“Children’s Literature”/practical part
Course Instructor: Mgr. Andrea Billíková, PhD.
abillikova@ukf.sk
(consultation by appointment, room 234)
Course Description
The course is designed to introduce teacher trainees with different genres of children’s literature. During the course, nursery rhymes, fantasy books,
picture books, poems and fairy tales will be analysed from the theoretical and practical points of view.
The course is divided into two parts: the first part will provide teacher trainees with theoretical input and opportunities to read, discuss and analyse
children’s books from literary aspect. The second part is more connected to practicality and potential of using children’s literature in a foreign language
classroom in order to increase language learners’ communicative competence and reading/writing literacy in general. Hence, the wide scale of
communicative and drama-based techniques and activities will be introduced, tried out, analysed and reflected on. The course is designed to those
trainees who like to experiment, improvise and enjoy movement while learning how to teach English as a foreign language. It requires hard work since it
involves a lot of observation, microteaching, reflecting, planning, collecting and preparing materials and active involvement during Drama Festival
organised by our department in March 18-19 (Monday, Tuesday). Course participants will have a unique opportunity to try some warm-up
activities/language games/parts of the lesson plans with real language learners at two local primary schools.
Course Objectives
After taking this part of the course, successful teacher trainees will be able to:
1. apply specific teaching techniques related to teaching EFL through children’s literature
2. design and use communicative/learner-oriented activities which aim at socializing, concentration, memory practice, vocabulary practice and
reading/writing literacy in a FL via children’s literature
3. specify the objectives of designed/used activities
4. plan lessons from children’s books
5. try out designed activities and lesson plans with young learners and teenagers at local primary schools
6. provide constructive feedback and reflect on own learning/teaching process
7. work in teams, socialize in class, accept each other and respect their classmates/ learners as human beings
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Course Outline
Topics
1. INTRODUCTION
TO THE COURSE
2. NURSERY
RHYMES
“Humpty Dumpty”
and limerics
(CD, U-tube)
3. PICTURE BOOKS
J. Donaldson: Gruffallo
4. ANIMAL TALES
A.A. Milne: Winnie the
Pooh (video)
5. FAIRY TALES
Frog Prince
6. SYMBOLIC TALES
O. Wilde: The Happy
Prince
7. FANTASY BOOKS
R. Dahl’s Books: Magic
Finger
Video from Akademia
Aims
Aims of children’s literature.
Your favourite children’s books and
characters.
Reading crisis.
Potential of literature in a FL
classroom.
Input: Introducing schema for taking
the record of activities
TPR, using songs in a FL classroom
- focus on very young learners and
young learners
Setting lesson objectives
Lesson plan designing
Input: Introducing a schema of a
lesson plan.
Working with video
Techniques used
Name activities, warm-ups and minglers.
Homework/Tasks
The layout of the course portfolio,
Introduction to Drama Festival (video) and Children’s Literature
Project at primary schools
HOME TASK 1: Write a page where you would suggest how the
open Drama Festival for primary, sec./lang. schools in English.
Topic: “A friend in need is a friend indeed.”
Miming, mirroring, tongue twisters,
chanting
Using the voice potential
Loud reading,
Choral reading
Creating characters
Low and high status
Creating setting
Creating characters
Creating drama hook
HOME TASK 2: Choose 1 nursery rhyme and 1 limeric and
prepare 2 activities for young learners following the activity
schema (see below). Include materials and handouts if needed.
Role-plays
Simulation
LESSON/ HOME TASK 4: LP design of one of the books: The
Tale of Peter Rabbit/ or Winnie the Pooh/or Golem/ or And
Tango Makes Three
HOME TASK 5: Guided Reflection. Write a page where you
would reflect on the lesson of Frog Prince you have experienced.
HOME READING: R. Dahl’s book for children
LESSON/ HOME TASK 6: Rewrite the text of the tale for
YL/TL. Create 3 activities to teach grammar, vocabulary,
language skills. Follow the activity schema.
Acting skills, audience
LESSON TASK 7: In groups, prepare short performances of one
of R. Dahl’s book.
Teaching grammar through drama
techniques
Role-plays
Storytelling and storymaking
Simplified versions for YL, teenagers
Creating tailor-made teaching materials
and activities
Putting the play on the stage
All class performance
Lesson plan demo of Gruffallo (TT)
LESSON/HOME TASK 3: Rewrite the same lesson plan using
different/modified activities following different objectives for
specific age and proficiency level of language learners.
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Fatranska,
8. POEMS
Train to Glasgow
9. TEACHING
PRACTICE
Dealing with poems in a FL classroom
YOUNG LEARNERS: (1 block at ZŠ
Fatranska School with YL (3rd graders)
and 1 day in ZŠ Mojmirovce)
The Tale of Peter Rabbit
Winnie the Pooh
Gruffallo
Alice in Wonderland
Magic Finger
non-verbal warm-ups, clapping the
rhythm, making sounds, creating setting
and characters, miming, teacher-in-role,
learner-in-role, storytelling and story
making, voices in the head, short
improvisations, choral reading
TEENAGERS:
(1 day in Mojmirovce) And Tango Makes
Three
Golem
Dahl’s books
O. Wilde: The Happy Prince
TASK 8: Guided Reflection. Write a page where you would
reflect on the lesson of Train to Glasgow.
Study Sources
1. Literature in the Language Classroom : A resource book of ideas and activities / Joanne Collie. - Cambridge : Cambridge University Press, 2000.
- 266 s. - ISBN 0-521-31224-8.
