Professional Documents
Culture Documents
The Use of Literature in Teaching The Foreign Language - D. Md. Enamul Hoque
The Use of Literature in Teaching The Foreign Language - D. Md. Enamul Hoque
Abstract
Language teaching has historically alternated between scholarly and pragmatic
approaches. This article describes the role of literature in EFL classes. Language,
than memorizing all of the grammatical structures that are possible in a language.
A vast majority of the people learns a foreign language for the purpose of
foreign language. They naturally aim at mastering the four skills of language
(LSRW). In teaching language, language and literature are allies not enemies. But
finding appropriate literature to teach second language (L2) classroom has always
been a major challenge. Selected text should not be too long, not too
linguistically and conceptually complex, and not too distant from the world
Literature plays a crucial part in maintaining the interest of the TFL students.
Naturally, literature is sweet and enjoyable. It has universal appeal and it directly
touches the learner’s heart. Because of its strong appealing quality, literature
considered to be a fit medium for language teaching. Besides, there are a host of
experts who are of the opinion that for effective foreign language teaching and
opportunities should be sought for extensive and integrated study of language and
item from the context can be easily developed with the help different form of
literature. Any literary texts whether prose or poem provides the learners with a
rich context and adequate clues to guess and understand the meaning of new
words from. In a literary text words frequently occur in related groups and units.
These groups of words, which are semantically related, not only contribute to a
vocabulary items.
Harvest
Jahangirnagar Studies of Literature and Language
ISSN- 1729-8326
Volume 22, 2006-2007
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Literature can play a magnificent role in the acquisition of syntax and
parameter fixing. For example, let us take the famous line of John Keats: “A
thing of beauty is a joy forever”. This is the beauty of literature. Children can
learn the rules of Grammar, but without being aware of the fact that they are
learning the rules. The four basic skills, i.e. listening, speaking, reading and
writing (LSRW) can be promoted through a literary text. This can be achieved by
Use of short stories, pomes, novels etc. helps maintain the interest of the
FL/SL learners in learning the language. When a short poem or a nursery rhyme
is acted out, the whole class enjoys the performance and learners observe same
acquainted with intonation, rhythm, tone, syllabus etc. with the help of nursery
Through the reading of short stories, plays, and novels, which often try to
portray the society in some realistic way, students have a glimpse of the
culture of the native speakers of English. The conversations give them the
the society. They learn the social etiquette and the words, sentences, tone, and
English are introduced to the historical as well as the current culture of the
English speaking peoples. Through the culture, they also come to know and
Europeans may share aspects of this history in general. This is not unlikely
that many TESOL students may or may not show any interest at all the
English literature. The learners may come to a SL/FL class simply to learn the
language to meet practical needs. Many students are able to hold their
materials are exposed to be interesting, not just meet their practical ends.
With the study of literature, the second/ foreign language learners of English
are introduced to the historical as well as the current culture of the English-
speaking people. Through the culture, the learners also come to study and
understand the worldview of the native speakers. No language makes sense to its
universally applicable moral and ethical concerns are easily conveyed, raised and
impressed in the minds of the learners through English literature, even as they
Our aim is not the teaching of English literature, but teaching and improving
engaged in the story, and the language (sentences, sentence and phrasal
patterns, and words) is understood and mastered without much effort in the
process.
and the use of literature as a resource for language teaching. We intend to use
a TESOL class is its motivating role for performance within the classroom.
events and characters, share the opinions of the readers, and get them
involved in discussion.
Harvest
Jahangirnagar Studies of Literature and Language
ISSN- 1729-8326
Volume 22, 2006-2007
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Selection of Materials for Language Teaching
Activities
The proper use of literature in language teaching helps improve the knowledge
with metaphors and multiple meanings, sarcasm, cynicisms etc. The writers may
use the word in some unique manner to create noble meanings and expressions.
Teacher should choose short, self-contained pieces. Students can feel a sense of
more accessible.
The instructor can fill in the gaps, and the stretching process is essential to
language learning.
Harvest
Jahangirnagar Studies of Literature and Language
ISSN- 1729-8326
Volume 22, 2006-2007
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In teaching literary selections, forget about literary history. We need to select
materials, which match the interests of our students. Often the textbooks used
contain stories, dramas and poems. Some of these, especially stories and
dramas, may be from the same cultural and literary background of the
learners. These texts may not pose cultural problems for students. They are
Classical texts (novels, plays, etc.) abridged and re-told would also be an
situation.
- Let students infer these from the selection themselves; avoid the deadly
- Work through the selection together, using the techniques of close reading
- Choose selections that work with this approach, that do not need
controversial works, about which students can argue, are often more
bringing home the point that reading anything in translation brings only
partial understanding.
understanding and using English effectively, since they will be confronted with
sentence and phrasal patterns through reading literary works. They learn to use
recognize that “the English language is no longer the preserve of a few nations,
but is now used globally” (Lazar 1993:5). This means that quality literary
products by the non-native writers of English from other countries as well as the
possible to supplement our TESOL textbooks with materials taken from all the
above categories.
