Page 65 - Diversity in Action

Global Citizenship Education and English Learning through Picturebooks

guistic, cultural, and pedagogical considerations (such as mediated interac-
tion affordances and narrative quality) with the educational synergies arising
from a picturebook’s text, illustration, and design.
As regards teachers’ aesthetic responses, initially teachers can read pic-
turebooks aloud in order to experience holistically the interanimation of lan-
guage and images. The selection process is then best structured through a
range of criteria (Ellis & Brewster, 2014, p. 19; Mourão, 2023, pp. 191–196; see
also https://pepelt21.com). The text in picturebooks – lexis, sentence struc-
ture,andcomplexity–needsto bechallengingbut manageableforYLswhen
mediated by the teacher. Additionally, learners’ comprehension and partic-
ipation in read-alouds are fostered by language features such as repetition,
rhyme, and recurring patterns. The illustrations should be engaging and
support comprehension by both complementing the text and sometimes
contradicting it: this encourages children’s critical thinking and awareness
of alternative viewpoints. As regards cultural relevance and authenticity in
themes and settings, considerations include whether picturebooks promote
inclusivity, global awareness, and cross-cultural appreciation, while avoid-
ing clichés and inaccuracies. Additionally, picturebooks’ potential for inter-
action and their narrative quality also matter. Those that lend themselves to
teacher-mediated participation when read aloud – through questions, group
repetitions, embodiment – help learners actively engage. Age-appropriate,
emotionally resonant, thrilling or humorous stories with appealing charac-
ters can motivate learners to explore themes and language further. A last
question relates to whether picturebooks, after read-alouds, offer spring-
boards for further activities such as role-playing, storytelling, creative writ-
ing, drama, and project work to further explore themes.

Developing Teacher Talk: Read-Aloud and Oral Storytelling Competences
and Stages
After the selection process, teachers of YLs can bring appropriate picture-
books to life in the classroom through picturebook mediation. The term is
used by Ellis and Mourão (2021) to refer to the scaffolding or support teach-
ers provide when sharing picturebooks with children. This involves combin-
ing various competences to plan and manage inclusive and engaging sto-
rytime sessions. This process includes selection and preparation before the
reading session, the expressive techniques used during the reading, and the
reflection that follows, with creative teacher talk playing a key role in mak-
ing picturebooks more understandable and engaging for learners. Bland
(2015, 2022) defines creative teacher talk as a form of child-directed com-

65