The use of literature in foreign language learning. Adapting narrative texts to drama.

Universidad de Valladolid Máster en Profesor de Educación Secundaria Obligatoria y Bachillerato, Formación Profesional y Enseñanza de Idiomas Especialidad: Lenguas Extranjeras (Inglés) TRABAJO FIN DE MÁSTER The use of literature in foreign language learning. Adapting narrative texts to drama. Carla Vicente Prada Tutora: Sara Medina Calzada Valladolid, 2020 1 Abstract: The present work provides a reflexive analysis on the use of literature as a didactic resource in the classroom of English as a second language at the stage of secondary education, and in this we will focus on students of the 4th grade. For this purpose, this dissertation presents a didactic proposal which follows a task-based approach through cooperative work which consists on the adaptation of a narrative text to theatre. The project pursues the development of writing along with speaking skills through the realization of a series of activities, which are based on the reading of a short story and will be essential to carry out the final product. Key words: literature, didactic proposal, English as a second language, Secondary Education, task-based approach Resumen: El presente trabajo expone un análisis reflexivo sobre la utilización de la literatura como recurso didáctico en las aulas de lengua extranjera, en este caso en Inglés, en 4º de Educación Secundaria Obligatoria. Con este propósito se muestra una propuesta didáctica desde el enfoque por tareas mediante trabajo cooperativo que se basa es la adaptación de un texto narrativo a teatro. El proyecto persigue el desarrollo de las habilidades de escritura y orales mediante la realización de una serie de actividades que parten de la lectura un texto literario y serán imprescindibles para llevar a cabo la tarea final. Palabras clave: literatura, propuesta didáctica, Inglés como segunda lengua, Educación Secundaria Obligatoria, enfoque por tareas 2 Contents 1. Introduction ........................................................................................................... 3 2. Justification ............................................................................................................ 4 3. Objectives .............................................................................................................. 5 4. Theoretical framework .......................................................................................... 6 4.1. Approaches to literature in language teaching ............................................... 7 4.2. Reasons to include literature in the ESL curriculum ................................... 11 4.3. Establishing criteria for the selection of materials: authentic or adapted texts ..................................................................................................................... 16 5. Didactic proposal ................................................................................................. 20 5.1. Literary genres and text’s choice ................................................................. 21 5.2. General objectives of the project .................................................................. 24 5.3. Contextualizing and structuring the target group ......................................... 25 5.4. Didactic methodology .................................................................................. 27 5.5. Work plan and general overview of the project ........................................... 28 5.6. Development of the project .......................................................................... 34 6. Conclusion ........................................................................................................... 44 Works Cited ......................................................................................................... 46 Annexes 3 1. INTRODUCTION The purpose of this paper is to reflect on the importance of literature in the process of teaching and learning a foreign language, as well as showing why its use in the ESL (English as a second language) classroom is feasible and how it can be integrated in the lessons. Over the past few decades, foreign language learning in the classroom has undergone a process of methodological renewal which tends nowadays to favor the acquisition of the communicative competence in real contexts. That is why some scholars highlight the fact that “literature can serve this purpose by having different aspects of language authentically within itself including not only syntax and lexis but also pragmatic and cultural points not easily found in non-literary texts” (Khatib, Derakhshan, & Rezaei 2011, p. 214). As teachers, we cannot overlook this tool that puts at our disposal a compendium of knowledge that helps us to introduce the student to the understanding and interiorization of the language. The process of teaching and learning foreign languages through literature is, above all, an interactive process of communication between the author, the text, the reader and teachers as mediators. This can contribute to the development of the interlanguage and also lead to cultural awareness. Lazar (1993) has defended and justified the educational possibilities of the use of literary materials in the context of language learning. So it will be demonstrated the viability of using literature in the classrooms, showing its effective, versatile and multiple benefits for both students and teachers. However, it should not be forgotten that in order to succeed in the use of the literary texts, it is necessary to have an appropriate methodology along with materials that are motivating and creative which adapt to the level and interest of the students. And principally, a didactic exploitation that transmits linguistic-cultural knowledge, at the same time that it responds to communicative needs. The final result is an improvement in the students’ reading comprehension, cultural and grammatical knowledge, as well as their level of conversation and writing. This document is arranged in two large blocks: the theoretical framework, which contains the theoretical foundation of this project, and the didactic proposal, in which a plan for adapting narrative texts to drama is presented. The didactic proposal offered in 4 this work is focused on the implementation of literature as a learning strategy in the English classroom for which the methodology employed is grounded on the task-based approach through cooperative work. In short, due to the gradual demand for multilingualism, it is necessary to provide new educational resources that encourage the learning of ESL within the classrooms of secondary education. 2. JUSTIFICATION The approach of the present work arises from my own experience as a high school student and my recent intervention in the teacher training program of the master. I could observe that currently, the method of encouraging reading in foreign language teaching still consists of students reading a book on a quarterly basis to take an exam so that the teacher could check if students have read the book or not. It is also true that textbooks make few allusions to literature and the readings that students are asked to do are usually worked outside the class as homework. To be more precise, this is a superficial reading methodology “where there is no focus on the literary qualities of what is being read (and indeed, the material being read may well be non-fiction) and where, in its purest form, there is no language learning work either” (Paran, 2008, p. 467). Even though it serves as a means of developing reading skills, teachers should offer more possibilities to students in order to exploit texts. Reading does not just involve the action of decoding a text, but it is also a process of interaction with a language, its culture and context. Among the materials used to develop training and foreign language learning activities, literary texts are usually somewhat ignored, since literary discourse is considered to be a complex and elaborate modality with little impact on the most frequent uses of the language system. However, the wide diversity of literary materials offers enough possibilities to work adequately a gradual input for learning from literary materials. That is why the choice of topic has also been motivated because it is undeniable that the didactic dimension of literature can provide a series of linguistic and cultural values and skills to secondary school students. 