Justifying the Use of Literature in ELT: Rationale and Illustration with Extracts from Literary Texts and Associated Activities

Abstract

The reasons for incorporating literature in EFL classrooms range from improving language proficiency and gaining cultural experience to increasing literary knowledge. This paper is an endeavor to explore the feasibility of the effective use of literature for English classes. The study comprises two chapters. Chapter one, the rationale, includes possible definitions of literature as well as giving reasons for using literature in the language classroom. It also refers to some problems encountered by EFL learners in the Syrian universities and the advantages of using literature to deal with these problems.

Chapter two, provides activities considering the role of literature in transferring the culture of the target language as well as other skills. In this regard, culture is treated as an essential fifth skill in addition to the teaching of speaking, listening, reading, and writing.

The main discussion  in this paper is that literature can be used to foster  English classes in the Syrian universities. In support of this argument, the second chapter integrates reasons in favor of using literature as a motivating material  in the language classroom, and it tries to support this argument by  incorporating activities designed to enhance the teaching of the language skills.