An integrated approach to teaching literature in an EFL classroom

Yimwilai, S. (2015). An integrated approach to teaching Literature in an EFL classroom. English Language Teaching, 8(2), 14-21. doi: 10.5539/elt.v8n2p14

Background

According to the author, literature has been a subject of study in many countries but unfortunately, it has not been given much emphasis in the EFL classroom.

Aims

The study examined whether an integrated approach model to teaching Literature comprising key elements of the language model, the cultural model and the personal growth model would improve test scores, critical thinking skills and attitudes towards Literature.

Sample

The participants were 78 Thai English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students majoring in English at two universities in Bangkok and Pathum Thani.

Method

The duration of the study was eight weeks, with each teaching session lasting 2.5 hours. In the first week, the students sat for a pre-test on critical thinking skills. A lesson plan with three phases – (i) Language Consideration, (ii) Cultural Consideration and (iii) Enrichment Consideration – was created to teach Literature to the experimental group. In the Language Consideration phase, the students read a literary text at home, for which they were given a vocabulary list. In the Cultural Consideration phase, the instructor provided the students with the essential background and cultural information as a pre-reading stage. In the Enrichment Consideration phase, the students discussed the text, facilitated by the instructor. They were then asked to complete post-reading activities. Students in the control group were taught using the conventional instructor-led approach consisting of the one-sided discourse of the instructor and the passive response of the students. After completing the eight teaching sessions, the students sat for an achievement test and a critical thinking skills test, and completed a questionnaire.

Findings

Test scores from the achievement and the critical thinking skills tests for the experimental group were higher than those of the control group. The results from the questionnaire revealed that the attitudes towards Literature were significantly more positive for the experimental group as compared with the control group. The outcomes of this study proved that the integrated approach to teaching Literature was more effective than the conventional approach.

Implications

The author recommended that Literature teachers should consider the benefits of using the integrated approach to teach Literature to students with different levels of English proficiency.

Original article retrieved from Academic Search Complete.