5 3. OBJECTIVES This dissertation pursues the following objectives: - To encourage the use of literature as a useful resource for the acquisition of English as a second language presenting its benefits and contributions to the field of language teaching. - To explore the role of literature within English teaching-learning methods in the area of foreign language learning. - To investigate the presence of literature in the ESL curriculum of secondary education in Castilla y León. - To reflect on the importance of an adequate presentation and selection of literary texts as well as giving guidelines in order to select them appropriately. - To develop a didactic proposal based on the inclusion of literature within the ESL classroom in secondary education. To do that, students will be asked to work in groups and to read a narrative story in order to adapt it to drama. 6 4. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK This theoretical framework examines the approaches to the use of literature, the main reasons why it should be part of the ESL curriculum and which criteria should be followed in order to select texts. Before starting with it, it is imperative to clarify what does the term literature imply. It must be noted that literature is a broad concept whose definition cannot be given straightforwardly. Generally speaking, literature is an artistic manifestation based on the use of words and language, both written and oral, as a means of expression. Some authors have defined literature as “imaginative compositions, mainly printed but earlier (and still, in some cultures) was oral, whether dramatic, metrical or prose in form” (Childs and Fowler, 2006, p. 129). These authors also underline literature’s relevance on the preservation and transmission of diverse cultures, what can “promote a greater tolerance for cultural differences for both the teacher and the student” (McKay, 1982, p. 531). That is to say, formally literature is distinguished as an artistic expression and also as a set of texts with certain characteristics which arise from a context that may be historical, social or cultural. Lazar (1993) adds that literature as an art; allows the expression of opinions, experiences, ideas, as well as promoting imagination and learning about different socio-cultural aspects. From a linguistic point of view, it has been claimed that “literature is an example of language in use, and is a context for language use” (O’Sullivan, 2017, p. 2). In this case, literature is related to a singular type of linguistic communication which contributes to the acquisition of this competence. The style of any literary work proposes a syntactic, semantic and grammatical model that, added to other readings, increases the knowledge of the language, thanks to which later strategies can be developed. 7 4.1. Approaches to literature in language teaching The functionality of literature in the history of foreign language teaching and learning has always been linked to theoretical currents and critical trends of the moment. For that reason, this section includes a summary of the methodological approaches to language teaching and the use of literary texts over the last century. After that it will be framed an actual approach to literature in language teaching proposed by Lazar (1993). This will allow us to comprehend why literary texts were excluded during some time from the teaching procedures and also why there is a need to develop new strategies and adopt new perspectives and approaches that could allow and justify their inclusion in current syllabuses. At the beginning of the 20th century, the grammar-translation method used the literary text for translating or for studying grammatical aspects. The emphasis of this teaching method “was on mastering grammar structures and vocabulary. There was neither literary interest nor interest on content” (Bobkina & Dominguez, 2014, p. 249). The written language is the basis for both the linguistic description and the activities carried out in class. Vocabulary is learned through word lists and special importance is placed on the degree of accuracy of translation. This traditional method, used during the 19th century until the first half of the twentieth century, presented several shortcomings since communicative skills were completely ignored what would not allow students to engage in a coherent, appropriate and fluent conversation. The texts or literary excerpts of works were exploited taking into account their grammar and vocabulary, without paying too much attention to their content. These texts were considered as a collection of sentences or models of structures that should serve as an example to create other similar ones. The focus is not on speaking and being able to communicate in a foreign language, but on showing language proficiency in terms of grammar. This is an unmotivating model that over time has become totally obsolete giving way to other pedagogical perspectives. In short, in the grammar-translation model, the inclusion of literature in the curriculum had little to do with methodological considerations. 8 From the 1940s to the 1960s, the direct method would bring about a drastic change in the teaching of foreign languages with respect to the previous one. This method gives priority to the development and acquisition of oral skills considering that the learning of a second language could be analogous to the acquisition of the mother tongue. The teaching of grammar was relegated to a secondary role, was given more importance to vocabulary, dialogues and oral interaction. Besides, this method ponders that literature presents a language far from everyday life uses employed by native speakers in their conversations. Although literary texts provide numerous examples of grammatical structures, they also contain complex words and expressions that were considered inappropriate for second language learners, especially in the early stages of learning. For this reason, literature was erased from the ESL syllabus since “the language teaching method based on the translation of Classic texts resulted rather inefficient when applied to teaching modern languages and, as a result, the tendency at the time was to eliminate literary texts from language classes to focus on teaching language skills mainly” (Bobkina & Dominguez, 2014, p. 249). Bearing in mind the principles on which the direct method is based, the literary text is no longer considered a linguistic reference and literature is excluded and replaced by texts from everyday language. The audio-lingual method, whose origin dates back to the Second World War, came up as a political strategy because of the need to train proficient soldiers in foreign language use. That is the main reason why the priority was the spoken language, oral expression and listening. The dynamic of this methodology is based on repetition and imitation exercises of native patterns. There is no doubt that the audio-lingual method “supported the complete exclusion of literature from the foreign language curriculum