AWEJ Volume.4 Number.3, 2013 Pp.239-250
The Significance of Using Literature in FL/SL Classrooms
Mohammed AbdAlla AbdAlgane
Department of English Language, College of Arts and Education
Taif University, Saudi Arabia
Siddig Ahmed Ali
Department of English Language, Science and Education College
Taif University, Saudi Arabia
Abstract
This study is an attempt to investigate and highlight the significance of using appropriate carefully selected literary materials in FL/SL Classrooms. The study comprises several various aims, among which: Concreting EFL learners’ educational background and personal experiences based on the subject matter of the literary work. In addition to that, assisting EFL learners to comprehend the semantic signification that the authors attempt to convey in order to enhance learners’ reading abilities. Moreover, the study strikes at enhancing EFL learners’ critical thinking and judgmental abilities. In addition to the above, the paper aims at promoting EFL learners’ writing abilities through essay-writing and comments related to the theme of the literary work. This study is intended to be a contribution to EFL teaching and learning processes, thus it attempts to compensate the lack of classroom practices as well as materials that do not appear to provide EFL learners with adequate communicative performance needed for more target-like realizations. As a result, this study attempts to explore the want of rich and contextually appropriate input in the classroom and suggests that in the absence of opportunities for communication and feedback outside instructional settings, thus, utilizing interesting literary materials is required to help the learners through their teachers to promote communicative performance in English language.
Keywords: literature, EFL/ESL learners and classrooms, context, Cultural Model, Language Model, Personal Growth