Realbooks: Literature as Content in ESL Classrooms
Abstract
ESL instructors at Los Angeles City College have developed a literaturebased curriculum for their intermediate and advanced students. This paper examines this curriculum as well as the theoretical premises which inform it. The theoretical support for teaching literature in the ESL classroom comes from a variety of sources: Stephen Krashen, Frank Smith, George Dillon, Hans-Georg Gadamer, and Augustine. This paper also examines the work of Brinton, Snow, and Wesche as well as Collie and Slater, who have directly addressed the classroom issue of literature as ESL content.Finally, this paper discusses how literary texts like Island of The Blue Dolphins, Rumble Fish, and The Red Pony are incorporated into the community college ESL reading and writing curriculum and ends with some insights derived from this literature focus. Questions which still need to be examined are discussed.