masaryk university brno - IS MU

MASARYK UNIVERSITY BRNO
FACULTY OF EDUCATION Department of the English Language and Literature Using Literature in English language Teaching in the Basic School
Diploma thesis Brno 2009
Supervisor:
Written by:
Mgr. Nad??da Vojtková Helena Skalová
Acknowledgments: My sincere thanks are due to Mgr. Nad??da Vojtková for her kind help,
comments, views and valuable advice that she provided me through the work
as my supervisor. Declaration: "I declare that I have compiled this final work by myself and that I have
used only the sources listed in the bibliography."
Brno
Helena Skalová Content Introduction 6
1. Literature 8
1.1 Why use literature in the language classroom? 8
1.1.1 Motivating material 8
1.1.2 Encouraging language acquisition 9
1.1.3 Educating the whole person 9
1.2 Possible approaches 10
1.2.1 A language-based approach 10
1.2.2 Literature as content 10
1.2.3 Literature for personal enrichment 10
1.3 Reading 11
1.3.1 What is reading 11
1.3.2 Vocabulary 11
1.3.3 The goals for the reading 12
1.3.4 Reading as a purposeful process 13
1.3.5 Reading literature cross-culturally 14
2. Extensive Reading Approach 15
2.1 Distinguish between intensive and extensive reading 15
2.2 Defining extensive reading 15
2.2.1 Building a rationale for extensive reading 16
2.2.2 The Role of Extensive Reading in Language Learning 17
2.2.3 Extensive reading and class time 18
2.2.4 Preparing the learners 18
2.2.5 Motivating the student 20
2.2.6 Recommendations for the extensive reading 20
2.3 Types of tasks helping to develop reading ability 21
2.3.1 Pre-reading 21
2.3.2 While reading 22
2.3.3 After reading 23
2.4 Selecting materials 24
2.4.1 Criteria for selecting texts 24
2.4.2 Authentic or simplified materials 26
3. Practical part 27
3.1 The introduction 28
3.2 The Extensive reading programme at the basic school 28
3.2.1 The background of the reading programme 28
3.2.2 Upper-primary Reading Scheme 29
3.2.3 Rationale for the chosen text 29
3.2.4 Class Profile 31
3.2.5 Programme Methods 31
3.2.6 Assessment and Evaluation 32
3.3 Pre- reading activities 33
3.4 While-reading activities 41
3.5 Post-reading activities 58
4. The research 65
5. Conclusion 74
6. RÉSUMÉ 76
7. Resumé 76
8. Bibliography 77
9. Appendix 81
Introduction
My Diploma Thesis deals with using literature in English lessons. In
my opinion, it is a very important part of learning a foreign language. I
think it is a very good way of improving children's reading and listening
comprehension, speaking skills and their vocabulary. It is believed that
reading extends one's vocabulary base. In other words, when children read a
lot in their mother tongue, they have extended vocabulary base, they have
no problem with expressing their opinions and thoughts and it is the same
with reading in a foreign language. Children become familiar with English
vocabulary and phrases, and furthermore, with slang or informal
expressions, because in contrast with course books that children normally
use in their English lessons, in authentic literary texts they can find
many of them and they have an opportunity to come across the natural and
informal expressions.
I appreciate the fact that reading stories in a class is a shared
social experience. Various reading activities provoke a shared response of
laughter, sadness, or excitement. Moreover, pupils can change or improve
their attitude towards reading. Children can not only learn English but
also enjoy the reading and English itself. Reading something interesting
may be very motivating and fun for children and it can help to develop
positive attitudes towards the foreign language and language learning. It
can also create a desire to continue learning.
On the other hand, teachers should encourage their pupils to read and
understand the text without looking up every unknown word in the
dictionary. They should motivate their pupils and prepare enjoyable
activities within reading an English text, which both sides will appreciate
at the end.
The thesis is divided into two parts - the theoretical and the
practical part. The theoretical part is focused on the theoretical
background of the usage of literature in English language teaching,
especially its linguistic, methodological and motivational reasons.
Defining the extensive reading programme, literary activities and criteria
for selecting the text are included in the thesis. Other aspects, such as
motivation, society, and culture are discussed as well.
The practical part demonstrates the advantages of the using literary
texts in English lessons. Two books for each grade of the basic school
supplemented with a short description are suggested here. The main focus is
on the seventh grade and one particular book. This part provides an example
of the extensive reading programme used with pupils at the basic school and
it presents results of the research. The practical part consists of a set
of specially tailored activities, which are designed and realized with a
group of pupils at the basic school. Lesson plans are based on alternative
methods like pair work, group work, role play, creative writing etc.
Furthermore, the practical part presents the results of the research
of the effects of extensive reading programme on the learners' reading and
writing abilities and their attitude to reading and language learning. Two
main questionnaires, students' reports after every lesson, their
performance in the class and their final assignment are the assessment
tools. Since two classes participated in the reading programme, I have
compared them and presented the results at the end of the practical part.
1. Literature
Since this thesis is focused on using literature in a language
classroom, I would like to start with some definitions of the literature
and their meaning.
One of the definitions is: "Literature could be said to be a sort of
disciplined technique for arousing certain emotion."[[1]] It is supposed
that literature provides wonderful source of materials for eliciting strong
emotional responses from our students. It is definitely true that using
literature in the classroom is a fruitful way of involving the learner as a
whole person, and provides excellent opportunities for the learners to
express their personal opinions, reactions and feelings.
It is believed that literary texts may have a powerful function in
raising moral and ethical concerns in the classroom. The tasks and
activities we devise to exploit these texts should encourage our students
to explore these concerns and connect them with the struggle for a better
society as another definition explains us: "Literature, fiction, poetry,
whatever, makes justice in the world."[[2]]
1.1 Why use literature in the language classroom? In many countries around the world, literature is highly valued. It
exposes students to complex themes and fresh, unexpected uses of language.
Literature can involve students and it may elicit a powerful emotional
response from students. Moreover, if the materials are carefully chosen,
students will feel that what they do in the classroom is relevant and
meaningful to their own lives.
I have examined the most important reasons for using literature in
several books and I summarize them in the following chapters.
1.1.1 Motivating material Students of English may experience a real sense of achievement at
tackling literary materials in the classroom. Asking students to retell
short stories from their own culture, for example, before getting them to
read an authentic story in English on a similar theme, could be highly
motivating. Furthermore, as Ellis[[3]] proves, "literature is a useful tool
in linking fantasy and the imagination with the student's real world. It
provides a way of enabling children to make sense of their everyday life
and forge links between home and school."
1.1.2 Encouraging language acquisition Literature may provide a particularly appropriate way of stimulating
the acquisition, as it provides meaningful and memorable contexts for
processing and interpreting new language. As Lazar[[4]] mentioned the use
of literary texts is often a particularly successful way of promoting
activities where students need to share their feelings and opinions, such
as discussions and groupwork. I supposed this is because literature is very
rich in multiple levels of meaning. Focusing on a task, which demands that
students express their own personal responses to these multiple levels of
meaning, can only serve to accelerate the students' acquisition of
language.
1.1.3 Educating the whole person As the practical part illustrates, literature may have a wide
educational function in the classroom and it can help to stimulate the
imagination of the students, to develop their critical abili