Benefits of using literature circles in english foreign language classrooms

Abstract

This research synthesis intends to analyze the benefits of using Literature Circles (LC) in English Foreign Language (EFL) classrooms. To carry out the objective of this research, three categories were established: the benefits between young and adult learners, the common roles applied in this method, and the literary works used in LC. The results corroborated the idea that LC could be implemented in schools to enhance reading habits and improve reading skills. First, the results showed that the most important benefit is the enhancement of reading comprehension. Second, the most used roles were the discussion director, connector, vocabulary enricher, summarizer, literary luminary, and illustrator. Finally, novels, short stories, informative texts, tales, and poetry are the literary works used in this strategy. The analysis of these categories showed that factors such as age, roles, and literary works affect the benefits that learners can get by using LC.