INTRODUCING STUDENTS TO READINGRESPONSE LOGS FOR EFL LITERATURE
CIRCLESAndrew Gill
Kanda University of International Studies
ABSTRACT
Reading response logs are journals which allow students to
respond to and reflect on reading materials. Students are
typically asked to record their reactions to what they have
read, including making connections and evaluating theauthor’s intentions. This article reports on the second stage ofa two-part action research project. Having utilized assignedrole sheets in the first part of the study, part two of the study
reports on the same class of Japanese sophomore university
students employing reading response logs to analyze, andthen collaboratively discuss, a piece of graded fiction. Class
procedures, analysis of students’ log entries and discussions,student feedback, and salient issues that emerged are
discussed. The study found that many of the participantsvalued the greater freedom and creativity associated withreading response logs. However, for response logs to be
successful in EFL Literature Circle discussions, it is essentialthat students are trained in how to compose responses that
not only facilitate peer comprehension, but also stimulate
conversation.
INTRODUCTION
Reading response logs are strongly linked with reader response theory,
which emphasizes the creative role of the reader. Developed by Louise
Rosenblatt in the 1930s, reader response theory sees the reading process
as a “reciprocal, mutually defining relationship” (1986, p. 122) between
reader and text, in which meaningful ideas arise from the reader’s own
creative interpretations. Rosenblatt states that a reading text “is merely
an object of paper and ink until some reader responds to the marks on
the page” (1978, p. 23). Furthermore, not only will different readers
reading the same text have different interpretations of it, but the same
41
Gill, A. (2023). Introducing students to reading response logs for EFL literature circles.
Literacies and Language Education: Research and Practice, Spring 2023, 41-67. English
Language Institute, KUIS.

reader may view a text differently at different stages of their own life
(Rosenblatt, 1995).
Designed to explore students’ individual responses to a piece of writing, areading response log is completed during the act of reading. By using
such a log, it is hoped that learners will go beyond simply trying tounderstand the words in the text and instead focus on the experience
they have while reading. Benton and Fox (1985) identify four processes
thatareaderis
engagedinwhilereading:picturing,
anticipating/retrospecting, interacting, and evaluating. These four
processes strongly influence Benton’s guidelines for student reading logs
(1992, p. 35), as shown in Figure 1.
Figure 1 Benton’s (1992) Reading Log Guidelines
While you are reading the book, write down all the things that go on inyour head in a “stream of consciousness” style. As you read, you will bemaking a record of images, associations, feelings, thoughts, judgments,
etc. You will probably find that this record will contain:● Questions that you ask yourself about characters and events as
you read. (Answer these yourself when you can.)● Memories from your own experience provoked by the reading.
● Guesses about how you think the story will develop, and why.
● Reflections on striking moments and ideas in the book.
● Comparisons between how you behave and how the characters in
the novel are behaving.
● Thoughts and feelings about characters and events.
● Comments on how the story is being told. For example, any words
or phrases or even whole passages that make an impression onyou, or motifs which you notice the author keeps using.
● Connections to other texts, ideas and courses.
● An outline of the chapter, no longer than a paragraph.
Please date each entry, and note down the time and place, as well as
the mood you are in while reading.
Please note down the page number you are reading when you make anentry.
Please take pleasure and pride in your log.
Please do not try to rewrite the book.

42
Gill, A. (2023). Introducing students to reading response logs for EFL literature circles.
Literacies and Language Education: Research and Practice, Spring 2023, 41-67. English
Language Institute, KUIS.

Applying Reading Response Logs to EFL Literature Circles
As Benton’s guidelines were originally intended for native speakers, andthis study’s participants are Japanese university EFL students, a numberof adjustments were made to clarify the guidelines, as well as provide
more scaffolding. Hancock (1993) outlines the benefits of this approachfor students, saying, “Suggestions by their classroom teachers to expand
their response horizons can move them even further along on theirjourneys through literature” (p. 471). Furthermore, in order to build onthese particular students’ previous experiences with Literature Circles(see Gill, 2020), some terms were altered to echo language from theassigned role sheets that the students were already familiar with.
Consideration was also given to the length and number of responses
required of the students. While reading response logs are most commonly
employed as an independent assignment, in this particular study, the logs
were utilized as a tool for aiding Literature Circle discussions. Students
were therefore only required to submit five responses in their logs, andthe example entry provided was kept simple and concise.
Progressing From Assigned Role Sheets
Assigned role sheets are a common feature of many Literature Circle
classes, providing clearly defined tasks to guide participants’ preparation.
Each lesson, students rotate in a series of set roles, such as Discussion
Leader, Connector, and Word Master, which provide them with a different
cognitive purpose for reading and a different interactive purpose in eachclass discussion.
However, role sheets have been criticized for their tendency to stifle
conversation. Daniels (2006) describes “the mechanical discussions thatcan stem from over-dependence on these roles” (p. 11) and argues thatan assigned role framework should be employed as a temporary support
measure only. Having completed three iterations of Literature Circles
utilizing such a framework, I deliberated whether this constituted
sufficient support for my students and whether they could benefit fromthe greater freedom, and stronger connection to the text, potentiallyoffered by reading response logs.
With this consideration in mind, this study was designed to explore theefficacy of utilizing reading response logs for EFL Literature Circles. The
following research questions were generated:

43
Gill, A. (2023). Introducing students to reading response logs for EFL literature circles.
Literacies and Language Education: Research and Practice, Spring 2023, 41-67. English
Language Institute, KUIS.

