Advantages of using translated stories from students’ native language to teach EFL

Year 2011, Volume: 1 Issue: 2, 57 - 66, 14.07.2016

Odilea Rocha Erkaya

Abstract

Comprised of fable, myth, legend, tall tale, and folk tale, traditional literature, defined by Mateo (2008) as coming from the “oral tradition of storytelling before being written down” (para. 1), is read by many people in different countries. Nevertheless, most English as a Foreign Language (EFL) instructors prefer students to read authentic texts written for native speakers of English. The researcher believes that instructors should choose traditional stories from students’ homelands because: 1. students will be motivated to read their own stories in English; 2. beginning students will not worry about getting acquainted with a different culture; 3. intermediate/advanced students will explore cultural aspects of stories without fear of criticizing them openly; and 4. instructors will be able to concentrate on vocabulary already known in the first language (L1) and guide students to learn vocabulary in context. To illustrate how to select stories to accommodate the needs of EFL students at all fluency levels, traditional Turkish literature in the form of stories of Nasreddin Hodja will be used since the researcher’s students are Turkish nationals.

Keywords

Traditional Turkish stories, Nasreddin Hodja’s stories, motivation to read, cultural awareness, vocabulary in context

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