M.A.

(English Language Teaching)

3
rd
Semester





Assignment
ELT 524 Language & Literature





Submitted to:
Sir Yasir Khan

Submitted by:
Muhammad Younus

National University of Modern Languages
Department of English (GS)
(Karachi Campus)

Q. How can we use literature in the language classroom for teaching English Language?

Literature was once an integral part of language teaching, when grammar translation was the
dominant method of teaching foreign languages. The most popular technique in this method was
the translation of literary texts in the mother tongue. Literary works provided additional material
of grammar practice, vocabulary learning, translation (Liaw, 2001, quoted by Khatib et al 2012).
However, as direct and audio-lingual method became widely popular, literature was also
banished from the language classrooms along with Grammar Translation Method.
Communicative Language Teaching did not revive the use of literature in the language
classroom either.

But from the middle of 1980s, the interest in literature as a teaching resource has been renewed
and continues until today. Despite criticism from some of the scholars and EFL/ESL teachers, it
is generally believed that use of literature in the language classroom is very beneficial in learning
a new language.

Advantages of Using Literature:
The major advantages of using literature, as given by the experts in the field, are detailed below:

Language Development
Literature provides meaningful and memorable contexts for processing and interpreting new
language, thus contributing effectively to language development, especially in those countries
where second language learners have fairly limited access to spoken English. (Lazar 1993)

Through extensive reading of literature, students not only develop their vocabulary but they also
gain familiarity with many other features of the written language the formation and function of
sentences, the variety of possible structures, the different ways of connecting ideas which
broaden and enrich their own writing skills. They also develop the ability to make inferences
from linguistic clues, and to deduce meaning from context, both useful tools in reading other
sorts of material as well. (Collie & Slater 1987)

Students interpretive abilities can also be developed through teaching literature (Widdowson,
quoted by Lazar 1993). As literary texts are often rich in multiple levels of meaning, the learners
have to be actively involved with the text, in order to understand the unstated implications and
assumptions of the text. In a poem, for example, a word may take a completely different
figurative meaning beyond its fixed dictionary meaning. Dealing with layers of meaning in a
literary text will greatly enhance their interpretative skills (Lazar 1993).

Literary language can be an excellent prompt for oral work. As it is open to interpretation,
students can engage in pair and group discussions, sharing their feelings and opinions, which will
accelerate their language acquisition. At the intermediate level onwards, literature can also
develop students awareness of range of language and can help them become creative writers.
(Collie & Slater 1987)

Authentic Material
Literature is authentic material which means that works of literature are not written for the
specific purpose of teaching a language. Literature provides learners with authentic samples of a
wide range of styles, text types and registers. It is extremely important for foreign language
learners to be trained in a variety of registers, styles and genres and to discern the function of
each of them (Sanz & Fernandez 1997, quoted by Llach). Thus literature helps students to gain
sociolinguistic competence in the use of language as they become aware of different forms of
language appropriate for different social situations.

Suitable for Communicative Language Teaching
Use of literature in the language classroom is also in accordance with the principles of
Communicative Language Teaching. It is authentic material and use of authentic material is
emphasized by CLT as it exposes students to undistorted samples of real language from the
world outside the classroom. CLT favours interaction among the learners using the target
language in a real context and literary text can be easily used for pair and group discussions,
predicting, creating a scenario and debating the themes (Long, quoted by Yeasmin et al 2011).
When literature is used as a resource in the classroom, learners become active, autonomous and
central to the learning process and they also gain cultural information about the country whose
language they are learning (Lazar 1993). Both of these aspects are emphasized by
Communicative Language Teaching approach as highly important principles for learning a
foreign language.

Cultural Enrichment
Literature can provide students with access to the culture of the people whose language they are
studying (Lazar, 1993).The world of a literary text, although a created one, depicts many
characters from different social backgrounds. Students can discover their thoughts, feelings,
customs, possessions and the way they speak and behave behind closed doors, quickly getting a
feel for the codes and preoccupations that structure a real society. Similarly, the literature of a
historical period helps us imagine what life was like in a certain territory in the past. (Collie &
Slater, 1987)

However, Lazar (1993) emphasizes that teachers should encourage students to always treat the
cultural aspect of literature critically, since few novels or poems could claim to be a purely
factual documentation of their society, as they are, in the end, works of fiction. Poetry has
possibly an even more indirect link with the real world since it creates its meaning by an
orientation towards language itself (Widdowson, 1984, p. 149, quoted by Lazar, 1993).

