The effects of the TPRS Method on the Students’ English Vocabulary Acquisition at the Catholic University of Cuenca

Abstract

The present research investigates the effects that the Teaching Proficiency through Reading and Storytelling (TPRS) method has on the second level students’ English vocabulary acquisition at the Catholic University of Cuenca, Cañar Extension, as well as, the perceptions learners have when being taught by means of it. TPRS is a method that makes use of different resources to teach languages, providing comprehensible input and personalization under social real or imaginary situations coming from the students’ social context, and cognitive and affective needs. It falls within the Communicative Language Teaching Approach since it offers opportunities for social interaction between the learners and the teacher. The method was applied to 56 students in two classes; the students belonged to the second English level at the aforementioned university. Thirty participants were part of the experimental group and twenty-six took part in the control one. Data from both groups were collected in the pre and post-test stages through the Cambridge Vocabulary Test in order to compare results and establish their relationships. Additionally, a survey was administered to the participants in the experimental group to gather information about their perceptions towards TPRS. An independent sample t-test statistical analysis was conducted to compare the means from the two participant groups. Results indicated that the learners from the experimental group outperformed the ones in the control one on measures of vocabulary acquisition. Additionally, results from the survey questionnaire indicated that learners strongly agreed that the TPRS strategies supported them to acquire the English vocabulary.