Literature

Literature

Literature can be implemented in three different ways in the ESL classroom:

The Cultural Model is based on the idea that literature is the expression of:
 * Socio-cultural attitudes
 * Aspirations of individual societies
 * Mythic and universal values
 * Text is regarded as finished product
 * Associated with teacher-centered approach

The Language Model is based on the idea that literature is taught for the promotion of:
 * Vocabulary
 * Structure
 * Language manipation
 * Puts students in touch with the subtle and varied creative used of language
 * Emphasizes language observation
 * Student-centered methodology

The Personal Growth Model is more concerned with students':
 * Maturity as individuals
 * Progress as individuals through reading
 * Literature for life approach
 * Promotes individual evaluation and judgment
 * Learner-centered approach

One way that literature can be used in an ESL classroom is through newspapers. Newspapers are a great way to exposure ELLs to spelling, structure, grammar, and puntuation. Click on the link for more information and a great list of activities for different levels of ELLs. http://www.ericdigests.org/pre-9216/esl.htm

Reading response journals have been a great success in my third grade bilingual classroom. Students respond to their self-selected reading, recording their feelings, reactions, thoughts, and questions about the text. Students retell the story, including connections to their own experiences, their opinion and the rationale behind it, interpretation of the author's meaning, predictions, and personal reflections.