Views of Pre-Service English Teachers on the Role of Literature in EFL Classes

Öz

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Teaching literature in EFL
• literature teaching
• foreign language teaching
• teacher training
• student’s self-development

Views of Pre-Service English Teachers on the Role of Literature in EFL Classes

Abstract

As the reflection of the target culture, literature has an important role in foreign language teaching process. However language teachers do not use it in their classes and students do not pay attention to it because they both think that it is difficult to study. Literature and Language Teaching courses in the curriculum of ELT departments aim at students’ developing awareness in the field of literature and improving skills how to use literature to teach English. During the terms, students are exposed to literary texts from different genres and they are wanted both to study and to teach these texts in EFL classes. In this qualitative study, the data were collected through an open ended- questionnaire conducted to 16 pre-service English teachers who have taken literature and language teaching classes in ELT. The aim of this research is to learn if pre-service teachers at ELT department recognize the importance of literature use in EFL and to learn their views on literature. According to the result of the study, it is clearly seen that pre-service English teachers are aware of the importance of literature use in the process of teaching a foreign language and they plan to use literary texts as teaching materials in their classes in the future.

Keywords

• Teaching literature in EFL
• literature teaching
• foreign language teaching
• teacher training
• student’s self-development

Kaynakça

1. Akyel, A, Yalçın, E. (1990). Literature in the EFL class: a study of goal- achievement incongruence. ELT Journal. Vol. 44/ 3. July 1990, 174- 180.
2. Carter, R, Long, M.N. (1991). Teaching Literature. Essex: Longman.
3. Collie, J, Slater, S. (1998). Literature in the Language Classroom. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
4. Ghosn, Irma K. (2002). Four good reasons to use literature in primary school ELT. ELT Journal. Vol.56/2 April 2002, 172-179.
5. Hirvela, A, Boyle, J. (1988). Literature courses and student attitudes. ELT Journal. Vol. 42/3 July 1988, 179- 184.
6. Khatib, M, Derakhshan, A, Rezaei, S. (2011). Why & why not literature: A task- based approach to teaching literature. International Journal of Linguistics. Vol. 1 No.1 March 2011, 213- 218.