Literature-based Discussion Groups Revisited

Abstract

Traditional teacher-centered pedagogy prevails in contemporary literacy classrooms, both in first language (L1) and in second language (L2) classrooms. In these classrooms, teachers dominate most of the talk while students` voices are seldom heard. This paper points out the inherent flaws in this pedagogy, suggesting that teachers incorporate literature-based discussion groups in the classroom. The piece then compares and contrasts the various types of literature-based discussion groups and the inquiry on their impact in the classroom. The review demonstrates the advantages of implementing this pedagogy in different classrooms, while simultaneously identifying limitations of the study of literature-based discussion groups. This review reveals that more research on the academic and social impact of literature-based discussion groups is necessary.

在第一語言與第二語言的課室裡，傳統性以教師為中心的教學方式盛行於現代文學課堂中。在這些課堂裡，老師們支配了大部分的討論，而很少聽到學生們的發言。此文指出了這個教學法既有的弱點，也建議老師們在課堂上，併入文學討論小組的方式；並且比較了不同形式的文學討論小組，也探究其對課堂的影響。此評述證明了在不同課堂裡實施此教學方式的益處，同時卻也發現了研究文學討論小組上的侷限。此文顯示必須要有更多的研究，來探討文學討論小組在學術上以及人際互動上的影響。