Hsiao-Yi Chou, Sok-Han Lau, Huei-Chia Yang, and Tim Murphey T A I W A N , M A C A U , A N D J A PA N Students as Textbook Authors I n the introduction to his book, ensuring its relevance and topicality Learner-centeredness as Language for each particular group” (1992, 5). Education, Tudor (1996, x) says In this article we show how the that “Language learners should be authors, working with near begin- the main reference point for decision- ning-level middle school students, making with respect to both the con- successfully used student-produced tent and the form of teaching,” and texts to enrich the learning of the stu- that this approach “should be realized dents. We introduce each section with by a process of consultation and nego- a reaction statement from one of the tiation between teacher and learners.” co-authors of this article to what they We can extend and enrich learner- observed as they watched the middle centeredness by seeing students as the school students who served as the source of many texts that we can use creators and the focus of their learn- in classes. In many teaching situa- ing material. We begin with Isabelle tions, the circumstances surrounding Chou, a graduate of the MATESL our teaching can motivate us to co- program at Hawaii Pacific University: produce texts with students and to use I could not believe my eyes! The these materials in the classroom. Such students were really enjoying student-produced texts naturally cre- the fill-in-the-blank activity ate wide zones of proximal develop- and were fully engaged. Even ment (Vygotsky 1962) for effective, the two regular teachers of the scaffolded learning. Seeing students class were smiling broadly as as the textbook, their lives as the students wrote and interact- course content, expressed in the tar- ed with their classmates. The get language, can be very attractive to teachers later said that this was students and can generate profound one of the few classes in which and exciting learning. Moreover, as the students interacted in Eng- Campbell and Kryszewska noted, lish and enjoyed it. So they let “[U]sing a learner-based approach, the activity fill the hour rather the learners themselves are responsi- than the 30 minutes that had ble for the information input, thereby been planned for it. 18 2007 NUMBER 3 | E N G L I S H T E A C H I N G F O R U M 0077--00000033 EETTFF__1188__2233..iinndddd 1188 66//2277//0077 99::4488::3333 AAMM Isabelle was a “Friday guest teacher” invit- students to take the booklet home to ed to join an ESL middle school class of show their parents. mostly new Pacific Island immigrants to Hawaii. She and co-authors, Monica Lau and Advantages to using students’ own work Stephanie Yang, had designed a fill-in-the- There are several advantages to using stu- blank information sheet for the students (see dents’ own work as teaching material. First, Appendix 1) with the help of their teacher it is a good way for teachers to become aware (Tim Murphey). The goal was to have the of students’ needs and interests. In the class students both produce and serve as the focus described above, teachers were not aware that of the primary material they would use for a few students were somewhat proficient in reading and writing. This had been done English and could be counted on to help before with more advanced students, who their classmates. The teachers also found out were asked to write their language learning some valuable information about the students’ histories. The histories were then printed up interests from the fill-in-the-blank exercise and assembled into booklets for the students and the drawings. to use as reading material (for more infor- Second, student-produced texts can increase mation, see Murphey 1999, and Murphey, students’ motivation in class. Most people are Chen, and Chen 2005). more interested in themselves than in others. Although near beginners in English obvi- And students find it easy to write about them- ously could not yet write their own history, selves because they know the information, so they could be helped to produce a fact sheet they can focus on using the target language. about themselves and their interests and to Third, by producing their own reading personalize it with their own drawings. After material, students learn to take control of collecting a fact sheet from each student, we their own learning. Further, they realize they simply numbered the students’ pages, created can use the English language to construct a cover page, put the students’ group picture their identity in social situations. on the back cover, and photocopied, and Fourth, student-produced material greatly stapled. And a booklet was born! Copies were increases student-teacher and student-student made for all the students and for a few teach- interaction. Students are