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Editors
Verónica Membrive, Ph. D. University of Almería
Madalina Armie, Ph. D. University of Almería
Call for Chapters
Proposals Submission Deadline: September 2, 2019
Full Chapters Due: November 15, 2019
Submission Date: February 23, 2020
Introduction
Nowadays, in the era of communication, technology and globalisation, English, rather than a complementary subject has become in the last decades a key determinant towards success present in all curricula, studied by learners and people of all ages all around the world. With the passage of time, teachers’ position as simple and arbitrary dispensers of knowledge of a second language – in this case English – has changed, and with this, also the methodologies applied to transmit suitable and valuable pieces of information in the classroom. Innovation has replaced stereotypical and old methods as an attempt to make English language teaching and learning appealing, effective and simple.
O’Sullivan claims that “the teaching of literature has recently been resurrected as a vital component of English language teaching” (2017: 1). Teaching a second language through literature might be a paramount tool to consolidate not only students’ lexical and grammatical competences, but also for the development of their cultural awareness and broadening of their knowledge through interaction and collaboration that foster collective learning. Besides, reading ignites students’ imagination and their critical thinking due to the interpretation, discussion and expression of their opinions on universal themes which might relate to their personal ones.
But precisely these strengths, according to the experts on the field, are transformed into serious difficulties that make the method totter. Language pedagogy using authentic literary texts is definitely not an innovative instrument as it counts with years of tradition; Spack (1985) talked about “bridging the gaps” between the use of literature and the teaching of reading and writing. Already in the 1970s, the methodology of teaching English through literature was displaced and substituted by the so called task-based and content-based approaches. Among the reasons alleged for this exclusion is, on the one hand, the long-standing disassociation of the fields of language teaching and learning to literature and, on the other, the possible frustration caused by literary corpus. The text might present a complex range of vocabulary that might be unknown to the learner, with parts scattered with metaphors and charged with symbolism and motifs which might hinder and obscure the comprehension of the text.
Nonetheless, all seems a problem of focus on the method and on the teaching/schema. According to Sanju Choudhary “literature plays a vital role in teaching the four basic skills of reading, writing, listening, and speaking” (2016), and oral and written abilities must be taught and learnt as being complementary to each other and not isolated units whichever might be the education level or the stage in the learning process. The progression in the acquisition of a foreign language must be perceived as an ensemble, rather than a four-part separate project, but also the adaptation of authentic texts to learners’ educational level. Several have been the studies which tackle the link between teaching methodology and literature, employing not only fiction (Sage, 1987; Collie and Slater, 1990; Stern, 1991; Custodio and Sutton, 1998), but also drama (Lenore, 1993) and poetry (Hiller, 1983; Çubukçu, 2001). In spite of the extensive scholarship on the literary approach to teach English as a second language, the influx of innovative methodologies strongly favour ground-breaking orientations regarding new technologies, gamification, flipped classroom, design thinking, to name a few.
Objective
The overall goal of this book is to give a comprehensive picture of the current landscape of learning English across different educational settings, from kindergarten to higher education, placing special emphasis on the latter . In view of the above, then, the main purpose of this book is to expose the current state of this methodological approach nowadays, and to observe its reverberations, usefulness, strengths and weaknesses when used in a classroom where English is taught as a second language. In this way, this book will provide updated tools to explore another way of teaching and learning through the most creative and enriching manifestations of one language, literature. This is how literature’s position in relation to language teaching is revindicated and revalued.
Target Audience
Books such as this one are especially important for compiling high-quality, up-to-date, scholarly cases that can support and enhance the effective design of online courses incorporating current and emerging digital tools to meet the evolving needs of diverse learners in a variety of sectors. The cases will be valuable for teachers, higher education faculty and teacher educators as well as educational designers in educational settings.
Thus, this book is intended for:
● ESL teachers, instructors, university professors
● Educational designers and developers
● Instructional technology faculty
● Distance learning instructional designers and faculty
Recommended Topics
Recommended Topics include but are not limited to the following:
Theoretical review of the use of literature for ESL. The state of the art.
New technologies and literature in ESL.
Distance learning / Online learning and literature in ESL.
Flipped classroom and literature in ESL.
What is thematically acceptable? Adapted materials, how to know that a material is suitable to the class’s level? The selection of texts. Should these texts be culturally universal?
Creative thinking in ESL classroom.
Are all the literary genres (poetry, science fiction, drama, and novel) suitable for teaching English? The benefits of using each genre, pursuing different objectives according to the age of the learner.
Possible problems and/or challenges of this approach, among them the preparation of the teacher or professor in the area of literature – do teachers need a solid background in literature in order to use the method? – , the importance of tested-designed materials, the need to establish clear-cut objectives etc.
When, why or how literature should be incorporated during the learning process? The importance of pre-reading. The steps to be followed when this method is used.
Submission Procedure
Researchers and practitioners are invited to submit on or before September, 2, 2019, a chapter proposal of 1,000 to 2,000 words clearly explaining the mission and concerns of his or her proposed chapter. Authors will be notified by September 6, 2019 about the status of their proposals and sent chapter guidelines. Full chapters are expected to be submitted by November 15, 2019, and all interested authors must consult the guidelines for manuscript submissions at http://www.igi-global.com/publish/contributor-resources/before-you-write/ prior to submission. All submitted chapters will be reviewed on a double-blind review basis. Contributors may also be requested to serve as reviewers for this project.
Note: There are no submission or acceptance fees for manuscripts submitted to this book publication, Trust in Knowledge Management and Systems in Organizations. All manuscripts are accepted based on a double-blind peer review editorial process.
All proposals should be submitted through the eEditorial Discovery®TM online submission manager.
Publisher
This book is scheduled to be published by IGI Global (formerly Idea Group Inc.), publisher of the "Information Science Reference" (formerly Idea Group Reference), "Medical Information Science Reference," "Business Science Reference," and "Engineering Science Reference" imprints. For additional information regarding the publisher, please visit www.igi-global.com. This publication is anticipated to be released in 2020.
Important Dates
September 2, 2019: 1st Proposal Submission Deadline
September 6, 2019: Notification of Acceptance
October 2, 2019: 2nd Proposal Submission Deadline
October 7, 2019: Notification of Acceptance
November 15, 2019: Full Chapter Submission
December 29, 2019: Review Results Returned
February 9, 2020: Final Acceptance Notification
February 23, 2020: Final Chapter Submission
Inquiries
Veronica Membrive [email protected] Madalina Armie [email protected]
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