Engaging in discussions of texts featuring diverse expressions of bilingualism is important at the elementary level to move away from historical conceptions of bilingualism focused on language proficiency and instead embrace a translanguaging view focused on linguistic practices. To successfully engage in these conversations, understanding…

Students' imperfect grasp of the target language is cited by educators as one of the main tenets and conundrums against the use of real literature in the EFL classroom. However, previous reviews have proven that children and teenagers are likely to become interested in texts of their own choice and in line with their current concerns. Hence, since…

This article describes an advanced German course focusing on the German fairy-tale tradition. Course components are summarized and the themes and selected fairy tales for each unit are outlined. Additionally, 12 creative assignments are explained that were designed to foster students' engagement with the language and content of the fairy tales.…

The incorporation of literary texts in advanced beginner and intermediate level language classrooms (high school Spanish, years 2-4; university Spanish, semesters 2-4) can seem intimidating. The thoughtful exploration of literary texts takes time away from other content, specifically grammar and vocabulary, which often seem more straightforward to…

The author introduces the literature selection bookmark, a tool that inservice and preservice teachers who are teaching English as a foreign language (EFL) in international contexts can use to guide them in selecting authentic children's English literature and analyze its utility in the elementary English-language classroom. Authentic children's…

Most second-language learners lack exposure to academic language and have few opportunities to use it; thus, the onus is on educators to create appropriate learning environments for these students. Oral language proficiency is critical for advancing second-language learners' academic success; vocabulary is a particularly critical aspect of oral…

This study proposes a model for integrating multicultural children's short stories as an extension activity or as a supplement to in-class instruction to develop college students' reading and speaking skills in English as a foreign language (EFL), together with cultural awareness. It gives the advantages of using multicultural children's short…

This article details the design and implementation of a reading program in a university EFL setting as a strategy to encourage creativity, critical thinking, collaborative learning, and reading for enjoyment (Anderson & Krathwohl, 2001; Richards & Renandya, 2002). This student-centered project challenged ELLs to address issues such as…

The use of authentic literature, especially novels, has proven electrifying for teachers as well as students: a development mirrored in the success of related methodologies and the increasing availability of materials accompanying literature. The benefits of using novels as textbooks are numerous. Research consistently shows the benefits of…

This is a conceptual paper, based on several semesters of collaboration in which the American author interacted with students in the Taiwanese author's EFL classes in Taiwan. The best native language users are typically those who read extensively, especially reading for pleasure in their youth. This gives them a large vocabulary and an intuitive…

My goal in this article is to discuss the empirical support for extensive reading and explore its pedagogical applications in L2/FL learning. I argue that the benefits derived from diverse studies on extensive reading in many different contexts are so compelling that it will be inconceivable for teachers not to make it an important feature of…

Suggests there is a need for a new teaching model which will enable second-language students to integrate the formal, cultural, and informational features of the language on which competency is based. This model should be based on the use of authentic texts which reflect the values of the foreign population. (SED)

This paper reports on the reading habits of a group of students who moved from GCSE French to A Level French in the British school system; they were the second intake of A Level students with a GCSE background. Data was gathered using questionnaires and group interviews at three points during the students learning. Eleven students participated in…

This article describes the implementation of an extensive reading (ER) program with 43 first language (L1) and second language (L2) adult literacy students. Among them, 16% were nonnative speakers of English. The main principles considered in the design of the program were (a) purpose of reading, (b) reading tactics, (c) material used, and (d) …

Students learning English as a new language are the fastest-growing group in U.S. schools today. These students speak many languages, their reading levels cover a wide range, and they experience great cognitive demands as they learn both language and content in order to participate fully in class. Literature can play a critical role in immersing…