Engaging Students in Literature Circles: Vocational EnglishReading Programs

Abstract

The results of an ethnographic study on literary
circles in Indonesian vocational secondary schools' English
reading lessons are detailed in this article. The empirical
results demonstrated that students actively participated in
text selection, role assignment, and text meaning
construction via sharing-and-discussion sessions. These
activities were grounded in micro-interactional, thematic,
and discourse analyses. Furthermore, the empirical data
showed that by discussing selected texts with others,
individuals might acquire a diverse set of lexicogrammatical skills. Genre and lexico-grammatical
characteristics, as well as topic knowledge (vocational
subjects), may be shared and discussed via this group
discussion exercise. Accordingly, literary circles might be
a great way to help students improve their language skills
and subject understanding. Not only could students
enhance their subject knowledge via role scaffolding from
instructors and peer assistance, but they could also explore
other aspects of the language, such as the context-based
use of lexico-grammar in texts. This data lends credence to
the idea that literary circles may be an effective tool for
fostering student-teacher collaboration and establishing a
sense of belonging in intense reading programs