addressing its structural complexity and its nonconformity to the standard grammar rules” (Bobkina & Dominguez, 2014, p. 249). The aim was to train students who managed to develop oral skills to be able to communicate in everyday situations. To do this, they had to make a correct use of the grammatical rules since the acquisition of habits to learn the language depended on it. 15  Cultural awareness Knowing a language involves being able to use it properly and appropriately from a linguistic and pragmatic point of view. Literature has been considered “as an efficient tool that can provide EFL learners with opportunities to develop different aspects of the English language proficiency, as well as to deepen their knowledge and understanding of English culture” (Bobkina & Dominguez, 2014, p. 257). Therefore, a relevant sociocultural knowledge of the conventions with which a language is used makes it possible to approach effective communicative abilities. Lazar (1993) believes that “exposing students to literature from other cultures is an enriching and exciting way of increasing their awareness of different values, beliefs, social structures and so on” (p.62). The author underscores the importance of being familiar with the society and culture of the community in which the language is spoken since probably several students may be distorted by stereotypes. Thus, learners not only have to learn the grammatical rules and the lexicon of the target language, but it is equally important to become aware of the social and cultural characteristics of its native speakers. Bobkina and Dominguez (2014) insist on the fact that “literature is probably one of the best ways to understand the culture and traditions of the target language, especially in those cases in which a visit or a stay is virtually impossible (p. 251). In other words, it can then broaden the student's perception of what life is like in the country of the target language they are learning in a particular historical period. The cultural aspects embrace those associated to the speakers’ lifestyle, their living conditions, how do they manage their personal relationships, and which are their values, beliefs, attitudes, and social conventions. In the same way, the cultural dimension of literature contributes to the students’ personal enrichment and to the formation of citizens who are capable of tolerating other cultures, what implies a development of social and civic competences since they: Involve the ability and capacity to use the knowledge and attitudes about society, understood from different perspectives, in its dynamic, changing and complex conception to interpret phenomena and problems in increasingly diversified contexts; to develop responses, make decisions 16 and resolve conflicts, as well as to interact with other individuals and groups according to standards based on mutual respect and democratic convictions. (Orden ECD/65/2015, 2015, pp. 12-13) As a result, with the inclusion of literary texts, teachers will be working in the formation of more critical, reflective and autonomous citizens. This allows the student to observe and confront his or her own culture with that of the language being learned and to reflect on the different values and attitudes of both communities in order to act appropriately in the target language. Even though there have just been mentioned the key competences which are strictly linked to the teaching-learning process of a language, by designing and planning learning experiences through the use of new technologies it could also be encouraged the digital competence. Although this fact will always depend on the resources available in the class and the teacher’s ability to use technology and integrate it to the teachinglearning process of ESL. Considering the reasons that have just been mentioned, the use of literary texts as a resource in language teaching gives educators the opportunity to help students achieve some of the fundamental objectives that they must obtain during the secondary education stage. 4.3. Establishing criteria for the selection of materials: authentic or adapted texts Once it has been clarified why literature serves as a didactic tool in the ESL classroom, it is going to be established what kind of texts are suitable and under what criteria they should be selected. It is essential that teachers make a correct selection of the texts which are going to be the base of their work in the class. On this appropriate selection will depend in the majority of the cases the success of their lesson which will be illustrated by their students’ attention and fulfilment of the tasks. If literary texts are well chosen, they can provide “opportunities for extended output, and led to a great deal of interaction, characterised by responsiveness, emotional engagement and authenticity” (Paran, 2008, p. 472). When selecting a literary text, it is 17 advisable to reflect on three fundamental areas: the type of course to which it is directed, the type of students and the aspects that can be found in the text. Concerning the employment of authentic literary works or adaptations from those texts, teachers do not fully agree with what is the best option. However, neither adaptations nor authentic materials should be discarded. Even at the most elementary levels when students are not capable to cope with literary texts, teachers should try to use them since there are multiple graduated readings that can help beginners to understand the text. Although some teachers consider that literary adaptations distort the true message of the piece and its essence is lost, at lower levels of ESL, it is advisable to use adapted texts in order to begin to introduce literature to students so that they can follow a gradual process whose end would be facing authentic texts. In any case, the language teacher is free to choose what s/he considers more appropriate for the students. It is therefore essential that teachers make an appropriate selection of literary texts taking into account the criteria proposed by Lazar (1993) which based on age, emotional and intellectual maturity, needs, motivation, interests, cultural background, language proficiency, literary knowledge and linguistic competence of the students. Obviously, it will always be impossible to please every student within the same class since the diversity of students makes the selection more complex for the teacher who would have to choose texts suitable for the majority. The first feature that must be taken into account is the linguistic level and background since: They might not be able to cope with the language of the text because it departs strikingly from the usual norms of language use; it includes a great many archaisms, rhetorical devices and metaphors; or it makes use of the dialect or register of a highly specialised field (such as law). (Lazar, 1993, p. 53) Hence, when selecting texts, it is important to consider not only the linguistic level that the literary text itself may contain, but also its specific literary qualities and the knowledge students have of them. Besides, the text should not be above the English proficiency level of the students because the fact of not understanding it as a whole could discourage them. That does not mean that it should not contain new vocabulary or 18 grammatical structures, but it should be in a way that does not affect the total comprehension of the reading. This issue is clearly portrayed by Krashen’s input hypothesis “which states that language is acquired by receiving “comprehensible input” slightly above one’s current level of competence (i+1) (Liu, 2015, p.140). The formula “i+ 1” refers to providing students with comprehensible input “i” containing linguistic elements slightly above their English