2. Short Stories for Creative Language Classrooms / Joanne Collie, Stephen Slater. - 1. published. - Cambridge : Cambridge University Press,
1993. - 101 s. ; 25 cm. - ISBN 0-521-40653-6.
3. Language through Literature : Creative language teaching through literature / Susan Bassnett. - 2. vyd. - Harlow : Longman, 1995. - 136 s. ISBN 0-582-07003-1.
4. Literature / Alan Duff. - Oxford : Oxford University Press, 1999. - 167 s. - (Resource Books for Teachers). - ISBN 0-19-437094-1.
5. Drama / Charlyn Wessels. - Oxford : Oxford University Press, 1991. - 137 s. - (Resource Books for Teachers). - ISBN 0-19-437097-6.
6. Creating Stories with Children / Andrew Wright. - Oxford : Oxford University Press, 2002. - r. - 135 s. - (Resource Books for Teachers). - ISBN
0-19-437204-9.
7. Teaching English to Children / Wendy A. Scott. - Harlow : Longman, 1996. - v texte. - 115 s. - (Longman Keys to Language Teaching). - ISBN
0-582-74606-X.
8. Literatúra pre deti a mládež / Ján Kopál. - 1. vyd. - Bratislava : SPN, 1987. - 207 s.
9. Nursery Rhymes Songs & Games ; zost. Eva Preložníková. - 2. vyd. - Nitra : Enigma, 1995. - 152 s. - ISBN 80-85471-24-8.
10. Bonanza / Colin Retter, Neus Valls. - 7. vyd. - Harlow : Longman, 1993. - 62 s. - ISBN 0-582-51020-1.
11. Drama activities for language learning / John Dougill ; editor Roger H. Flavell. - London : Macmillan, 1991. - 150 s. - ISBN 0-333-39215-9.
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ASSESSMENT
1. ATTENDANCE and PARTICIPATION
Three or more missed sessions - automatic fail!
Students who have signed up for the course are expected to participate and experience communicative activities by doing them. Therefore, the course is
recommended for trainees who are serious with their class participation and regular class attendance.
2. PORTFOLIO containing 8 pre-set tasks. (See the Course Outline above)
GUIDELINES FOR TAKING THE RECORD OF ACTIVITIES
Teacher trainees are expected to collect/design 10 techniques/activities related to teaching English through literature. The following schema of “How to take the record of
activities” includes the name of the activity (for example: Happy John...), technique(s) used (for example: miming, role-play), length, class arrangement (PW, GW, whole
class activity etc.), objectives (linguistic, cultural, social objectives focused on learner), process (telling to teacher what to do), teaching aids (draw pictures if necessary,
visualize using the blackboard by drawing demonstration), and their reflection (what worked well, what did not, why not, how it could be improved) on these activities.
Follow this design:
Name of the
activity/length/
class management
Techniq Objectives (linguistic, social, cultural)
ue
Procedure
Teaching Aids
1.Ss stand in circle
none
2. Introduce yourself by your first name and add adjective
starting with the same first letter as your name (Example: I´m
Angry Andrea). Show as if you were angry.
3. The following learner repeats your name and accompanying
gesture and adds his name and his gesture. Example: You are
angry Andrea (mime), I’m hungry Hana....
4. This follows until all learners introduce themselves.
5. Learners in the circle repeat all names and accompanying
gestures in chorus.
Adapted from: Duff, M.: Drama Techniques in Language Learning. CUP. 1994. pp.12-13.
I´am
“Angry Andrea”
5-10 minutes
Whole class act.
(Ss stand in a
circle)
IceLinguistic objectives:
breaker Successful learners will be able to:
Mime – introduce themselves via using their
first name and adjective starting with the
same letter
Social objectives:
– personalize in front of others
– break the ice
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Sample reflection: This activity worked very well with my learners. Initially they were confused because of my unclear instructions. After my example they
understood clearly what to do. Some learners could not figure out the adjectives according to their names. It was interesting to watch my learners being fully involved
in this activity. It was a lot of fun but especially there was a lot of language used related to various adjectives. In the future we should write the adjectives on the
board to visualize them and practise their spelling.
GUIDELINES FOR GUIDED REFLECTION
Reflection is an essential part of learning how to become a fully-qualified teacher. Therefore, teacher trainees are expected to reflect on their own
personal growth and professional development. Follow these questions when reflecting on our sessions.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
What were the objectives of this session?
Which activities were used to fulfil the objectives?
Which part of the lesson did you like most/ least? Why?
What made you feel comfortable/uncomfortable during our session?
What have you learned today that you find very important for your future career?
IMPORTANT DATES
 March 18/ 19 (Monday Tuesday) DRAMA FESTIVAL
ATTENDANCE OF AT LEAST THREE PERFORMANCES COMPULSORY, ASSISTANCE WITH ORGANISATION, OPTIONAL
SHORT PERFORMANCE DURING FESTIVAL OPENING
 April 24 (Wednesday) FATRANSKA SCHOOL (14.00-16.00)
INTRODUCING CHILDREN’S BOOKS TO YOUNG LEARNERS AT FATRANSKA SCHOOL
 May XY MOJMÍROVCE PRIMARY SCHOOL
6 MAY Sedlacek prezentacia (alebo na Tvojej hodine????) a Mojmirovce v tom tyzdni, ked tu je, t.j. 6, 7, 9, 10 MAJ- co navrhujes?
 April 10th - 1st part of your portfolio for mid-term evaluation
 May 15th- 2nd part of your portfolio for final evaluation
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