Harvest
Jahangirnagar Studies of Literature and Language
ISSN- 1729-8326
Volume 22, 2006-2007
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lazar (1993:62) points out that “although students may find it easier to
respond personally to a text from within their own culture, there is a strong
argument for saying that exposing students to literature from other cultures is
values, beliefs, social structures and so on.” In general, the following factors
which these are available), length of text (Do you have enough
students have to work on the text at home? Could you use only
activities can you devise to exploit the text? Are there resources
an author, etc.), fit with syllabus (How do the texts link with the
exploiting the text which link with the methodology you have
teaching English. At the lower level, stories are part of the textbook. The
story lesson may be “taught” following the usual steps, with focus on
the story in their own words and manner. They can “listen” to the story, they
can tell the story orally, they can “read” it aloud to others, or read it silently,
they can paraphrase the story in their own words, they can play with the
words and find the meanings for the difficult words and use them in their own
sentences.
The learners may try to identify the technique of narration, and adopt
the same to write their own stories. They can identify the conversational
strategies the characters in the story have employed, and try to use the same
in conversations with their fellow students in the class. They can enact the
story as a team and learn to behave like the characters. There is no limit to the
textbook. All language skills are covered with the teaching the story in the
class.
Harvest
Jahangirnagar Studies of Literature and Language
ISSN- 1729-8326
Volume 22, 2006-2007
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Role of Teaching Translated First Language Literature
Very nice and fit but frequently overlooked type of literature is the translated first
language literature of the student. This source has several advantages over the
that simply changing the names of places and characters into more
names into Japanese for Japanese EFL students), and changing a few
actions resulted in higher cloze scores (Oller 2004; Chihara, Sakurai, and
Oller, 1989). In another study, it was discovered "that the cultural origin
complexity of the text. That is, Iranians performed better on the texts
Harvest
Jahangirnagar Studies of Literature and Language
ISSN- 1729-8326
Volume 22, 2006-2007
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
adapted in English from their native culture than on a text from American
make texts based on one's own culture easier to read and understand than
distant cultures (Floyd and Carroll, 1987, p. 90). When students from
India and the U.S. were told to read letters about an Indian and American
wedding, the subjects read letters from their own culture faster, and were
able to recall them better than when they read foreign excerpts (Floyd and
Carroll 1987).
reading in learning a language, has stated that the ability to read well in
the first language is transferable to the second, even when the writing
language literature that has been translated into the second language can
also help serve as a 'bridge' between the first and second language.
Harvest
Jahangirnagar Studies of Literature and Language
ISSN- 1729-8326
Volume 22, 2006-2007
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nursery Rhymes in Language Classes
Nursery rhyme helps the students understand the rhythms, rise and fall of the
speech and thus the students acquire knowledge of tone, intonation, stress,
syllables, strong form and weak form words. The following chants is an
Whisky frisky
Hippety-hop
Up he goes
To the top.
Whirly twirly
To the ground.
Furly curly
What a tail
Tall as a feather
Broad as a sail.
In the shell
(Anon)
Harvest
Jahangirnagar Studies of Literature and Language
ISSN- 1729-8326
Volume 22, 2006-2007
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A very enjoyable way of learning to say English words and sentence is
through chants. Primary and upper classes enjoy repeating rhymes.
The learners can practice pronunciation through chants.
Listen to me
I ’m listening
Listen to me
I ’m listening
Listen to me
I am, I am
Answer me
I will, I will
Answer me
I will, I will
I will, I will
I will, I will
I won’t I won’t
Answer me
I will
Listen to me
I am.
(Graham 1979)
Harvest
Jahangirnagar Studies of Literature and Language
ISSN- 1729-8326
Volume 22, 2006-2007
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tongue twisters like the followings contrast the /s/,/sh/ and/ch sounds,
Or
(Nagaraj 1996)
Harvest
Jahangirnagar Studies of Literature and Language
ISSN- 1729-8326
Volume 22, 2006-2007
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Poetry for Teaching SL/FL
A poem readily lends itself for listening and speech practice. As a rule,
poems are musical and sweet to hear. Hence, the poem to be taught should be
recorded and then played for the benefit of the learners. The learners may be
encouraged to listen to the recording as many times as possible. This will not
only give them a feel of the music present in the poem but also provide them
This is fact that, speech practice may follow listening practice. We should let
the learners recite the poem in chorus, then in groups and at last individually.
