4 good reasons 4

I've just read the reading 'Four good reasons to use literature in primary school ELT' (Ghosn, 2002). The author proposes the use of authentic children's literature in classrooms that teach English as a foreign language, in replacement of the carefully structured curriculum materials. Children will be more motivated to learn English as a language from reading story books because they are more interesting, especially when they come with colourful illustrations. This will in turn help children learn the natural language used in narration and acquire academic literacy skills such as critical thinking skills. Finally, the moral values embedded in most children's literature may develop empathy and tolerance in the learners. Undoubtedly, introducing literature in a language classroom reaps plenty of benefits. However, choosing the right or 'quality literature' (Ghosn, 2002, p.177) takes more than just justifying the reasons to use literature. A culturally-inappropriate story may mislead one party to feel more superior/inferior than the other. Take fairy tales as an example. The portrayal of the female protagonist waiting for her prince charming to rescue her perpetuates the idea that women are of the weaker gender. Hence, being able to select the right story books or teaching materials, in general, is very important.