Collaborative Learning through Literature Circles in EFL

Abstract

This paper discusses how the introduction of ‘literature circles’ have led to the stimulation of social interaction among language learners. These social interactions happen because members of the literary circles are able to read and understand a book of choice, and assign participating student members their responsibility through structured time and assessment. They are primarily guided by students’ insights and questions and they apply each other's learning, reading, writing, and speaking skills, making this approach to learning flexible and fluid, while initiating collaborative social interaction at the same time. This collaborative learning and social interactions have been applied in classrooms of ‘English as a Foreign Language’ learners. This paper looks into the need for literature circles that promote collaborative learning in the EFL classroom, in order to attain higher levels of language and literary skills. The research also shows that literature circles as reader-response centric have come to constitute a part of a balanced literacy program in learning foreign language in general and the English language in particular.