Literature Circles in EFL – Website
Literature Circles in EFL – on Wikipedia
Most English language learners often say that reading, which is a vital element of language learning, is boring and difficult. This problematic situation might be the result of not practicing EFL reading in the right way. So, is there an effective way of using literature in the EFL classroom? The issue, this research intends to investigate is, what language interactions and classroom discourse are taking place in literature circles and how this might affect the language development of foreign language learners? The suggested hypothesis is that, as a balanced element of the school curriculum, literature circles can provide an exciting way to promote student engagement in extensive reading by means of cooperative learning and collaborative work and offer the potential to promote reading for enjoyment.
The main focus of the analysis has been the student-to-student interactions and classroom discourse taking place during literature circles discussions. The main concern was over how different variables affect the language development of English learners. The results show that, during the process of this research, the students were highly motivated for reading and in that way improved their interactional skills in English. They experienced a different atmosphere of practicing language. They had similar tasks as they had before but this time for a more realistic purpose and in a more authentic environment.
Literature Circles: collaborative learning in the EFL classroom
at the 46th Annual International IATEFL Conference & Exhibition – Glasgow Online
The talk started with an introduction to Literature Circles giving a brief description and explanation of basic concepts and terminology. Next were the explanations on setting up the discussions and how to organize the roles, using role sheets and student journals.
There were also some clarifications on plotting the stages of a story and possible end-products of Literature Circles. Following, were samples of Literature Discussions based on various text types and finally, the limitations and alternative implementations of Literature Circles in EFL were covered.
Most English language learners often say that reading, which is a vital element of language learning, is boring and difficult. This problematic situation might be the result of not practicing EFL reading in the right way. So, is there an effective way of using literature in the EFL classroom? The issue discussed here is, what language interactions and classroom discourse are taking place in “literature circles” and how this might affect the language development of EFL learners?
The suggested idea is that, as a balanced element of the school curriculum, literature circles can provide an exciting way to promote student engagement in extensive reading by means of cooperative learning and collaborative work and offer the potential to promote reading for enjoyment. The main focus is on the student-to-student interactions and classroom discourse taking place during literature circle discussions.
Let’s Write is a collection of 60 short stories written by teenage English Language Learners studying at Drujba High School in Sofia, Bulgaria. It has been their first year studying English as a foreign language and these are their first stories written in English.
These stories mirror the students’ true knowledge of grammar and vocabulary also reflecting their creativity, intellectual capacity, cultural accumulation and diversity. In this case, however, we are more oriented on literary content than language competency.
The content of the stories, plotlines and characters created are completely the product of their own creativity. We would like to congratulate these young writers for being brave enough to accept their stories being published in a book like this and hope you enjoy reading their stories.
