Teaching Reading through Short Stories in a Digital Task-Based Environment

The paper explores the practicability of a task-based language teaching (TBLT) model that adopts culturally sensitive South Asian Short Stories to improve reading comprehension through sustained interest and autonomous reflection among learners in an English as a Second Language (ESL) adapted digital context. Based on the frameworks of critical literacy, the structured pre-, during-, and post-reading activities were combined with the use of Google Classroom, Padlet, and Flipgrid, and six chosen stories related to the comprehension of the specificities of the learner's sociocultural background. Mixed-methods design of comparative study of engineering undergraduates utilized pre- and post-tests along with step-by-step qualitative thematic analysis (NVivo) and partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to provide strong, valid data to arrive at quantitative conclusions. The findings showed that there were both direct and indirect relationships between TBLT and engagement and comprehension of reading by the learners and that culturally relevant pedagogy acted as an intermediate variable. Digital mediation also increased reflective autonomy through context-based interactive learning. These results were supported by the qualitative strand, which had one primary focus- greater motivation and intercultural awareness among learners. The results were enhanced by methodological triangulation, which combined the two strands. The research in question contributes to English-Specific-Purposes pedagogy by substantiating the existence of an empirically grounded model that correlates communicative activity with culturally responsive, technology-informed pedagogy. The implications have been realized in practice, as there is a need to ensure that instructors integrate culturally important activities into digital platforms to make them more interactive and comprehensible.