level “+ 1” so that the comprehension could be more challenging for the student, but not unreachable, what would contribute to the acquisition of the language, otherwise it will create a feeling of frustration and demotivation. Together with the other criteria for selecting literary texts, it could also be added the availability and length of the texts, the possible exploitation of each genre and the possibility of fitting them into the curriculum with activities that incorporate the four basic language competences: reading, speaking, listening and writing. Logically, working with any literary genre implies reading, for that reason reading comprehension is the most widely developed skill. In terms of writing, literature provides an immense variety of tasks which include guided, controlled or free writing. Generally speaking, narrative, poetry and drama can exploit writing skills; nonetheless, for listening and speaking skills the most appropriate genre would be drama. Through narrative texts, readers can observe the characters’ behavior within a concrete reality and appreciate how they act in everyday life in different registers and styles. These literary texts can be used as a motivating resource within the class to help students consolidate and practice the target language. Perhaps short stories are the most employed materials from this literary genre since the length of novels make it quite difficult to work with them. In fact, for this paper’s didactic proposal the texts that have been chosen are short stories so their implications and contributions to the learning of a language will be specified in the following section. There is no doubt that for students the most complex genre is poetry even in their mother tongue since “the deviated and figurative language of poetry necessitates very long time to grasp” (Pardede, 2011, p. 17). If the poem is carefully chosen and worked, it can encourage student’s ability to distinguish between literal, symbolic or metaphorical meanings. Noticeably, the selection of the poems by the teacher is a task in which s/he must take into account not only the linguistic level of the students, but also the fact that poetry has characteristics that are very different from those of any other form of discourse, 19 and it is essential to identify and explain these characteristics in order to help students understand the language of the poem in order to convey its message. That is why “teachers obviously need to ensure that they choose poems suitably graded to the level of the students and that the students are given as much help as possible in understanding the language of the poem” (Lazar, 1993, p.101). So, when poetry is used in class, those unusual forms of language can expand students’ understanding of poetic language and interpretative skills. Fortunately, the exploitability of theatre offers numerous opportunities to integrate speaking and listening activities such as “oral reading, dramatization, improvisation, roleplaying, pandomiming, reenactment, discussion, and group activities” (Hişmanoğlu, 2005, p. 59). Dramatization can provide some benefits such as improving fluency in situations of linguistic interaction, learning communicative functions, vocabulary, pronunciation, in a fully contextualized situation. In addition, plays are mainly formed by dialogues, so using them with students is a fun and effective way to focus on conversational language. Learners thus expand their understanding of spoken discourse, what kind of idiomatic expressions are appropriate to use in different contexts, and how what characters say in a conversation reflects the status and relationships they maintain. Hence, the use of theatre in the ESL class provides a meaningful and relevant context for learners which will encourage them to be active in their own learning process by enhancing their confidence and self-esteem. It is not easy to determine in which way should literature be used in a lesson “since every teaching situation is unique, the use of one single piece of literature varies from classroom to classroom and from teacher to teacher” (Pardede, 2011, p. 23). Unfortunately, there is not a formula which works well with every group so the teacher is completely free to choose whichever activities s/he considers that are more suitable for using literature. To conclude, these considerations are sufficient to underline that the exploitation of literary texts present several positive experiences together with multiple didactic applications which contribute to the teaching-learning process of ESL. The following section of this paper presents a didactic proposal which integrates literary texts. 20 5. DIDACTIC PROPOSAL Through the development of this paper I intend to present a didactic proposal in the field of teaching English as a second language in secondary education. The main idea of the didactic proposal consists of introducing literature in the ESL classroom through a task-based cooperative project. The literary texts chosen are outlined below: - A Case of Identity, Arthur Conan Doyle - “The Way up to Heaven”, Roald Dahl - The Monkey’s Paw, W.W. Jacobs - The Murders in the Rue Morgue, Edgar Allan Poe Broadly speaking, students from an ESL classroom would have to work in groups since they will be assigned one of those texts in order to adapt them to drama. At first, this proposal might seem complex, but on each session it will be explained clearly every activity so that they succeed in the fulfilment of the final activity, which comprises the representation of the play that they have written. This project can “offer students the opportunity to respond imaginatively to their reading experience by developing the text in a way that employs communicative and purposeful language” (O’Sullivan, 2017, p.5). In view of that, it is going to be framed the target group to which this project would ideally be directed; why were those texts selected; the methodology that has been followed; how will be the work plan developed throughout the school year; and finally, how will be this didactic proposal settled on each session. Additionally, considering what is happening at the moment, it will be given an alternative to the representation of the play so that the project could be completed online. 21 5.1. Literary genres and text’s choice The reasons that lead students to read in class and at home are very different. While in both cases they read for a reason, the way a student approaches a text will change radically depending on the reason that led to it in the first place. Therefore, it seems logical to suggest that activities or readings in class that produce the same motivation and pleasure as those freely chosen at home should be considered. The literary texts selected for the implementation of the didactic proposal are four short stories from different authors. To begin with, some of the implications of short stories that lead to the decision of including them as beneficial teaching resources are: Linguistically speaking, short stories develop language awareness in learners. Similarly short stories are authentic materials for language learners. They can be used as a huge authentic source of new vocabulary items and grammatical structures. The learners can see how the words and structures can be manipulated in a variety of ways to create meanings in a text. (Adhikari, 2006, p. 108). With regard to the readability of the stories, they adjust to Krashen’s idea of the input hypothesis since students will be capable of understanding the linguistic input, even though they contain lexical elements or grammar structures slightly above their current linguistic level of competence. The main reason to consider the length of a story is that “the shortness of the text is important for the students because they will see that they can read, understand and finish something in English, and it will give the students a feeling of achievement and selfconfidence” (Pardede, 2011, p. 18). There is no doubt that at first instance the students’ willingness to read a text relies on its length since they usually complain about the amount of work they have to do and the lack of time they have to read books. Besides, the development of the project has been thought to be put into practice on one session per week for this reason. The stories are about twenty pages long so students cannot make excuses in order to avoid reading. Following this line, it has also been taken into account the accessibility of the texts, which can be purchased online for free, just to prevent students from complaining that they have to buy the books. 