This will enable them to have practice with the target language sounds in a
meaningful way. Also, engaging the learners in a discussion in the class can
ensure speaking practices. After they have learnt the poem and got the
answers from within the text. And, at the next step, they may be allowed to
seek justifications from outside the text. This will encourage natural and
spontaneous speaking in the class. It is not that only listening and speaking
can be promoted with the help of a poem. Reading and writing can also be
promoted.
Harvest
Jahangirnagar Studies of Literature and Language
ISSN- 1729-8326
Volume 22, 2006-2007
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Students need to make decisions about the correct order of the lines, decipher
the metaphor and other poetic devices used by the poet, and convert them to
As Lazar (1993) points out, poems are marked by unusual syntax, rich in
words coined by the poet, reinforcing the students’ knowledge of the norms of
language use, and the manner in which they can be adapted to achieve different
Teachers like to bring poetry into the classroom because they believe that it is
important and motivating for students to work with authentic texts. They may
find that poems work well because it is possible to work with a whole text, and
sometimes with more than one poem in the same lesson. This can be achieved
successfully at any post-beginner level, so long as the poems are selected with
care and with the needs, interests and language level of the students in mind.
This is crucial for students to be able to get a feel for the rhythm and sounds of a
poem - more so than for most pieces of prose. This isn't always easy in a second
With any listening activity, students will need some kind of preparation
and task so that they can be actively engaged. They might be asked to
and syllables.
You might also want to get your students to listen to recorded or live
discussions about poems. This can, for example, take the form of a couple
Here, reading means extensive reading of the poem. Reading activities can center
on not only the poems themselves, but also around background reading sources
Teacher should not get stuck in literary analysis unless your students have
conventions like inverted word order, ensuring that students are aware
The teacher should avoid too much analysis, which can kill enjoyment,
may get the students to predict what they are about to read. With poetry,
this can be done with the title as a catalyst, by revealing the lines
longer poem. The teacher should refer students back to what they have
Poems are, obviously authentic texts. This is a great motivator. Poems are often
teach the poetry itself, so teachers don't need to be a literature expert. Most of the
tried and tested activities used regularly by language teachers can be adapted
Speaking activities
Pronunciation
Writing activities
Before doing any productive work, Teachers should give their students plenty of
show some pictures to introduce the topic, and then get students to think
Students then talk about the poem, first with a partner and then in small
groups
Harvest
Jahangirnagar Studies of Literature and Language
ISSN- 1729-8326
Volume 22, 2006-2007
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Teacher usually prepares worksheets for speaking activities which might
Afterwards, the students can talk about their personal response to the
poem, discuss the characters and theme, or debate the moral issues.
poem and making a video. Students can compare poems on related topics,
effective and very interesting for the students. So the teacher can easily take
Once upon a time and not so very long ago in the capital city of France, a
teaching centre for little children and not so little children was opened. One little
child and then two and then three and then many, many more came along. And so
our story unfolds. There was a little red hen, a meerkat in trouble, a brown bear,
a black elephant and a white elephant, a very hungry caterpillar, Spot the dog, a
always been undisputed throughout the world. Now more and more English as a
foreign language (EFL) teachers of young learners are using carefully selected
stories from the world of children's literature because they have become more
the major objectives in most countries for foreign language teaching to young
work that constitute mini-syllabuses. In this way, a story provides the starting
point and rich context for developing a wide variety of related language and
Collie and Slater (1987) focused on the positive contributions language learning
through literature could make in that literary texts constituted valuable authentic
Writers such as Maley, and Duff, (1978) suggest; “Drama can help the teacher to
experience of life
solutions);
teacher.
Harvest
Jahangirnagar Studies of Literature and Language
ISSN- 1729-8326
Volume 22, 2006-2007
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“Drama provides cultural and language enrichment by revealing
insights into the target culture and presenting language contexts that
text, learners became personally and fully involved in the learning process, in a
context in which it is possible for learners to feel less self-conscious and more
characters.
One of the drawbacks in the use of literary texts such as novels and poems is
that many of them contain language forms that learners of a language find
leading to a loss of 'literariness' - leading to criticism that the texts became pale
imitations of the original writing. The lack of suitable texts in the traditional body
of literature, in my view opens the door for the inclusion of drama in language
poems and novels. Drama texts help to address the need for sufficient texts for
always been a major challenge. Selected text should not be too long, not too
linguistically and conceptually complex, not too distant from the knowledge of
the students, and should generate student’s interest. Due to these stringent
requirements few teachers use literature use literature in the English classroom.
However, adequate attention should be paid to the proper text selection. If the
text is beyond the level comprehension of the learning, then the purpose of
language teaching will also get defeated; therefore, the text should be simple and
Chihara, T., T. Sakuai & J. Oller Jr. “Background and Culture as Factors
press, 1987.
Press, 1990.
Levy, Dore. Ideal and Actual in the Story of the Stone. New York:
Press,1986.
Press, 1986.
Longman,1996.