Literature as a Tool for Teaching Cultural Awareness in the EFL Classroom. A Literature Review

Abstract

Culture is a factor, which is an essential aspect in language teaching and learning. Despite the complexity of defining the concept, students can be made aware of culture through a variety of teaching materials. This paper reviews literature as a tool to teach cultural awareness in the EFL classroom. Using literature in the classroom and offering students the opportunity to encounter different cultures are stated in the Swedish curriculum. Given the particular importance of the relation between literature and culture, three aspects have been looked into in this review. Firstly, what genres of literature have been mostly used and are typically preferred among students? Secondly, how has teaching cultural awareness through literature been approached and what sorts of teaching strategies and methods have been applied? Lastly, what aspects need to be considered and what does educators need to take into consideration when selecting literature for students? The findings show that literature and culture have a complicated but intertwined connection and literature is a beneficial tool that should be used for several reasons, especially for developing students’ cultural awareness. This review will be concluded by a discussion of possible topics for future research.