Nicole Rapa

MTL First Year

LHN5002 Literature Assignment

Why is the teaching of literature important for English Language Teaching in secondary
schools? Discuss practical ways of raising levels of motivation when teaching
English literature in secondary schools.

___________________________________________________________________________
In recent years the teaching of English literature has been given more importance in the
language classroom since it can supplement language learning in a myriad of ways. Literature
encourages language acquisition and expands language awareness, while it also ‘exposes
students to complex themes and fresh, unexpected uses of language’ (Lazar, 1993). In this way,
learners become personally involved in literature as it invites them ‘to share in human
experience’ (Mohammed, 2007) and ‘to be more fully aware of how other human beings think
and feel’ (Mohammed, 2007). Furthermore, literature is an excellent source of pleasure and
enjoyment which often results in higher motivation levels which in turn leads to a better
understanding of the text.

One of the most important reasons for teaching literature in secondary schools is to give
students access to the culture of the people whose language they are studying. This is because
literature is an invaluable source ‘to get a quick feel for the codes and preoccupations that
structure a real society’ (Collie & Slater, 1987). Furthermore, reading literature encourages
students to become more aware of the political, social, and historical events which make up the
background to a particular novel or play. Literature may also say something about fundamental
human issues which is more often than not enduring rather than ephemeral. Its relevance moves
with the passing of time, but rarely disappears completely. Dr Mohammed in his article gives
an example of how Shakespeare’s plays transcend time and meaning:

‘Shakespearean plays whose ending were rewritten to conform to late seventeenth-

century taste, and which were later staged to give maximum prominence to their
Romantic hero figures, are now explored for their psychoanalytic or dialectical
import’ (Mohammed, 2007).

This shows that a literary work’s meaning does not remain static but rather transcends
both time and culture in order for it to remain relevant in a particular time.

Literature in the classroom is important as it encourages language acquisition especially

when integrated with the four basic language skills: reading, listening, speaking, and writing.
Nicole Rapa
MTL First Year

For instance, reading literature supplements the restrictive input in the classroom by providing
‘meaningful and memorable contexts’ (Lazar, 1993), while listening to the text the students are
working on helps to accelerate acquisition as the understanding of unfamiliar words is
facilitated by the speaker and the intonation. Furthermore, literature promotes activities where
students can share their opinions and feelings by engaging in discussions and groupwork as
literature is ‘rich in multiple levels of meaning’ (Lazar, 1993). By allowing the learners to
personally respond to the text and express their ideas, their acquisition of the language is
increased. The learners’ writing skills are also improved as they are involved in making
inferences from linguistic clues and ‘deducing meaning from context and familiarising them
with many functions of written language (Collie & Slater, 1987). Moreover, students learn
about the discourse function of sentences and syntax, the variety of possible structure, and
different ways to develop and enrich their writing skills. Consequently, by appreciating such
sophisticated writing, the students can become more productive and adventurous in using the
richness and adversity of the language themselves.

In relation to this, literature can also expand students’ language awareness because there
is an intimate relationship between language and literature. According to Brumfit and Ronald
(1986), literature is ‘an ally of language’ and therefore language and literature should
complement each other. The richness of literary texts exposes learners to sophisticated uses of
language which leads them to reflect and think about the norms of the English language
(Widdowson, 1975) and with the help of the teacher, the learners can notice the stylistic
differences to see how the two registers differs from one another with regards to grammar,
features of language, and archaisms. Although the language of literary works is not the typical
language of daily life, ‘it certainly helps learners to enrich their receptive vocabulary […] and
provides a rich context in which individual lexical or syntactical items are made more
memorable’ (Collie & Slater, 1987).

Besides the linguistic benefits, literature has a wider educational function in the
classroom. It has been argued that literature is a good source for developing students’
interpretative abilities. Literature is rich in multiple levels of meaning and therefore it demands
the learner to understand beyond the literal meaning of what is written or said and to tease out
the assumptions and the implications of the text (to read between the lines). For instance, when
tackling a poem, the students can discuss their own interpretations based on the evidence in the
text. By allowing learners ‘to grapple with the multiple ambiguities of the literary text,’ they
are developing their ‘overall capacity to infer meaning’ (Lazar, 1993). Interestingly, this skill
Nicole Rapa
MTL First Year

can be transferred to other situations where the learners need to make an interpretation based
on implicit or unstated evidence. This is closely related to critical thinking which also deals
with ‘substantiating an interpretation by careful interpretation and assessing all “indications”
in the texts, logically analysing that evidence, and making well-reasoned conclusions from it’
(Sharma, 2022).

