Brief narrative immersion for lasting learning: the role of short stories and fan fiction in lexical and grammatical retention in EFL

This study analyzes the impact of using short stories and fan fiction as supplementary stimuli to improve lexical and grammatical retention in students of English as a foreign language (EFL) in Ecuadorian secondary education. Based on cognitive-behavioral, socio-constructivist, and use-based learning theories, the study explores whether brief and repeated immersion in narrative input, followed by creative writing tasks, leads to significant linguistic improvements. A quasi-experimental design was employed with the participation of 74 second-year high school students from private schools in the Riobamba canton, divided into an experimental group (n = 37) and a control group (n = 37). For six weeks, the experimental group worked with short story reading cycles, notice-reading activities, and micro-fan fiction production, while the control group followed traditional textbook-based instruction. The pre- and post-intervention tests, designed and validated according to the CEFR A2-B1 descriptors, assessed vocabulary and grammar. The results showed substantial differences: the experimental group achieved significantly greater gains (M ? 9.50) compared to the control group (M ? 2.90), with a large effect size (d ? 1.95). These findings indicate that short, structured narrative cycles promote deep processing, retrieval practice, and repeated exposure—essential mechanisms for long-term retention. The study provides empirical evidence for the discussion on integrating literary reading and creative writing into English language teaching, highlighting this strategy as viable and highly effective for secondary school classrooms.