22 Even though the short stories were written between the 19th and 20th century, I believe they fit students' interests so “can be used as a positive stimulation to motivate students, and a good means to improve reading and writing skills” (Ceylan, 2016, p. 312). On the whole, they are detective and horror stories which get the reader’s attention from the beginning and they may enjoy and find them interesting while writing the adaptation. Furthermore, students will realize that although these stories were written in past centuries the universality of the themes they treat are still relevant at the present time. The other literary genre which students are going to work with is drama because its use in the classroom allow students to learn in a more dynamic, participative and real way. By opening students’ minds to the dramatic genre “they begin to understand how plays work, as verbal artefacts, as spectacle, as a reflection (or a critique) of cultural and social norms. This is in itself a valuable educational process, which has to be experienced; it is much less effective if it is simply explained.” (Maley & Duff, 2006, p. 230). Theatre helps teachers to create a learning environment based on interaction and motivation that will be the key mainstays for the development of positive dynamics which will increase students’ creativity, imagination and spontaneity. Concerning linguistic skills, through theatre teachers expose students to other features of conversational language like “how conversations are ordered and sequenced in English, what kinds of formulaic expressions it is appropriate to use in different contexts, how what people say in a conversation reflects their relationship and relative status” (Lazar, 1993, p. 137). The effectiveness of this tool allows practising and learning of both verbal and non-verbal language styles and registers. By using dramatization in the classroom “a strong sense of involvement is fostered which helps to motivate students and encourages them to learn through active participation” (Lazar, 1993, p. 138). To put it in a different way, it is a good setting for social learning since it improves the students’ interaction and communication by defending their ideas, agreeing with others and evaluating situations in order to achieve a perfect coordination. Moreover, students develop their language skills progressively as they learn how to use language properly in the various situations and social contexts they create. In short, drama is understood as a creative and daily activity, which has a communicative and educational purpose that promotes the habit of reading. 23 It must be noted that students will be part of their own learning process since theatre will not be put forward directly, but through creative writing they will understand how this genre works by assuming their role as creators of a play. In broad lines, every group will have to write a script, present a brochure and of course, dramatize the play. Hereunder will be briefly specified why were the texts and authors chosen. The decision was mainly taken because they are classical authors who to a greater or lesser extent students have heard of them even if they are not capable of framing them with a literary genre or socio-historical context. Two of the stories belong to the detective literary genre, in fact, it is Poe’s text, The Murders in the Rue Morgue, considered as the first modern detective story. For this reason, it seemed appropriate to include Poe since he is the father of the first literary detective and the genre. He set the course of this narrative form which is based on: a criminal event, its investigation and the resolution of the event. The main character is Auguste Dupin, an investigator who solves crimes through clues that lead to brilliant deductions. Thus, the reader follows the case until the extraordinary explanation of the end. Almost certainly, the majority of the students know who Sherlock Holmes is since nowadays this fictional character is experiencing one of his most popular moments as adaptations for movies and television have captivated viewers with an update on the adventures of literature's most famous researcher. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, definitively established the formula of the detective genre, which was started thirty years earlier by Edgar Allan Poe. Even though there are over fifty tales that tell the story of Sherlock Holmes, it has been picked A Case of Identity as it portrays a universal theme, a moneydriven scam. The following author is surely recognized by students because of the film adaptations of the books Matilda and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, which they have probably watched when they were kids. Even though he produced literature for children, they would not be able interpret accurately and completely some of his works. That is why, stimulating the use of critical thinking, teenagers should rediscover Dahl’s fiction to appreciate which was really the meaning of his stories. When reading Dahl's macabre stories, one never ceases to be amazed at how the most trivial situation can lead to a disturbing story where the author makes an exploration of human behavior. This is the 24 case of “The Way up to Heaven” which apparently pictures everyday occurrences but eventually evolves into a splendidly cruel tale, an unusual story, and even an ironic warning about the dangers of domestic partnership. Perhaps for students the least known author is W.W. Jacobs, but his story The Monkey’s Paw which was an immediate success, awakened the imagination of other artists who sought to imitate its impact so it began to be adapted to plays, films as well as TV series, the closer example to students is found in one chapter of The Simpsons where there is an allusion to this tale. It is one of the great classics of horror literature written with a simple structure and a balanced and elegant language. In spite of being a macabre tale, is not entirely devoid of some comic situations. The story carries a terrible double moral: that fate inevitably determines people's lives, and also that sometimes it is better to leave things as they are, otherwise they could get worse. Jacobs makes terror emerge in the daily lives of his characters as an obsession, a remorse or a dark premonition of their tragic destiny, what makes them more plausible. The moral themes of fate, greed and happiness seem to me very suitable for dealing with teenagers A series of criteria have been proposed that are fundamental for carrying out an adequate choice of literary productions used in the classroom, based on the opinion of different scholars who are specialists on the subject. It should be noted that there is no formula which ensures the success of the texts selected for the class, since the factors and criteria considered for the choice are attached to specific teaching contexts and to different situations. However, the common requirement with regard to literary works is to choose them according to the readers to whom they are addressed, taking into account their level of knowledge, interests and needs, always with the aim of making them enjoy reading, on the one hand, and the linguistic and cultural training of students, on the other. 