Elements of young adult literature in texts used in Malaysian secondary schools

This article presents the results of a study to determine the extent to which the themes, issues and portrayal of young adult characters in the novels used in the Malaysian secondary school English Language classroom fulfilled the criteria of Young Adult Literature (YAL). The novels studied were Step by Wicked Step (A.Fine, 1996), Catch us if You Can (K. McPhail, 2004) and The Curse ( S.A. Lee, 2010). Sampling was purposeful and data came from participants’ journal reflections and qualitative interviews. The findings showed that the themes in all three novels complied to the general list of themes common to YAL with family relationships and determination being the most prominent. The depiction of an adolescent protagonist who is strong and perceptive is evident in all three novels. However the young adult protagonist’s voice, conflict between dependence and independence and the journey towards maturing characteristic of YAL is only distinct in Step by Wicked Step and Catch us if You Can. Description of the young adult protagonists’ appearance and mannerisms was also limited in all the novels

Exploring reader responses to young adult literature in the Malaysian English language classroom

This article presents the results of a study exploring the reader-responses of Malaysian young adults (YAs) to the literature texts used in Malaysian secondary schools, Dear Mr. Kilmer by Anne Schraff, Captain Nobody by Dean Pitchford, and Sing to the Dawn by Minfong Ho. The study aimed to determine the extent to which the YAs found these texts engaging and relevant, and how they identified aspects of their own young adulthood in the novels. The study employed both qualitative and quantitative data collection methods through questionnaires completed by 30 Malaysian YAs, semi-structured qualitative interviews with a sub-group of six participants, and their journal reflections. Using reader-response literary theory as the guiding framework, the data were analysed quantitatively through descriptive statistical analyses, and qualitatively through inductive thematic analysis, in order to examine the extent to which Malaysian YAs could identify with the main characters, themes, issues, or events in the novels and determine the relevance of the novels to their lives. The findings showed that the participants identified with the characters’ conflict between being true to one’s self and conforming to societal and gender expectations. The themes of standing up for one’s beliefs and right to education, combating social inequities, and family relationships were also relevant aspects that surfaced in responses towards the novels. This study provides recommendations for the selection of literary texts for the English language classroom that connect to the developmental phase of young adults and allow learners to see themselves reflected in what they read

Responding to literature texts through films in English and the L1 within a multiliteracies pedagogy

This article presents the results of a study exploring the aesthetic and critical responses of English as a Second Language (ESL) learners when engaging in the multimodal design of literature texts through films in English and their first language (L1). Participants consisted of 25 culturally and linguistically heterogeneous first-year undergraduate students in a Literature in English Language Teaching program in a Malaysian public university. The participants engaged in a multi-modal design of the novel Step by Wicked Step by Anne Fine in three phases over a period of eight weeks based on the four components of the multiliteracies approach: situated practice, overt instruction, critical framing, and transformed practice. The transformed practice component of this approach involved students making and presenting short films both in English and in a local Malaysian language or dialect. Data for the study came from six focal participants’ journal reflections throughout the project and semi-structured interviews with them. The findings showed that the multimodal design of texts through films in the L1 increased personal meaningfulness and intercultural understanding. It also allowed learners to function as language experts, take liberties with the text, and look beyond the text for inspiration from dramas and movies