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Volume 11. Issue 4
Article 9

Title
EFL Children’s Views on English Picture Story Books

Author
Sheu Hsiu-Chinh

Bio Data: 
Sheu Hsiu-Chih is currently a visiting fellow at the University of Glasgow in Scotland. Her former job was assistant professor in Dayeh University in Taiwan.  She has completed a PhD. degree in Educational Studies at the University of York in England and a MA degree in Children’s Literature at the University of Reading. Her research interests are in teaching methods, children’s literature and reading images.

Abstract
This article reports the results of a study with a group of primary school students in Taiwan to explore their views on reading English picture story books. The study began with eight reading sessions in which the researcher read four English picture story books with a group of 22 children, which was followed by nine semi-structured group interviews with the children. The findings suggest the majority of the students considered that reading English picture story books helped with their language learning, motivated their reading and stimulated their imaginations. However, the data also revealed that the vocabulary in English picture story books were perceived as the primary challenge the students encountered when reading the books, which was followed by the challenge of reading pictures and stories. This study highlights various aspects that the teachers have to attend to when using English picture story books with EFL beginners.

Key words: picture story books; EFL children; imagination; challenge in reading images