"I want to help them love reading" : An exploration of teachers’ use of fiction in English teaching

Abstract:

The aim of this thesis is to investigate the experience of English teachers in secondary school who use fiction in their lessons. A quantitative method was used to take part of a large number of English teachers’ experiences. Online-surveys consisting of both closed and open questions were constructed and 80 teachers participated. The results are shown through tables as well as by quotes. The results show that the respondents mostly use elements where students all read the same fiction and most commonly assess the use of fiction by group discussions. The respondents’ had the opportunity to freely express their thoughts regarding their teaching and their opinions on what the advantages and disadvantages are in fiction-teaching. The teachers’ pedagogical aims are both of language purposes, culture purposes and of purposes concerning self-reflection and development. The advantages to using fiction are for these teachers the improvement of language and possibilities finding topics to discuss. The respondents perceive the disadvantages as accommodating students’ different language levels and difficulties in motivating students. The analysis opens up for further discussions and research concerning the subject.