Week 13 Reading reflection - Overwhelmed with knowledge!

This week's reading covers a whole bunch of practical issues in teaching and learning, and even though i felt overwhelmed to be taking in a large amount of knowledge all at once, there are quite a few issues that i am really interested in.

First, it is the use of literature as a material for content-based language teaching. I used to think literary works are very often difficult for learners who learn a foreign language. However, as the author indicated, there are at least three advantages to using literature in the language classroom, the most important of which, in my opinion, being that literature gives students insights into what and how language can be used to convey personal viewpoints. Thanks to the reading in which the author describes clearly how a content-based literature lesson operates , i can picture in my mind how i will be using literary works in my future teaching in a way that they bring effectiveness and freshness to my language class.

Another highlight I can perceive while reading is the use of project work and group work. These methods are extremely helpful in getting students to have closer contact with the target language outside the classroom, especially in the EFL setting. The wide range of project topics that are proposed in the book is really inspiring and practical as well. I am determined to appropriately apply these into my future teaching. With a bit of adjustments and creativity, i believe such group work projects would benefit students in many ways and create an authentic learning experience.