Exploring the impact of the use of children's stories in the ESL classroom
Mata, Jacqueline M. Navarro
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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/125905
Description
Title
Exploring the impact of the use of children's stories in the ESL classroom
Author(s)
Mata, Jacqueline M. Navarro
Issue Date
1997
Director of Research (if dissertation) or Advisor (if thesis)
Davidson, Fred
Department of Study
Linguistics
Discipline
Teaching English as a Second Language
Degree Granting Institution
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Degree Name
M.A.
Degree Level
Thesis
Keyword(s)
Teaching English as Second Language
Children's Literature ESL Classroom
Literature-Based Program
Language
eng
Abstract
This study is intended to explore the possible impact of the use of children's literature in the ESL classroom. A literature-based program that incorporates children's stories into the language class was designed and implemented for this purpose. This thesis reports and analysis the results of the pilot study and suggests methodological improvements for the original plan to be further applied in other elementary teaching environments.
The thesis includes an extensive literature review where relevant topics such as appropriateness of choice and teacher's responsibility when using multicultural literature in particular, level of readability, availability of sources, motivation effectiveness and others are carefully discussed. Illustrations and suggestions for class organization are provided as part of this discussion.
The study took five weeks to be completed and involved a group of thirteen ESL second and third graders of diverse cultural backgrounds. The students were exposed to different literary texts related to the topics of discussion in their ordinary classes. They read and listen to the stories, and then responded to guided questionnaires while working in small groups. During the process careful observation was kept and described in the instructor's daily journals. Video recordings of almost all sessions were made, and analysis of the children's journals and response behavior was also completed.
The results of the study confirm the idea that literature is a meaningful source of authentic input for promoting discussion and negotiation of meaning (Montgomery, 1995; Benson, 1989; Trelease, 1982; Gadjusek, 1988; Jimenez, 1996; Wright, 1995). The students demonstrated a positive increase in several areas of language acquisition and literacy development by inferencing, referencing, integrating prior knowledge, paraphrasing, retelling, summarizing, and developing their critical thinking skills when interpreting the stories. Emphasis is applied to the richness of the use of color and illustration in children's books as stimulating devices that facilitate comprehension.
Students used language intensively during the process and helped each other convey ideas effectively. Literature can provide students with another tool to progress in the acquisition of English through a more holistic approach where all the intellectual and emotional skills of a child work together to enhance cultural understanding and language development.
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