KYSS: know your story structure

UNESCO Institute of Statistics reported that Malaysia literacy rate stands at almost 95%. Despite the strong literacy presence, local academics are deeply concerned about the lack of a reading culture. As a result, students often struggle to narrate stories effectively and face difficulties in structuring ideas in writing. To bridge the gap between these challenges and the mechanistic writing instruction commonly practiced in writing classes, KYSS (Know Your Story Structure) has been developed as an innovative teaching and learning tool. It aims to sharpen students’ skills in structuring narratives with purpose. This innovation enables students to identify the four types of narrative structures- linear, circular, parallel, and flashback -through an interactive gameplay experience. With each turn, participants draw upon their writing knowledge to identify story structures while actively listen to their peers. The unique blend of linguistic challenges and engaging activities provides a fresh and dynamic experience, allowing students to refine their listening and writing skills while strategizing to outsmart their opponents. KYSS benefits language teachers by diversifying their teaching methods and enriching their writing class materials. Students also gain a significant advantage as they learn to structure narratives effectively in an enjoyable and interactive way. This innovation holds immense potential for commercialization as it fulfills the learners’ needs that the market has yet to offer.