【Teaching Practice Report】

Pleasure Reading:
Incorporating CLIL Into an Extensive Reading-Based Course
Michael Peragine, Christopher Mattson
Abstract
The goal of this paper is to introduce the pedagogical methodology in which Content and Language Integrated
Learning (CLIL) was incorporated into Pleasure Reading, an extensive-reading based course for L2 university
students in Tokyo. Described simply, the course can be seen as having two strands: students read self-selected
literature and learn content selected by the instructor. After devising a method of teaching content to analyze
literary texts, the authors structured their lessons based on the principles of CLIL, mainly Content, Communication,
Cognition, and Culture, or the 4Cs. Activities were scaffolded using Bloom’s revised taxonomy, moving from lowerorder thinking skills (LOTS) to higher-order thinking skills (HOTS). Visual and graphic organizers wereincorporated to aid the comprehension of authentic texts and higher-level content. The paper concludes with asample lesson handout designed using the aforementioned principles.
Keywords: pleasure reading, extensive reading, graded readers, EFL, CLIL

Introduction
Pleasure Reading is an elective course within the Independent Module at Rikkyo University. The
course is aimed at helping L2 sophomores, juniors, and seniors improve their reading skills throughextensive reading. The class is designed to help students find English books they wish to read in
English and make it a pleasurable experience. Students choose graded readers based on theircurrent reading level and complete various assignments based on those readings. While it is up to
the assigned teacher how best to achieve course objectives, typically this course includes activities
such as in-class reading, discussion of selected books, and written or oral assignments that bothsummarize and analyze the material being read. This paper addresses the attempts of the authors to
implement a Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) framework for the Pleasure Reading
course in order to more effectively engage students in the understanding and enjoyment of literature.
Perhaps it is best to start with a shared definition of pleasure reading, which the National
Literacy Trust describes as follows:
Reading for pleasure refers to reading that we to [sic] do of our own free will anticipating thesatisfaction that we will get from the act of reading. It also refers to reading that having begun at
someone else’s request we continue because we are interested in it. It typically involves materials
that reflect our own choice, at a time and place that suits us. (Clark & Rumbold, 2006, p. 6)
Similarly, students in the Pleasure Reading course select books at the request of their teacher,although they are expected to read both in the classroom and independently outside of class. Choice
is an essential component of this extensive-reading course. It should be no surprise that the books
young people find most interesting are the ones they have chosen for themselves. Gambrell (1996, p.
21) reports that when children were asked to talk about the books they enjoyed most, “over 80%
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responded that they had self-selected the books from the classroom libraries.” While students in the
Pleasure Reading course are free to choose their reading materials, it is generally recommended thatthey select graded readers, which are adaptations of literature from various cultures designed to help
L2 students improve their reading skills. With thousands of level-appropriate titles available from theschool library, it is hoped that students will come away feeling motivated by the experience of selfselecting their reading materials for class.
At least part of what separates the Pleasure Reading course from more conventional EFL
courses is its emphasis on extensive reading (ER) and the extensive reading of literature in particular.
The term “extensive reading” was first used by Harold Palmer in his attempt to differentiate between
texts for “intensive reading” in which “each sentence is subjected to a careful scrutiny,” whereas inextensive reading “book after book will be read through without giving more than a superficial andpassing attention to the lexicological units of which it is composed” (1917, p. 205). Day and Bamford’s(2002) principles for teaching extensive reading are built on this concept further by emphasizing theuse of easy-to-read texts that are self-selected by students from a variety of topics and materials, witha focus on speed, reading enjoyment, and limited teacher interference, encouraging teachers to play
the role of guide as students read both independently and silently. With regard to reading materials,
Tsang and Paran (2021, p. 2) remind us that in the L2 context, there “has been a widening of theconcept of literature and literary texts,” referring to McRae’s (1991) description of literature as
having either a capital ‘L’ for traditional works of the literary canon or a small ‘l’ for more modern
works “ranging from fantasy and young adult novels.” Within the L2 classroom, all of these works are
considered classroom literature and are encompassed within the spectrum of graded readers.
In recent years, there has been a growing interest in and acknowledgment of the benefits ofsuch literature in the L2 contexts. Takase (2012) notes that various studies have shown the beneficial
effects of ER, including proficiency gains not only with discrete skills but also gains with the positive
affect and self-confidence that stem from self-selected, extensive reading of literature. Secondarylevel EFL students, as documented by Tsang, Paran, and Lau (2020), tend to be quite positive about
the use of literature in the EFL classroom. A few of the improvements that extensive reading ofliterature provides are “becoming independent of others” as well as promoting confidence andmotivation (Walker, 1997, p. 124).
It is also important to note that while Yang (as cited in Paran, 2008) found “language improvement
in classes using literature in contrast with classes that did not,” the classes that “experienced
traditional teacher-centered lecturing on literature’’ had “a sharp drop in attendance” (p. 472).
Moreover, a study by Tsang and Paran (2021) found that while learners generally have a positive
attitude toward the use of literature in the L2 classroom, they occasionally experienced loweredlevels of motivation when teacher-selected texts were considered poor or uninteresting. Thesestudies remind us that to achieve the full benefits literature can bring to the L2 classroom, adherence
to the principles of extensive reading–such as limited teacher interference and the provision of
student self-selected materials–is essential.

