ANNUNCIATION COLLEGE OF BACON SORSOGON UNIT, INC.

GRADUATE SCHOOL
SORSOGON CITY

DISCUSSANT: BRENDA D. BAÑARES

SUBJECT: TEACHING ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE
SUMMER 2022
TOPIC: LITERATUR AS CONTENT FOR ESL OR/AND EFL
PROFESSOR: DR. JOSEPH GUAB

I. OBJECTIVES

Identify the meaning of literature

Identify the uses of literature in teaching ESL/EFL
Associate the uses of literary texts integrated in reading, in listening, in speaking and in writing.

II. CONTENT

Literature – is like an umbrella, a term giving information on every business. (Moody, 1971)
- is the use of language effectively in suitable conditions. (Baird, 1969)
- is written materials such as poetry, novels, essays, etc., especially works of imagination characterized
by excellence of style and expression as well as by themes of general enduring interest.

USES OF LITERATURE IN ESL/EFL

1. Literary texts depend on how the language is used to create a particular effect, literature demonstrates for
learners the importance of form in adhering specific communicative goals.
2. Using literature as content in the classrooms provides an ideal basis for integrating the four skills.
3. In an era when English is used in a great variety of cross-cultural encounters, literary texts are valuable in
raising students' and teachers' cross-cultural awareness.

DEFINING LITERARY TEXTS

The How of Literary Texts

Typically, language is used to convey a message by relaying information. Although literary texts exemplify other
features of normal communication. They generally lack this purpose. Rather, their aim is to convex "an individual
awareness of reality ” (Widdowson 1975. p. 70). What makes literary texts unique is that in literature the what and
how of the text are inseparable. As Widdowson puts it “.An understanding of what literature communicates
necessarily involves an understanding of how it communicates: what and how are not distinct. It is for this reason
that literary works cannot be satisfactorily paraphrased or explained by any single interpretation: to do so is to
recast their essential ambiguity into the definite shape of conventional statement. The basic problem in the teaching
of literature is to develop in the student an awareness of the what how of literary communication and this can only
be done by relating it to, without translating it into, norm al uses of language (1975. p. 70).

USING LITERARY TEXTS TO INTEGRATE SKILLS

In Reading
Using literature as content provides an ideal way to integrate the development of the four skills. As
the previous discussion has made clear, encouraging students to carefully examine a literary text to support
their interpretations promote students' close reading of texts, a skill which will benefit their read in g of
other material. Literature, of course, is also ideal as content for extensive reading program s in L2
 classrooms. Becoming engaged with a piece of literature will certainly increase students' interest in reading
often and widely in English.
In reading lesson, discussion begins at literal level with direct questions of fact regarding setting,
characters, and plot which can be answered by specific reference to the text.

In Listening
When read aloud, literature also offers an excellent context for developing global listening skills. The
many books available on audiotape can be used as a basis for an extensive listening library. One clear
advantage of encouraging students to listen to literature read by professionals is that such material exposes
students to a variety of dialects and voice qualities.

In Speaking
Perhaps the greatest benefit of using literature in the language classroom lies in its potential for
developing students ' speaking skills, particularly their socio linguistic and pragmatic competence. Unlike
dialogues written for traditional language learning texts, dialogues typically offer a detailed account of the
speakers' backgrounds and role relationship. Such dialogues provide students with a basis for judging the
appropriateness of language use. Teachers can also use literary texts as a basis for having students write
their own dialogues.

In Writing
Literature can be used to develop students' writing abilities by having students react in personal
journals and formal essays to the literary texts they read. Using writing in this way offers two benefits. First,
it provides students with a way to express their personal interpretation of a story, thus promoting the type
of aesthetic response to reading literary texts referred to earlier. Second, to the extent that students are
asked to refer to the text to justify their conclusions about the literary selection, learn to support their
opinions with relevant information, an important skill for various types of academic writing. Using literary
texts in writing classes is also valuable for helping students become aware of voice and point of view in
written texts.

Kinds of Literature in EFL/ESL

Poetry, play, novel, prose, short story song, etc.

III. EVALUATION

1. What is literature?
2. What are the uses of literature in teaching ESL/EFL?
3. How do we integrate literature in the different skills like reading, listening, speaking and writing?

IV. KEY TO CORRECTION

V. REFERENCE/S

Book: Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language 3rd Edition

Editor: Marianne Celce-Murcia