Personal Involvement
Literature can be helpful in the language learning process because of the personal involvement it
fosters in readers. Engaging imaginatively with a novel, play or a short story, enables the reader
to inhabit the text. He is drawn into the text and is eager to find out what happens next as the
plot unfolds. He also develops a bond with certain characters and shares their emotional
responses. Poetry may also elicit a very emotional response from the readers. This highly
fascinating experience of engaging with the literary text is immensely motivating for learners
and has very beneficial effects on the language learning process. (Collie & Slater 1987)

Educating the Whole Person:
When students are given an opportunity to engage with the literary text on a personal level and
are encouraged to express their own ideas and emotions, it develops their imagination, fosters
their critical abilities and increases their emotional awareness. They become more confident of
their ability to understand the text and are able to relate it to the values and traditions of their
own society. Literature, thus plays an important role in the holistic development of students.
(Lazar 1993)
A suitable Approach to use Literature in Language Classroom:
Different approaches and models have been proposed for teaching of literature to ESL/EFL
students. The three prominent models are the cultural model, the language model and the
personal growth model (Carter & Long, Lazar 1993, quoted by Clandfield).

The cultural model takes the literary critical approach to teaching literature in which the primary
concern is the literariness of the text that students study. Students concentrate on such aspects
as the plot, characterization, setting, points of view, motivation, psychology etc. However, very
few exceptional ESL students have the level of competence required for this kind of study.
(Maley 1989, quoted by Khatib et al 2011)

The language based approach is the more appropriate choice for teaching language through
literature. It considers literature as a resource for teaching and learning language. Students pay
attention to how language is used when they go through the text and the teacher focuses on
general grammar and vocabulary, as he does with other texts in the language course book.
Students can also engage in stylistic analysis of the text in which they closely examine its
linguistic features to arrive at a meaningful interpretation (Clandfield). They can be taught about
different styles and registers through a literary text and as these texts are open to interpretation,
they provide excellent opportunities for classroom discussions (Duff & Maley 1990, quoted by
Lazar 1993).

The personal growth model can also be integrated with the language model in the classroom, as
it is also a learner-centred and process-based approach which aims for interaction between the
text and the reader in English and encourages learners to draw on their own opinions, feelings,
and personal experiences in order to make sense of the text. This model makes the language
more memorable (Cladfield) and the interaction between the text and the leaners, as well as
among the learners will lead to language learning, bringing literary understanding as a by-
product of the engagement with the text (Maley 1989, quoted by Khatib et al).

In a language based approach, teacher will focus on teaching all four skills of language through
teaching a literary text. He will also focus on developing students vocabulary and grammatical
knowledge at the same time using a variety of exercises. The principles of communicative
language teaching can serve as a valuable guide while using literature to teach language.

There will be intensive reading in the classroom and comprehension exercises, in the form of
short questions, fill in the blanks, true/flase, multiple choice questions, will be given to ensure
that students have understood the text. Listening Comprehension exercises can also be done in
the classroom based on the poem or the literary text that is being used. A teacher can audio-tape
his own voice reading the text or use an audio book easily available for most popular literary
texts.

As Duff and Maley (1989) point out, the literary text can also be very effectively used for
speaking activities in the classroom. Students can engage in pair or group discussions and share
their ideas and interpretations of the text orally with each other. There can be whole class debates
in which different controversial issues raised in the literary text can be discusses. Students can
write summaries, respond to the themes of the literary work and engage personally with the
issues raised in the text which will help them enhance their writing skills. A number of grammar
and vocabulary based activities are also possible with every literary text which will be mentioned
in the next section.
It is extremely important to select appropriate literary texts to be used in the classroom. Collie &
Carter (1989) have chalked out these three criteria for making the right choice: extracts should be
interesting in themselves, and if possible close to the students own interests; they should be an
important part of the books overall pattern; and they should provide good potential for a variety
of classroom activities. Moreover, it is also important that the extracts should match the
proficiency level of the students as well. Extremely difficult texts will be demotivating and might
discourage them from reading literature completely.

Using extracts from literary texts or short poems is recommended as they can be easily tackled
by foreign language learners and a teacher will also be able to introduce the flavours of
different writers works in the classroom. However, reading complete books is important and
valuable in its own regard, and setting up an extensive reading programme is the alternate
solution which will be explained in the last section.



Strategies/Activities for teaching literature:
The language based approach integrated with personal growth model can be implemented in the
classroom through intensive and extensive reading of literary texts using the following activities
and strategies.