Research Questions● How can reading response logs be utilized effectively for EFL
learners participating in Literature Circles?
● When is the appropriate time for students to progress from anassigned role framework to reading response logs?
METHODOLOGY
Participants and Materials
The participants in the study were the same sophomore students frompart one of the project (see Gill, 2020): International Communication
majors taking my academic reading class. The class met for 90 minutes,
two times a week, during each 15-week semester. Literature Circles took
place four times during the Fall semester, and this study was conductedduring the fourth occurrence. The students had used an assigned roleframework in the previous three classes: to discuss graded reader
versions of Billy Elliot, divided into two parts, and the first half of Charles
Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. In this study, students would be tasked withreading the second half of the Christmas Carol text. This particular bookwas chosen for its level appropriateness (CEFR B1), the timing (near to
Christmas) and its major themes (emotional wealth, happiness, andgreed) which linked with the Ethics unit being studied in class.
Before the action research project began, all participants had signed
consent forms having read a detailed breakdown of the study in both
English and Japanese.
Assigning Groups
The students were given two weeks to read the second half of the graded
reader and complete their reading response logs. Each group consisted offour or five members who had remained together throughout thesemester’s Literature Circle classes. In the first three lessons (Billy Elliot
Parts 1 and 2 and A Christmas Carol Part 1), the students were required
to rotate between the six possible assigned roles provided: Discussion
Leader, Summarizer, Connector, Word Master, Passage Person and Culture
Collector. The groups had been teacher-allocated at the start of thesemester to avoid cliques, as well as to ensure mixed ability levels in allgroups. As always, students were explicitly told that, in the case of
absence, it was their responsibility to send their completed preparation totheir group.

44
Gill, A. (2023). Introducing students to reading response logs for EFL literature circles.
Literacies and Language Education: Research and Practice, Spring 2023, 41-67. English
Language Institute, KUIS.

The Reading Response Log
Utilizing Benton’s (1992) reading log guidelines (see Figure 1), andediting heavily to suit my own context, I created the response log in
Figure 2 for students to complete.
Figure 2 Page One of the Reading Response Log

Reading Response Log (A Christmas Carol, Part Two)
1. Read Chapters 3-5. You do not have to read everything all atonce.
2. While reading, put a sticky note next to any line, sentence or
section that stands out to you. Write a short note to help you
remember what you were thinking. (If nothing stands out to youby the time you finish reading, go back and find something to
respond to.)3. When you finish reading, use the information on your sticky notes
to help you write your Reading Responses on the second page ofthis document. You should include at least 5 responses. A Reading
Response can:
● Evaluate: give your opinion on a part of the story.
● Connect: make a connection with something from real life or
another book, movie, song, etc… (e.g. In what ways are you
similar to a character in the book? Would you have behaved in thesame way as the character if you were in the same situation?
Does the story remind you of something from your culture orsomething that happened to you?)● Be about language: you see an unfamiliar word/expression in the
text that you think could be useful.
● Be a question: Was there something you could not understand in
the text? Do you have a bigger question (about relationships,
morals, etc...) that the text made you consider?
● Highlight an important passage: you realize that a certain
section of the text has a big impact on the story. Why is it
important? What does it mean?
● Give advice: you notice a character experiencing a problem in thestory. What advice would you give them?
● Be a prediction: What do you think will happen next? What
information in the story helped you to make your prediction?
● Be a life lesson: Did you learn anything from an event in thebook that you could apply to your daily life?
45
Gill, A. (2023). Introducing students to reading response logs for EFL literature circles.
Literacies and Language Education: Research and Practice, Spring 2023, 41-67. English
Language Institute, KUIS.

● Talk about surprise: Did part of the story surprise you? Why?
● Be about relationships: Did you find any interesting or unusual
relationships between characters in the book?
● Describe feelings: Did you have any strong feelings as you werereading the book? Why did you feel that way?
● Be your own idea: If you think of something else, not covered
above, you can write about that too!
Please note down the page number that each Reading Response refers
to, as well as the type of response. You can see an example at the topof the next page.
Additional scaffolding was included to help the students understand theirtask, as well as provide some prompts. Where possible, language usedfrom the assigned role sheets was also transferred across, in order toavoid overloading the students with new terminology.
Page two of the reading response log contained an example entry andspaces for five responses (plus the sentence “Please add more entries if
you would like to” under the fifth entry space). The complete two-page
document was shared with students as a Google Document through
Google Classroom, making it easy to scroll between the log instructions
and entries. My example entry, and the first entry space, can be seen in
Figure 3 (entry spaces 2 to 5 have been omitted for brevity).
Figure 3 Excerpt from Page Two of the Reading Response Log
EXAMPLE
Entry: 1

Page: 32

Type of Response: Life lesson“Nobody said that it was a very small pudding for a large family.
Nobody even thought it. No Cratchit ever said or thought things
like that.”
This part made me think it is important to be grateful for things
and to think positively. People often compare themselves to others,
or want more than they already have, but the Cratchits seem very
happy with something quite basic.

MY READING RESPONSES(you must complete at least 5)

46
Gill, A. (2023). Introducing students to reading response logs for EFL literature circles.
Literacies and Language Education: Research and Practice, Spring 2023, 41-67. English
Language Institute, KUIS.