highly motivated to ers. The following Monday each student was learn about their classmates, and reading about given a copy of the booklet. But what would them is a good way to learn. When students happen when they went back in the follow- know each other, group dynamics improve, ing Monday and gave students the booklets. and students interact with each other more Co-author Stephanie Yang describes what both in and out of the classroom. she observed when the students first received Fifth, as co-author Monica Lau discusses their copies of the booklet: below, using students’ work cuts down on the time a teacher must spend finding and creat- Students were slow at first to realize ing teaching materials, and student work may what it was, but when they found be more desirable than a commercial textbook their page they were smiling from ear because it better approximates what the stu- to ear. We asked them to read their dents can actually do. pages to each other and to talk about their drawings. They looked proud, In Macau, teachers have a heavy work- and although many were pretending load every day. They have to do admin- to read, you could see they wanted istrative work and counseling besides to read. They asked each other about teaching. Therefore, using students’ their drawings, pointing and saying own work can help teachers save time “What’s this?” We had a lot of differ- in preparing their lessons, and it can ent things we could have done with keep classes more student-centered. the booklet [see Appendix 2], but just When I taught in Macau, I liked to use not enough time. The students really the students’ work as samples because I liked their class picture on the back, didn’t have enough time to prepare my which also can be used for more lan- own models. I saved student-created guage learning later on. We asked the art work, essays, written dialogues, and E N G L I S H T E A C H I N G F O R U M | NUMBER 3 2007 19 0077--00000033 EETTFF__1188__2233..iinndddd 1199 66//2277//0077 1111::5588::4444 AAMM journals. I mainly used student work Language learning histories to show other students what I expected Teachers can collect students’ language from their assignments. For journals, learning histories through information gap I would choose certain ideas or com- question sheets, short answers, or essay writ- ments from students and share them ing. After collecting students’ histories, teach- with the class. ers can make a few corrections and then “pub- lish” the students’ language learning histories More examples of student work that in booklets. For elementary level, teachers teachers can use can use these booklets for a reading aloud activity. When students hear (or read) about Profile sheets, stories, and art books their classmates, it improves group dynamics Teachers can easily produce profile sheets, and increases tolerance and understanding in such as those described above, and simply the classroom. Besides sharing their stories copy, collate, and staple them into booklets. with their teachers or classmates, students can For low-level learners, seeing their writings take them home to show their families. See- in the target language and drawings put into ing their names in print, and possibly seeing a language book format can inspire them digital photos of themselves on the booklet to invest more effort into learning the lan- cover, can boost students’ identities as foreign guage. Beginning English language learners language users. can mime their stories or draw them. Their art work may be one of their favorite channels Books made by students of expression, particularly when some of the Student-produced texts can sometimes be people they want to communicate with have even more motivational for students than trouble understanding them. commercially produced materials. Having Learning journals and action logs students make their own books supports the Journal writings can be easily collected contention of Murphey and Arao (2001) that from students. Topics for journal entries can people learn from people who are similar to vary according to what students are learning or them in many ways, that is, near peer role what they want to write about. The purpose of models. Students at Endeavour Elementary using journals is to have students use the lan- School in Issaquah, Washington, made 115 of guage in a non-threatening way. Journal entries their own books to send to the South Pacific do not have to be long, and teachers can use the so less fortunate children would have books to information for lesson planning. Ideas students read (Education World). mention in their journals can also be published Two websites provide wonderful ideas for in class newsletters (Murphey 1993). elementary through high school language Web resources teachers who would like to have their students