This study is an attempt to investigate the effectiveness of short stories in developing critical literacy of learners of English as a second language. Towards this end, the following two questions are addressed in the study: How can the use of short stories in an EFL reading environment be successf...
This study is an attempt to investigate the effectiveness of short stories in developing critical literacy of learners of English as a second language. Towards this end, the following two questions are addressed in the study: How can the use of short stories in an EFL reading environment be successfully implemented as part of a literature-based curriculum?; Can a curriculum based upon literature successfully promote critical literacy among second language learners in an EFL reading environment?
With these research questions in mind, a reading course was developed in such a way as to develop the student's ability to read beyond the literal meanings of texts and to search for deeper meanings during the reading process. In designing the course, much attention was paid to providing the instructional contexts which were good for enhancing critical literacy. After the instruction framework was developed, short stories were selected for use in the course. In the selection process, primary consideration was given to the following: the students' proficiency level, their histories as language learners, their preferences, and themes of the stories.
Instructional procedures were then developed keeping in mind the principles of critical literacy summed up by McLaughlin and DeVoogd (2004b). The procedures, which were termed the learning cycle in the study, were made up of five stages. The first stage centered around the introduction to the short story and students' independent reading of it. The second stage was teacher-led and primarily concerned with eliciting students' initial responses. In the third stage, the students wrote their first journals incorporating what they had learned from the teacher-led discussions. The fourth stage involved student-led discussions and was intended to help the students to see beyond the text. The fifth stage was for the second journal writing, which was a forum for ongoing meaning construction and thought refinement.
Various means of data collection were used to enhance the validity and trustworthiness of the findings. Specifically, data were gleaned from audio-recorded class discussions, students' reflective journals and interviews, and the researcher's participant observations. The student-led group discussions were audio-recorded and emailed to the researcher. The twenty-five to thirty minute audio files were then transcribed by the researcher for later analysis. As for the whole class discussions, notes were taken by the researcher in class and subsequent notes were taken when necessary after class sessions were over. As for the journals, the ones written after the student-led discussions were collected for analysis. With regard to the interviews, they were conducted individually after the semester ended in order to elicit students' opinions about the following: what is unique about short stories vis-?vis other types of texts, instructional activities that were most influential in changing their views, changes they have made in their daily lives, the advantages and disadvantages of the course. The students' responses were then audio-recorded and transcribed by the researcher.
Analyses of data from the students' reflective journals, discussions, interviews and instructor's notes indicate that the students gradually developed the ability to read the text from a critical stance. The insights they gained can be summarized into seven points. First, the students developed overall literacy skills, which lay the basis for a higher level comprehension of the text. These literacy skills are significant in an L2 situation because without such foundational means critical literacy can never be enhanced. Secondly, the students became capable of disrupting the idea that texts have the common singular meanings. Thirdly, the students realized the importance of examining both the characters and events within the historical and social contexts that existed or occurred. With such realization, they attempted to interpret both the characters and events within the social context. Fourthly, the students came to interpret stories from alternative perspectives. This tendency to analyze the events and characters from diverse viewpoints became stronger as the semester progressed. Fifthly, the students developed the capacity to represent marginalized or silenced voices in the stories. This ability in turn freed them from the confines of the author's intentions and perspectives. Sixthly, with the diversification of their perceptions as readers, the students came to question and challenge the author more frequently. As they realized that stories often represent the authors' subjective ideas and viewpoints, they started searching for interpretations other than the authors'. Lastly, the students began to show their own sense of agency. Around the end of the semester, they were able to make their own analyses on the basis of personal judgments and opinions showing that they developed a certain level of agency as critical readers.
The findings of this study have some important pedagogical implications in terms of instructor qualifications, story selection, and instructional design. First of all, it is required that the instructors be critically literate themselves because without a solid understanding of critical literacy, they will be unable to keep an objective attitude during the instructional process. Secondly, it is also important that the instructors have a high level of literary competence. It is most important that they possess the ability to interpret literary texts from diverse perspectives, let alone the ability to understand them literally. Thirdly, the stories to be discussed in class should be selected in consideration of factors like students' interests and linguistic complexities of the stories. Finally, efforts need to be exerted to improve the instructional design in such a way that will help students develop their English language skills as well, bearing in mind that a major goal of reading in a second language is to develop the ability to read in the language.
This study has also generated a number of questions for future study. To begin with, research needs to be implemented on the characteristics that short stories should possess in order to be suitable for critical literacy-oriented instruction. Secondly, the impact of critical literacy-oriented instruction over time should be investigated. The finding that the students differed substantially in their development of critical literacy strategies suggests the need to carry out research in varied time frameworks. Finally, the effect of the instructional medium on critical literacy development merits attention. Particularly, the common assumption that the learners' first language may best be utilized in L2 critical literacy classes has to be ascertained.