The Role of CLIL in Pleasure Reading
Content and Language Integrated Learning is defined by Coyle, Hood, and Marsh as “a dualfocused approach in which an additional language is used for the learning and teaching of bothcontent and language” (2010, p. 1). Graddol differentiates CLIL from English-medium instruction(EMI) by stating that “the learner is not necessarily expected to have the English proficiency
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PLEASURE READING: INCORPORATING CLIL INTO AN EXTENSIVE READING-BASED COURSE

required to cope with the subject before beginning study” (2006, p. 86). This distinction is fitting
considering that Pleasure Reading—as part of the forthcoming framework of CLIL courses under thesubheading of Global Communication—will follow the mandatory freshman-level courses while
preceding most EMI courses, which are generally taken near the end of the undergraduate program(Figure 1). CLIL is typically categorized into two main types: hard and soft. Hard CLIL, also known asstrong CLIL, refers to a content-led approach, whereas soft CLIL, alternatively known as weak CLIL,
describes language-led approaches (Ball, Kelly, & Clegg, 2015, p. 26-27). In other words, hard CLIL
freshman-level courses while preceding most EMI courses, which are generally taken near thecourses might beand somewhat
comparedwith softinto
CLIL
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program closer(Figureto1).immersion
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Therefore, it can be said that Pleasure Reading as a course should place more of an emphasis
Figure 1.
on its content than these mandatory courses.
Four-year curriculum framework (Yamamoto & Nitta, 2021, p. 126)

Figure 1. Four-year curriculum framework (Yamamoto & Nitta, 2021, p. 126)
The authors’ pedagogical goal was to apply the principles and frameworks of CLIL to the
The authors’ pedagogical goal was to apply the principles and frameworks of CLIL to
Pleasure Reading course. While students were expected to engage with the readings, having a fullthe Pleasure Reading course. While students were expected to engage with the readings, having
understanding aoffull
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assignments. Students were not tested on their reading in traditional ways, like vocabularyStudents were not tested on their reading in traditional ways, like vocabulary checks, but rather
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their written reports, oral presentation, and/or regular discussion-based activities.
The guiding principles of CLIL are content, communication, cognition, and culture, also
The guiding principles of CLIL are content, communication, cognition, and culture, also termed
termed the 4C’s by Coyle et al. (2010). The starting point and foundation is the first C: content.
the 4C’s by Coyleet al. (2010). The
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thinking skills with cognition, the third principle, and culture (or to be more specific(Coyle, 2005, p. 5). Learners are challenged to use higher-order thinking skills with cognition, theinternational cultures and multicultural focus) completes the framework. These four aspects
third principle, should
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principles toward the broader goals of integrated learning and language learning (Gierlinger,n.d.). Nitta and Yamamoto (2020) take this one step further in their reconceptualized 4C
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separate from one another; indeed, throughout the coursework, the 4C framework focuses on theinterrelationship between all four of these principles toward the broader goals of integrated learningand language learning (Gierlinger, n.d.). Nitta and Yamamoto (2020) take this one step further intheir reconceptualized 4C framework (Figure 2), in which “Culture is given a superordinate role ofintegrating the other Cs,” essentially structuring the curriculum in such a way that Content,Communication, and Cognition occur through Culture as opposed to alongside it. In this way, students
acquire intercultural
skills by(Figure
understanding“other“Culture
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given a superordinate
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way,
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acquiredeveloping competency to negotiate and solve complex social problems (Culture)” (Nitta &skills by understanding“otherwith
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Yamamoto, 2020, intercultural
p. 52). This reconceptualizationfits naturally
Pleasure
Reading communicating
because of its with others(Communication),andlearning
criticalthinkingskills(Cognition),
all of which contribute toemphasis on graded readers that naturally introduce cultural concepts through the perspectives ofdeveloping competency to negotiate and solve complex social problems (Culture)” (Nitta &foreign characters within a global community. By learning basic concepts of literary analysis
Yamamoto, 2020, p. 52). This reconceptualization fits naturally with Pleasure Reading because(Content), discussing
both teacher
and peers(Communication),
applyingcultural
critical thinkingof itswithemphasison graded
readersthat naturallyand
introduce
concepts through theskills to produceperspectives
written and of
oralforeign
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students
bothengage
with
and
begin
to concepts ofcharacters within a global community. By learning basic
internalize new global
perspectives.
literary
analysis (Content), discussing with both teacher and peers (Communication), andapplying critical thinking skills to produce written and oral projects (Cognition), students both
engageFigure
with 2.
and begin to internalize new global perspectives.
Nitta & Yamamoto’s Reconceptualized 4C framework

