Dear FLE 304 members,
I have found the following video from the teachertube related to an alternative approach to reading. I wonder what you think about the range of applicability and the effectiveness of it to the EFL teaching/learning contexts in Turkey. Could you comment on this issue by referring to the language proficiency level of the potential target audience and to the purpose of the reading activities intended to be covered (e.g., intensive versus extensive reading)?
The link to the video is as follows:
http://teachertube.com/viewVideo.phpvideo_id=44145&title=Literature_Circles
(You can also watch the related video in another post in our blog with the same title as this post)
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the materials for the reading tasks were prepared very carefully and they are really creative ones. it is most probably intensive reading because the students a lot to do. they are creating their own questions which mean that they really need to read the text carefully and ubderstand. they draw the pictures of the story as their conception which is really supporting their imagination and fits with their age as well. there is also a collobaration I think they are also sharing their performance with each other.
ReplyDeleteI think this intensive reading activity is so rewarding;because, students learn how to read while they are having fun and learning the culture of the target language. Also reading an authentic material makes the activity more interesting.Post-reading activities make sure that the students understand what they read in detail.
ReplyDeleteI think this technique can be applied in Turkey, so that learners can get familiar with grammar, reading and writing at the same time and have a sense of language while they are enjoying their time.
In my opinion it is a very nice and effective strategy for reading. It is very beneficial for students because with this method the students will take the reading seriously. They will read the material more carefully because they know that they have a responsibility to summarize the text or select some passages or prepare a vocabulary activity etc. I mean, this feeling of responsibility will increase their interest and motivation levels. Another important point is that maybe with literature circles the students will gain some self confidence especially for shy students they will be very helpful because the students will live the pleasure of achievement. In other words, by successfully completing their tasks in the group (even if their tasks are so easy) they will gain some self esteem and start to trust in themselves and their abilities. Literature circles also has some drawbacks. For instance for the teacher it won’t be easy to manage a classroom which consists of about 35-40 students (When we think the conditions of classes in Turkey). I mean some part of this activity(for instance discussion part) will cause a lot of noise in the classroom and it may cause the teacher to go mad. Another problem is related to the students’ proficiency levels. The students at the beginner or elementary level aren’t proficient enough to make a discussion on a book in a foreign language. Therefore literature circles should be applied to the students who are at the upper-intermediate or advanced levels. Otherwise some of the activities may not be conducted successfully. Another point that I want to touch is that this technique can’t be used for extensive reading in the classroom because of the time limit. I mean, the curriculum is overloaded in the schools in Turkey. So, if the teacher spends a few class hours on literature circles which will be extensive reading activity, s/he may not cover all the topics in the curriculum and this means s/he will get into trouble with the inspectors. Because of this reason literature circle should be used only for intensive reading.
ReplyDeleteLiterature circle is a technique which is enjoyable to apply but also a technique that is hard to apply at all levels because it has discussion parts beginner levels, of course, will have problems with it. We can say that it is a intensive reading activity as Belikıs metioned before me. It is very beautiful teachnique as I said because it has many many advantaages for both teachers and the students. First of all, no one can be bored in classroom because everyone is active, which is every teacher's dream. As the teacher cant see anyone with a boredom problem she or he also enjoy being in class this means that there is reciprocal sharing. Secondly and the most important thing is everybody's understanding the material well they understand beacuse they have to do it to summarize the text and to use vocabulary items but in this activity they dont fulfill theri responsibilities not because they have to do so but because they enjoy while doing and this is the thing that every teacher should catch.
ReplyDeleteAs my friends said before, literature circle is a good technique. It involves the students in the lesson actively. It needs the students reading and understanding of it. Then the students write questions about what they read and summarize it. And they have many things to enjoy it. On the other hand applying it in turkey seems almost impossible especially in public schools; maybe it can be applied in state schools (kolejler in Turkish) because public school class are generally very crowded and there are insufficient hours for English course. The students have many other classes and many other exams every year. So the teachers try to prepare them to these exams.
ReplyDeleteLiterature is a branch in which there is more than one truth, correct answer, comment. It has no limitations, ends whatsoever. So these whole bunch of activities suits to a literature work. The more one reads a novel, the more things s/he will capture and think differently in each time. So in order to grasp as much as possible there must be many activities and these activities should be selected cautiously because reading itself is usually boring and dealing with the same thing over and over again would be like hell. These activities, however, are fun and useful. They paint pictures, discuss, relate historical events with personal ones, create and answer questions, guide discussions, engage in discussions, they share their opinions and make better connections with the better understanding of the novel. They carry out different roles and these roles not only contribute to them academically but also personally. They get more creative, responsible and multi-directional. Their linguistic and social skills develop as much as their reading, critical thinking, leadership, art and creativity skills. I liked this one a lot.
ReplyDeleteLiterature circle is a a collaborative and student-centered reading strategy. With this method, students learns to take responsibilty for their own learning, because everything is done by students and the teacher is at the background.They take charge of their own discussions.Also,positive peer pressure that the members of each group place on each other may contribute to each student’s accountability to the rest of the group. I think it is intensive reading. Intensive reading involves learners reading in detail with specific learning aims and tasks while extensive reading involves learners reading texts for enjoyment and to develop general reading skills. In the video, students don't read only for enjoyment, they have purpose to read the books.In order to apply this method, students level must be inter at least, in my opinion. For example, a beginner student can't make discussion.
ReplyDeleteIt is a lovely classroom environment. The materials and the readings are well prepared. They are creative and can take students’ attentions. They make intensive reading. They write the vocabulary items from the books and share them with their group members. They also form questions and draw pictures about their books and share them with their friends. Literature circles are beneficial for students’ collaboration and group work. The students also enjoy it as we can see from the video. It can be helpful for writing, vocabulary, reading activities.
ReplyDeleteI think it can’t be applied in Turkey. The classes are very crowded in Turkey which can hinder its application. The limitation of the time can also hinder this.
I believe that it is intensive reading, because we see that the students have to focus on each item. You cannot do such a thing in extensive reading. I also want to mention that literature circle is a good reading strategy as it requires collaboration and it is student- centered. The materials used are also well- prepared and creative. The activity is also good for students, because we see that students enjoy the activity.
ReplyDeleteLiterature circle is a very good reading strategy. It gives important to students. In video, the activity is excellent for them they all enjoy the materials are also well-prepared and seems to authentic however in our country it seems difficult to apply.
ReplyDelete