Leveraging Research for Literature Instruction: Insights for Developing Readers in L2 English

Abstract

This thought piece tackles the question of how L2 English teachers can foster engaged and competent readers of literature. Highlighting the importance of using knowledge accumulated through research in teacher education and school teaching, it introduces a model of literary competences designed for secondary English instruction (Diehr and Surkamp 2015) as a robust tool for English teacher education in Sweden. The piece illustrates that the development of literary competences in L2 English classrooms is consistent with the goals stipulated in the Swedish curricula and syllabi for English, and it argues for the model’s usefulness for helping future secondary teachers plan and enact meaningful literature instruction. The thought piece thus contributes to promoting a teaching practice that is research-based and relevant to the pupils’ lives. As such, it helps meet key needs in English teaching today.