Creating and testing a universal literature module for upper secondary school English as a foreign language classes to enhance book analysis skills

Abstract

The aim of this MA thesis was to create a four-week module for upper secondary EFL teachers to use. The module would support students’ book reading and help develop their book analysis skills. The three first sections of the study discuss the importance of reading both in a first language and in a foreign language. These sections also provide an overview of reading as a cognitive process and how it affects reading motivation. In addition, the concepts of literature and literary analysis as understood in this thesis are explained. Lastly, the use of literature in English as a foreign language lessons is viewed alongside with how literature is related to the module. The three last sections give an overview of the module, the methodology, piloting the course and its results. The results show that the four-week reading module motivated students to start reading their books earlier and more consistently. The various tasks also made them think about the book from different perspectives, which contributed to enhancing their literary analysis skills. Keywords: reading module, reading in a foreign language, in class board game, literary analysis