Entry: 1

Page:

Type of Response:

A major change from the traditional use of response logs was my decision
to employ sticky notes. As stated previously, the response log was
intended specifically to aid the Literature Circle discussions, and I did notwant to overwhelm the students with a lengthy written assignment or
distract them from their reading experience. As non-native speakers ofEnglish, I was concerned that the students would be impeded from fully
immersing themselves in the text if they regularly paused to write
detailed responses and check unfamiliar vocabulary. Using the sticky
notes would allow the students to read more smoothly I hoped, noting
down basic ideas, and then completing their response log entries fully
after they finished reading. To ensure that all the students had access tothe same materials, I provided each student with 20 medium sticky notes(75mm by 50mm): large enough to record a simple sentence or two, but
small enough to discourage students from overly long responses.
Lesson Description
All 19 students arrived on time for the class. The lesson began with abrief warm-up discussion, in which the students discussed the ending of
the book and challenges they faced in completing their response logs. The
main discussion, focusing on their reading responses, lasted
approximately 35 minutes. During this time, I moved between groups tomonitor their conversations, quietly taking notes. After drawing the main
discussion to a close, I provided feedback and some error correction,
before moving on to a book review discussion. The students had fivequestions to discuss, such as “How might the story be different if it had
happened in the present day?” and “If you were Scrooge, would you haveacted differently?” Finally, the students were asked to complete aquestionnaire regarding their experience using the assigned roleframework versus the reading response log.
Student Submissions
The students were required to submit their completed response logs via
Google Classroom before the lesson began. This reduced teacher
interference in the lesson as I was able to refer to their logs on my own
47
Gill, A. (2023). Introducing students to reading response logs for EFL literature circles.
Literacies and Language Education: Research and Practice, Spring 2023, 41-67. English
Language Institute, KUIS.

device while monitoring the students’ conversations, rather than looking
over their shoulders.
Audio Data Collection
The same data collection methods were used as in the first part of the
project (Gill, 2020): audio recording using pocket-sized digital recorders,allowing me to capture the necessary data without significant distraction
to the students. The recording devices were placed in the center of eachtable to capture all group members’ voices as clearly as possible. The
conversations for each group were transcribed soon after the lesson withstudents’ names redacted.
The Questionnaire
An in-class questionnaire (see Appendix A) was chosen to maximize thenumber of respondents. Furthermore, by providing class time to complete
the survey, the students would hopefully consider their responses more
carefully than if using their own time. In terms of ethical considerations,the purpose of the questionnaire was outlined clearly in an introductory
paragraph, and confidentiality was assured. Finally, students were urged
to provide honest answers to maximize the benefits of the study, in an
attempt to address acquiescence and social desirability bias (Dörnyei,2010).
A four-page, 15-minute limit was imposed to avoid the fatigue effect,
whereby response quality falls due to tiredness (Dörnyei, 2010). To avoid
non-committal responses, a four-point Likert scale was used for Section I,
and the questionnaire employed a variety of question types to pique
respondent interest. While the majority of sections required students toeither circle or rank various items, the questionnaire concluded with two
written response prompts, giving the students an opportunity to voice
their opinions more freely, which respondents often appreciate (Fowler,
2002; Gillham, 2008).
Finally, to address potential second language issues that could impede
understanding, the questionnaire was fully translated into Japanese. Boththe English and Japanese versions were distributed to the students, andthey were allowed to complete either one.
FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION
The findings and discussion section begins with an overview of thestudents’ response log entries. A summary of each group’s conversation isthen followed by a discussion of salient issues that arose from the48
Gill, A. (2023). Introducing students to reading response logs for EFL literature circles.
Literacies and Language Education: Research and Practice, Spring 2023, 41-67. English
Language Institute, KUIS.

students’ written submissions and recordings. Finally, analysis of thestudents’ questionnaire responses is conducted.
Students’ Response Log Entries
18 of the 19 students submitted their reading response logs through
Google Classroom before the class began. There were a total of 103
responses in the students’ logs: the average number of responses was
5.72, the highest was eight, and the lowest was five (the minimum
requirement, explicitly stated within the response log instructions). It
would be prudent to note that as the students were graded for their
preparation and performance in Literature Circles classes, this likely
impacted the number and quality of their responses.
Table 1 displays the breakdown of the response types used.
Table 1 Reading Response Types Used by Students
Response TypeFrequency

Response TypeFrequency

Connect

15

Language

7Life Lesson

14

Prediction

6

Evaluate

12

Question

5

Feelings

12

Relationships

4

Important Passage

11

Own Idea

4

Surprise

11

Advice2

As shown in Table 1, all 12 reading responses were utilized within theclass. There were no rules banning multiple use of the same response
type, although six of the students did use different response types forevery entry. The students’ categorization of their responses was generally
accurate, with the exception of ‘Own Idea’: three of the four responses
submitted could have been classified more accurately (two ‘Evaluate’
responses, and one ‘Connect’ response).
Individual response length varied greatly between the students with some
‘Language’ responses being as short as seven words (e.g., ‘Moneylenders:a person who lends some money’), whereas other responses, such aspredictions and life lessons, were over 100 words in length.
49
Gill, A. (2023). Introducing students to reading response logs for EFL literature circles.
Literacies and Language Education: Research and Practice, Spring 2023, 41-67. English
Language Institute, KUIS.

