Teaching English as a Foreign Language through Literature

Abstract

This paper presents evidence that literature for children can be effectively used to acquire English as a foreign language in students of all ages. Students benefit from being challenged with language input that is slightly beyond their independent level of comprehension. This comprehensible input can be provided by listening to the reading or the telling of a story. Suggestions for practical applications of language acquisition and learning principles are included in five categories of activities using English language literature-story selection, listening, shared reading, independent reading, and drama.