Chapter 2: Using Children’s Literature in the College-Level World Language Classroom

There is something unusual in this university Spanish class: Students are chatting about illustrated children’s books. Some students are looking with curiosity at the books that their classmates have while others are reading their own self-selected books and preparing for their upcoming composition. A few students are asking their classmates whether they like their books and if they recommend them. As a warm-up activity, I ask for volunteers to present a book in Spanish to the rest of the class. A student stands up and holds her book up facing the rest of the class. The student presenting follows a specific protocol: She mentions the title of the book and the author, summarizes the main plot of the book while showing the illustrations to her classmates, and finally states whether she likes the story or not and why. After her presentation, I open the floor for questions. A few students raise their hands and the presenting student calls on them. With unexpected authority, she addresses well those questions that revolve around the story. For more difficult questions, she looks at me for help. After the question-and-answer period, I give her some feedback regarding vocabulary and grammar, and then ask for a second and final volunteer to present. After the two presentations, each student starts writing a brief composition about the book he or she has been reading for the past week. When the bell signals the end of the class, students hand in their compositions and begin to search for a new book, hoping that their classmates are finished with the ones that look appealing. A couple of students come to my desk asking if they can visit my office, where they know I have books not available at the library.