The 9th International Conference on English Language Teaching (ELT) In China (ELT2020)

English language teaching in China has been working towards more student-centered and collaborative teaching strategies. However, the reading classroom in Chinese universities is much the same as it has been for years: teacher-centered with limited opportunities for student participation. Literature Circles (a group-based, scaffolded, student-centered learning strategy developed by Daniels, 2002), which are largely used in the U.S. Language Arts classroom, could offer an alternative to traditional, Chinese-EFL reading methodologies by fostering student autonomy and choice. This research examines student attitude towards and perceived benefits of using Literature Circles in the Extensive Reading classroom at a Chinese university. Randomly selected first-year students participated in three semi-structured interviews over the course of one semester to shed light on how this teaching intervention would be viewed by Chinese English-language learners. Students reported Literature Circles to be a fun, interactive, and overall positive classroom experience. Perceived benefits included increased reading fluency, increased speaking fluency, the development of reading as a habit, and enhanced collaborative learning skills. The positive reception of Literature Circles in the EFL reading classroom in China merits further research on its effectiveness compared to other teaching strategies. The researchers will share in more detail about the findings as well as the basic framework for Literature Circles including suggestions for practitioners about what to change or modify about the procedure to better suit the Chinese classroom based on student feedback. (229 words)
 

autonomy,literature circle,Chinese EFL reading context,group learning,scaffolding,university students,student-centered,interview,qualitative,collaborative,reading fluency,attitudes,perceived benefits,extensive reading