Teach English in Corner Brook - TEFL Courses

The Positive Impact of Trade Books and Authentic Literature on english Language Learners (99) english language learners have diverse needs, abilities and experiences that create a unique classroom dynamic. While these factors can have a positive effect on learning, they can also present challenges for students and the teacher. Therefore, it is advantageous for the teacher to discover students' interests and background knowledge. This information will enable the teacher to provide students with the attention and support needed to help them become successful english language learners. One way to promote success is through choosing appropriate and effective lesson materials. Drawing upon research, as well as my own classroom experiences, the positive impacts of using authentic literature with english language learners will be explored in this paper. Helping students create a solid vocabulary base is essential for their language success. As emphasized in this course one way to build upon this base is through exposure to vocabulary, understanding word meanings and presenting students with opportunities to practice using words in context. Elley W.B. studied the effects of literature on students' acquisition of a second language and believes some benefits of trade books include, “vocabulary reinforcement and fluency practice, which enable students to learn the target language quicker” (qtd. in “The Impact of Trade Books on Reading Achievement” 5). Students are able to make gains in their english learning because trade books include word repetition and high frequency words. Authors of The primary english teacher's guide, Brewster and Ellis argue, “although efl teachers tend to choose the books designed for efl learners, authentic books that are carefully selected also offer a rich source of authentic input, especially in terms of vocabulary” (qtd. in Tanaka 800). The effective teacher should look at a variety of resources and make choices based on what would serve the needs of students best. Another advantage of incorporating trade books in english language lessons is that they provide valuable cultural information. Trade books are filled with various storylines, themes and settings that give students a window to the world. For students that do not have the chance to visit another country, authentic literature provides them with opportunities to experience another culture through reading. In my own teaching experiences with japanese high school students I have noticed a significant difference in students' responses while reading in english from their textbook versus trade books. In a past lesson, I taught a unit about Costa Rica using the textbook. The textbook language was mostly academic and at times difficult for my students to understand. While students were learning about a different culture, I noticed many were disengaged and lacked excitement about the topic. In a different lesson my students read trade books about a family from mexico, told from the first person point of view. While reading the trade books students were very interested in the topic and made many comments in response to the text. These anecdotes demonstrate the positive influence well chosen trade books can have on student learning. In addition to exposing students to world cultures, authentic literature can help foster a positive learning environment right in the classroom. teachers should strive to create a safe and relaxed environment where students can enjoy practicing and improving their english. According to professors Hsieh, Fei-yu Wang, Sy-ying Lee, “storybooks provide children with enough vocabulary to read authentic english books on their own, which allows them to improve english in a pleasant and relaxing way anytime” (30). It is important for students to experience success in their english learning while receiving praise in a supportive environment. I have also witnessed the positive impact trade books can have on english language learners in my own classroom. I have noticed an increased sense of pride, confidence and motivation in my students. I teach english to japanese high school students at a low level school and currently use trade books from the Oxford publishing company in my lessons. I have implemented silent sustained reading time in my classes, in which students read books of their choice for 15 to 20 minutes. Students can choose from various series including Oxford Reading Tree, Animal Nonfiction, Floppy's Phonics, Fireflies, Snapdragons and Project X (Oxford University Press). There are three levels of difficulty and students are free to choose books from the level that feels most comfortable for them. Students read and fill out a brief reading log to record the book's title, level of reading difficulty and a short comment. Overall, the response has been very positive and students enjoy reading authentic books. Sometimes I hear students reading out loud at their desk or helping other students with word pronunciation. I can sense students' pride when they read an entire book and tell me it was easy. The more success my students experience with reading in english, the more motivated and positive they are about learning english. With increased confidence, most students are willing to choose a more challenging book. As authors Vandergift, Hart-Hewins and Flippo claim, “because trade books offer a wide variety of reading levels, interests, content areas, and cultures they are one of the most powerful tools for meeting the needs of a variety of students with special learning” (qtd. in “The Impact of Trade Books on Reading Achievement” 5). Incorporating trade books into lessons is an effective way to create authentic learning opportunities that will be invaluable for english language learners. I hope to continue using authentic literature with my japanese students in the future.