5.2. General objectives of the project The main objectives that the didactic proposal is going to pursue are: - To expose students to authentic literary texts in order to improve their proficiency of the language. - To encourage the habit of reading and to strengthen their interest in it. 31 Communicative functions: Requesting and offering information, indications, opinions and views, advice, warnings and notices. Formulation of suggestions, wishes, conditions and hypotheses. Establishing and maintaining communication and speech organization. Block 2 (oral text production: expression and interaction) Production strategies: Adapt the text to the recipient, context and channel, applying the appropriate register and structure of speech in each case Express the message clearly, coherently, structuring it appropriately and adjusting, if necessary, to the models and formulas of each type of text. Block 3 (comprehension of written texts) Comprehension strategies: Identification of the textual type, adapting the understanding to it. Distinguishing types of understanding (general meaning, essential information, main points, relevant details). Socio-cultural and sociolinguistic aspects: Recognizing social conventions, rules of courtesy and records; customs, values, beliefs and attitudes; non-verbal language Block 4 (written text production: expression and interaction) Production strategies: Locate and properly use linguistic or thematic resources (e.g. use of a dictionary, or linguistic corpus). Express the message clearly by following the models and formulas for each type of text (e.g. the corresponding literary genre). 32 Evaluation criteria, the student should be able to: Block 1: Know and use for the comprehension of the text the socio-cultural and sociolinguistic aspects related to daily life (habits and activities of study, work and leisure), living conditions (habitat, socio-economic structure), interpersonal relationships (generational, between men and women, in the educational, occupational and institutional fields), behaviour (postures, facial expressions, voice use, eye contact), and social conventions (attitudes, values). Apply to the comprehension of the text the knowledge about the constituents and the organization of syntactic and discursive patterns frequently used in oral communication, as well as their associated meanings (e.g. an interrogative structure to express surprise). Block 2: Incorporate into the production of the monological or dialogical oral text the sociocultural and sociolinguistic knowledge acquired concerning interpersonal relations and social conventions in the personal, public, educational and occupational/working spheres, selecting and providing necessary and relevant information, appropriately adjusting the expression to the recipient, the communicative purpose, the subject matter and the channel of communication, and expressing opinions and points of view with the necessary courtesy. Interact in a simple but effective way in clearly structured exchanges, using usual formulas or indications to take or give the floor, although the help of the interlocutor may be needed. Keep the rhythm of the speech with enough fluency to make the message understandable when the interventions are short or of medium length, although there may be pauses, occasional hesitations or reformulations of what is to be expressed in less usual situations or in longer interventions. Block 3: Distinguish the most relevant communicative functions of the text and a repertoire of its most common exponents, as well as frequently used discursive patterns related to the 33 organization and expansion or restructuring of information (e.g. new versus known; exemplification; summary). Recognize the main formatting, typographical, spelling and punctuation conventions, as well as commonly and more specifically used abbreviations and symbols along with their associated meanings. Block 4: To know, select and apply the most suitable strategies to produce short or medium-length written texts, e.g. by reframing structures from other texts with similar characteristics and communicative purposes, or by writing previous drafts. To incorporate into the production of written text the socio-cultural and sociolinguistic knowledge acquired in relation to interpersonal relations and social conventions in the personal, public, educational and occupational/work fields, selecting and providing the necessary and relevant information, appropriately adjusting the expression to the addressee, the communicative purpose, the subject matter and the textual support. Learning standards: Block 1: standard 6, the student distinguishes, with visual or written support, the main ideas and relevant information in well-structured and clearly presentations or talks on known or interesting topics related to the educational or occupational field. Block 2: standard 1, the student makes short, well-structured, pre-rehearsed, visuallysupported presentations on specific aspects of academic or occupational topics of interest, organizing background information coherently, explaining main ideas briefly and clearly, and responding to simple questions from listeners articulated clearly and at medium speed. Block 3: standard 7, the student understands the general aspects and most relevant details of short, well-structured contemporary fiction and literary texts in a standard variant of the language, in which the plot is linear and can be followed without difficulty, and the characters and their relationships are described clearly and simply. Block 4: standard 5, the student writes in a conventional format, short, simple reports giving essential information on an academic, occupational, or less usual topic briefly 34 describing situations, people, objects, and places; narrating events in a clear linear sequence, and explaining in a simple way the reasons for certain actions. Key competences: - Literacy skills; - Multilingual competence; - Digital competence; - Personal, social and learning to learn competence; - Citizenship competence; - Entrepreneurship competence; - Cultural awareness and expression competence. It has not been considered the case of the diversity specification, but in the event that there was a student who required it, we would have to make an adaptation of the curriculum. 