Figure 2. Nitta & Yamamoto’s Reconceptualized 4C framework

While Pleasure Reading would not necessarily be considered soft CLIL, at least not to the extent
While Pleasure Reading would not necessarily be considered soft CLIL, at least not toof the aforementioned mandatory courses, a certain amount of scaffolding is necessary to ensure
the extent of the aforementioned mandatory courses, a certain amount of scaffolding is
maximum effectivenessof thethroughout
individualoflessons.
Brunercited in Coyle,necessaryto course
ensure aims
maximum
effectivenessthe course
aims(asthroughout
individual lessons
1999) coined the term
“scaffolding”
to Coyle,refer to 1999)“the provisionof temporary,adjustable tosupportis provision ofBruner(as cited incoined theterm “scaffolding”
refer thatto “theprovided by a teacher
to assiststudents indeveloping
extendingskills”(p. 60).students
Ball, Kelly,
temporary,adjustablesupportthat isandprovidedby atheirteacherto assistin developing andtheir skills”
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remind useffort
that tostudents
within the CLIL
and Klegg remindextending
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context“makemore cognitive
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more
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academic demands of the syllabus, probably because they are more aware of the gap between their
becausethey arerequired
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andwhythe itlanguage
requiredcognitive level andthe language
to nailofdown
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up to the teachers to make efforts to reduce this cognitive gap through a process of careful lesson
reduce this cognitive gap through a process of careful lesson planning.
planning.
One aspect of scaffolding that should be carefully considered is the cognitive skills
One aspect ofscaffoldingthat should
be carefullyis theCognitive
cognitive skills
skills areneededtoneeded to complete
the tasks
within considereda CLIL lesson.
essentially“thinkingcomplete the tasks
withinwhich
a CLILinclude
lesson. (1)Cognitive
skills are
essentially“or“thinkingskills,”whichskills, such as
skills,”information
processing,concretethinking
include (1) information
processing,“or concreteinformation,”
thinking skills,(2)such
as identifying
and “suchorganizing
identifying
and organizing
abstract
thinking,
as reasoning andcreativethinkingand
andhypothesizing,”
synthesis, “for (3)example,we useinformation,” (2) hypothesizing,”
abstract thinking,(3)“such
as reasoning
creativewhen
thinking
andour knowledge
toimagine,tosolve
problems,
and
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think
of
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ideas,”(4)enquiryskills,synthesis, “for example, when we use our knowledge to imagine, to solve problems, and to think of “for example
when skills,
we askquestionsplan
to do research,”
skills,new ideas,” (4) enquiry“forexample,andwhen
we how
ask questions
and planandhow(5)
to evaluation
do research,”and “for example

when we use criteria to comment on how good our work is” (Bentley, 2010, p. 20). Bloom’s(1956) revised taxonomy (Anderson & Krathwohl, 2001) organizes these skills into six main110
areas in order of cognitive complexity:
Remembering, Understanding, Applying, Analyzing
Evaluating, and Creating. To help students deal with the cognitive load, teachers of CLIL
should carefully organize lessons in a conceptual hierarchy from lower-order thinking skills

