engleski

Croatian Second Language Learners’ Reception of the Fairytale Regoč

One characteristic of today's global society is an almost nomadic way of life. That in turn demands an education for children in systems that deliver an internationally recognized education independent of the country where the children are being educated. Such an example is the American International School of Zagreb attended by children of various nationalities, including Croatian nationals. Although those Croatian second language learners follow the curriculum in the English language, they also have a subject called Croatian Language and Literature. The curriculum for Croatian Language and Literature, adapted to the needs of AISZ students, introduces Croatian Tales of Long Ago by Ivana Brlić Mažuranić in the 4th and 5th grade. This paper shows the reception of the fairy tale Regoč by heterogeneous groups of students at AISZ from grade 6 to grade 10 (N=34). Differences in the approach and attitudes these students have towards Regoč will be examined through application of an adapted version of the questionnaire for 4th grade students (Turza-Bogdan and Kovač, 2013). In order to check understanding of likely unknown or difficult words from context, a cloze test will be applied. The results will show how works of Ivana Brlić Mažuranić can be offered for reading even to second language learners of Croatian language, taking into consideration their specific reception. The analysis of their answers will offer an insight into the level of literary reading skills along with descriptions of differences between students. Possible difficulties students encounter in reading such an authentic text, challenging at various levels of reading a literary text, will be explained. Finally, the authors will offer suggestions for teaching strategies that will help avoid such difficulties or at least lessen them.

cloze test; Croatian second langauge learners; literary reading skills; reception; Regoč

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