Universitat Internacional de Catalunya
A Focus On Literature When Teaching English As a Foreign Language
Other languages of instruction: Catalan, Spanish,
Teaching staff
Introduction
This course focuses on skills and strategies for teaching English as a foreign language through literature in pre-primary, primary and secondary school settings, as well as university and adult education. The aim is to provide new approaches, functions, methodologies, resources and practices to use literature as a strategy in the foreign language classroom.
Pre-course requirements
Students are recommended to have a B2 level of English under the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFRL) before the start of the course.
Objectives
The subject A Focus on Literature when Teaching English as a Foreign Language is a module of the Master’s Degree in Language Acquisition and Teaching English as a Foreign Language and is worth 4 ECTS. Its objectives are (1) to acquire the fundamental theoretical basis and teaching techniques needed to effectively teach English as a foreign language through literature; (2) to explore the potential that literature and analysing research and theoretical papers have for enriching teaching practices; and (3) to acquire the criteria and resources necessary to use literary materials suited to different levels in a formal and bilingual/multilingual context.
Competences/Learning outcomes of the degree programme
- CN01 - The student will be able to identify the processes of acquiring and learning English as a foreign language on English literature and culture.
- CP03 - The student will be able to work as part of a team effectively in multilingual, multicultural, interdisciplinary, professional and/or academic environments.
- CP04 - The student will be able to use adequate resources and strategies to improve as a professional.
- CP06 - The student will be able to generate innovative and competitive suggestions as a professional and as a researcher
- CP07 - The student will be able to plan the process of teaching and learning English as a foreign language, in addition to English language literature and culture at different educational levels, taking into account the level and previous education of pupils.
- CP11 - The student will respect the fundamental rights of equality between men and women, the promotion of human rights, and the values inherent to a culture of democracy and peace, using language that avoids androcentricity and stereotypes.
- HB03 - The student will know how to communicate conclusions and the reasoning behind them to specialised and non-specialised audiences in a clear and unambiguous way
- HB05 - The student will be able to apply information (spoken, written, video, digital or multimedia) to the teaching of English as a foreign language.
- HB07 - The student will be able to organise their working time according to their learning priorities and objectives, encouraging self-learning.
- HB08 - The student will be able to offer informed decision-making in the field of teaching English as a foreign language.
- HB14 - The student will be able to make effective use of digital resources for teaching and learning the English language.
- HB17 - The student will be able to express themselves in English, both orally and in writing, and both inside and outside the classroom, undertaking all the communication functions that are typical of an English language teacher.
Syllabus
This course will address aspects of literature that are relevant to the learning and teaching of English as a foreign language. Students will explore various methodologies for using literature in the English language classroom and create teaching activities and classroom materials, as well as a set of tools for applying theory in the classroom.
Teaching and learning activities
Online
Online teaching methodology
CPL- Online practical classes
Learning activities
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OPC - Online Practical Classes |
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VFD - Forums and Online Debates |
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IW - Individual Autonomous Work |
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GW - Group Autonomous Work |
Evaluation systems and criteria
Online
▪ Online resources (20%)
▪ Oral presentation (35%)
▪ Literature conversation (35%)
▪ Participation in class and in forums (10%)
The evaluation criteria for the subject are as follows:
▪ To reflect on the use of literature in the English as a foreign language classroom.
▪ To analyse the various methodological approaches and current teaching practices related to the use of literature in the different stages of education and in bilingual and multilingual contexts.
▪ To plan the process of teaching and learning English as a foreign language and English literature in accordance with the students’ language levels and prior knowledge.
▪ To effectively apply digital resources for teaching and learning English through literature.
▪ To use communicative competence and its different aspects, as well as academic skills in English, both orally and in writing, inside and outside the classroom, and undertake all communicative functions that are expected of teachers of this language.
Bibliography and resources
Brunsmeier, S., & Kolb, A. (2017). Picturebooks Go Digital – The Potential of Story Apps for the Primary EFL Classroom. Children’s Literature in English Language Education (CLELE Journal), 5(1), 1-20.
Campagnaro, M., & Goga, N. (2022). Material Green Entanglements: Research on Student Teachers’ Aesthetic and Ecocritical Engagement with Picturebooks of Their Own Choice. International Research in Children’s Literature, 15(3), 308–322.
