Introducing young adult literature (YAL) in the English as a foreign language (EFL) classroom: If I Stay (2009) by Gayle Forman

Abstract

The use of literature in educational contexts has been a controversial issue for many years. However, last decades have seen an increasing number of studies establishing a close relationship between literature and education, specially focusing their attention on language teaching. In fact, there are powerful reasons to contemplate literature within the English as a foreign language (EFL) classroom as a source to instruct students linguistically and to educate them in social values. In this sense, good choices regarding the materials and their employment within the classroom may be paramount for the fulfilment of the aforementioned issues. The present paper revises the possibilities of working with literary sources in the EFL classroom, putting special interest on authentic materials and the introduction of young adult literature (YAL) pieces in secondary school. To achieve this goal, it includes a didactic proposal dealing with some relevant fragments extracted from the young adult drama novel If I Stay (2009), written by Gayle Forman. It aims to exploit its cultural, personal growth and linguistic aspects, and to advocate for the benefits that YAL may entail in terms of students’ motivation and academic progress. Furthermore, it also contains the results obtained from the implementation of the didactic proposal, based on its assessment and a survey completed by the students after the implementation. These results show the general attitude of the students when dealing with YAL and contribute to support its role in the EFL classroom.