With more advanced learners, teachers can make books; the websites are: http://highland. use the Internet to compile students’ opinions, hitcho.com.au/books.htm by Highland Heri- thoughts, and ideas on various discussion top- tage Home School and http://www.making- ics. Students’ work can be collected from their books.com by Susan Kapuscinski Gaylord. postings and responses. Teachers can use this Conclusion work for ice-breaking and other activities. For example, teachers can have students post their Using students’ own work as teaching autobiographies on web-based programs like materials can save teacher time, increase stu- WebCT, Blackboard, or even blogs. Teach- dents’ motivation, and assess students’ needs. ers can assign the length of postings and the Teachers can collect students’ work in many number of times students must respond to ways and publish it to the delight of their stu- classmates. Teachers can look at students’ dents. Adding pictures and student artwork, postings and responses before class to see although not linguistic in and of itself, lends what students are most interested in and what itself to wonderful linguistic exploitation. may be confusing them. Teachers can use the Student-produced texts may be one of the information they get to plan their lessons and richest of materials for teachers to use in the design class activities. classroom. Seeing students become enthusias- 20 2007 NUMBER 3 | E N G L I S H T E A C H I N G F O R U M 0077--00000033 EETTFF__1188__2233..iinndddd 2200 66//2277//0077 99::4488::3355 AAMM tic about using the language for real, personal Murphey, T., and H. Arao. 2001. Reported belief purposes through these materials has sold us changes through near peer role modeling. TESL- EJ 5 (3): 1–15. on this idea. We realize that, ironically, the Tudor, I. 1996. Learner-centeredness as language most valuable and overlooked resource in edu- education. Cambridge: Cambridge University cation may be sitting right in front of every Press. teacher. While teachers scramble to make Vygotsky, L. 1962. Thought and language. Cam- and collect materials and try to imagine how bridge, MA: MIT Press. students will react to them, an easily accessible and reliable source of material walks in and HSIAO-YI (ISABELLE) CHOU graduated from the out of their classrooms every day. But now MATESL program at Hawaii Pacific you know. So go ahead—make a book with University in 2006. She taught children and adults for seven years in Taiwan after your students. And prepare to be enthused! receiving her BA in TESL. References SOK-HAN (MONICA) LAU graduated in 2006 Campbell, C., and H. Kryszewska. 1992. Learn- with a MATESL from Hawaii Pacific er-based teaching. Oxford: Oxford University University. She has taught EFL in Macau for Press. three years and plans to teach English to Education World. Young authors and artists col- children or adults. laborate on humanitarian project. http://www. educationworld.org/a_curr/curr253.shtml HUEI-CHIA (STEPHANIE) YANG graduated from Murphey, T. 1993. Why don’t teachers learn what the MATESL program at Hawaii Pacific learners learn? Taking the guesswork out with University in December 2006. She will begin action logging. English Teaching Forum 31 (1): advanced studies in Japan in the fall of 6–10. 2007. –––. 1999. Publishing students’ language learning histories: For them, their peers, and their teach- TIM MURPHEY teaches at Dokkyo University, ers. Between the Keys, the Newsletter of the JALT Japan, and often spends summers as a Material Writers SIG 7 (2): 8–11. visiting professor at Hawaii Pacific Murphey, T., J. Chen, and L.-C. Chen. 2005. University. He taught in Switzerland, Learners’ constructions of identities and imag- where he earned his PhD, and has taught ined communities. In Learners’ stories: Difference and diversity in language learning. ed. P. Benson English in Asia for the last 15 years. He is and D. Nunan, 83–100. Cambridge: Cam- the series editor for TESOL’s Professional bridge University Press. Development in Language Education. Student Storytelling… David Fay (Continued from page 11) Websites of Interest Student-made Comics www.amazing-kids.org/index.html Beginning drawing www.dubuque.k12.ia.us/Fulton/Cartoon_ www.fundoodle.com Club/cartoonists/ www.unclefred.com www.ababasoft.com/how_to_draw/ Comics for social action www.worldcomics.fi/home_about.shtml Manga www.emi-art.com/twtyh/main.html Online comics DAVID FAY is the Regional English www.comics.com Language Officer for Central Asia. Before www.thecomicportal.com joining the State Department, he worked as www.marvel.com a teacher and trainer in Turkey, Costa Rica, www.comics.org Spain, and the United States. E N G L I S H T E A C H I N G F O R U M | NUMBER 3 2007 21 0077--00000033 EETTFF__1188__2233..iinndddd 2211 66//2277//0077 99::4488::3355 AAMM