【研究ノート】 Practices and Perceptions of Literature Circles in the EFL Classroom

要旨

The purpose of the present article is to report on the outcome of the preliminary survey on students' perceptions of literature circles in English language classes at a Japanese university, where principles of active learning are translated into practice. By so doing, the article presents advantages and challenges of applying such student-centred approach to English language teaching, through exploratory findings and insights gained from the author's experience. First, the general background of the project is given, as it informs the principles behind the author's pedagogical practices in classes. Then, a brief overview of the use of literary texts and literature circles in language classes is provided in order to give a broader context for this report. It is followed by the description of the course taught with this style of collaborative learning. This section also outlines the reasons for selecting the novella used as the coursebook in the class. Finally, analysis and discussion of the results of the survey on students' perceptions are provided, followed by suggestions on how this approach might be employed to promote the intellectual and moral growth of students.

主題