PLEASURE READING: INCORPORATING CLIL INTO AN EXTENSIVE READING-BASED COURSE(5) evaluation skills, “for example, when we use criteria to comment on how good our work is”(Bentley, 2010, p. 20). Bloom’s (1956) revised taxonomy (Anderson & Krathwohl, 2001) organizes
these skills into six main areas in order of cognitive complexity: Remembering, Understanding,
Applying, Analyzing, Evaluating, and Creating. To help students deal with the cognitive load, teachersof CLIL should carefully organize lessons in a conceptual hierarchy from lower-order thinking skills(LOTS) to higher-order thinking skills (HOTS). For example, early in the lesson, students might beasked to recall facts or concepts (Remember) related to the lesson’s target, which prepares them toclassify new but related information (Understand) and inevitably to use that new knowledge(Applying) to complete level-appropriate tasks. Remembering, Understanding, and Applying not only
require LOTS, but also serve to prime students for the challenges ahead requiring HOTS. For
example, in the second half of the lesson, students might be asked to compare and contrast what they
have learned (Analyzing), judge which is better for a given situation (Evaluating), and write their own
example (Creating) to be presented to the peers. Analyzing, Evaluating, and Creating are HOTS andshould therefore be utilized in the latter half of the lesson. By organizing a lesson from LOTS to
HOTS, students will be better prepared to contend with the cognitive load of content-rich CLIL
lessons.
Another form of scaffolding that can aid student learning is the use of concept mapping to break
down complex content. Phil Ball (n.d.) points out that CLIL learners, especially adults, will face aconcept-language gap in which they may struggle with the cognitive demand of materials due to alack of language skills, particularly when dealing with authentic texts that are conceptually andlinguistically complex. This point is reiterated by Nitta and Yamamoto (2020), who remind us that inmost CLIL courses, “learners are required to understand linguistically and conceptually demanding
texts and use low-frequency academic vocabulary and complex structures, which are hardly used ineveryday conversation.” To help students cope, visual or graphic organizers such as mind maps,
t-charts, tables, and Venn diagrams can be used to help CLIL students categorize information as ameans of connecting ideas to better understand information (Bentley, 2010, p. 43). Although theseorganizers can be used at various stages of a lesson, the authors of this paper used them during thepresentation phase while introducing new content, mainly to support authentic reading passages or
short lectures that introduce key concepts. One added benefit of using graphic organizers is thatthey help to deal with the level gap within mixed-ability elective classes. Carol Ann Tomlinson
describes how the use of organizers can help teachers overcome the challenges of differentiatedinstruction:
Some students, even of older ages, find it very difficult to read text or listen to a lecture andcome away with a coherent sense of what it was all about. For such students, it can be quite
useful to work with a visual organizer that follows the flow of ideas from the text or lecture. Not
only might such organizers help them focus on key ideas and information, but they may also
help some learners see how a teacher or author develops a line of thought. (2001, p. 77)
Although mixed-ability learners may not necessarily understand every word of an authentic text or
lecture, after collaborating with their peers to complete a graphic organizer, it can be reassuring forteachers to see that all students were able to come away with a conceptual understanding of the key
points of the lesson.
While graphic organizers may help tackle the challenges of authentic teacher-selected texts,
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scaffolding will still be necessary to ensure the success of students’ choices. For this reason, graded
readers can be implemented as a form of scaffolding within the Pleasure Reading course. However,at the onset of class, it is necessary that teachers provide guidance on how to choose graded readersthat are at an appropriate level for each student. This can be done using placement tests such as
those provided by Oxford University Press and the Extensive Reading Foundation. Students can also
be encouraged to follow the Extensive Reading Foundation’s “Five-Finger Rule,” which is based on asimilar concept by Hiebert & Reutzel (2010). According to this method, students can open a selfselected book to any page, read it, and count the number of unfamiliar words. If there are two to three
new words, this would be an appropriate level, while four words might be considered challenging but
acceptable if the book seems interesting to the student. However, one or less could be considered too
easy, whereas five or more should be ruled out due to its difficulty. While students should be
encouraged to take note of newly learned words in their reading records, they also need to understandthat the goal of the course is to read without a dictionary.

A CLIL Lesson for Pleasure Reading  In terms of assessment, Pleasure Reading was set apart from traditional courses in that there
was no testing of students on the reading material; the instructors wanted the course to live up to its
name and actually be pleasurable, and tests, many students would argue, are not pleasurable. Similar
activities that L2 students are frequently tasked with, for example, cloze activities such as gap fills,
were not used. Instead, the focus was placed on discussion-based activities centered around literary
devices that help students to analyze the texts in a more meaningful way. Since the stories students
self-select are written at their level, there were no quizzes to determine if they had achieved 100%
comprehension. Instead, the instructors wanted students to deeply engage not only with the text but
also with their peers. As Paran posits, “Our fundamental goal as language professionals is to expand
and enrich the lives of our students and the society in which they live” (Paran, 2008, p. 469). The 4Cs
were used in the Pleasure Reading Course in the following ways:
Content (Literary Devices). As Coyle emphasizes, when explaining best practices in CLIL
curriculum planning, “the content is the starting point of the planning process” (Coyle, 2005, p. 4).
Lectures, slideshows, and handouts were the media by which students learned the content, which
focused on various literary devices. This portion of the class was generally teacher-centered, thoughwith frequent comprehension checks with partners and groups that were implemented with graphicorganizers. The lectures on literary devices included topics such as genre, theme, character, etc., andthese dimensions of literature were taught with little to no emphasis on conventional grammar andvocabulary. Aside from the topics and concepts themselves (i.e., “genre”) as novel vocabulary terms,
the pedagogical focus lay in defining and exemplifying the topic and, ultimately, having students
apply and synthesize those ideas through the lens of their own chosen graded readers. Students
were given handouts (see Appendix), either a hard or digital copy via Google Docs, and thesecontained activities geared toward providing students with a steady progression of complexity andcognitive skills.
Communication (Discussions). Focus was also placed on student-to-student interaction as
opposed to teacher-centered instruction when possible. For this reason, students frequently
discussed content in pairs and groups. These activities ranged from simple, low-order skills like112

