International youth literature in the Chinese EFL classroom.

This study investigates how international youth literature can enhance English language learning and global competence among Chinese university students. Using a qualitative case-study approach, it demonstrates that engaging with diverse literary texts fosters students' cultural sensitivity, critical thinking, and awareness of global interconnectedness through meaningful literacy activities. The research highlights the effectiveness of a critical-global-literacies-based pedagogy in promoting empathy, intercultural understanding, and social responsibility, encouraging students to connect global issues with their local contexts and to consider active roles in addressing social and environmental challenges. The findings suggest practical implications for English language educators to incorporate culturally diverse literature and multimodal tasks to cultivate globally competent and socially engaged learners.