Foundations of teaching English through literature

Term Definition

authentic texts written or spoken texts used with learners that have not been adapted for their
level

Bloom's taxonomy a classification system of different types of thinking skills, often used in lesson
planning

communicative this refers to a learner’s ability to use language to communicate successfully

competence

copyright issues issues about the legal right to use text, music or art

critical thinking the process of thinking carefully to make decisions or create new ideas, often
by considering an issue from many sides, and not letting emotions guide you

dramatise (poem or text) when writers re-write books, stories or poems in a way that they can be
performed

extensive reading reading longer texts for enjoyment and for the content of the whole text

extract a short part taken from a book, film or a play

fairy tale a traditional story written for children, often involving magic and imaginary
creatures

figurative language words used not with their literal meaning but with a more imaginative meaning,
to create a special effect

higher order thinking skills in Bloom's Taxonomy, these are the thinking skills of analysing, evaluating, and
(HOTS) creating

imagery the use of words or pictures in a book, play, poem etc. to describe ideas or
situations

learner preferences a learner's liking for some activity types or type of class interaction

literary genre a category of literature, such as fiction, non-fiction, poetry, or drama

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lower order thinking skills In Bloom's Taxonomy, these are the thinking skills of remembering,
(LOTS) understanding and applying

metacognition knowledge and understanding of your own thinking

metaphor a description of something that isn't literal or true, but helps you understand it,
e.g. he has a heart of gold

phonics a method of teaching reading, based on teaching the sounds that letters
represent

productive skills these are speaking and writing, because to do these learners need to produce
language

receptive skills these are listening and reading, because to do these learners need to take in
language

simile an expression that compares something to someone else, using like or as, e.g.
as quiet as a mouse

skit a short, funny play that makes a joke of something

text-based instruction also known as the genre-approach, this involves teaching writing and reading
through analysing different genres of writing

the communicative a style of teaching and learning that encourages collaboration, thinking and
approach gives learners some control over what and how they learn

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