Criteria and creation: Literary texts and a literature textbook (original) (raw)

Three LiLT SIG members, Wendy Jones Nakanishi, Simon Bibby, and Mari Ota recently published a textbook called Real Reads: An Introduction to Literature. Discussion of the textbook in this article is situated in consideration of criteria that teachers need for choosing suitable literary texts for language students. Five criteria are suggested for teachers to consider when deciding upon the suitability of a text: lexis, syntax, length, interest and familiarity. Major aspects of the creation of a literature textbook for language learners are explained, including the authors’ reasons for textbook format, text choice and first language (L1) and second language (L2) balance, before moving on to consider and advise with regard to further issues such as consideration of audience, the creation of the online teachers’ guide, shared workflow, and dealing with potential publishers.