The Use Of Literature As A Medium For Language Learning Purposes In The Efl Classroom

Seminar paper from the year 2015 in the subject Didactics for the subject English - Pedagogy, Literature Studies, grade: 1,0, University of Duisburg-Essen (Department of Anglophone Studies), course: Module F Seminar: Materials, Methods, Media and More: Differentiation in the Language Classroom, language: English, abstract: The development of new digital technologies has changed the use of media for teaching in schools considerably. But despite that, literature has not lost its importance. It is still one of the most important mediums for language learning purposes in the English as a foreign language (EFL) classroom today. Furthermore, literary material is not limited to the classical texts anymore. This becomes obvious when having a look into contemporary teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL) school books, in which a relevant amount of the presented material is based on literary texts not belonging to the canon. The question, however, is how literature is used for language learning purposes and why it is so commonly used in TEFL contexts. Therefore, this paper aims at examining the use of literature for language learning purposes in the EFL classroom on the basis of one specific textbook material that makes use of a literary text. The material is taken from the school book “Pathway. Lese- und Arbeitsbuch Englisch zur Einführung in die gymnasiale Oberstufe”, which was published by Schöningh in the year 2014 and is designed for grade 10 at a grammar school (Gymnasium). The literary text itself is an extract from the popular fiction young adult novel “The Namesake” by Jumpa Lahiri and together with the responding tasks and classroom activities it shall serve as the basis for the analysis of how literature or more specifically this chosen material can support the students' language learning effectively. In order to evaluate the material, it is, however, necessary to start with a brief description of current modern principles of foreign language teaching, i.e. the approaches to effective TEFL. Bearing in mind this theoretical context unfolded in chapter 2, section 3 aims to apply this theoretical background in order to evaluate the material in question. Questions that chapter 3 attempts to answer are for instance: What are the aims of TEFL? How is effective language learning perceived? How can the material based on a piece of literature be used in class? Does the material and its recommended classroom activities meet the different aims of TEFL? In what way does the material in combination with the tasks foster effective language learning? The fourth section will contain a critical discussion on the topic. It is supposed to connect the research question, the theoretical context and the analysis.

This book examines how literary texts can be incorporated into teaching practices in an EFL classroom. It takes a multi-faceted approach to how English language teaching and learning can best be developed through presentation and exploration of literary texts.

This comprehensive introduction to literature learning in EFL contexts pays attention to both theoretical and practical concerns. It focuses on a wide range of literary genres, different age and ability groups, and gives suggestions for the future of the field. Its readership comprises language teachers, university students and academics.

A variety of imaginative techniques for integrating literature work with language learning.

This book examines how literary texts can be incorporated into teaching practices in an EFL classroom. It takes a multi-faceted approach to how English language teaching and learning can best be developed through presentation and exploration of literary texts.

Ernesto Macaro brings together a wealth of research on the rapidly expanding phenomenon of English Medium Instruction. Against a backdrop of theory, policy documents, and examples of practice, he weaves together research in both secondary and tertiary education, with a particular focus on the key stakeholders involved in EMI: the teachers and the students. Whilst acknowledging that the momentum of EMI is unlikely to be diminished, and identifying its potential benefits, the author raises questions about the ways it has been introduced and developed, and explores how we can arrive at a true cost–benefit analysis of its future impact. “This state-of-the-art monograph presents a wide-ranging, multi-perspectival yet coherent overview of research, policy, and practice of English Medium Instruction around the globe. It gives a thorough, in-depth, and thought-provoking treatment of an educational phenomenon that is spreading on an unprecedented scale.” Guangwei Hu, National Institute of Education, Singapore Additional online resources are available at www.oup.com/elt/teacher/emi Ernesto Macaro is Professor of Applied Linguistics at the University of Oxford and is the founding Director of the Centre for Research and Development on English Medium Instruction at the university. Oxford Applied Linguistics Series Advisers: Anne Burns and Diane Larsen-Freeman

Using Literature in the EFL Classroom es una guía que pretende apoyar y alentar a todo aquel profesor de lengua inglesa en Educación Secundaria y/o Bachillerato a introducir textos literarios en el aula de inglés. Ofrece información teórica relevante acerca del enfoque comunicativo y su conexión con la literatura, así como incluye herramientas útiles a la hora de seleccionar los géneros literarios y textos que más se adapten a nuestros objetivos didácticos. Además, contiene propuestas de autores y una gran variedad de textos con ejemplos de tareas que nos permitan trabajar todas las destrezas lingüísticas en cada uno de los cursos de Secundaria y Bachillerato.

The growing interest in working with media, particularly the new digital media, in the EFL classroom is reflected in the ten articles of this volume. Their focus is specifically on "traditional" visual media such as films and video clips, but also on blogs, podcasts, digital storytelling, hyperfictions, Internet projects, creating learner software, etc. As the articles either explicitly or implicitly indicate, these new media formats are suitable for integration into current action- or task-based teaching forms. All articles aim to foster nuanced judgments on literature, culture, and popular media in the US. The media discussed here mirror the multiplicity of voices within the US, indicating the tremendous variety of cultural and political positions. They undermine lopsided and biased attitudes toward American mass media, forcing the learner to discuss critical positions within the US and to modify stereotypical media judgements.

The articles presented in this book bring together educators’ work and experiences from around the world (Indonesia, Malaysia, Nepal, and Australia) in the context of teaching English as a Foreign Language (EFL). This publication, therefore, offers a richness and diversity of contexts and experiences to its readers. What sets this book apart is its balance between and explicit coverage of both research and the theoretical and practical aspects of teaching. This project has been prompted by the increasing split between the fields of linguistics, literatures and English language teaching, and will uniquely address this gap. Additionally, the volume gives practical applications on how to use theories of linguistics and literary texts in the classroom. This book provides undergraduate and graduate students, teacher-learners, practicing teachers, and teacher educators some theoretical and contextual knowledge of English language teaching practices and settings. Articles in this book can be used as supplementary texts for courses in the areas of English Language Teaching, pre-service and in-service teacher education, applied linguistics, literature, and language and culture studies.

Seminar paper from the year 2007 in the subject Didactics - English - Literature, Works, grade: 1,7, University of Kassel (Literature: Language and Cultural Awareness), course: Department of English & Romance Languages, language: English, abstract: This term paper will take several questions into account by starting off with a general definition of the terms 'Literature, Language and Cultural Awareness' as they are the basis for talking about literature and literary texts. Afterwards, a precise definition of the terms will follow before the consequences for the EFL classroom will be mentioned which lead to a text example that shows how one can teach the aspects that have been mentioned before and why it is important to teach students literature at all. The text shows that students need to understand other cultural backgrounds in order to understand the whole text since we do not have the expression 'hills like white elephants' in Germany. As a result, this text is a good example for showing how important language and cultural awareness are in order to understand literary texts in the EFL classroom. When we talk about literature in the EFL classroom, we should first of all ask ourselves what we need to take into consideration in general when we want to deal with literary texts in the EFL classroom. Some questions arise like why one should teach literature in the EFL classroom and what kind of literature needs to be taught. It is important to read literary texts in the EFL classroom because the curriculum says that teachers should deal with different countries and cultures by presenting people in real life situations. Therefore, they should mostly use authentic material in order to build a connection to the student's world. The teacher should be careful in choosing texts for the EFL classroom because the texts need to be suitable for the class in order to let the students work with them.