Summary of Group Conversations
Group One discussed a total of six responses. The first two students
required some time to select which entry to discuss (40 and 30 seconds
respectively), but subsequent students chose immediately. The group’s
interaction was smooth overall, and they were able to connect similar
themes from their response logs, as well as negotiate meaning together.
The balance of talk was spread evenly between the five students and,
although they had not prepared questions in advance, they were able toformulate them quickly, both individually and collectively. Example
discussion topics included being able to look back positively on bad
experiences and ways in which families show each other affection.
Group Two also covered six reading responses in total. However, theysometimes struggled to understand each other’s ideas, and the first two
responses consisted of lengthy monologues and no discussion. Afteroverhearing other groups’ discussions, they began to ask questions fromthe third response onwards. However, reversion to L2 was a common
feature of Group Two’s interaction, particularly during the last ten minutesof their conversation. A combination of not having enough vocabulary nor
historical knowledge to discuss the topic they had selected (politics andwar), as well as possible tiredness, resulted in a number of long silences
and several teacher interventions to help them back on track. Examples of
topics discussed were having a dramatic change of heart and experiencing
people talking behind your back.
Just as in the first stage of the study (see Gill, 2020), Group Three
performed quite poorly. Although they occasionally formulated interesting
discussion questions (e.g., “Would you rather marry a person with money
who you don’t love or a poor person who you like?”), the reading
responses they chose generally caused confusion or resulted in minimal
interaction. Furthermore, one student tended to dominate theconversation as other group members were very reticent. Finally, despite
having submitted at least five entries each before the class, Group Threestopped discussing the book after presenting only one reading response
each. With ten minutes of the allotted discussion time still remaining, they
engaged in unrelated small talk, despite several teacher interventions.
Group Four were able to discuss eight of their responses (two responses
each, as the fifth group member had not prepared). The balance of talkwas fairly even within the group, although one student tended to assume
a more dominant role in explaining difficult concepts and vocabulary due
to their stronger L2 language skills. The majority of reading responses
selected were discussed enthusiastically and in detail, but there was one
50
Gill, A. (2023). Introducing students to reading response logs for EFL literature circles.
Literacies and Language Education: Research and Practice, Spring 2023, 41-67. English
Language Institute, KUIS.

noticeable breakdown in communication regarding a ‘Question’ response(see ‘Problematic Response Categories’ section below). Examples of topics
discussed by Group Four included the relationship between money andhappiness and how to regain broken trust.
Overall, the students appeared to have understood the concept of thereading response logs, and many of them had prepared thoroughly for thelesson. However, through careful review of the students’ submissions andanalysis of the four audio recordings, a number of problematic issues
emerged.
The Amount of Required Responses
As none of the groups were able to discuss more than two of their
response log entries each, requiring the students to complete five entries
appeared excessive. By reducing the number of reading responses tothree, the student workload could be decreased and hopefully the qualityof responses would improve. In addition, a common theme amongst allgroups was long silences as they chose what to discuss. Ordering their
responses could become part of the students’ preparation, althoughleeway should be given to change the order if the students discoverconnecting ideas.
The Contents of Each Response: Preparing a Question and
Example Answer
Long silences were also prevalent when formulating questions. Although I
requested in my pre-discussion instructions that the students ask eachother questions, my example log entry should have included a question
too. This would have provided the students with a clearer model of what I
expected from them.
If the students had prepared questions to accompany their reading
responses, the conversations could have flowed more smoothly and moreof their responses could have been covered. Furthermore, having
students prepare their own answer to each question could potentially reap
benefits. An example to illustrate this point was provided by Group Three,as they discussed the following reading response:
Page 27, and the type of response is ‘Surprise’. When he saw people
pushing each other or getting angry, the spirit, he lifted his torchover their heads, and immediately they became kinder or stopped
arguing because it's Christmas. This part surprised me that
Christmas is enough reason to stop fighting. I found out Christmas
51
Gill, A. (2023). Introducing students to reading response logs for EFL literature circles.
Literacies and Language Education: Research and Practice, Spring 2023, 41-67. English
Language Institute, KUIS.

is very important for people of this era. So what do you think, what
event is most important in Japan to you?
The student who posed this question listened patiently as her groupmembers discussed a variety of Japanese holidays and festivals but
struggled to think of a fitting answer. When her group members had
finished, she said:
For me, the first day of school or company because I meet people
who I meet for the first time and maybe I will spend time with themfor a year or many years, so it’s an important day for me.
The other students in the group proclaimed, “Oh! Good answer!” inunison; it seemed that if this thoughtful response had been provided firstas a model, her group members could have used it as a springboard andbeen aware that the term ‘event’ was not just limited to holidays andfestivals.
Incorporating this kind of model answer system could potentially foster
more considered preparation by the students: if preparing an answer totheir own question proves difficult, they may realize that it is notconducive to discussion and choose something more suitable.
Problematic Response Categories
The majority of response categories appeared to engender conversation,with the exception of ‘Language’ and ‘Question’. On the two occasions thata ‘Language’ response was chosen, it failed to result in any kind of
meaningful interaction. One such example is the case of Group Four:Page 32, line 14. Type of response is Language, and Bob’s familyname ‘Cratchit’. This is the man with family name of Cratchit. So, I
would say it’s a little difficult to pronounce. So question is, are there
anybody thought like me? Yes… bad question…
Another student responded, “Yes, a little difficult,” and the group moved
on. A similar occurrence took place in Group Three, with one of thestudents stating, “My first entry was about Language. Type of response,
Language. I couldn’t understand torch.” This was met with muffledlaughter before the next student took over.
The ‘Question’ category also proved troublesome. Given that the students
had most likely read over their chosen passage several times before
52
Gill, A. (2023). Introducing students to reading response logs for EFL literature circles.
Literacies and Language Education: Research and Practice, Spring 2023, 41-67. English
Language Institute, KUIS.

