Authentic Children's Literature as a Tool for Reading and Writing in the Intermediate Language Class

Abstract

The methods and materials presented in this workshop were employed within a communicative-based program in a public school system in central Massachusetts. The curriculum materials distributed to the participants were used in an intermediate Spanish class designed for the average student, not an advanced-level course designed for students entering the Advanced Placement program or an honors program. The course was designed to provide students with skills in the four abilities for language-learning as described by the National Standards for Foreign Languages and the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks for Foreign Languages. A copy of the course outline and objectives were distributed to the participants in order to provide a clear picture of the setting for the use of children's literature materials. The materials presented in this workshop were not the sole materials used in the course. The first part of the workshop was devoted to presenting the literature utilized to help the students develop their reading skills in Spanish. It is common practice in many high-school language programs to use the third book in a series. Typically, reading selections contained in these books are bounded by various grammatical points that serve as the focus of the course and accompanying assessments. The underlying belief of the foreign-language department was, and continues to be, that students gain skills in levels I and II, and need to begin to use these skills in level III in order to build and develop them. To introduce reading in the target language to the students, the course begins with a story from the Adventures ofTintin series (Las Aventuras de Tintin) by Herg?. These books are typical o? juventud in Spain, written in a comic-book format. Although the book utilizes comic-book format, the vocabulary is quite challenging and authentic. Most students are overwhelmed upon being asked to read an authentic selection of literature, simply due to the quantity of Spanish words in one place. Each Tint?n book is from 60 to75 pages. Approximately every 15-20 pages there are new challenges and crises that occur, allowing for division of the text even though there are no distinct chapters. Students are presented with a vocabulary list for each collection of 15-20 pages, in addition to activities focusing on synonyms and antonyms, and also receive comprehension questions. They are given an estimated two weeks to read. The format of the book provides the visual support that beginning students need to build their confidence and reading skills. Strategies and techniques for using visual cues, making predictions, and reading with context are all presented to the students. Classroom discussions focus on providing students with opportunities to discuss what they have read in the target language. Activities employed for these discussions include, but are not limited to, role-playing activities, chronological-order activities, flash-card vocabulary activities, etc. Assessments demand various competencies such as comprehension, vocabulary recall and identification, chronological ordering, and writings. Upon completion of the Tintin story, the students' reading skills have improved, vocabulary has increased dramatically, and confidence in the language has been augmented considerably. They are now ready for more complex reading leading to writing, which was the focus of the second half of the workshop. Increased skills allow students to read without the visual support