This study is an attempt to investigate the effectiveness of short stories in developing critical literacy of learners of English as a second language. Towards this end, the following two questions are addressed in the study: How can the use of short stories in an EFL reading environment be successfully implemented as part of a literature-based curriculum?; Can a curriculum based upon literature successfully promote critical literacy among second language learners in an EFL reading environment?
With these research questions in mind, a reading course was developed in such a way as to develop the student's ability to read beyond the literal meanings of texts and to search for deeper meanings during the reading process. In designing the course, much attention was paid to providing the instructional contexts which were good for enhancing critical literacy. After the instruction framework was developed, short stories were selected for use in the course. In the selection process, primary consideration was given to the following: the students' proficiency level, their histories as language learners, their preferences, and themes of the stories.
Instructional procedures were then developed keeping in mind the principles of critical literacy summed up by McLaughlin and DeVoogd (2004b). The procedures, which were termed the learning cycle in the study, were made up of five stages. The first stage centered around the introduction to the short story and students' independent reading of it. The second stage was teacher-led and primarily concerned with eliciting students' initial responses. In the third stage, the students wrote their first journals incorporating what they had learned from the teacher-led discussions. The fourth stage involved student-led discussions and was intended to help the students to see beyond the text. The fifth stage was for the second journal writing, which was a forum for ongoing meaning construction and thought refinement.
Various means of data collection were used to enhance the validity and trustworthiness of the findings. Specifically, data were gleaned from audio-recorded class discussions, students' reflective journals and interviews, and the researcher's participant observations. The student-led group discussions were audio-recorded and emailed to the researcher. The twenty-five to thirty minute audio files were then transcribed by the researcher for later analysis. As for the whole class discussions, notes were taken by the researcher in class and subsequent notes were taken when necessary after class sessions were over. As for the journals, the ones written after the student-led discussions were collected for analysis. With regard to the interviews, they were conducted individually after the semester ended in order to elicit students' opinions about the following: what is unique about short stories vis-?vis other types of texts, instructional activities that were most influential in changing their views, changes they have made in their daily lives, the advantages and disadvantages of the course. The students' responses were then audio-recorded and transcribed by the researcher.
Analyses of data from the students' reflective journals, discussions, interviews and instructor's notes indicate that the students gradually developed the ability to read the text from a critical stance. The insights they gained can be summarized into seven points. First, the students developed overall literacy skills, which lay the basis for a higher level comprehension of the text. These literacy skills are significant in an L2 situation because without such foundational means critical literacy can never be enhanced. Secondly, the students became capable of disrupting the idea that texts have the common singular meanings. Thirdly, the students realized the importance of examining both the characters and events within the historical and social contexts that existed or occurred. With such realization, they attempted to interpret both the characters and events within the social context. Fourthly, the students came to interpret stories from alternative perspectives. This tendency to analyze the events and characters from diverse viewpoints became stronger as the semester progressed. Fifthly, the students developed the capacity to represent marginalized or silenced voices in the stories. This ability in turn freed them from the confines of the author's intentions and perspectives. Sixthly, with the diversification of their perceptions as readers, the students came to question and challenge the author more frequently. As they realized that stories often represent the authors' subjective ideas and viewpoints, they started searching for interpretations other than the authors'. Lastly, the students began to show their own sense of agency. Around the end of the semester, they were able to make their own analyses on the basis of personal judgments and opinions showing that they developed a certain level of agency as critical readers.
The findings of this study have some important pedagogical implications in terms of instructor qualifications, story selection, and instructional design. First of all, it is required that the instructors be critically literate themselves because without a solid understanding of critical literacy, they will be unable to keep an objective attitude during the instructional process. Secondly, it is also important that the instructors have a high level of literary competence. It is most important that they possess the ability to interpret literary texts from diverse perspectives, let alone the ability to understand them literally. Thirdly, the stories to be discussed in class should be selected in consideration of factors like students' interests and linguistic complexities of the stories. Finally, efforts need to be exerted to improve the instructional design in such a way that will help students develop their English language skills as well, bearing in mind that a major goal of reading in a second language is to develop the ability to read in the language.
This study has also generated a number of questions for future study. To begin with, research needs to be implemented on the characteristics that short stories should possess in order to be suitable for critical literacy-oriented instruction. Secondly, the impact of critical literacy-oriented instruction over time should be investigated. The finding that the students differed substantially in their development of critical literacy strategies suggests the need to carry out research in varied time frameworks. Finally, the effect of the instructional medium on critical literacy development merits attention. Particularly, the common assumption that the learners' first language may best be utilized in L2 critical literacy classes has to be ascertained.
주제어
#Critical Literacy
#Teaching Short Stories
#EFL Reading Classes
#Literature Education
※ AI-Helper는 부적절한 답변을 할 수 있습니다.