a valuable tool for educational development. In this study, three key questions were posed to collect data, primarily through a questionnaire distributed to English teachers. The questions revolved around reading skills, implementing a new educational approach, and using local stories and stories to reinforce reading motivation and skill development. Local stories and folk tales improve young students' reading comprehension skills for several reasons. They often take place in a familiar cultural context, which attracts and motivates students to read. These stories are written in the language and dialects common to the region, which makes them linguistically accessible. They provide cultural knowledge and contain context-specific clues, encouraging students to make inferences. These stories also promote empathy and perspective taking as they feature relatable characters and situations. Exposure to diverse cultures and oral traditions broadens students' worldview and encourages critical thinking, while instilling a sense of cultural identity and pride. Incorporating these stories into the curriculum is a valuable strategy for educators to improve the reading comprehension skills and general literacy of young students.