The use of literature in the second language classroom can be legitimated in different ways. Todays methods of second language acquisition (SLA) put emphasis on working with literature which offers a great range of opportunities to familiarize a learner with a foreign language. However, it is not just the aspect of learning or acquiring a second language when dealing with literature. Furthermore, the work with literature includes social and cultural as well as empathetic aspects. Thus, dealing with literature, whatever genre of literature is touched, is highly manifold and undoubtedly of a high value. According to Wolfgang Gehring, the short story, besides the novel, is one of the genres which is used most frequently in school. The short story has many uses concerning the field of didactics: it can be used for introducing different topics and for accustoming the learner to different methods of interpretation. In addition, working with literary texts, especially with short stories, offers the possibility for the examination of several problems, e.g. problems of youths or the topic of life and death. In the framework of the term paper at hand, the focus lies on working with literary texts, namely teaching short stories as one component of the narrative genre besides the novel. For this purpose there will first be a short discussion about the significance of literary texts in language teaching according to Ansgar Nünning, who claims that literature forms an essential part when learning a foreign language (FL). In addition to that, the emphasis in the following chapters lies on working-techniques for dealing effectively with short stories in language teaching. For this purpose different methods for the work with short stories are presented and critically examined. The presented methods are divided into pre-, while-, and post-reading activities. However, in spite of the presentation and explanation of several strategies of teaching short stories one has to bare in mind that a universal formula of how to deal with literature does not exist. Eventually the teacher has to find the method which he favours and his pupils might favour as well and which he considers having the greatest learning effect.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. The significance of literary texts in language teaching
2.1 Characteristics of the short story
2.2 Why should short stories be used in ELT?
3. Teaching short stories: methods and approaches to teach short stories
3.1 Pre-reading activities
3.2 While-reading activities
3.3 Post-reading activities
4. Conclusion
5. Bibliography
Objectives and Topics
The primary objective of this work is to explore effective pedagogical methods for incorporating short stories into English Language Teaching (ELT) to enhance learner engagement and language acquisition.
- The didactic value of literary texts in the second language classroom.
- Defining the characteristics and benefits of the short story genre.
- Structuring lessons into pre-reading, while-reading, and post-reading phases.
- Implementing creative strategies such as RAFT and Question-Answer-Relationships (QAR).
- Promoting empathy, cultural awareness, and critical thinking through literature.
Excerpt from the Book
3.1 Pre-reading activities
First of all the teacher’s task will be to motivate the learner to read and to arouse interest for the topic. Since not every pupil favours reading activities or working with literary texts at all, this task has to be taken seriously. Furthermore, the learner should develop an interest for reading in the TL outside the classroom as well. With the help of various so called pre-reading activities, the teacher can evoke interest and lead the learner to the topic of the text. By giving background information about the text’s topic the learner gets curious and will be willing and disposed to work with the text. In practice, pre-reading activities can be realized for example as group work, with songs, brainstorming, short presentations, predictions of the content or poems. A very important aspect is that there are no correct or incorrect answers and solutions respectively. The purpose is to stimulate the learner’s fantasy and to motivate him. Thus, the worst thing would be critisizing the learner’s ideas.
As an example for a pre-reading activity the use of a song related to the topic of the short story will be exposed in the following. The pupils listen to a piece of music several times. The teacher can hand out the lyrics with blanks which the pupils have to fill in while they are listening to the song. The teacher should ask for new and unkonwn words the learner’s came across. These new words can be collected on the board. Furthermore, the learner’s can be asked to search for key words in the song. With the help of key words the pupils get a first impression of the topic. Additionally one can work with pictures related to the topic. The learners should describe what they see in the pictures and what feelings they evoke when looking at them.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: This chapter outlines the didactic justification for using literature in foreign language learning and sets the scope for the subsequent discussion on methodological approaches.
2. The significance of literary texts in language teaching: This section explores the cultural and linguistic benefits of literature and highlights why the short story is a particularly effective genre for the classroom.
3. Teaching short stories: methods and approaches to teach short stories: This chapter serves as the core, detailing specific instructional strategies categorized into pre-, while-, and post-reading activities.
4. Conclusion: The final chapter synthesizes the findings, emphasizing that literature, particularly the short story, is a vital tool for fostering both language proficiency and empathy in learners.
5. Bibliography: This section provides the academic references and sources consulted during the research for this paper.
Keywords
Short stories, ELT, Language acquisition, Pre-reading activities, While-reading activities, Post-reading activities, RAFT strategy, QAR strategy, Literary texts, Didactics, Motivation, Cultural awareness, Empathy, Narrative genre, Teaching methods.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this paper?
The paper examines effective methods and pedagogical approaches for teaching short stories within the context of English Language Teaching (ELT).
What are the central themes discussed?
The central themes include the educational significance of literature, the unique characteristics of short stories, and the practical implementation of structured reading activities.
What is the primary research goal?
The goal is to demonstrate how structured pedagogical phases can help teachers bridge the gap between classroom instruction and authentic language use.
Which scientific methodology is used?
The paper employs a didactic analysis of existing teaching theories, categorizing methods into pre-, while-, and post-reading phases to maximize learning outcomes.
What topics are covered in the main body?
The main body focuses on theoretical foundations of literature in the classroom and detailed practical strategies like the RAFT and QAR methods.
Which keywords define this work?
Key terms include Short stories, ELT, Didactics, Reading activities, RAFT, QAR, and Language acquisition.
Why are short stories considered ideal for the classroom according to the text?
They are considered ideal because they are short, self-contained, linguistically accessible, and offer opportunities for creative group work and discussion.
What is the RAFT strategy?
RAFT is a creative post-reading method where students write from a specific Role, for a specific Audience, in a specific Format, regarding a chosen Topic.
What does the QAR strategy involve?
The Question-Answer-Relationships strategy teaches students to distinguish between text-dependent questions and knowledge-based questions to improve reading comprehension.
How does the author view the role of the teacher?
The author emphasizes that the teacher must remain flexible, choosing methods that best suit the specific needs and individuals within their particular class.
- Quote paper
- Bettina Vázquez García (Author), 2007, Teaching Short Stories, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/143940