Intensive Reading:
Clandfield has suggested the following lesson plan format for intensive reading of extracts from
novels/stories/plays and poems in the language classroom:

Stage one: warmer
The purpose of the warmer is to prepare students for the reading of the literary text by making
them to anticipate accurately what they are going to read. Clandfield suggests two types of
warmers:

Devise a warmer that gets students thinking about the topic of the extract or poem. This
could take several forms: a short discussion that students do in pairs, a whole class
discussion, a guessing game between you and the class or a brainstorming of vocabulary
around that topic.
Devise a warmer that looks at the source of the literature that will be studied. Find out what
the students already know about the author or the times he/she was writing in. Give the
students some background information to read, but it should not be too detailed to distract
them.

Stage two: Before reading:
This stage could be optional, or it may be a part of the warmer. Preparing to read activities
include:
Pre-teaching very difficult words: These should not be more than 7 8 in a literary or the text
might be too difficult for the learners.
Predicting: Give students some words from the extract and ask them to predict what happens
next. If it is a play, give them a couple of lines of dialogue and ask them to make predictions
about the play.
Giving students a taste: Read the first bit of the extract (with their books closed, or papers
turned over) at normal speed, even quickly. Ask students to compare what they have
understood in pairs. Then ask them to open the book (or turn over the page) and read it for
themselves.
Showing a Picture: A picture to the text or the title of the book from which the extract is
taken can be shown to students and they can be asked to guess the topic/theme of the text.

Stage three: Understanding the text: general comprehension:
The first reading of the literary text could be done without assigning any task to students.
This will help them to enjoy the text and read for pleasure.
Teacher might choose to read the text, especially a poem, in a way that students can get a
feel for the text.
Comprehension questions can be asked to check their understanding of the text.
Students can be asked to explain key words.
True/False, Fill in the blanks, MCQs can also be given to check their general comprehension
of the text.
They can be asked to share their understanding of the text with eachother orally.

Stage four: Understanding the language:
Grammar based activities can be given to students. They may be asked to find all the
adjectives or adverbs or abstract nouns from the text. They may be asked to change the tense
of the passage from present to past or vice versa. They may also be asked to change the
dialogues in the text if any, to reported speech.
Students can work on the new vocabulary in the text. They should try to guess the meaning
from the context. Teacher should provide clues.
Certain elements of style in the text can be analysed now. It is also beneficial to look at non-
standard forms of language in the text if any, to understand the standard.
If appropriate to the text, look at the connotation of words which the author has chosen. For
example, if the text says She had long skinny arms, what does that say about the authors
impression of the woman? Would it be different if the author had written She had long
slender arms?

Stage five: Follow up activities:
After students have read the extract/poem, doing some follow-up activities will be very helpful
for developing their language skills. Clandfield, Collie & Slater (1987) and Kamran & Qayyum
(2006) give the following interesting ideas for using different genres of literature in the language
classroom:

Using poems:
Have students read each other the poem aloud at the same time, checking for each others
pronunciation and rhythm. Do a whole class choral reading at the end.
Ask students to rewrite the poem, changing the meaning, but not the structure.
Ask students to write or discuss the possible story behind the poem. Who was it for? What
led to the writing of this poem?
Have a discussion on issues the poem raised and how they relate to the students lives.



Kamran & Qayyum (2006) have also suggested the following activities to be used with poems:
Ask students to write a paragraph or a dialogue based on the theme and content of the poem.
Such Transfer Activities help students recognise that they can handle different types of text
and use some aspects from them for communication.
Ask students to select a line from the poem that they find very musical and explain the
reasons for their choice.

Using extracts from novels or short stories:
Ask students to write what they think will happen next, or what they think happened just
before.
Ask students to write a background character description of one of the characters which
explains why they are the way they are.
Ask students to personalise the text by talking about if anything similar has happened to
them.
Ask students to improvise a role play between two characters in the book.
Ask students to write a different ending to a short story that they have read in the class.

Collie & Slater (1987) suggest the following activities:
Cry for help: Write a letter/note on behalf of a character who is in a predicament in the
novel/story seeking immediate help
Write a letter to a character in the story giving him advice/agreeing or disagreeing with his
actions etc.
Write a characters thoughts and feelings at a particular moment in the story
Write an epitaph for character that dies in the story

Using extracts from plays:
Most of the ideas from novels/stories (above) could be applied here, but obviously, this medium
gives plenty of opportunity for students to do some drama in the classroom. Here are some
possibilities:

Ask students to act out a part of the scene in groups.
Ask students to read out the dialogue but to give the characters special accents (very
foreign or very American or British). This works on different aspects of pronunciation
(individual sounds and sentence rhythm).
Ask students to write stage directions, including how to deliver lines (e.g. angrily,
breathlessly etc) next to each characters line of dialogue. Then they read it out loud.
Ask students to re-write the scene. They could either modernise it (this has been often done
with Shakespeare), or imagine that it is set in a completely different location (in space for
example). Then they read out the new version.









