Improving Narrative Essay Writing Skills through Process Genre Approach: BS 1st Year ESL University Students in Karachi

Abstract

The primary purpose of the study is to investigate the effect of process genre approach in improving the narrative essay writing skills of undergraduate ESL students. A quasi-experimental research design was used. The sample size consisted of sixty students who were selected through a purposive sampling technique. Furtherly, they were divided into two groups, i.e, experimental and control. The data were gathered through pretest and posttest. Meanwhile, the students in the experimental group received treatment through process genre approach whereas the students in the control group received the traditional teaching method. The duration of treatment was 8 weeks, with a 90-minute lesson plan per week. Moreover, the narrative essays were graded through a standardized rubric and analysed statistically through SPSS V (24). The findings established that both groups improved their narrative essay writing skills; however, the students in the experimental group demonstrated significant improvement in narrative essay aspect (content and structure, style and accuracy) achieved through process genre approach. Thus, process genre approach enhances students' ability to write narrative essays substantially. English teachers at the university level are, therefore, strongly encouraged to recognize the importance of process genre approach and to adopt this model in assisting their students to improve their writing skills.