Critique of Odilea Rocha Erkaya in “Benefits of Using Short Stories in the EFL Context”
This study was written by Odilea Rocha Erkaya and published on 2005. The purpose of this article is to familiarize EFL instructors with the effectiveness of using literature in language instruction. Short stories help students to learn the four skills—listening, speaking, reading and writing-- more effectively because of the motivational benefit embedded in the stories. In addition, with short stories, instructors can teach literary, cultural, and higher-order thinking aspects. Well, I think this journal is very interesting and needs to read carefully to get full understanding.
This study was written by Odilea Rocha Erkaya and published on 2005. The purpose of this article is to familiarize EFL instructors with the effectiveness of using literature in language instruction. Short stories help students to learn the four skills—listening, speaking, reading and writing-- more effectively because of the motivational benefit embedded in the stories. In addition, with short stories, instructors can teach literary, cultural, and higher-order thinking aspects. Well, I think this journal is very interesting and needs to read carefully to get full understanding.
Researchers who advocate the use of short stories to teach ESL/EFL list several benefits of short stories. These include motivational, literary, cultural and higher-order thinking benefits. Short stories allow instructors to teach the four skills to all levels of language proficiency. Instructors can create a variety of writing activities to help students to develop their writing skills. They can ask students to write dialogues (Murdoch, 2002, p. 9) or more complex writing activities if students have reached a high level of language proficiency. Short stories help instructors to teach literary, cultural and higher-order thinking aspects. Henning (1993) believes that culture should be integrated into the curriculum and “literature is one feature in the cultural domain that provides added value beyond the level of language acquisition.” Literature helps students to expand their “linguistic and cognitive skills, cultural knowledge and sensitivity” (quoted in Shanahan, 1997, p. 165).
Form this journal, I know that many researchers have realized that literature can be used to reinforce the skills and complement language teaching. The researcher affirms that with students at the beginning and intermediate levels, instructors can use literary texts for “language practice, reading comprehension, and possible aesthetic appreciation”. I agree with this opinion. In my point of view, by reading short story, students can gain insight into literature by gaining entrance to a world familiar or unfamiliar to them due to the cultural aspects of stories, and taking a voyage from the literary text to their own minds to find meanings for ideas, leading to critical thinking.
Moreover, I think that by reading short story, which is categorized in children’s literature, student will have more understanding than just receiving from the instructor. My opinion is also based on Murdoch (2002) idea which says that “if selected and exploited appropriately, short stories can provide quality text content which will greatly enhance ELT courses for learners at intermediate levels of proficiency” (p. 9). Oster (1989) affirms that literature helps students to write more creatively (p. 85).
It is also stated that High-intermediate and advanced students also profit from literary texts. What they read gives them the opportunity to come up with their own insights, helping them to speak the language in a more imaginative way. I can say that this statement is true. It stands for some reason. First, they become more creative since they are faced with their own point of view, that/those of the main character of the story and those of their peers. This thoughtful process leads to critical thinking. Second, as Oster confirms, “Focusing on point of view in literature enlarges students' vision and fosters critical thinking by dramatizing the various ways a situation can be seen”. Therefore, when students read, they interact with the text and interpret what they read. So, they can work toward speaking English more creatively. And the third is that Elliott (1990) affirms that literature motivates advanced students and is “motivationally effective if students can genuinely engage with its thoughts and emotions and appreciate its aesthetic qualities”. In addition, one of the reasons Vandrick (1997) lists for using literature with students is that literature motivates students “to explore their feelings through experiencing those of others” (p. 1).
Overall, short stories help instructors to develop students’ creativity. Also it can gain cultural and higher-order thinking aspects. It is believed that culture should be integrated into the curriculum and “literature is one feature in the cultural domain that provides and added value beyond the level of language acquisition.” Literature helps students to expand their “linguistic and cognitive skills, cultural knowledge and sensitivity”. Consequently, the integration of short stories into the curriculum will help EFL students to become professionals and human beings since short stories teach more than the skills necessary for survival in the target language. Short stories teach literary, cultural and higher-order thinking benefits.
Form this journal, I know that many researchers have realized that literature can be used to reinforce the skills and complement language teaching. The researcher affirms that with students at the beginning and intermediate levels, instructors can use literary texts for “language practice, reading comprehension, and possible aesthetic appreciation”. I agree with this opinion. In my point of view, by reading short story, students can gain insight into literature by gaining entrance to a world familiar or unfamiliar to them due to the cultural aspects of stories, and taking a voyage from the literary text to their own minds to find meanings for ideas, leading to critical thinking.
Moreover, I think that by reading short story, which is categorized in children’s literature, student will have more understanding than just receiving from the instructor. My opinion is also based on Murdoch (2002) idea which says that “if selected and exploited appropriately, short stories can provide quality text content which will greatly enhance ELT courses for learners at intermediate levels of proficiency” (p. 9). Oster (1989) affirms that literature helps students to write more creatively (p. 85).
It is also stated that High-intermediate and advanced students also profit from literary texts. What they read gives them the opportunity to come up with their own insights, helping them to speak the language in a more imaginative way. I can say that this statement is true. It stands for some reason. First, they become more creative since they are faced with their own point of view, that/those of the main character of the story and those of their peers. This thoughtful process leads to critical thinking. Second, as Oster confirms, “Focusing on point of view in literature enlarges students' vision and fosters critical thinking by dramatizing the various ways a situation can be seen”. Therefore, when students read, they interact with the text and interpret what they read. So, they can work toward speaking English more creatively. And the third is that Elliott (1990) affirms that literature motivates advanced students and is “motivationally effective if students can genuinely engage with its thoughts and emotions and appreciate its aesthetic qualities”. In addition, one of the reasons Vandrick (1997) lists for using literature with students is that literature motivates students “to explore their feelings through experiencing those of others” (p. 1).
Overall, short stories help instructors to develop students’ creativity. Also it can gain cultural and higher-order thinking aspects. It is believed that culture should be integrated into the curriculum and “literature is one feature in the cultural domain that provides and added value beyond the level of language acquisition.” Literature helps students to expand their “linguistic and cognitive skills, cultural knowledge and sensitivity”. Consequently, the integration of short stories into the curriculum will help EFL students to become professionals and human beings since short stories teach more than the skills necessary for survival in the target language. Short stories teach literary, cultural and higher-order thinking benefits.
Posts
thanks for Khumaidah who composed this Critique...
ReplyDelete