In addition to this, literature can help students increase emotional awareness and in turn
develop emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence is ‘the intelligent use of emotions and
utilising the information contained in emotions to make effective decisions’ (Roohani, 2009).
This type of emotional awareness can evoke ‘consciousness, enabling the learners too
understand and communicate ideas better’ (Roohani, 2009). Literature can provide a myriad of
contexts to encourage emotional development as it can provide insights into the ways emotions
are produced, experienced, and enacted in human life. Therefore, literature allows the reader
to share in the range of human emotion; to gasp, to sigh, to sob, or to burst into laughter.
Emotional intelligence can be also defined as having an ‘awareness of the feelings of others’
(Ghosn, 2001) which allows the learners to gain insight into human behaviour and decide
whether or not they should empathise with the character. Literature can also elicit a powerful
emotional response from students through the exploration of universal themes related with the
human psyche.

In order for effective learning to take place, the content of the lesson has to be
motivating and interesting to the students. Motivation is the driving force behind human actions
and in the educational sector, it is an important predictor of learning and achievement.
Consequently, students who are more motivated to learn produce higher quality effort, learn
more deeply, and perform better in class and on tests. One of the most essential factors for
increased motivation is the creation of a positive learning environment: an environment which
supports the students’ needs and where students feel they are learning and making progress.
Nevertheless, there are various strategies that the teacher can employ in order to increase
student motivation in the classroom. The teacher needs to make use of the Communicative
Language Teaching (CLT) approach so that the lessons are student-centred and communicative
in a way that the students can relate to them. However, unlike coursebook texts, literature is in
itself authentic material which provides the students with a multitude of contexts, real-life
situations, and various registers that are all beneficial to the learners. Literature opens up
another world for the students and the striking contexts make language learning more
memorable. Furthermore, the lesson has to be student-centred where the teacher leads and
Nicole Rapa
MTL First Year

guides the students to infer and generate meanings for themselves while reading and not teach
them the meaning of the text. By moving away from being passive users of information,
students benefit more from literature as they synthesise what they already know, by activating
their schemata, with what they are being presented. As a result, students are encouraged to
think and by drawing from their personal experiences they become more invested in the process
of language learning. The more they contribute to their learning, the more self-competent they
feel which results into increased motivation.

The role of the teacher also affects students’ motivation. For instance, the teachers’
expectations contribute and influence students’ ability or potential to succeed. Therefore,
teachers need to have high expectations so as to maximise students’ achievement. Additionally,
the teacher should prioritise learning over grades as literature should be pleasurable and a
source of enjoyment and although assessment is necessary, a hyper focused attention on grades
can create a lot of anxiety which in turn demotivates students. The teacher should also
encourage and support students in their learning experience so that they are not afraid of
making mistakes especially in literature where there is no wrong answer as long as the
statement is supplemented with evidence. The teacher also needs to make use of various
activities to engage students such as role play and discussions which allow the students to use
their imagination while making use of language communicatively.

In conclusion, the teaching of literature in secondary schools is vital for students’

development of critical thinking and emotional intelligence. However, in order for this to occur
teaching has to be more student-centred and moves away from traditional teaching practices.
In this way, the students become their own teachers and become more self-competent
increasing both comprehension and motivation.
Nicole Rapa
MTL First Year

References

Collie, J., Slater, S. (1987). Literature in the Language Classroom. Cambridge University
Press, Cambridge

Ghosn, I. K. (2001). Nurturing Emotional Intelligence through Literature. ResearchGate,

5(3), 7-11. Available online:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/242540340_Nurturing_Emotional_Intelligenc
e_through_Literature

Mohammed, S. A. (2007). Teaching Literature: Why, What, and How. Diala, 26, 1-8.

Lazar, G. (1993). Literature and language teaching: A guide for teachers and Trainers.
Cambridge University Press.

Roohani, A. (2009). The Study of Emotional Intelligence and Literature in Education: Gender
and Major of Study. THE JOUR AL OF ASIA TEFL, 6(4), 39-66. Available online:
http://journal.asiatefl.org/main/main.php?inx_journals=22&inx_contents=197&main=1&sub
=3&submode=3&PageMode=JournalView&s_title=The_Study_of_Emotional_Intelligence_a
nd_Literature_in_Education_Gender_and_Major_of_Study

Sharma, M. (2022). Critical Thinking Skills Teaching Language through Literature. World
Journal of English Language, 12(3), 3-9. https://doi.org/10.5430/wjel.v12n3p3