formulating their question, it appeared unrealistic to expect their peers to
be able to answer it immediately. An example comes from Group Four:Page 38, Line 2: The boy is crime. The girl is need. They will destroy
man if nothing is done about them. My response is... Question, uh,
I’m just wondering, what are the boy and girl, are they humanbeings or ghosts? Ah, gomen [sorry]. Where do they come from?
What do humans need to do about them? That is what I can’t
understand in this book.
The students spent about two minutes re-reading the passage together,
before the student who asked the question said, “I don’t know. No idea?
Okay, fine. Next, go!” Group Three had a somewhat similar experience
with the question “Is Tiny Tim and the turkey buying boy the same
person?”, as they checked the relevant passage in silence, before giving
up and moving to the next topic.
Rather than removing the ‘Language’ and ‘Question’ categories entirely,
perhaps they could be placed in a separate ‘For the teacher’ section.
These categories could be optional for the students, and the teacher
would review the students’ logs before the lesson, deciding whether toreply to each student individually or, if they feel it could benefit the wholeclass, spend some time discussing selected ‘Language’ and ‘Question’responses in the lesson.
Students’ Questionnaire Responses
A full breakdown of the results of the questionnaire can be found in
Appendix B. In this section, the questionnaire’s key findings are presented
and analyzed.
Section I used a Likert scale to ascertain students’ impressions of
Literature Circles in general. The results showed that the students
generally viewed the classes positively and felt they were beneficial. The
majority of students were also satisfied with the teacher being responsible
for book choice and group selection, a decision based on the EFL context,
in opposition to common practice in Literature Circles (see Daniels, 2006).
Section II concerned the students’ preferences regarding assigned roles,
and is therefore not relevant to this paper, but Section III attempted to
draw comparisons between the assigned roles framework used for the
first part of ‘A Christmas Carol’ and the reading response logs used forpart two. Although the results here showed a slight preference towards
response logs, more students identified the response log as ‘complicated’
53
Gill, A. (2023). Introducing students to reading response logs for EFL literature circles.
Literacies and Language Education: Research and Practice, Spring 2023, 41-67. English
Language Institute, KUIS.

to complete. Interestingly, the majority of students were neutral in termsof the time taken to complete the reading response log (time consuming
versus quick), suggesting they felt the demands on their time of the
response log were more appropriate than those of the assigned roles.
Section IV requested that students provide written responses. This madegrouping of the data slightly more problematic than in previous sections,but was possible nonetheless. The first question asked, “In the ‘A
Christmas Carol’ Reading Circle, did you prefer having assigned roles(Lesson 1: Discussion Leader, Word Master, etc...) or using the reading
response log (Lesson 2)? Why?” The majority of the students (12)preferred reading response logs, while six favored assigned roles. One
student was neutral.
Comments in favor of the reading response log mainly described thefreedom of choice involved, but the element of fairness, where every
student has the exact same task, was also mentioned as a benefit ofresponse logs, as opposed to the varying workload of assigned roles.
Those who stated a preference for assigned roles praised the variety ofareas covered in the discussion, the clarity provided by focusing on one
area when preparing, and the teamwork aspect (students relying on eachother to complete each of their respective roles).
The second question in Section IV asked, “If you participated in Reading
Circles again in the future, would you rather have an assigned role
(Discussion Leader, Word Master, etc…) or use a reading response log?
Why?”
Two students stated a preference for utilizing both formats. One of themdescribed the benefits of concentrating on specific skills, such assummarizing, while the other talked about progressing more slowly fromassigned roles to the response log. Of the ten students who chose thereading response log, comments included being able to understand thestory more deeply, as well as freedom of choice. The six students who
favored assigned roles described the ease of completion, as well as theclarity provided by the roles. One response was invalid, as the student
misunderstood the question.
While the majority of students expressed a preference for reading
response logs over assigned roles, many of them seemed to appreciate
the support offered by assigned roles and acknowledged their necessity inthe early stages of Literature Circles.
54
Gill, A. (2023). Introducing students to reading response logs for EFL literature circles.
Literacies and Language Education: Research and Practice, Spring 2023, 41-67. English
Language Institute, KUIS.

CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONSWhen designing this study, the first of my research questions was “Howcan reading response logs be utilized effectively for EFL learners
participating in Literature Circles?” Despite my efforts to adapt Benton’s(1992) reading response log guidelines to suit my teaching context, I
believe that I failed to go far enough. Greater focus needed to be placedon responses that could stimulate engaging discussion, as the log was
intended as a tool to aid the Literature Circles, not as a standalone
assignment. As discussed in the Findings and Discussion section, both thenumber of reading responses required, as well as their content, need tobe reviewed. I would strongly recommend setting students a target ofthree reading responses each time they use their response log. In
addition, students should provide a question to accompany each
response, as well as their own answer to potentially serve as a model if
required.
Furthermore, the categories within the response log should be reduced. In
this study, the ‘Question’ and ‘Language’ headings proved problematic.
The simplest option would be to remove them from the log, leaving thestudents with ten options to choose from. However, as mentioned in theprevious section, an alternative would be to create a sub-section at thebottom of the response log, effectively an ‘Ask the Teacher’ section. Anyquestions about the text contents or difficulties with language could be
brought to the attention of the teacher, who could then choose whether toaddress each item on an individual basis or with the whole class.
Admittedly, this would increase the burden placed upon the teacher but
could be an effective way of clearing up common points of confusion,
particularly in an L2 context.
The second of my research questions was “When is the appropriate time
for students to progress from an assigned role framework to reading
response logs?” Taking a holistic view of the class’ performance, itappeared that the students were not yet ready to handle the response
logs. However, looking at the performance of Group One, the students
produced an impressive variety of responses and discussed them in great
depth. This raises the question of whether using a response log itself was
the major problem or was it the log contents and student groupings?
Having made the decision at the beginning of the semester to keep
students in the same Reading Circle groups for all four classes, group
allocation could not be changed before this particular class. However, areview of the students’ response logs showed that two of the most poorly
prepared students were both in Group Three. Group Three had also
55
Gill, A. (2023). Introducing students to reading response logs for EFL literature circles.
Literacies and Language Education: Research and Practice, Spring 2023, 41-67. English
Language Institute, KUIS.

