Topic 16

Children's literature in the English language. Techniques for didactic exploitation to improve oral comprehension. Introducing and encouraging reading habits. Appreciating the poetic function of language.

Benefits of reading literature for children

Children's literature in the English language.

Techniques for didactic exploitation to improve oral comprehension, introduce and encouraging reading habits and appreciate the poetic function of language.

Linguistic reasons: new vocabulary, syntax structure reinforcement, improve pronunciation and suprasegmental phonemes, spelling, acquire the CC…

Pedagogical reasons: natural and enjoyable way of introducing and learning the L2, unconscious and meaningful learning, relaxed atmosphere…

Cognitive reasons: whole personality development, favours concentration, memory and coordination, increases critical-analytical thinking and reasoning…

Social-affective reasons: enhances collaboration and group work, socialization and communication, developing social skills…

Cultural reasons: students develop curiosity and positive attitudes towards the target language and its culture, awareness of other cultures…

Children’s literature: This literary genre is intended for children but it also includes books that were initially written for adults but were later on adapted to children, such as Stevenson’s “Treasure Isle”, books that are for children but that can also be enjoyed by adults and even books that have adaptations for different levels like Tolkien’s “Lord of the Rings”.

According to Nodelman, the characteristics of children’s literature are: that it is simple and straightforward, it tends to be about fantasy, it can be repetitive, it is focused on action, it is about childhood, it expresses a child’s POV, it is optimistic and didactic.

EARLY AGES OF ENGLISH TALES and THE RENAISSANCE: They were firstly meant for adults, myths, legends, epic tales, passed down from one generation to the next. In the Middle Ages to instruct. 15th century Aesop’s Fables: “The Fox and the Grapes”. Later, Comenius “Orbis Pictus”. La Fontaine wrote fables in verse “The Fox and the Crow”.

TRADITIONAL TALES: Perrault (17th), important author, collected tales from the oral tradition in a simple style. “Cinderella”. Grimm Brothers (19th) gathered old tales from the oral tradition “Snow White”. Hans Christian Andersen (19th) realistic view of life, sad endings like “The Tin Soldier”.

MODERN TALES: Lear and Carroll, nonsense writers. “Alice in Wonderland”. Oscar Wilde “The Happy Prince”. Beatrix Potter “Peter Rabbit”. Baum “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz”. Barrie “Peter Pan”.

CHILDREN’S NOVELS: Translation of classic fairy tales like “Little Red Ridding Hood”. Daniel Defoe: “Robinson Crusoe”. Jonathan Swift: “Gulliver’s Travels.” 19th century is the Golden Age: Jules Verne (“Around the world in 80 days”), Mark Twain (“The Adventures of Tom Sawyer”), Stevenson “Treasure Island”, Kipling “The Jungle Book”. 20th c.: Dahl “Matilda”, Dr. Seuss “Cat in the Hat”, J.K Rowling and Harry Potter. Nowadays: “Pat the Hat” by Hawkins, “The very hunger Caterpillar” by Carle and “Brown Bear, Brown Bear, what do you see?” by Martin.

Consider when choosing texts: student's age, interests and needs. Linguistic level and difficulty. Background information that is needed. Potential follow-up activities.

Age range (5-7 (fun and simple), 7-9 (illustrations but more vocab), 9-11 (no pictures, more complex))

1. Develop oral and written comprehension: Stovall (1998) top-down and bottom-up strategies.

2. Promoting reading habits: specific strategies (skimming, scanning, avoid word by word reading, relventa vs non-relevant). Reading corner. Albuquerque (1990)

3. Introduce the peotic funtion of language: Jakobson (1960). i.e.: Dr. Seuss.

4. Include socio-cultural aspects: Tomalin and Stempleski (1993): understand conventional behaviours and how they are conditioned by the culture, discovering how social factors like age, sex or origin influence speaking, learning cultural connotations of certain words, getting information about the target countries and creating curiosity and empathy towards English countries and language.

Kagan: TWO TRUTHS AND A LIE