Innovative+Teaching+Technique-+literature+circles-+by+Zeynep+Deniz


 *  Zeynep Deniz **
 *  1734706 **

=When I am searching innovative teaching techniques, I come across with literature circles technique. It means that small group of students gather together and work on a literature text deeply. It is a group work and ı really like group works because it makes students gain cooperative work skills. Students are responsible for reading the text and share their ideas with their group members. It improves critical thinking abilities of students. Instead of summarizing the literature text, using literature circles may be more beneficial. Actually, as a student at EFL department, ı do not like literature courses because teacher comes to class and tries to summarize the text and it makes me bored. If we use this technique, students are more aware of their learning. I mean that students can take the responsibility on their shoulders and they can be responsible for their own learning. Also, if we make them group, they have to read the text to discuss it so we can force them to read. This technique is very applicable for all lessons. We can use it in English lessons and other lessons as well. For example, we assign students to read a text about the topic that we will cover and make them discuss it with their group members in the class. It can be reading text, history text, articles or other kind of text that include significant information to students. Moreover, we can adapt it for our purpose. Namely, we can change the size of the group and the form of the group according to our needs. We can use group of 3 of group of 5 people. If the subject is difficult and open to discussion, we can improve the number of students in the group. Also, we can give each member of the group a role to make the discussion more serious. May be, one student is leader, the other one is speaker, time controller or grammar checker. This can be used much widely in English classrooms and instead of making students bored, we can give them a chance to discuss their ideas and foster their learning. Furthermore, they are able to learn from their parents. It is one of the beneficial parts of the literature circles. Since they are responsible for their peers’ learning, they may be more motivated to study and join the discussion. = =To conclude, I think that literature circles is very good technique and it can be adapted for all lessons. Thanks to it, we can motivate students read the literature and other text instead of just forcing them. May be, they can learn better with this technique. If students do not realize that they are learning, they can learn better. = Comment I like literature circles technique in which learners become active in groups. Like Zeynep says, it can be used in every literature class by adapting. I agree with Zeynep for the fact that I am bored in literature lessons when teacher summarize the text by her own. However, students should read all of the content. Learning by summary is not enough. For this reason, I think that students should read the material before the class. Teacher should separate them into groups and gives a part of the content to each group. In this way, students becomes ready for discussion. Giving different roles to members like time controller or grammar checker is really innovative. I have never heard such an instruction before and I think it is beneficial. Also, it will be easy for students to adopt the ideas that is learned by discussion rather than hearing from teacher. After this activity, teacher can add details about the content that are not stated during discussion. Or s/he can make a contest between groups and nominate the most successful group.
 *  Reflection on an innovative teaching technique “literature circles **

Comment by Suna TOPUZ

Firstly thank you Zeynep for your effective reflection. I liked very much your reflection on innovative ELT technique called as Literature Circles. You expressed your ideas together their rationale and examples in an effective and convincing way. I agree with you in all points. Literature is a lesson which is disliked by most students like me. So we need some different techniques in order to make the students like the literature lesson and motivate them study it. In other names, the technique of literature circles is a very useful one for this purpose. Besides, this technique supplies that unwilling students to deliver their opinions in class participate in the lesson, and helps them become interactive through group works. In addition to these, this technique can be transcribed to the other lessons and I believe in that it will increase the students’ motivation and success. If we focus on your language, I think you used a simple and understandable language.

Comment by MAHMUT KARACA
====Firstly ı should say that I wish our literature teachers had used this technique called as Literature Circles in our literature courses. Literature courses have been always very boring for me but I believe the problem is not only me. As Zeynep explained above, this technique will make lessons more attractive and also develop students’ critical thinking. When we divide students into groups and wanted them to discuss the text, they will feel responsible but I think we should force students to read the text beforehand. However in most of our literature courses the teacher comes to class, he or she reads the text or tells his own opinions and goes out but thanks to this technique we also give importance to the students’ opinions. Furthermore, I absolutely agree with zeynep's opinion that we can adapt this technique to the other courses. We can change the size of the group and the form of the group according to our needs. We can use group of 3 of group of 5 people. If the subject is difficult and open to discussion, we can improve the number of students in the group. I think this is a very beneficial technique for students and I liked it very much. I am sure that when I become an English teacher, I will try to adapt this technique to my courses and use it.====