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remembering and understanding and progressed to higher-order skills such as creating andevaluating. L2 discussions were at the core of many class activities, from Warm-up and Pre-reading
Questions at the start of the class (i.e., “What kind of books was it?”) to collaborative pair and groupprojects in which students used higher-order thinking.
Cognition (Discussions/Production/Book Reports or Presentations). As Coyle emphasizes, for
CLIL to be effective, students must use HOTS and “construct their own understanding and bechallenged” (2005, p. 5). In Pleasure Reading, these skills were demonstrated in discussions and alsoin projects such as book reports, in which students applied their knowledge of literary concepts andother material toward a summative evaluation of their graded reader. Course activities also included
creative writing, either individually or in pairs/groups, which utilized communication skills as well as
the highest-order thinking skill of creating. Other “high-order” class projects involved students
creating short skits based on their readings and performing them in class.
Culture (Foreign Graded Readers). Just as Nitta and Yamamoto’s framework depicts the
Culture aspect as encompassing the other three, this principle applied for the graded readers
students chose in the Pleasure Reading course. By choosing foreign-language readers (all were
English-language books), students were engaged in reading content, not just outside their L1
language but also outside their L1 culture. Most graded readers were from Anglosphere countries(U.K., U.S., Canada, Australia, N.Z.) but not all; many selections were from various countries aroundthe world. The cultural context plays an important role in the course; if we treat the readings as“cultural artifacts,” then they provide “authenticity, cultural value, and meaning” (Coyle & Meyer,
2021, p. 151). With regard to LOTS and HOTS, the authors structured lessons keeping Bloom’s
revised taxonomy in mind. This can be demonstrated by following the sample lesson handout(Appendix). The initial stages of the lesson focus primarily on the use of LOTS, whereas the final
project culminates in the use of HOTS. By looking at these stages in order, one can see how the 4Cs
and scaffolding have been implemented:

Pre-Reading (Communication)
The first stage of the lesson is simply a communication-based warm-up activity. Students are
asked to recall a book or film, which relates to Bloom’s taxonomy’s lowest-order thinking skill of
remembering. The pre-reading questions are intended to lead students toward the topic of genres by
asking them to consider whether they often read/watch similar kinds of books/films. While thepurpose of the course is to discuss students’ extensive reading, the authors frequently used movies
as a way to help students connect with and become interested in the lesson’s theme. However, theemphasis was always placed on “stories,” as the literary analysis tools taught in the class could beapplied to both literature and film. For example, if the lesson’s theme is characters, it does notnecessarily matter whether students talk about characters in Hamlet (play), Harry Potter (film/book), or Howl’s Moving Castle (animation) because the focus would be on terminologies such asprotagonists, antagonists, and static/dynamic characters. Therefore, films can be a useful bridge forconnecting with course content.

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Reading (Content/Communication/Cognition/Culture)
In the second stage of the lesson, the main content about genres is introduced with an authentic
text based on an online article (Urban, 2022). However, scaffolding has been provided in the form ofa graphic organizer to assist with cognition. The examples provided in the text reference works suchas The Epic of Gilgamesh (ancient Mesopotamia), Romeo & Juliet (16th century England), and The
Diary of Anne Frank (20th century Netherlands), which could be further explored in order toenhance the cultural aspect of the 4Cs. This activity relates to the second level of Bloom’s taxonomy,
Understanding (LOTS), because students are being asked to both explain and categorize. Before
reading, students scan the article to find the definition of the word “genre” and then paraphrase its
meaning in their own words. They then read the article while categorizing the four Literary Genres(Figure 3). This can be done independently or in pairs; however, to make the activity morecommunicative, students should be encouraged to help each other while comparing their answers
with their classmates before revealing the correct answers. Communication with peers also helps toaddress level gaps when dealing with mixed-ability classes.
Figure 3.
Answer key for Reading section
Literar y Genre

