Blog Entry #5: Literature Circles

On Tuesday, November 17, 2009, I performed a literature circle activity at Riverdale High School with Students A,B,C,and D of Mrs. Vincent's ESL class using the book Prince William by Gloria Rand. This blog entry is a reflection of the literature circle activity.


What are your overall impressions of implementation?

I feel that the implementation went well. I chose a book about a young girl that saves a seal from an oil spill. It was a touching story that teaches a valuable lesson about the environment. The book captivated the students' interest and opened the door to discussion about the environment. I feel like the story was a valuable opportunity for students to use literature to learn a lesson about the environment and practice English.

How did students react to the literature? How did students react to discussing the selected texts?

The students were attentive to the literature, and we took turns reading pages. When I began to get concerned about not finishing in time, I decided to read the last couple of pages aloud myself. The book had some illustrations to aid with comprehension. The students were engaged in the story and understood everything that was going on in it. I feel like they enjoyed the literature. We held a discussion afterwards about how the environment can be improved. The students suggested using more wind turbines, solar panels, hydroelectric power, and electric cars. I then asked the students what they could do individually to help the environment. Some of the ideas that they put forth were recycling, driving fuel efficient cars, carpooling, and conserving energy as often as possible. The students that read the book with me were the most advanced students in Mrs. Vincent's class and were very attentive.

How appropriate is the Literature Circle Technique for second language learners?

The Literature Circle Technique is very appropriate for second language learners as long as the literature is understandable or just a little more difficult than what the student is accustomed to. If the literature is too difficult, it may frustrate the students. It is also important that the literature is interesting to the students. If the students are engaged in the story, they will participate more in the lesson and get more out of it. Literature circles are a good way for students to observe the formation of sentences and paragraphs. They can also be good for learning extra vocabulary or exploring various issues, such as the environment. A good selection for a literature circle will lead to an interesting discussion.

What changes would you make if you were to repeat this?

If I could have repeated the activity, I would have included articles related to the environment to further the discussion related to the book. Even though we had a good discussion, it would have been better if we had discussed some articles related to the environment. Unfortunately due to the sake of time, we did not have enough time to have a more thorough discussion.

What suggestions to you have for other ESL professionals considering implementing
literature circles?

For other professionals considering implementing literature circles, I would suggest using something that is at the students' reading level or just slightly more difficult that what the student is accustomed. The selection should also be something that is engaging to the students and that can generate discussion. The instructor should look for vocabulary that the students may be unfamiliar with and go over those words before reading the selection. The instructor should look for as many methods as possible to increase the learning experience of the student using literature circles.