Use of Novels to Teach ESL to the Technical Students in the Engineering Colleges - A Study

Objectives: This study proposes for analyzing the usage of novel as a teaching tool to English learners in India. Teaching of English as Second Language (ESL) to speakers of English outside Britain poses peculiar problems. Previous literature works are not written properly for the purpose of class room learning and teaching. This article lists out reasons for teaching English through novels in ESL classes. It is proposed to find out whether the novels can enrich the students' knowledge of English culture and whether they can enhance their language skills. Methods: For the purpose of the present study, a class consisting of 50 students was identified. A pretest was conducted to assess the level of understanding of linguistic skills, vocabulary and the knowledge of grammatical structures of the students. After the completion of the project, a test was conducted to find out the improvements in the learners. Findings: The data of the pre-test and post-test are analysed. It is evident that the use of novel as a teaching tool has kindled the interest of the learners in knowing about a foreign culture. The experiment has also proved that the innovative use of the novel has improved the language skills of the learners. Applications: This method of teaching English through novel can be used in the English taught countries as a second language. Use of novel as a tool is both innovative and useful to the non-native learners.