Abstract: In the digital era, English Language Teaching (ELT) increasingly relies on curated digital resources like interactive apps, online portals, and multimedia texts to enhance language proficiency (Richards & Rodgers, 2014). However, teacher education programs often prioritize pedagogy over improving prospective English teachers' own vocabulary and reading skills, despite their critical role in effective teaching (Darling-Hammond et al., 2020). This quasi-experimental study examined the impact of systematically curated digital resources on these skills among prospective teachers.
    Using a pre-test–post-test control group design, 80 B.Ed. English students from a teacher education college in Bhopal, India (40 experimental, 40 control; mean age 22.5 years), participated over 8 weeks. The experimental group engaged in twice-weekly 60-minute sessions with platforms like British Council LearnEnglish and Quizlet for vocabulary exercises (e.g., collocations, quizzes) and reading tasks (e.g., glossed authentic texts). The control group used traditional print materials. Instruments included validated vocabulary and reading comprehension tests (Cronbach’s α = .85–.92) and a post-intervention attitude questionnaire.
    Results showed significant post-test gains for the experimental group (vocabulary: Mpre=62.4,SD=8.2Mpre​=62.4,SD=8.2 to Mpost=78.1,SD=7.5Mpost​=78.1,SD=7.5; reading: Mpre=58.7,SD=9.1Mpre​=58.7,SD=9.1 to Mpost=75.3,SD=8.4Mpost​=75.3,SD=8.4), outperforming controls (p < .001; Cohen’s d = 1.12–1.45). Participants reported high perceived usefulness (M = 4.6/5). Findings suggest curated digital resources enhance proficiency and engagement, with implications for integrating them into NEP-aligned teacher curricula to boost language skills and tech readiness.
Keywords: Prospective Teachers, Digital Resources, Vocabulary Development, Reading Comprehension, Quasi-Experimental Study, Teacher Education.