A Guide to introduce Literature in the English language class

Most people assume literature is an important part of education. But not everyone
really thinks about why that is. The importance of literature on teaching lies in its
ability to foster critical reading, build valuable skills, and expand students'
worldviews. The use of literature in the ELT classroom is enjoying a revival for a
number of reasons. Having formed part of traditional language teaching approaches,
literature became less popular when language teaching and learning started to focus
on the functional use of language. However, the role of literature in the ELT
classroom has been re-assessed and many now view literary texts as providing rich
linguistic input, effective stimuli for students to express themselves in other
languages and a potential source of learner motivation

Literary texts take into account the functions of language in different realistic
situations outside the conditioned atmosphere of the classrooms. The employment
of such literary components such as narratives, short stories, one person acts,
fables, dialogues and short social situations, will help learners to use different
forms of the language in one notion of the language. It will, more importantly,
motivate and inspire the learners to know more and keep his or her interest intact.

John McRae (1994) distinguishes between literature with a capital L - the classical
texts e.g. Shakespeare, Dickens - and literature with a small l, which refers to popular
fiction, fables and song lyrics. The literature used in ELT classrooms today is no
longer restricted to canonical texts from certain countries e.g. UK, USA, but includes
the work of writers from a diverse range of countries and cultures using different
forms of English.

Literature is a term used to describe written or spoken material. Broadly speaking,

"literature" is used to describe anything from creative writing to more technical or
scientific works, but the term is most commonly used to refer to works of the
creative imagination, including works of poetry, drama, fiction, and nonfiction.
The types of literary texts that can be studied inside and outside the ELT
classroom include:
1. Short stories
2. Poems
3. Novels
4. Plays
5. song lyrics

Literature plays an important role in teaching four basic language skills like
reading, writing, listening and speaking and language areas for example
vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation is very popular within the field of language
learning. And when using literature in the language classroom skills should never
be taught in isolation but in an integrated way.

Teachers should try to teach basic language skills as an integral part of oral and
written language use, as part of the means for creating both referential and
interactional meaning, not merely as an aspect of the oral and written production of
words, phrases and sentences. And the study of literature in a language class,
though being mainly associated with reading and writing, can play an equally
meaningful role in teaching both speaking and listening. Oral reading, dramatization,
improvisation, role playing, reenactment, discussion, and group activities may center
on a work of literature. Literature offers a wide range of language structures, which
can enhance our understanding of the range of language usages. Literature work in
such a situation becomes a vehicle for language learning.

Cruz (2010) has studied that literature will also enrich students knowledge of
linguistics elements and culture of the language being studied. It also enriches the
students understanding on how to interact with other people from different culture
and learn their ways of life, beliefs, values and attitudes.

Literature provides learners with a broad variety of individual lexical or syntactic

items. Students become acquainted with many types of the written language,
reading a considerable and contextualized body of text. They study about the syntax
and discourse functions of sentences, the variety of probable structures, and the
different ways of linking ideas, which expand and improve their own writing skills.
Students also become more creative and audacious when they start to observe the
richness and diversity of the language they are trying to learn and commence to
make use of some of that potential themselves. Thus, they improve their
communicative and cultural capability in the authentic richness, sincerity of the
genuine texts.

Literature can help learners to develop their understanding of other cultures,

awareness of difference' and to develop tolerance and understanding. At the same
time, literary texts can deal with universal themes such as love, war and loss that
are not always covered in the sanitized world of course books.

Literary texts are representational rather than referential (McRae, 1994). Referential
language communicates at only one level and tends to be informational. The
representational language of literary texts involves the learners and engages their
emotions, as well as their cognitive faculties. Literary works help learners to use their
imagination, enhance their empathy for others and lead them to develop their own
creativity. They also give students the chance to learn about literary devices that
occur in other genres e.g. advertising.

Literature lessons can lead to public displays of student output through posters of
student creations e.g. poems, stories or through performances of plays. So, for a
variety of linguistic, cultural and personal growth reasons, literary texts can be more
motivating than the referential ones often used in classrooms.

Berardo (2006) and Wallace (1972) highlight the importance of authenticity to make
language learning a beautiful experience. In other words, students find it really
fulfilling to read authentic texts instead of the artificial language used in certain
sources

When selecting the literary texts to be used in language classes, the language
teacher should take into account needs, motivation, interests, cultural background
and language level of the students. However, one major factor to take into account
is whether a particular work is able to reveal the kind of personal involvement by
arousing the learners interest and eliciting strong, positive reactions from them.
Reading a literary text is more likely to have a long-term and valuable effect upon
the learners linguistic and extra linguistic knowledge when it is meaningful and
amusing. Choosing books relevant to the real-life experiences, emotions, or dreams
of the learner is of great importance. Language complexity has to be measured as
well. Enjoyment, a fresh insight into issues felt to be related to the heart of peoples
concerns; the delight of encountering ones own thoughts or situations exemplified
clearly in a work of art; the other, equal pleasure of noticing those same thoughts,
feelings, emotions, or situations presented by an entirely new outlook.

Teachers can exploit literary texts in a large number of ways in the classroom.
Classroom work with literary works may involve pre-reading tasks, interactive work
on the text and follow up activities. Teachers should keep in mind some useful
advice: maximize pre-reading support.

Yueh Wu (2008) said that the use of multiple teaching techniques in the teaching of
literature will make the students feel interested in studying literary work and hence
their language performance will also increase significantly.

Duff and Maley (2007) also propose easy tasks to stimulate the interest of
students. One should proceed gradually from easy tasks to difficult
tasks. Teachers can completely exploit the material by conducting brainstorming
sessions, pre-reading tasks etc. for the benefit of students.

.Pulverness (2003) offers valuable advice for teachers to make learning English
language a joyful journey. In order to draw the attention of students, teachers are
expected to pay a lot of attention to pre-reading tasks, icebreakers etc. Students
can be encouraged to modify the texts, change the ending etc using their creativity,
ingenuity etc.

Pulverness (2003) provides some useful advice: Maximise pre-reading support.

Teachers can introduce the topic or theme of the text, pre-teach essential vocabulary
items and use prediction tasks to arouse the interest and curiosity of students.

Minimize the extent to which the teacher disturbs students' reading.

Draw attention to stylistic peculiarity.
Help students to appreciate the ways that writers use language to achieve
particular effects.
Provide frameworks for creative response.
Invite learners to step into the shoes of the writer or one of the characters, or
invite them to modify, extend or add to a text.

Conclusion

Literature is a valuable tool in the language teaching. Teachers will need to

incorporate strategies that work at students level, find ways to maintain a positive
class environment, develop a teaching strategy that is interesting for students, and
design lesson activities that meets students needs.

References

Chouan, A. (2016). Teaching English language through literature: a critical study.

Retrieved from: http://ijellh.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/25.-Ashwin-Chouhan-paper-
final.pdf?x72302

British Council. (2014). Using literature: an introduction. Retrieved from:

http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/using-literature-introduction

Mustofa, A. (2016). Literary teaching and its constrains: Paradigms and problems.
Retrieved from:
https://www.academia.edu/29722747/LITERARY_TEACHING_AND_ITS_CONSTRAINTS
_PARADIGMS_AND_PROBLEMS

Rajendra, B. (2012). Teaching language from literature. Retrieved from:

https://www.ijellh.com/teaching-english-language-through-literature