struggled in the previous Literature Circles lesson, finishing theirconversation ten minutes before all other groups (see Gill, 2020). One of
the major advantages of using reading response logs is that students’
preparation tasks are the same, and therefore students can be placed inany group. Setting an earlier deadline for students to submit their logs
(e.g., two days before the lesson) would give the teacher time to review
them before the lesson, and decide groupings based on the log contents.
This could cover not only the quality of the submissions (ensuring a
mixture of well-prepared and less-prepared students in each group), butalso the topics chosen. Once again, this would place extra demands upon
the teacher, but could be an important step in fostering student success in
Literature Circle discussions.
This study underlined the importance of clear scaffolding to the success of
Literature Circles. Many of the students made excellent connections withthe text and produced a series of thoughtful responses ready to sharewith their classmates. However, transferring these ideas from their written
logs into discussion form proved problematic, and clearer example
responses provided by the teacher (including questions and modelanswers) could have addressed this issue. In addition, post-discussion
feedback from the teacher regarding which responses were successful,and providing specific examples from students’ conversations in the class,would give students a clear idea of how to improve in the future.
Whenever implementing a new tool into the classroom, there will always
be teething problems, and this study was certainly no different. However,the students’ positive response to the logs, as witnessed in thequestionnaire, as well as many of the students’ performance in class,suggest that reading response logs are worth persevering with.
Nevertheless, it should be noted that this study was very limited innature: a single group of students, spending only one class using the
response logs. Further avenues of research could include following agroup of students utilizing reading response logs over a number ofclasses, or alternatively, involving several classes of students andcomparing their performance against each other. In addition, moredetailed opinions could be garnered from students through face-to-faceinterviews or focus groups, as opposed to the questionnaire employed inthis study.
Carrying out this study provided me with valuable insight into thechallenges faced by my students when participating in Literature Circles,
and the importance of providing sufficient scaffolding for L2 students.
With these points in mind, I would allow my students to complete at least
56
Gill, A. (2023). Introducing students to reading response logs for EFL literature circles.
Literacies and Language Education: Research and Practice, Spring 2023, 41-67. English
Language Institute, KUIS.

four lessons utilizing assigned roles before progressing to reading
response logs: a format that they could potentially enjoy and greatly
benefit from, provided that a basic level of Literature Circle familiarity had
been established through experience with assigned roles.
REFERENCES
Benton, M. (1992). Secondary worlds: Literature teaching and the visualarts. Open University Press.
Benton, M., & Fox, G. (1985). Teaching literature 9–14. Oxford University
Press. https://doi.org/10.2307/3120835
Daniels, H. (2006). What’s the next big thing with literature circles?
Voices from the Middle, 9(4), 7–14.
Dörnyei, Z. (2010). Questionnaires in second language research:
Construction, administration, and processing (2nd ed.). Routledge.
https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203864739
Fowler, F. J. (2002) Survey research methods (3rd ed.). Sage.
Gill, A. (2020). Utilizing assigned roles in EFL literature circles. Literacies
and Language Education: Research & Practice, 3, 36–48.
https://kuis.kandagaigo.ac.jp/eli/publications/wp-content/uploads/2020/1
2/Gill_Autumn2020.pdf
Gillham, B. (2008). Developing a questionnaire (2nd ed.). Continuum.
Hancock, M. R. (1993). Exploring and extending personal response
through literature journals. The Reading Teacher, 46, 466–474.
https://www.jstor.org/stable/20201113
Rosenblatt, L. M. (1978). The reader the text the poem: The transactional
theory of the literary work. Southern Illinois University Press.
Rosenblatt, L. (1986). The aesthetic transaction. Journal of Aesthetic
Education, 20(4), 122–128. https://doi.org/10.2307/3332615
Rosenblatt, L. M. (1995). Literature as exploration. MLA.

57
Gill, A. (2023). Introducing students to reading response logs for EFL literature circles.
Literacies and Language Education: Research and Practice, Spring 2023, 41-67. English
Language Institute, KUIS.

APPENDIX A
Questionnaire‘A Christmas Carol’ Reading Circle: Participant Questionnaire
I would like to ask you to help me by answering the following questions
regarding Reading Circles. This questionnaire is being conducted as partof a research project focusing on how Reading Circles lessons can be
improved.
This questionnaire is not a test and I truly value your feedback. Please beaware that your answers will remain confidential, and you will not be
identifiable in the results. Please give your answers honestly to maximize
the benefits of this study. Thank you very much for your help.
SECTION I
In the following section, please record the extent of your agreement to aseries of statements about Reading Circles lessons. After each statement,
you will find four options. Please place an ‘X’ in the box which corresponds
most closely to your opinion.
Please respond to every statement and be aware that there is no right orwrong answer: I am interested in your personal opinion.
S
t
r
o
n
g
l
y
a
g
r
e
e

A
g
r
e
e

D
i
s
a
g
r
e
e

S
t
r
o
n
g
l
y
d
i
s
a
g
r
e
e

I enjoyed the Reading Circles lessons.
58
Gill, A. (2023). Introducing students to reading response logs for EFL literature circles.
Literacies and Language Education: Research and Practice, Spring 2023, 41-67. English
Language Institute, KUIS.