Key Features

Type(s)Poetry-lines and stanzas
epic poem-figurative and rhythmic language about emotionaland heartfelt ideas

Fiction-figurative language-sentences and paragraphs-punctuation and grammar

Drama-a kind of fiction but differs because it is intended a play
to be performed for an audience

Non-fiction-It is not fake.
-It comes from real life

ExampleThe Epic ofGilgameshmystery, fantasy, and I am a Cat
science fiction(by Natsume Soseki)Romeo and Juliet

Newspapers, diaries, Anne Frank: Diary ofand biographies
a Young Girl

Vocabular y (Content/Cognition)
Depending on student levels, the third section may be skipped in favor of something morechallenging. Alternatively, it could be assigned for homework or used for review in the subsequent
lesson. Both the Vocabulary and Identifying Genres sections expand on topic content by adding
terminology that aids cognition, thus solidifying concepts for the upcoming discussions. This lowerlevel activity simply asks students to match images with key vocabulary, again covering Bloom’s
taxonomy’s second level of understanding (LOTS). It’s worth noting that in higher-level classes
where this activity was skipped, many students opted to complete the task anyway due to theintrinsically fun nature of matching activities.

Identifying Genres (Content/Cognition)
This activity is a slightly more challenging alternative to the vocabulary-matching activity. The
task asks students to identify the genre using a one-sentence clue, which again falls under theBloom’s taxonomy category of understanding (LOTS). For higher-level students, this activity can be114

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taken one step further by providing slightly longer excerpts from authentic texts and asking students
to identify the genre based on keywords, for example:
Mr. Ollivander moved closer to Harry. Harry wished he would blink. Those silvery eyes were a
bit creepy. “Your father, on the other hand, favored a mahogany wand. Eleven inches. Pliable. A
little more powerful and excellent for transfiguration. Well, I say your father favored it—it’sreally the wand that chooses the wizard, of course. (Rowling, 1997, p. 82)
From this Harry Potter excerpt, students should be able to identify the genre as fantasy fiction basedon keywords such as wand, wizard, and transfiguration. The authors used excerpts from otherauthentic texts such as Dracula (horror/gothic fiction), Treasure Island (adventure), Pride andPrejudice (romantic fiction), The War of the Worlds (science fiction), and The Adventure of the SpeckledBand (mystery).

Project (Content/Communication/Cognition)
The final stage of the lesson requires students to use cognition and communication to apply what
they have learned to dramatize a genre of interest. As this lesson would most likely be taught early
on in the course, teachers may also opt to have students write their own short excerpt in a specificgenre, thus sparing them the potential discomfort of having to perform in front of unfamiliar peers
while still achieving the objectives of the activity. To complete the project requires several steps, allof which necessitate HOTS with regard to Bloom’s taxonomy. Students compare their favorite genres
through discussion, create a short skit of a favorite genre in pairs, perform their skits whileclassmates identify the genre, and evaluate their own performances, all of which require students toanalyze, create, and evaluate. For the self-evaluation, students should be offered targeted questions
such as the following: “Did you feel good about your performance? Why or why not? Could yourclassmates guess the genre? If so, what clues helped them? If not, what other clues could you haveprovided?” The activity concludes with teacher-fronted feedback including keywords that could
further enhance genre identification.

Conclusion
As more Japanese universities begin to incorporate CLIL-based courses into their undergraduate
programs, it becomes essential for instructors to consider how to best implement its essential
principles. While language-heavy courses such as debate may take a more soft-CLIL approach andcontent-heavy courses such as chemistry require a more hard-CLIL approach, a course in extensive
reading with mixed-ability students ends up falling somewhere in between, creating uniquechallenges in terms of lesson planning and curriculum development. Therefore, the authors of thispaper hope that sharing the pedagogical methodology used for designing lessons will create a
dialogue between others facing similar challenges. In some respects, the authors found certain
aspects regarding scaffolding to be commonplace in most EFL lessons, although the means of doing
so differs in its use of Bloom’s revised taxonomy to structure lessons from LOTS to HOTS.
Nonetheless, the concept itself is far from foreign. However, an area of particular interest has been
the implementation of the 4Cs, which remains at the heart of CLIL itself. Furthermore, anunderstanding of the Nitta and Yamamoto’s reconceptualized 4C framework (2020) in which Content,
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Communication, and Cognition occur through Culture is useful when devising lessons that both
highlight and supplement the cultural aspects of both graded readers and lesson content.
While this paper focuses mainly on the application of CLIL in the planning of a lesson on genres,
further research is necessary to better understand the impact of CLIL on the overall course outlineof curriculums based on extensive reading. For these reasons, the authors plan to continue theirresearch into CLIL to improve future iterations of the Pleasure Reading course. The future aim of thisproject is to report on the author’s methodology of curriculum development by introducing thespecific content taught to improve students’ literary analysis skills. It can then be demonstrated thatby teaching these skills, students will be able to improve the quality of course assignments such as
in-class discussions, book reports, and presentations. In addition, further details will be provided on
the research conducted in hopes of better understanding the students’ perspectives of the newly
implemented course content.

