We are reading the stories we write

Abstract

This study aims at investigating the effects of learner-generated stories on students’ attitudes and English language development in comparison to ready-made readers. Using a mixed-methods research design, the data were obtained from the questionnaire, semi-structured interview, and the Oxford Placement Test (OPT). One hundred and forty English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students from the experimental group and 140 from the control group from two different public high schools participated in the study. The students in the experimental group wrote stories for their peers throughout the academic year. The students in the experimental group read the stories written by their peers and the students in the control group read the stories (readers) published by the international publishers. The results indicated that the students in the experimental group perceived the learner-generated materials more positively in comparison to the control group using the ready-made readers. Moreover, the learner-generated materials also contributed to the students’ English development more than the ready-made ones.