5.6. Development of the project The project will be done in a total of 15 sessions of 50 minutes each throughout a quarter. The main reason to develop the project weekly is that even though it is thought to be entirely developed in school hours, a group can get stuck in a certain task so they cannot complete it in class but they would have a week to finish it. Besides, this way the teacher can have time to control and correct the projects from week to week. There is no official manual that sets out the project's agenda so the students will be given an outline guide in the first session in order to be completed during the classes, which is included in the annex. Just like Smith (1996) asserts “in every lesson there should be an academic objective specifying the concepts, strategies, procedures, and so on to be learned, and a teamwork objective specifying the interpersonal or small group skill to be used and mastered during the lesson” (p.77). When presenting the project for the first time, students may think that they will have to devote extra time to complete it because 35 of its complexity. That is why, they will be given the outline of the work plan so that they know what they have to do on each session. The complexity of the project requires the teacher to make a great effort in order to maintain a good working environment in which every member of the group gets involve in the project. To be more concise, the role of the teacher: apart from ensuring that everything is well planned and carried out in a disciplined but friendly way, the teacher will be a constant reference-point for matters of language and information, a constant peacemaker when disputes blow up (and they do), a constant source of encouragement for everyone (Maley & Duff, 2006, p.238). Therefore, in order to justify the time and effort students will need to be able to fulfill the whole project in their second language, there must be some kind of incentive to overcome some impediments like language barriers with enthusiasm. For that reason, it should be graded so that it could be part of the final mark of the quarter. Furthermore, in this way the teacher makes sure that the tasks will be taken more seriously. Concerning the materials and resources needed for the completion of the tasks apart from the literary texts, each group will have at least one computer with access to the internet and an English dictionary. Although the project could also be carried out without technology, I believe that it will facilitate its elaboration together with improving students’ motivation. In any case, it must be noted that this project does not specifically require the use of computers. It will also be considered the possibility of the current situation in which students cannot attend school because of a global pandemic so it will be presented an alternative for the representation of the play. We will now proceed to the development of the sessions, the extra material and task procedures needed in class will be included in the annex. Session 1Introduction to the project This will be the initial moment of the presentation of the agenda in which the content, the main idea of the project as well as the requirements for overcoming the matter are commented on. Though, on the first five minutes of each session, the teacher will clarify the objectives that students will have to achieve that day. 36 Afterwards the teacher will appoint the groups, perhaps this will be the most conflictive part since the groups have not been arranged considering the students’ preferences. Nonetheless, it is important to make them realize that in a real-work situation they do not choose who they work with or under what circumstances, but that the result has to be impeccable. Once the classroom is arranged in groups, they will be given a brief synopsis of the stories without telling students which is its title or the name of the author so that they can choose one of them. If they agree on some of the choices, it will be made a raffle. This way of arranging the stories might be absurd, but considering that the groups were made on purpose, this method will make them feel that they took part of the decision. They would have a total of two weeks for reading the stories at home, then they will start organizing their ideas and adapting the texts. Then in the remainder of the class since the texts have not been read yet, the groups will do a research on the contextualization of the authors and stories in order to present them orally in the following class, which according to Lazar (1993) this task follows the approach of literature as content. From my perspective, this theoretical part of literature which is usually considered more tedious and tiresome might be more interesting and students will pay more attention if it is explained by their own mates. Besides, it serves as a pretext for improving students’ speaking skills. They should include the historical, social and cultural aspects that surround the authors, also if they stood out in some way like in a specific literary convention. Students can also add fun facts or events that they consider relevant. They are free to do the presentation with visual support; the only requirement is that every member of the group has to speak. As the groups are formed by five people, each of them would have to speak for two minutes. Session 2Contextualizing the authors: oral presentations Though contextualizing the authors is not essential to conduct the reading, as each group has a different text, this activity could serve as a means for discovering other writers and stories. 37 This session will be completely dedicated to the contextualization of the authors and their stories. Groups will have 10 minutes to organize themselves and prepare the computer or whatever they bring for the presentation and afterwards each team would have 10 minutes to contextualize the author. Students should be able to apply the most appropriate strategies to produce short oral texts fluently with a simple and clear structure and arranging the content appropriately. Session 3How to write drama In this session students will have had two weeks to read the stories, which is more than enough since they were quite short, but before starting to write the script they should take into account some considerations like the format and stylistic characteristics of theatre. To begin with, it has to be clarified how is theatre written so they will be given some extracts from a Shakespearian play which serves as a portrayal on how to arrange and organize the script. In this way, every play would have the same format. This activity will be done in 15 minutes in which they would have to identify parts of a play script even though this can vary depending on the author: - Acts: They structure the narration of the play and their number can be variable. Numerous modern works are usually divided into two or three acts, although there are classical works, which are divided into five acts. - Scenes: An act is composed of scenes. A change of scene can mean a leap in the narrative, although they are usually associated with changes of scenery or settings. - Stage direction: This is the most narrative part of a play, where the actions performed by the characters on stage are described. - Characters: Marks the character that corresponds to the subsequent scoring or dialogue. - Asides: These are clarifications to the text they accompany, always in brackets and preceding a dialogue. - Dialogues: What each character says. 38 For the following task, groups will have 20 minutes to organize in a draft the main points of the short stories which could help them to organize their ideas and to have a reference while writing the script. On this draft they should take note of: - Characters and briefly underline which are their attitudes and thoughts. - Key words that they “believe are crucial for student understanding of the gist of the story, that are impossible to guess very easily from context and that students are unlikely to know” (Lazar, 1993, p. 201). I ask them to do this because on the play brochure they will have to write down a list of vocabulary which they think their mates will not comprehend and affects the understanding of the play. - Setting: where and when do the events happen. - Plot summary in which it is advisable that they collect the main events that affect the development of the story. Once the parts of a script are clear together with the fulfilment of the stories’ drafts, for the rest of the class, groups should negotiate whether they are going to adapt the story or be based on it. They should consider that if they are going to write an adaptation, the story must remain as faithful as possible to the original work. The scriptwriter does not change the story, nor the time, nor the locations, nor the characters. The dialogues reflect only the emotions and conflicts