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References
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Ball, P. (n.d.). Activity types in CLIL. Macmillan Education Limited. https://www.onestopenglish.
com/clil/article-activity-types-in-clil/500800.article
Bentley, K. (2010). The TKT (teaching knowledge test) course: CLIL module. Cambridge, UK:
Cambridge University Press.
Gambrell, L.B. (1996). Creating classroom cultures that foster reading motivation. The readingteacher, 50, 14-25.
Graddol, D. (2006). English next (Vol. 62). London:British Council Publications.
Clark, C. & Rumbold K. (2006). Reading for pleasure: A research overview. National Literacy Trust.
Coyle, D., Hood, P., & Marsh, D. (2010). CLIL: Content and language integrated learning. Cambridge,
UK: Cambridge University Press.
Coyle, D., & Meyer, O. (2021). Beyond CLIL: Pluriliteracies teaching for deeper learning. Cambridge,
UK: University Press.
Coyle, D. (2005). CLIL: Planning tools for teachers. Nottingham: University of Nottingham.
Coyle, D. (1999). Supporting students in content and language integrated learning contexts: Planningfor effective classrooms. In Learning through a foreign language (pp. 46-62). CILT (Centre forInformation on Language Teaching and Research).
Day, R. & Bamford, J. (2002). Top ten principles for teaching extensive reading. Reading in a Foreign
Language, 14(2), 136-141.
Gierlinger, E. (n.d.) The 4c’s model – Do Coyle, CLILingmesoftly. https://clilingmesoftly.wordpress.
com/clil-models-3/the-4-cs-model-docoyle/
Hiebert, H. E., & Reutzel, D. R. (2010). Revisiting silent reading: New direction for teachers andresearchers. Newark: International Reading Association.
McRae, J. (1991). Literature with a small “l”. Macmillan.
Nitta, R., & Yamamoto, Y. (2020). Reconceptualizing CLIL from transformative pedagogy perspective:
Pilot debate study in English language curriculum. Journal of Foreign Language Education andResearch, 1, 47-62.
Palmer, H. E. (1917). The scientific study & teaching of languages: A review of the factors and problems
connected with the learning and teaching of modern languages, with an analysis of the various
methods which may be adopted in order to attain satisfactory results. London: George G. Harrap& Company.
Paran, A. (2008). The role of literature in instructed foreign language learning and teaching: An
evidence-based survey. Language teaching, 41(4), 465-496.
Rowling, J. K. (1997) Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. New York: Scholastic Press.
Tomlinson, C. A. (2001). How to differentiate instruction in mixed-ability classrooms. Alexandria:
Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Tsang, A. & Paran, A. (2021). Learners’ views of literature in EFL education from curricular andassessment perspectives. The Curriculum Journal, 32(3), 459-474.
Tsang, A., Paran, A., & Lau, W. W. F. (2020). The language and non-language benefits of literature inforeign language education: An exploratory study of learners’ views. Language Teaching
Research, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/1362168820972345
Urban, J. (2022, Jan. 18). Types of literary genres. Study.com. https://study.com/learn/lesson/
literary-genres-types-characteristics-examples.html
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Walker, C. (1997). A self access extensive reading project using graded readers (with particularreference to students of English for academic purposes). Reading in a foreign language, 11(1),121-149.
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courses: A theoretical and methodological framework. Journal of Foreign Language Education& Research, 2: 122-135.

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PLEASURE READING: INCORPORATING CLIL INTO AN EXTENSIVE READING-BASED COURSEAppendix
Example Handout for Lesson on Genres

2

TALKING ABOUT LITERARY GENRES

Reading for Pleasure

Our Favorite Stories
1. Pre-reading

Think about the last movie you watched and answer the following questions:
What was the movie’s title?
What was the movie about?
What kind of movie was it? (i.e., horror)
Did you like or dislike the movie? Why?
Do you often watch similar kinds of movies? Why or why not?

