Creating a foreign language learning environment through a literature-based approach

The purpose of this study is to investigate the language learning processes and the literary experiences of Korean students enrolled in a literature-based program in an English as a foreign language (EFL) setting. By conducting a study of adolescents who were learning English as a foreign language, the research opens the possibility and potential of using literature in foreign language teaching and learning. For this study, diverse genres of literature for children were used as new materials for teaching English.; The research framework was practitioner research, since this study bridged the gap between theory and practice. The researcher taught and carried out research with the intention of changing her own teaching practice. By taking a transactional perspective on the theory and on other research, and making the classroom a site for research, the researcher was able to generate knowledge about EFL teaching. The researcher also played diverse roles, different from those of other language teachers, while investigating the classroom life.; Data collection consisted of audio-recordings of classroom conversations and interviews, students' writing in and outside of the classroom, a survey, the teacher's field notes, and other classroom documents. Data were analyzed to address the following research questions: (1) What happens when EFL learners respond to literary works in terms of learners' language development and literary responses? (2) What are my roles as a classroom teacher in a literature-based language classroom in an EFL setting?; The analysis of the data revealed the following four major findings: the literature-based program was viewed by the students as a new experience of language learning; the students learned communication by communicating; the learning experiences for the students moved beyond language learning; and the teacher played multiple roles as a provider, a communicator, a facilitator and a collaborator in the classroom.; The researcher concluded that literature provided students new ways for developing communicative competence and lived-through experiences with the text they read. Additionally, students in this study experienced more than just language learning. Considering the impact of literature on the EFL students, the researcher suggests implementation of literature-based instruction and further studies in EFL settings.