Examining the Impact of Total Physical Response Storytelling on Speaking Fluency and Confidence Among Grade 8 Learners
Pema Lhadon *
Changzamtog Middle Secondary School, Thimphu Thromde, Thimphu, Bhutan.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners in Bhutan find it difficult to speak fluently. This study examined the impact of Total Physical Response Storytelling (TPRS) on the speaking fluency and confidence of Grade VIII learners in a Bhutanese middle secondary school. A mixed-methods quasi-experimental pre-test–post-test design was employed. The study involved 68 Grade VIII learners: 34 students in the experimental group received TPRS instruction, and 34 students in the control group received traditional English instruction. The intervention was implemented over four weeks through twelve instructional sessions. Two short stories from the prescribed Grade VIII English textbook, “The Fun They Had” and “The Red Sweater”, were used as the main teaching materials. Speaking pre-test and post-test assessments were conducted to collect quantitative data and were analysed using descriptive statistics, paired-samples t-tests, and an independent-samples t-test. A semi-structured focus group discussion was conducted to gather qualitative data and was analysed using thematic analysis. The quantitative findings indicated a significant improvement in learners’ speaking performance and fluency after the TPRS intervention. The quantitative findings revealed that the experimental group demonstrated greater improvement in speaking fluency, increasing from a pre-test mean of 9.41 (SD = 1.99) to a post-test mean of 14.78 (SD = 1.81), compared with an increase from 9.61 (SD = 1.31) to 11.61 (SD = 1.31) in the control group. The post-test difference was statistically significant, t(33) = −8.235, p < .001, indicating that TPRS had a positive effect on learners’ speaking fluency. The qualitative findings indicated increased speaking confidence and reduced anxiety among learners. Learners also stated that TPRS established an enjoyable and supportive environment. The study concludes that TPRS is a promising learner-centred approach for improving speaking fluency and supporting learners’ speaking confidence. The study contributes empirical evidence to the limited literature on TPRS in the Bhutanese context and provides implications for English language teaching and curriculum development. Future research should examine TPRS using larger and more diverse samples, over longer intervention periods, and across different English language skills and educational contexts.
Keywords: Total Physical Response Storytelling (TPRS), speaking fluency, speaking confidence, English as a Foreign Language (EFL), Grade VIII learners, Bhutan, mixed-methods research