NEW WORDS AND NEW WORLDS:EXAMINATION OF LITERATURE-BASED INSTRUCTION IN UNIVERSITY EFL CLASSROOMS

This study explored the feasibility of implementing literature-based instruction in English-as-a-Foreign-Language (EFL) classrooms as well as examined the contents, qualities, and characteristics of student responses to children's literature particularly written for young adult readers. The study followed the stages of action research proposed by McKernan (1996). Data analyses show that children's literature can be part of an alternative EFL curriculum for Taiwanese adult learners, and that literature-based instruction can enhance literacy learning. Book discussion, journal writing, and composing skits and reflective essays are three meaningful paths toward enhancing reading comprehension and interpretation. The overall student responses to the texts are dominantly text-centered; however, the reader-centered responses most often appear in reflective essays. This result highlights the multifaceted role of a reader and the need for a greater awareness of reader response.