Abstract

This study describes the learning journey of a Taiwanese graduate student in a children’s literature course during his second semester in the United States. Based on the concepts of semiotics and inquiry, this course engaged students in a variety of literary texts and facilitated students’ communication and expression through various types of language arts. This article explores the classroom activities offered in the course and investigates how this student struggled, changed, and adapted to the new learning environment, one that was diametrically opposite to his previous leaning experience. Research questions included: 1) How did this student respond to this course from the perspective of inquiry? 2) How did this student respond to this course from the perspective of semiotics? Findings suggest that inquiry-based instruction can offer a variety of learning possibilities because students are encouraged to seek multiple perspectives, pose their own questions, and develop new understanding. A literature curriculum designed from a semiotic perspective can provide students numerous ways to communicate their ideas and attitudes, such as through language, art, music, and drama. Finally, instructors can employ different sign systems to create a learning space where students can express their values and concepts and demonstrate how they differ in relation to each other and to the world.