Reading Circles have helped me to improve myreading skills.
I would prefer to choose my group members myself
in future.
I would prefer to choose Reading Circles books
myself in future.
I would like to participate in Reading Circles again in
future.
Please use the space below if you wish to explain any of your answers:________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________SECTION II
In the following section, please rank the six assigned roles for Reading
Circles we used this academic year in order of importance, where 1
indicates most important and 6 indicates least important. You can check
our Google Classroom page to remind you of the details of each role ifnecessary. Please write a number (1-6) next to each of the roles:
Discussion Leader___

Summarizer___Connector

Passage Person

Word Master___

Culture Collector ___

___

___

Please use the space below if you wish to explain any of your answers:________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________SECTION III
The following section aims to gather your impressions of Reading Circles.
Each item has a pair of opposites at each end. Please place an ‘X’ in one
59
Gill, A. (2023). Introducing students to reading response logs for EFL literature circles.
Literacies and Language Education: Research and Practice, Spring 2023, 41-67. English
Language Institute, KUIS.

of the five positions on the scale to indicate how you feel about thatparticular concept.
For example, if the scales refer to ‘Preparing for Reading Circle lessons’and you find it very worthwhile, but a little time-consuming, you shouldmark the ‘X’s’ as follows:
Preparing for Reading Circle lessons was:Pointless

__

__

__

__

_X_

Worthwhile

Time-consuming

__

_X_

__

__

__

Quick

For the following items, remember that there are no right or wrong
answers. Please place the ‘X’s’ to show your immediate impression, andmark an ‘X’ on every scale.
The Reading Circle discussions were:
Too long

__

__

__

__

__

Too short

Boring

__

__

__

__

__

Fun

A waste of time

__

__

__

__

__

UsefulThe assigned roles (Discussion Leader, Word Master, Connector, etc…) we
used for the first ‘A Christmas Carol’ lesson were:
Unnecessary

__

__

__

__

__

HelpfulComplicated

__

__

__

__

__

SimpleTime-consuming

__

__

__

__

__

Quick

The reading response logs we used for the second ‘A Christmas Carol’lesson were:
Unnecessary

__

__

__

__

__

HelpfulComplicated

__

__

__

__

__

SimpleTime-consuming

__

__

__

__

__

Quick

60
Gill, A. (2023). Introducing students to reading response logs for EFL literature circles.
Literacies and Language Education: Research and Practice, Spring 2023, 41-67. English
Language Institute, KUIS.

Please use the space below if you wish to explain any of your answers:________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________SECTION IV
In the following section, please write your answers in the spaces
provided. Your opinions are valued and will be given serious consideration
when revising Reading Circles classes for future students.
In the ‘A Christmas Carol’ Reading Circle, did you prefer having assigned
roles (Lesson 1: Discussion Leader, Word Master, etc...) or using thereading response log (Lesson 2)? Why?
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

If you participated in Reading Circles again in the future, would you rather
have an assigned role (Discussion Leader, Word Master, etc…) or use areading response log? Why?
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

61
Gill, A. (2023). Introducing students to reading response logs for EFL literature circles.
Literacies and Language Education: Research and Practice, Spring 2023, 41-67. English
Language Institute, KUIS.

APPENDIX B
Questionnaire Results
SECTION I

S
t
r
o
n
g
l
y

S
t
r
o
n
g
l
y
d
i
s
a
g
r
e
e

a
g
r
e
e

A
g
r
e
e

D
i
s
a
g
r
e
e

6

12

1

0

Reading Circles have helped me to improve my 11
reading skills.

7

1

0

I would prefer to choose my group members myself 2
in future.

3

10

4

I would prefer to choose Reading Circles books 3myself in future.

2

11

3

I would like to participate in Reading Circles again in 4
future.

13

20

I enjoyed the Reading Circles lessons.

SECTION II
Discussion Leader

1141112532211122211

34

Summarizer

2512221111125211363

42

Connector

5224545254443343135

68

62
Gill, A. (2023). Introducing students to reading response logs for EFL literature circles.
Literacies and Language Education: Research and Practice, Spring 2023, 41-67. English
Language Institute, KUIS.

Passage Person

3365353425352534442

71

Word Master

4433434643634466624

79

Culture Collector

6656666366566655556

105

SECTION III
The Reading Circle discussions were:
Too long

1

2

14

1

1

Too short

Boring

0

1

1

8

9

Fun

A waste of time 1

0

2

8

8

UsefulThe assigned roles (Discussion Leader, Word Master, Connector, etc…)
we used for the first ‘A Christmas Carol’ lesson were:
Unnecessary

0

3

2

5

9

HelpfulComplicated

0

1

4

9

5

SimpleTime-consumin
g

0

4

8

4

3

Quick

The reading response logs we used for the second ‘A Christmas Carol’lesson were:
Unnecessary

0

1

2

6

10

HelpfulComplicated

0

5

4

6

4

SimpleTime
consuming

1

1

13

2

2

Quick

63
Gill, A. (2023). Introducing students to reading response logs for EFL literature circles.
Literacies and Language Education: Research and Practice, Spring 2023, 41-67. English
Language Institute, KUIS.

