The Effect of Shadowing Activities Based on Dramatization of Picture Books on Chinese Young English Learners’ English Proficiency

초록

This study investigates how shadowing activities based on the dramatization of English picture books affect the English proficiency of Chinese young learners. Fifty-eight fifth graders from a public school participated in a 10-week intervention, which included pre-, post-, and final- test measure. The experimental group utilized short audio recordings collected through a WeChat study group to verify task completion. Results showed that the experimental group achieved significantly higher scores on curriculum-based English assessments, as indicated by their Tongkao total scores. However, improvements in listening comprehension and long-term retention were limited. Notably, shadowing activities were paused for about a month between the post-test and final-test due to scheduling constraints at school, which may have contributed to the decrease in observed gains. These findings suggest that while combining dramatization with shadowing can lead to short-term improvements in academic English achievement in exam-oriented environments, continued engagement is essential for maintaining progress over time. The study highlights both the potential benefits and practical challenges of implementing supplementary oral practice for young EFL learners in under-resourced educational settings.

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