“Women need to be free and have the same rights as men”
This statement was constantly repeated in our literature class presentations. After reading The Tempest (Shakespeare), The wife of Bath (Chaucer), Sense and Sensibility (Austen) and seeing The Merchant of Venice (directed by Michael Radford), we have discovered that within literature we can find thousands of topics and current issues to discuss with our peers and students. Being in this class has shown us that literature is a must in our teaching. It can bring so many topics that can initiate discussion because these issues are somehow meaningful for us and our students and may develop critical thinking. In this essay, I will answer the question is it important to bring literature to the class? And why? After answering to these questions, I will present different techniques and strategies to include literature in my future planning. Throughout our literature class, I have discovered that written texts can be used not just for reading comprehension, but for speaking activities, debates, discussions, creating a sketch or a video and some written responses. Also, teachers can start developing students’ critical thinking by asking them to reflect and question the several reading passages. Consequently, we must include those activities in our daily planning: as Judy Richardson has stated, “Constructing lessons that are interesting and relevant should be every teacher’s goal. I will demonstrate how seamlessly teachers can add literature to a lesson” (2000). Apart from all these reasons, students can also learn English through reading by increasing their vocabulary, encountering new structures and writing styles. For all these reasons, literature is indispensable and must be brought to the classroom.
As we have to bring literature in the classroom, we ought to find different techniques and strategies, undoubtedly considering the context of your students, in order to make this possible. There are several strategies that we can use so as to bring literature to the classroom. For instance, you can ask your students to build mind maps with characters’ relationships; that will make reading more understandable. Moreover, you could also ask them to bring several interesting quotes from the different readings they have read, if necessary, depending on the level, in Spanish, for in-class discussions. These, among other strategies such as: story impressions, vocabulary overview guide, word family tree, follow the characters and brainstorming, can unquestionably bring literature to your classroom (Buehl, 2000).
Certainly, there are other techniques that can be used to include literature in our classes. As to exemplify, we could use story-telling with more basic levels as they will not have to read the complete book which could be overwhelming, but one or two chapters each student. After reading, they will report on their chapters to the class. They could also read a short story without reading its end and inventing their own end: later, compare their end to the real one. Another good technique is to bring read alouds to the class so as to give your students the first glance at a book, and they can later be engaged in reading the entire book. For instance, you could read a summary of Little Women by Louisa May Alcott and make your pupils decide whether they would like to continue reading or not. This must be systematic process in which you bring different summaries every week (Richardson, 2000). 
How can we include these in our planning? If you would like to have a conversation group to practice students speaking skills you could use some readings because “selected readings have great potential for stimulating conversation, because once students are exposed to a given reading, they have a new fund of information that can be used as a departure point for discussion” (Dobson, 2005). Another way of including books in your planning is having your students read abridged books or penguin books and later present written and oral reports. From the same extensive readings, they can keep a vocabulary notebook with words from the selected readings. Activities based on poems, short stories, essays and fables can be developed in about 30 minutes of your class while you integrate more skills than just the reading one. If you are a good reader, you must share your experience so as to motivate your students to start reading, learning and growing with literature. As Clifton Fadiman said, “When you re-read a classic you do not see in the book more than you did before. You see more in you than there was before.” 
During this second semester in my school, I am trying to develop a project on bringing literature to the class. As I am a good reader, I am always buying books; therefore, I have many books I can lend to the students to do their extensive readings. Briefly, my idea is to have each student choose a different book and encourage them to write a book report in which they can write a summary, a comic, an interview, a piece of news or a dialogue. Thus, students will practice and develop their reading and writing skills. I am looking forward to executing this project at San Juan Evangelista’s school. 
Bringing literature to the classroom and everyday classes is of the utmost importance in order to create a more interactive environment based on the readings. It can also help students build and increase their vocabulary and command of English, as they will be constantly reading in and outside the classroom. Different techniques as the ones shown above can help us include, little by little, literary work in our teaching. Fortunately, there are several books on how to bring literature to the classroom such as: Teaching Reading with Literature by Gail Tompkins and Lea McGee, Read it Aloud by Judy Richardson, Reading Interaction (International Reading Association) and Classroom Strategies for Interactive Learning by Doug Buehl. In this essay, I have briefly shown its relevance and, to some extent, how to do it.
Bringing literature to the classroom and everyday classes is of the utmost importance in order to create a more interactive environment based on the readings. It can also help students build and increase their vocabulary and command of English, as they will be constantly reading in and outside the classroom. Different techniques as the ones shown above can help us include, little by little, literary work in our teaching. Fortunately, there are several books on how to bring literature to the classroom such as: Teaching Reading with Literature by Gail Tompkins and Lea McGee, Read it Aloud by Judy Richardson, Reading Interaction (International Reading Association) and Classroom Strategies for Interactive Learning by Doug Buehl. In this essay, I have briefly shown its relevance and, to some extent, how to do it."When once the itch of literature comes over a man, nothing can cure it but the scratching of a pen. But if you have not a pen, I suppose you must scratch any way you can."- Samuel Lover
Work cited
Buehl, Doug. Classroom Strategies for Interactive Learning. Delaware: International Reading Association, 2000.
Dobson, Julia. Effective Techniques for English Conversation Groups. Washington: United States Information Agency, 2005.
Dobson, Julia. Effective Techniques for English Conversation Groups. Washington: United States Information Agency, 2005.
“Quotations About Literature.” Welcome to the Quote Garden. 14 October 2007. 9 July 2009 <http://www.quotegarden.com/literature.html>.
Richardson, Judy. Read it Aloud: Using Literature in the Secondary Content Classroom. Delaware: International Reading Association, 2000