Cheetham, D. (2015). Extensive Reading of Children’s Literature in First, Second, and Foreign Language Vocabulary Acquisition. Children’s Literature in English Language Education (CLELE Journal), 3(2), 1-23.
Damber, U. (2015). Read-alouds in preschool - A matter of discipline? Journal of Early Childhood Literacy, 15(2), 256-280.
Ellis, G., & Brewster, J. (2014). Tell it Again! The Storytelling Handbook for Primary English Language Teachers. British Council, 6-7.
Ellis, G., & Mourão, S. (2021). Demystifying the read-aloud. English Teaching Professional, (136), 22-25.
Fleta, T. (2017). The Sounds of Picturebooks for English Language Learning. Children’s Literature in English Language Education (CLELE Journal), 5(1), 21-43.
Goga, N., & Pujol-Valls, M. (2020). Ecocritical Engagement with Picturebook through Literature Conversations about Beatrice Alemagne’s On a Magical Do-Nothing Day, Sustainability, 12(7653).
Graves, M. F., & Fitzgerald, J. (2003). Scaffolding reading experiences for multilingual classrooms. In G. Garcia (Ed.), English learners: Reaching the highest level of English literacy (pp. 96-124). International Reading Association.
Habegger-Conti, J. (2021). ‘Where am I in the text?’ Standing with Refugees in Graphic Narratives. Children’s Literature in English Language Education (CLELE Journal), 9(2), 52-66.
Hempel, M. (2015). A Picture (Book) is Worth a Thousand Words: Picture Books in the EFL Primary Classroom
Hanssen, J. A. (2022). ‘Pathetic Geek Stories’: A Practical Approach to Introducing a Challenging Graphic Narrative. Children’s Literature in English Language Education (CLELE Journal), 10(1), 54-73.
Hempel, M. (2015). A Picture (Book) is Worth a Thousand Words: Picture Books in the EFL Primary Classroom. In W. Delanoy, M. Eisenmann, & F. Matz (Eds.), Learning with Literature in the EFL Classroom (pp. 69-84). Peter Lang Edition.
Ibrahim, N. (2020). The Multilingual Picturebook in English Language Teaching: Linguistic and Cultural Identity. Children’s Literature in English Language Education (CLELE Journal), 8(2), 12-38.
Kaminski, A. (2020). Creating a Multimodal and Holistic Learning Experience with Catherine Rayner’s Augustus and His Smile. Children’s Literature in English Language Education (CLELE Journal), 8(2), 39-64.
Kreft, A. & Viebrock, B. (2014). To Read or not to Read: Does a Suitcase Full of Books do the Trick in the English Language Classroom? Children’s Literature in English Language Education (CLELE Journal), 2(1), 72-91.
Maley, A. (2009). Extensive reading: why it is good for our students... and for us. Teaching English. British Council, https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/professional-development/teachers/knowing-subject/articles/extensive-reading-why-it-good-our
Moses, L. (2014). What Do You Do With Hands Like These? Close Reading Facilitates Exploration and Text Creation. Children’s Literature in English Language Education (CLELE Journal), 2(1), 44-56.
Mourão, S. (2016). Picturebooks in the Primary EFL Classroom: Authentic Literature for an Authentic Response. Children’s Literature in English Language Education (CLELE Journal), 4(1), 25-43.
Mourão, S., & Ellis, G. (2021). Demystifying the read-aloud. English Teaching Professional, (136), 22-25.
Ortells Montón, E. (2017) Using American Coming-of-Age Stories in the ELT Classroom. Children’s Literature in English Language Education (CLELE Journal), 5(1), 44-63.
Stanley, G. (n.d.). Extensive reading. British Council. Teaching English. British Council, https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/professional-development/teachers/knowing-subject/articles/extensive-reading
Vicary, T. (2013). Greaded readers and the joys of extensive reading. In A. Birketveit, & G. Williams (Eds.), Literature for the English classroom. Theory into Practice (pp. 78-91). Fagbokforlaget.
Williams, G. (2013). Novels for teenage readers. In A. Birketveit, & G. Williams (Eds.), Literature for the English classroom. Theory into Practice (pp. 164-189). Fagbokforlaget.