Abstract
There are many benefits of using stories for language and literacy development particularly in the areas of vocabulary (Cameron, 2001; Elley, 1989; Penno, Wilkinson & Moore 2002; Hargrave & Senechal, 2000) and reading comprehension. Yet, much is still unknown in second language (L2) contexts. This paper investigates the use of Big Books in primary English in Malaysia where English is taught as an official second language. It draws on transcript data from one teacher from one primary school to illustrate how students’ active participation and interest in language learning emerged as the teacher introduced Big Books instead of the textbook. Our data shows that practice with Big Books changes the interaction patterns and learning opportunities. Students were actively involved and they contributed to the discussions and made spontaneous comments about the stories. Most importantly, the teacher’s elicitation skill is essential in enhancing students’ learning. The Ministry of Education’s hopes to provide more active engagement and to increase students’ interests and motivation through stories were achieved.
Highlights
In Malaysian classrooms, where English is taught as an official second language, the traditional whole class teacher-centred approach tends to predominate
Textbook Lesson (Teacher writes the instructions from the text book on the board and asks students to read) 1 SS STAND UP (Students read from the board) 2 T STAND UP 3 SS STAND UP 4 T SIT DOWN 5 SS SIT DOWN 6 T GO STRAIGHT 7 SS GO STRAIGHT 8 T GO STRAIGHT 9 SS GO STRAIGHT T TURN RIGHT SS TURN RIGHT T TURN LEFT SS TURN LEFT
We have attempted to show the pedagogical importance of using stories from Big Books in L2 classrooms
Summary
In Malaysian classrooms, where English is taught as an official second language, the traditional whole class teacher-centred approach tends to predominate. Mistakes are corrected immediately and sentences are repeated several times to reinforce language. Such traditional practice can be seen in the following extracts which were recorded from the classroom of one teacher working with the textbook. Textbook Lesson (Teacher writes the instructions from the text book on the board and asks students to read) 1 SS STAND UP (Students read from the board) 2 T STAND UP 3 SS STAND UP 4 T SIT DOWN 5 SS SIT DOWN 6 T GO STRAIGHT 7 SS GO STRAIGHT 8 T GO STRAIGHT 9 SS GO STRAIGHT T TURN RIGHT SS TURN RIGHT T TURN LEFT SS TURN LEFT
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