The Place of Literature in an English Language Teaching Program: What Do Students Think about It?.

Abstract

This study investigated the attitudes and opinions of students towards the use and place of literature course in language teaching. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 3 groups of students: (a) the students who had not taken any literature courses before (n = 7), (b) the students who were taking a literature course at the time of the study (n = 7), (c) the students who took the course recently (n = 6). The interviews included questions about the place, importance, and use of literature. The results of the study revealed that the students had mixed views about the use of literature and had some reservations about its inclusion in the mandatory course catalogue. However, it would also appear that many students, particularly those who are currently enrolled in a literature class, understand the logic and even the importance of its use. From here we draw conclusions as to how educators can approach the use of literature as a learning tool when assuming the presence of such varied student preconceptions.