Reading beyond words: Strategic approaches to literature in the EFL classroom
Palavras-chave:
Reading Strategies, Literary Texts, EFL, Language Skills, Reading Comprehension, Teacher MediationResumo
This paper presents a literature-based review of reading strategies applied to the teaching of literary texts in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classroom. Considering the relevance of literature in language education, the study discusses how the use of effective reading strategies can enhance students’ comprehension and engagement with texts, supporting the development of additional skills such as writing, speaking, and listening. Emphasis is placed on the role of teachers in mediating the reading process and fostering readers’ interaction with the text through the activation of prior linguistic and extralinguistic knowledge. The study highlights how strategic reading enables learners to construct meaning, recognize relevant information, and connect the text to their own realities, promoting both language acquisition and critical thinking.