SECTION IV
In the ‘A Christmas Carol’ Reading Circle, did you prefer having
assigned roles (Lesson 1: Discussion Leader, Word Master, etc...)or using the reading response log (Lesson 2)? Why?
I like both of them. The reading response was for the first time so it was arefreshing experience to me.
役割の方が好きです。単調な分、話を広げるためのポイントが見つけやすいからです。[Iprefer assigned roles. It’s simple and easy to find points to expand theconversation]
I prefer Reading Circle to the reading response log. Because Reading
Circle has a lot of roles! We studied it many time. We can have many role.
Each role has different work. It is good for education of English. It has
possibility to improve reading comprehension.
I prefer reading response log better than roles. Because I could
understand story deeply in order to think the connections or differences
between story and real situation and question about the story. But, inconversation part, I prefer role’s one. Role’s conversation was more active
because maybe discussion leader can concentrate making good and funquestions.
I prefer reading response log to assigned roles. When I did Lesson 1 way,
I can't focus on the story because I care about my role. However, when I
did Lesson 2 way, I was able to focus on the story and I enjoyed. So I likeLesson 2 way.
I prefer using response log because it is almost solo activity, so I enjoyedcomparing with my opinion and book story. After that, we had sharetime. It was necessary for us to understand story and our opinion deeply.
I prefer to reading response log because everyone do the same things. If
we have role, each assignment are very different. Burden is depends onrole.
I prefer to having assigned roles. Because discussion will be smooth whengroup members have own roles.

64
Gill, A. (2023). Introducing students to reading response logs for EFL literature circles.
Literacies and Language Education: Research and Practice, Spring 2023, 41-67. English
Language Institute, KUIS.

I preferred reading response log because I can choose what I want towrite. And it has many types of response. So, it is optional and kindsystem for me.
I like reading response. Because, we have a choice and also we canchange our role for everytime (I think people don't choose same fivethings). So, we can get opportunity to think about the story many side.
I prefer assigned roles because we can focus on my role. It doesn't taketoo much time.
I'm poor at reading in English but I could have fun of roles because thatwas group work. If I don't do, my group mates will be in trouble, so it was
nice activity to make everyone do homework.
I prefer to reading response because I can choose the response what I
want to write. Also, in this time I can find the new information about me.
It's fun!
I prefer using the reading response log. Because we can share about thethoughts of the book, and everyone certainly have something different
opinion than you that makes me feel impacted.
I felt using the reading response log is more helpful than Lesson one. The
reading response log doesn't need to fix my roles. That's why I can readbooks while thinking from various aspects.
I prefer the reading response log than having assigned roles. If I have arole I focus on my role too much. Because of it, I sometimes couldn't
enjoy the story. Reading response log is able to think many things andconnecting my life during read the book. I can read the book to focus therole too much. So I prefer the reading response log.
I like the reading response log because I could have opinion while I
reading the book, but if I have a role, some roles doesn't have question
section so I don't have any opinions while reading the book.
I liked a reading circle, because there is my role which I need tocomplete, so it's helpful for me to do designated roles. I liked a reading
response log but it was difficult to connect some response.
I prefer to using the reading response log. It is very enjoyable and we canenjoy reading. Assigned roles of a very heavy task and I don't like it.
65
Gill, A. (2023). Introducing students to reading response logs for EFL literature circles.
Literacies and Language Education: Research and Practice, Spring 2023, 41-67. English
Language Institute, KUIS.

If you participated in Reading Circles again in the future, would
you rather have an assigned role (Discussion Leader, Word
Master, etc…) or use a reading response log? Why?
I want to use a reading response. It was good and fun. There were many
type of response. So I can read and think about the story from various
viewpoint.
Role because I can finish soon.
I think summarizer is best. It is hard job. But it is useful for improving
reading comprehension.
I would like to use second one. Because I like to concern about the story
deeply.
I would like to use a reading response log because as I said last question,
I can enjoy helpful than an assigned role.
Actually, assigned role was easier than reading response log because we
can work with responsibility.
I want to use a reading response log because I can understand story
deeply.
I want to join assigned role. Because I love discussion and it is better
than response log to know many idea from member.
I would use a reading response log because I can choose the parts I want
to do. Also, I felt this way is better for me.
I want to use reading response but we don't get used to that, so I think
firstly use assigned role then gradually change to reading response isgood. And reading response is little bit heavy so I think it is good to dothat mutual like this time (1 lesson assigned role, 2 lesson reading
response).
I like assigned role!! It clears my role.
Roles. It was good time to share each part and complete the sheet. I felt
teamwork.

66
Gill, A. (2023). Introducing students to reading response logs for EFL literature circles.
Literacies and Language Education: Research and Practice, Spring 2023, 41-67. English
Language Institute, KUIS.

Also I want to choose the reading response. Same reason I write above.
It is fun to say my own response in front of group.
Reading response log. Because we can share and discuss our thoughts or
feelings with classmates.
I would rather using a reading response log because I can choose myrole.
I want to use both ways. Because I think I need summary skill. Also I
want to enjoy the book without thinking my role. So, using two ways atreading different book is good for me.
I would like to participate in reading response log because it's easy and I
could understand the story because I should have opinions.
I'd like to participate in Reading circles. The reason is because I like to do
designated roles. Also, good point for reading circles is I can choose every
time, so I can be a Word Master, also Discussion Leader. I couldn't findany bad point about it, so I'd like you to continue reading circles.
Reading response log! Actually, I hate the reading book, but in this time I
could enjoy. The task is only pick up the part. And conversation is very
fun and we can talk about book more deeply. 本を読むことが嫌いな生徒には、
reading responseの方がいいと思います。[For students who hate reading,reading response is better].

67
Gill, A. (2023). Introducing students to reading response logs for EFL literature circles.
Literacies and Language Education: Research and Practice, Spring 2023, 41-67. English
Language Institute, KUIS.