present in the original one. The adaptation process consists of adapting the text contemplating the resources that they have available. On the other hand, if they are going to write a play based on the story they are allowed to take some elements of the original story but do not commit themselves to being faithful to it. So they can change some events, characters or even the ending. However, it should still be recognizable and identified with the original story. Considering these assumptions, groups would have to decide democratically how they would like to write the script. In case they decide to write a play based on the story, they 39 would have to justify previously what they will change so that the teacher could assess if it really makes sense along with its appropriateness. Sessions 4/9Writing workshop For the writing workshop, students should be provided with prior considerations about dialogues which are one of the most important points in writing a screenplay. Maybe the idea of adapting the narrative texts to an oral discourse will be overwhelming for students. During the first session groups should reach an agreement of what they are going to include on the script so that they could organize their work properly. They would also have to take into account that the purpose of the text is to be spoken so every dialogue should be written considering if it is credible and natural with respect to the context in which it is set, and therefore representative of what they want to express. As soon as they have chosen the general line of the script, they must define the main plot. In this case all the groups will structure the script around the three-act paradigm which comprises the exposition of the events, the rising action and the resolution. Normally, plays are divided in acts and subdivided in scenes but for simplifying the project we will just consider acts. Groups will have to write one act on each session to fulfill the task on time; nevertheless, they will be given two extra sessions to finish off the script as well as adding the stage directions. Even though, this just an estimation of a work plan which they would have to try to achieve so that the script could progress since the teacher could have time to correct each act from week to week. The format of writing will have to be as the example they were shown on the previous lesson, although this is not extremely important in this manner every play arrangement would look similar. So, ideally on three sessions the writing workshop would be as follows: Session 5 Act I: Exposition. It should present the characters and the incident that will trigger the main events of the play. Session 6 Act II: Confrontation. It challenges the main characters with obstacles that prevent them from resolving the conflict. The dangers for the characters increase as the problems 40 become more difficult to conduct. A good way to increase the stakes in the second act is to reveal a significant piece of information near the climax of the act. This revelation should instill doubt in the characters’ minds before they find the strength to break through the conflict towards resolution. The second act must end with discouragement and the protagonist's plans in ruins. Session 7 Act III: Resolution. Set up a maximum point of confrontation in which the characters deal with their circumstances and overcome the obstacles of the second act and find a way to reach the conclusion of the play. Session 8 will cover another major point that will help groups to perform which are the stage directions since they force students to “visualise how the actors will move, their way of speaking, their mood and manner” (Maley and Duff, 2006, p.232). If we start from the premise that students may never have been part of a play even in their mother tongue, stage directions could be helpful in order to know how to act and proceed in the scenes. The asides allow the actors to understand the vision of what is happening on the stage. Thus, some specific directions they can include are: conversation cues, physical actions and emotional states. Besides, using notes and scene directions to explain some actions allow the avoidance of making the characters explain what is going on. So whenever it is possible actions can tell things by themselves. Thus in case they have not included stage directions on their script yet, they should add them. That is why they must assimilate what is happening around the story, interiorizing and understanding the intentions of their characters in order to react accordingly. Sessions 9 will be dedicated to finishing the script completely, to do so, the teacher will have to devote at least 10 minutes to each group in order to go through the text together and make the necessary changes. So they would have to read and recite it out loud to remove convoluted phrases or retouch hard-to-spell sentences. In this way, we could detect which dynamics or phrases work on paper but not orally on stage so if something did not work well it could be rectified. 47 Llach, M. P. A. (2017). Teaching language through literature: The waste land in the ESL classroom. ODISEA. Revista de estudios ingleses, (8), pp. 7-17. Maley, A., & Duff, A. (2006). Drama techniques: A resource book of communication activities for language teachers. Ernst Klett SprachenCambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 230-240. McKay, S. (1982). Literature in the ESL Classroom. TESOL Quarterly, 16(4), pp. 529-536. Orden ECD/65/2015, de 21 de enero, por la que se describen las relaciones entre las competencias, los contenidos y los criterios de evaluación de la educación primaria, la educación secundaria obligatoria y el bachillerato, 29 de enero de 2015, no. 25, BOE-A-2015-738 Orden EDU/362/2015, de 4 de mayo, por la que se establece el currículo y se regula la implantación, evaluación y desarrollo de la educación secundaria obligatoria en la Comunidad de Castilla y León. BOCYL, 8 de mayo de 2015, no. 86, pp. 3205132480 O'Sullivan, R. (2017). Literature in the language classroom. The English Teacher, 7. Paran, A. (2008). The role of literature in instructed foreign language learning and teaching: An evidence-based survey. Language teaching, 41(4), pp. 465-496. Pardede, P. (2011). Using short stories to teach language skills. JET (Journal of English Teaching), 1(1), pp. 14-27. Poe, E. A. (2018). The Murders in the Rue Morgue. Independently published. Smith, K. A. (1996). Cooperative learning: Making “groupwork” work. New directions for teaching and learning, 1996(67), pp. 71-82. Zhou, G., & Niu, X. (2015). Approaches to language teaching and learning. Journal of Language Teaching and Research, 6(4), pp. 798-802. 48 ANNEXES Session 1Choosing a short story: Synopsis of the stories: Group assigned In this story the paw of a dead monkey is a talisman that fulfills three wishes, but these wishes are granted in a counterproductive way. This story involves the barbaric murder of two women, mother and daughter, which is difficult to solve. A young woman seeks for the help of a detective in order to solve her fiancé's disappearance. This tale tells the story of a seemingly normal marriage, in which the wife has an almost pathological fear of missing a train, a plane, a boat, or a play. 49 Session 3Activity 1identifying the parts of a play’s script 50 51 Activity 2The project’s draft CHARACTERS (briefly underline which are their attitudes) KEY WORDS FROM THE TEXT SETTING PLOT SUMMARY (it should include the main points that affect the development of the story) Exposition Confrontation Resolution 52 Session 10Making a play brochure KEY WORDS Synopsis of the play CHARACTERS Specify who is interpreting each character Be original you can add whatever you think is suitable for a brochure, like photos.