•
•
•
•
•

Now, think about the last book you read and answer the following questions:
•
•
•
•
•
•

What was the book’s title?
What was the book about?
What kind of book was it?
Did you like or dislike the book? Why?
Do you often read similar kinds of books? Why or why not?
Are the books you enjoy reading similar or different to the movies you watch?

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2. Reading

Skim the article and find the meaning of the word “genre.”
Can you explain it in your own words? Do you know how to say it in Japanese?

What is a Literary Genre?
Have you ever had a friend suggest a movie to go see, but you responded, “I'm not in the mood for that?”
What did you mean? Was it a scary movie and you were in the mood to laugh? Was it a sad movie, but you
wanted some action? If so, then you already know about genres. A genre is a term that translates from the French
to mean “kind” or “type,” so it refers to any works that share certain characteristics. When choosing a book toread, just like choosing a movie, it is important to know the genre because readers will already have certain
expectations before they begin to read. The term literary genre makes it clear that you're talking about books andwriting. In literature, there are four main genres to help the reader focus their expectations for the piece. These
genres are poetry, drama, fiction, and non-fiction. However, these genres can be broken down even further.
The oldest of all the literary genres is poetry. Unlike other genres, poems are typically written in lines andstanzas instead of sentences and paragraphs. They may use figurative and rhythmic language to express emotionaland heartfelt ideas. Early epic poems were longer and described the extraordinary deeds of characters as they
deal with gods and other supernatural forces. The oldest epic poem is the Epic of Gilgamesh, which was written
over 3000 years ago. Another literary genre that utilizes figurative language is fiction. However, unlike poetry,fiction is organized into sentences and paragraphs with proper punctuation and grammar called prose. It is usuallybroken up into chapters, as well. Fictional stories are about events that didn’t really happen, so mystery, fantasy,
and science-fiction novels are full of imaginary characters. Natsume Soseki famously used a cat as the main
character in his fictional novel I Am a Cat! Drama, on the other hand, is a kind of fiction but differs because it isintended to be performed for an audience. Shakespeare’s most famous play, Romeo and Juliet, dramatizes the
tragic romance of two young lovers born into feuding families. If fiction is fake, then non-fiction is the opposite: itcomes from real life. When you read the newspaper, you are reading non-fiction. Other examples include diaries
and biographies. For example, Anne Frank: Diary of a Young Girl is the diary of a teenage girl who hid from theGermans in World War II. After her death, her family published the diary without changing her words. What Anne
wrote was real. It was her life, and a great example of non-fiction.
Libraries and bookstores use literary genres as a way to separate books into different sections, like"classics" or "mysteries." Therefore, to help you find the book that’s right for you, we will discuss the kinds ofliterary genres you like (and dislike) reading!
*adapted from Study.com

Literary Genre

Key Features

Type(s)Example*epic poem
I am a Cat(by Natsume Soseki)Drama
It is not fake.
It comes from real life.

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3. Vocabulary

Match the picture with the correct genre.

comedy••fantasy••

horror

•

•

war

•

•

history••

thriller••mystery••

biography••

romance••tragedy••science fiction••

Do you know of any other genres?

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4. Identifying Genres

Complete the crossword puzzle using the vocabulary and clues below.

science fiction
fairy talemythromancebiography
mystery122

westernadventure
horrorhistorical fiction

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5. ProjectWork in pairs or small groups. First, you will talk about books, films, and comic
books that you like. Please be sure to identify genre. (i.e., “My favorite comic book is
One Piece. It’s an adventure story. The reason I like it is…”) Then, you will choose abook that you have all read (or want to read) and introduce it to you classmates.
First, discuss these questions with your classmates:••••

What is your favorite book? What is its genre? Why do you like it?
What is your favorite film? What is its genre? Why do you like it?
What is your favorite comic book? What is its genre? Why do you like it?
Is there a book, film, or comic book that you all like?

Next, you will perform a scene from your favorite book, film, or comic book.
However, you won’t tell its title or genre. Your classmates will try to guess.
With your group, please do all of the following:
1. Choose a book, film, or comic book you all know.
2. Select a scene you all want to act out*.
3. Decide who will play each character.
4. Create a short script of your scene.
5. Enact a scene from your classmates’ chosen book or film (1-2 minutes per group)
6. Ask your classmates to guess the genre.
*It’s also okay to create your own imagined scene that’s not from a book, film, or comic.

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