Major Problems of

Teaching Literature
in a Second
Language Classroom
 Hello!
We are the Pulupandan Ladies
Karlen C. Amacio
&
Bea Joy Locsin

2
WHO AM I?
He wrote 38
plays and 154
sonnets

William
Shakespeare
WHO AM I?
Her novels always have
a young woman at
their centre – a young
woman with romantic
dreams and hopes
about meeting and
marrying her perfect
man.

Jane Austen
4
WHO AM I?
A Filipino novelist,
short story writer,
essayist and, poet and
Conferred as the 
National Artist of the P
hilippines
 for Literature in 1997.

N.V.M GONZALES
“ Major Problems of
Teaching Literature
in a Second
Language
Classroom
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1. Differences as a source
of threats and/or
opportunities

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Bernhard (2002)- He observes
that some separation exists
between instructors who teach
literature courses and language
courses.

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Similarly, Scott & Tucker (2002)
have noticed that content courses and
language courses pose strikingly
different challenges at various levels to
instructors.

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Probably driven by the fact that the
literature program came much later than the
English Language program, instructors in
the former program feel less established
than their fellow instructors in the English
language (or linguistics) program.

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Also there is a noticeable pattern among literature
instructors, especially those with Master’s degree from
overseas universities they tend to teach undergrad students
materials the instructors themselves have learned from graduate
programs overseas.

Impact: Effect:
 Create serious problems ● Too difficult materials
can frustrate the
Why? learners.
 the materials are not
developmentally
appropriate for
undergraduate students.

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 Many instructors of English literature do not feel
comfortable teaching literature major courses for
lack of confidence.

1. The instructors ● 2. The instructors do

Two themselves never took not like the kind of
any courses in their literature subjects
possible previous schooling they (happen to) have
experiences similar to to teach.
sources: those literature subjects
they are supposed to
teach.

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 If we closely examine this issue of lack of
confidence, chances are that the
instructors misconstrue “teaching literature” as
teaching philosophical/theoretical constructs which
are commonly of concern to literary theorists.

The primary job of literature instructors is

more like “guides” into the act if reading
literature rather than “experts” on theories of
literature.

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“ Major Problems of
Teaching Literature
in a Second
Language
Classroom
14
2. Instructors’ personal-
professional preferences and
faculty development

Lecturers are recruited into an educational

program in different times and under
different contextual forces.

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Some lecturers were recruited into an academic
program as a result of relatively competitive
recruitment processes; while other lecturers have
joined the teaching force in response to an
invitation for letters of application which means
being admitted to the academic post without a
rigorous academic screening process.

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Viewed from their academic qualifications and fields
of expertise, lecturers are also varied.

While this variety in itself is potentially beneficial,

imbalance of the proportion and distribution of
expertise can pose a serious challenge for productive
program implementation.

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Proportion of human resources in the program

Experience/Interest in
UNIVERSITIES Total Lecturers
Literature
Linguistic Background

UNJ
( University of Jakarta) 27 9 (30%) 18

UNIPA 20% 80%

WIDYATAMA
UNIVERSITY 1 10

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This imbalanced proportion of human resources in the
program can pose serious problems, including low-
quality literature instruction and this, in turn, sends a
negative message to the public.

EFFECT:
20% of students chose literature major
while the remaining majority opted for
linguistics major.

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 11
N

U
En obo

Ta
m g li dy
in em sh ho

m
a
lin be lit lds
gu rs w era an
i s t h tu r a
i c o a e, d v
s. re th an
cu ere ced
rre ar d
n t e t eg
ly w re
w of ei
or a c n
k i ul
ng ty
on
di
22

ss
er
ta
ti o
n
O
do ut o
on ing f e
U
PI
teach literature courses can become worse.

m ly do lev
aj on c en
or e to
. le rat lec
ct es tu
u r o re
er v rs
is ers wh
ta ea o
ki s
n g an ar e
lit d in cur
er -c re
a t o nt
ur un ly
e a tr
s a y,
At issue here is faculty development. When left to chances, the gap in
numbers between lecturers of linguistics and those willing (and able) to

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Given this unfortunate trend, it is high time that
staff development be carried out more
systematically by considering the principle of
balance and long-term benefits for the study
program.

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ANY QUESTIONS?

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Thank You!

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REFERENCE:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/273526077_Sev
en_issues_and_dilemmas_in_literature_teaching_in_EFL
_context_Lessons_from_Indonesia

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