The introduction of reading circles in the Language classroom to motivate learners towards L2 reading

Abstract

It is widely acknowledged that English is a requirement in today‟s world and, therefore, schools are making a great effort to prepare students for that challenge. Knowing English is highly beneficial for getting a job, communicating with foreign people, etc. However, traditional methods and approaches did not seem to be suitable for learning a second language since they mainly focused on grammatical features. Fortunately, new methods which bring into focus a communicative perspective have been introduced in English classrooms, such as CLIL, task-based approaches, etc. These new methods consider language a tool whose main aim is to communicate with others, thus, special attention is paid to oral input and output. According to Krashen (1982), learning a language requires learners to be engaged in meaningful conversations; thus, students are starting to be encouraged to practice the second language (L2), rather than leaning it as a mere code. One of the main procedures to acquire the necessary skills to use the foreign language actively is reading. While reading, individuals not only develop their knowledge on grammar and structures, but they are also driven to deepen their inner thinking and critically analyze what they read in order to enhance comprehension. In Spanish classrooms, students are usually asked to read books selected by the teachers, they usually look up the words they do not understand and answer to some questions about the book after reading it, mainly as a test. However, students do not feel engaged in this kind of exercises, and, as a consequence, reading comprehension outcomes are non-effective. Some teachers realized that the common practice to read texts and books in the classroom attained unsatisfactory results and they designed an original task with the purpose of motivating students towards reading, which was termed Reading Circles. Originally, it was aimed at American students in order to encourage reading in their own language. However, this proposal is intended to be applied in Spanish classrooms in which students learn English as a foreign language. Regarding the age of participants, it could be implemented in all the years of high school (even in primary school); the main aspects to take into account would be the selection of books and texts, and the degree of involvement of the teacher in the activity, given that they will primarily hold the role of facilitator of the reading process, instead of that of an active participant. Reading circles “mainly consisted of bringing the established adult literacy structure of voluntary reading groups into the public schools” (Daniels, 2006, p.10). The classroom is organized in discussion groups and each member will have a different role within each group. As reading is one of the less enjoyable activities for students nowadays, the group dynamics proposed in this activity will boost their motivation and their willingness to read in the second language. To sum up, group dynamics, book choice, use of new technologies, and peer discussion in natural conversations are elements of reading circles that will attract student‟s interest to L2 reading.