Lazar (1993) also suggests the following language based activities to use with literary texts in the
language classroom:

1. Students are given an extract from a novel or short story in which all tenses are removed.
They are provided with the actual verbs to fill in. After completing this task, they compare
their text with the original.
2. Different sections of a dialogue from a play can be used for teaching Reported Speech to
students. Students can work in groups and change different sections of dialogues into
Reported Speech and then they can exchange the reported version and turn it back into
Dialogues.
3. Students are given a piece of descriptive writing from a novel or short story from which all
adverbs and adjectives are removed. They rewrite the text adding those they think will liven
it up, and compare their version with the original. They may use dictionaries to help them.
4. After they have read it, students are given three different summaries of a short story. They
have to decide which summary is the most accurate.
5. Students read a dialogue from a play or a novel and then improvise their own role play of
what happens next.
6. Students are given three very short and simple poems in English, but without their titles.
They are also given a list of six titles three genuine and three invented. After reading the
poems, they have to decide which title is most appropriate for each poem.
7. Students are given three different critical opinions of a play or novel they have read. They
have to decide which they find the most convincing or accurate.

Kamran & Qayyum (2006) have suggested True/Flase exercises, Guided/Controlled Writing and
Transfer activities to be used with literary texts in the language classroom.

Extensive Reading:
Besides intensive reading, extensive reading is also one of the best ways of improving students
English skills. It provides the possibility of internalising the language and reinforcing points
previously learned (Kamran & Qayyum, 2006 ) and finishing an entire book in another language
can be highly motivating for students (Clandfield). Krashen (1989, quoted by Llach) also argues
that it is through extensive reading, that learners acquire most of their vocabulary, and that
instruction plays a rather insignificant role as the number of words learned is concerned.

Harmer (2007) suggests the following guidelines for setting up an extensive reading programme:
A proper selection of books should be made keeping in mind the level and interest of the
students. These books should be made available in the library or the classroom, and should be
arranged genre and difficulty level wise to help students make the right choice. Simplified
readers can be used for the elementary level students as they may not handle the original literary
text, due to lexical and syntactic complexity.

Teachers should also devise a variety of tasks for the extensive reading programme to monitor
students progress. A fortnightly meeting with the students can be scheduled where they can
share how much they have read and what they think about the book (progress reports). They can
also be asked to keep a Reading Diary/Journal where they can write summaries of the part of the
book they have read on weekly basis. Students can also write brief reviews of the books and they
can be placed on the class soft board. A Review worksheet can also be prepared and distributed
to students where they can give a rating on a scale of 1 5 and write a brief comment about the
book.
Conclusion:
Literature possesses enormous potential to be effectively used in the language classroom. It
provides students authentic material to read, real contexts of communicative situations, a variety
of writing styles and register, an engaging, motivating and pleasurable experience of language
learning and contributes enormously to their mental and holistic development as a person. An
English language teacher should find creative ways to exploit literary text in the language
classroom while adhering to the principles of communicative language teaching.

To conclude, Kamran and Qayyum (2006) rightly state that the debate should shift now from
whether or not to use in literature in the language classroom, to how effectively use it to address
the needs of language learners.



Bibliography:

Khatib, Hossein & Rahimi (2012). Literature & Language Teaching. Journal of Academic &
Applied Studies Vol. 2(6).

Yeasmin, Azad & Ferdoush (2011). Teaching Language through Literature: Designing
Appropriate Classrooom Activities. ASA University Review Vol-5(02).

Lazar, Gillian (1993). Literature & Language Teaching. Cambridge: Cambridge Uni. Press UK

Collie, Joanne & Slater, Stephen (1987). Literature in the Language Classroom, CUP New York

Llach, P. A. (2007). Teaching Language through Literature: The Waste Land in the ESL
Classroom. Odisea, 8, 7-17.

Clandfield, Lindsay. Using literature in the EFL/ ESL classroom. (published on
onestopenglish.com, retrieved 5pm, 14
th
March, 2014)

Kamran, Rubina & Qayyum, Ambrina (2006). Language & Literature. NUML Press Islamabad

Harmer, Jeremy (2007). The Practice of English Language Teaching, 4
th
ed. Pearson Longman