Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery” in the English as a Foreign Language Classroom
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.51474/elepraxis.v2i1.651Keywords:
Short story, EFL classroom, language skills, literature, teaching materialAbstract
There is a symbiotic relationship between language and literature. Language is the medium of literature, and literature exposes learners to language, thereby cultivating critical insight and language competency. As literature serves this dual purpose, this article therefore attempts to use “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson as teaching material for an EFL Classroom. To achieve that, the qualitative research method has been used to develop the text as an English language teaching material. The content analysis method has been applied to study the text. Necessary linguistic materials that address the four language learning skills: listening, reading, writing, and speaking, have been explored to provide comprehensive teaching material. To improve reading and writing skills, comprehensive questions, phrase identification, filling in blanks, breaking down long sentences, changing sentences, and writing activities such as dialogue, essays, and summaries have been developed. To develop listening and speaking skills, role-play sessions, discussions, pronunciation practices, and vocabulary development processes have been implemented. Overall, the study has shown that “The Lottery” can provide learners with literary and linguistic benefits if used properly. Further studies may explore the contributions of this literary text to learn English as a foreign language.
References
Ali Mansoor, A. A., Mohammed, O. S. M., Ahmed, H. R., Munasser Awadh, A. N., Abdulfatah, H. M., & Sheikh, E. Y. (2022). English language teaching through a short story: A technique for improving students' vocabulary retrieving. Cogent Education, 10(1), Article 2161221. https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2022.2161221
Ananda, R., Gani, S. A., & Sahardin, R. (2014). A study of error analysis from students' sentences in writing. Studies in English Language and Education, 7(2), 81-95.
Arkan, A. (2005). An evaluation of literature component of Hacettepe University English Language Teaching Department. Hacettepe Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi, 29, 40-49.
Baby, K. T. (2022). Integration of skills: A blueprint for language acquisition through short stories. Hong Kong Journal of Social Sciences, 59, 173–180.
Carlstein, E. (2024). Transgression in Gothic short fiction: Shirley Jackson's The Lottery and other stories.
Cohen, G. V. (2011). A survey of graduate-level studies on Shirley Jackson: From 2001 to the present. Revista Lumen et Virtus, 2(5).
Elo, S., & Kyngas, H. (2008). The qualitative content analysis process. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 62(1), 107-115.
Erkaya, O. R. (2005). Benefits of using short stories in the EFL contexts. Asian EFL Journal, 8, 38-49.
Fujs, N. (2023). Using the short story "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson to achieve interpersonal, intercultural, social and civic competences in the classroom. IATEFL Slovenia Magazine, 18(1), 4–6.
Heidarian, Z., & Heydon, R. (2025). The impact of short stories in EFL classrooms: Enhancing language skills, attitudes, and perceptions in two Iranian schools. In IntechOpen. https://doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.1007591
Hoque, M. A. (2010). The influence of the local varieties on the sound patterns of English: A case study of Bangladeshi tertiary students. IIUC Studies, 7, 197-220.
Irhamni, M. N., Nuzula, N. F., & Rohmana, W. I. M. (2025). The use of short stories in improving reading skills. Lililacs Journal, 5(1).
Jackson, S. (2008). The lottery. Creative Education.
Jose, L. (2025). Contextual diachronic semantic framework: Advancing literary analysis and pedagogy through the semantic study of Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery." Educational Process: International Journal, 17, Article e2025377. https://doi.org/10.22521/edupij.2025.17.377
Kadel, P. B. (2021). Use of short stories in language learning. Curriculum Development Journal, 29(43), 145–154. https://doi.org/10.3126/cdj.v29i43.41085
Kapar, H., & Bhandari, L. P. (2020). Teaching English during COVID-19: Nepalese teachers' voices. Journal of English Language Teaching and Applied Linguistics, 2(5), 76–84. https://doi.org/10.32996/jeltal.2020.2.5
Khatib, M., & Mehrgan, K. (2012). Achieving critical thinking skills through reading short stories. Advances in Digital Multimedia, 1(3), 166–172.
Küçükoğlu, H., & Sariçoban, A. (2011). Using literature in EFL classes: Short story. In 1st International conference on foreign language teaching and applied linguistics FLTAL 2011 proceedings book (pp. 160-170). FLTAL.
Lasagabaster, D. (2010). English achievement and student motivation in CLIL and EFL settings. Innovation in Language Learning and Teaching, 5(1), 3-18. https://doi.org/10.1080/17501229.2010.519030
Littlewood, W. (2000). Literature in the school foreign-language course. In C. J. Brumfit & R. A. Carter (Eds.), Literature and language teaching. Oxford University Press.
Lucarevschi, C. R. (2016). The role of storytelling on language learning: A literature review.
Maisarah, I., Maretha, S., & Wulandari, M. F. (2023). The students' perception in using short story at EFL classroom. Journal of English for Specific Purposes in Indonesia, 2(1), 67–72.
Maulana, A., Musthafa, I., & Hayati, T. N. (2020). The efficiency of teaching listening and speaking skills to develop students' communicative competences. Universal Journal of Educational Research, 8(3), 802-808. https://doi.org/10.13189/ujer.2020.080310
McIntosh, C. (Ed.). (2015). Cambridge advanced learner’s dictionary (4th ed.). Cambridge University Press.
Michelson, D. M. (2006). 'The lottery': A bio-cultural investigation into reader-response.
Namaziandost, E., Razmi, M. H., Ahmad Tilwani, S., & Pourhosein Gilakjani, A. (2022). The impact of authentic materials on reading comprehension, motivation, and anxiety among Iranian male EFL learners. Reading and Writing Quarterly, 38(1), 1-18.
Nazara, P. (2019). Learning vocabularies using short stories at primary school: Students' perception. Journal of English Teaching, 5(3), 157–165. https://doi.org/10.33541/jet.v5i3.1308
Pardede, P. (2011). Using short stories to teach language skills. Journal of English Teaching, 1(1), 14-27.
Pathan, M. M. (2013). Advantages of using short-stories in ELT classroom and the Libyan EFL learners' perceptions towards them for developing reading comprehension skill. Arab World English Journal, 4(1), 28–41.
Pourkalhor, O., & Kohan, N. (2013). Teaching reading comprehension through short stories in advance classes. Asian Journal of Social Sciences & Humanities, 2(2), 52-60.
Rahman, M. (2019). Teaching language through literature: George Orwell's 'Shooting an Elephant' in the EFL classroom. Studies in English Language and Education, 6(1), 84-96. https://doi.org/10.24815/siele.v6i1.13055
Roy, H. S., & Mahmud, R. (2014). Syllabus, curriculum and material design: An introduction. Chaitanya.
Wajnryb, R. (2003). Stories: Narrative activities in the language classroom. Cambridge University Press.
Wellek, R., & Warren, A. (1956). Theory of literature (Vol. 15). Harcourt, Brace & World.
Wright, A. (1995). Storytelling with children. Oxford University Press.
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
Copyright (c) 2025 Suborno Barua
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
