What Is Literature?

Literature is a term used to describe written and sometimes spoken material. It is derived from the Latin
word literature meaning "writing formed with letters," Literature commonly refers to works of the creative
imagination, including poetry, drama, fiction, nonfiction, and in some instances, journalism, and song. 

Literature represents the culture and tradition of a language or a people. 

What Literature Can Teach Us?

1. Improve School Skills

Students who study literature and read for pleasure have a higher vocabulary, better reading
comprehension, and better communication skills, such as writing ability. Communication skills affect people
in every area of their lives, from navigating interpersonal relationships to participating in meetings in the
workplace to drafting intra-office memos or reports.

When students analyze literature, they learn to identify cause and effect and are applying critical thinking
skills. Without realizing it, they examine the characters psychologically or sociologically. They identify the
characters' motivations for their actions and see through those actions to any ulterior motives.

When planning an essay on a work of literature, students use problem-solving skills to come up with a
thesis and follow through on compiling their paper. It takes research skills to dig up evidence for their thesis
from the text and scholarly criticism, and it takes organizational skills to present their argument in a
coherent, cohesive manner.

2. Create Empathy and Other Emotions

Some studies say that people who read literature have more empathy for others, as literature puts the
reader into another person's shoes. Having empathy for others leads people to socialize more effectively,
solve conflicts peacefully, collaborate better in the workplace, behave morally, and possibly even become
involved in making their community a better place.
Other studies note a correlation between readers and empathy but do not find causation. Either way,
studies back the need for strong English programs in schools, especially as people spend more and more
time looking at screens rather than books.

Along with empathy for others, readers can feel a greater connection to humanity and less isolated.
Students who read literature can find solace as they realize that others have gone through the same things
that they are experiencing or have experienced. This can be a catharsis and relief to them if they feel
burdened or alone in their troubles.

3. Serve as Debating Literature 

Ultimately, we may discover meaning in literature by looking at what the author writes or says and how he
or she says it. We may interpret and debate an author's message by examining the words he or she
chooses in a given novel or work or observing which character or voice serves as the connection to the
reader.
Approaches in Teaching Literature Classes

Information-Based Approach
1. Elicit information from students about the text.
 2. Explain the content of the text to the class
3. Ask questions to check students’ knowledge based on what they have read.
4. Provide students with background information.
Personal-Response Approach
5. Encourage students to relate the themes to personal experiences
6. Elicit students' response to a text
7. Encourage students to express feelings towards the issues of the text
Language-Based Approach
8. Guide students to express their opinions towards a text
9. Set language activities in literature lesson
10. Encourage students to actively participate in the process of understanding the meaning of text
11. Students work with their classmates in the process of understanding the text
12. Generate language practice using the text
Para-phrastic Approach
13. Re-tell the text to students to help them understand
14. Use simple terms to explain what the story is about to students
15. Discuss what the author says in the text
16. Get students to tell the storyline of the text
Moral-Philosophical Approach
17. Incorporate moral values in lessons
18. Ask students the values they learn from the text
19. Get students to search moral values from a text
20. Raise students' awareness of values derived from the text
Stylistics Approach
21. Guide students to interpret a text by looking at the language used by the author
22. Get students to mark any linguistic features from the text that are significant to their reading
23. My literature lesson looks at the language of the text, thus, encourages language awareness
24. Encourage students to discuss beyond the surface meaning of the text