The Classic Dilemma: EFL Teachers' Attitudes, Motivations and Methods When Teaching Literature

Abstract

As the communicative approach to language learning is adopted throughout Europe, the value of some aspects of foreign language teaching is put to question. One of these aspects is the study of literature and literary canons. This study aims to examine English as a foreign language-teachers’ (EFL) perspectives, attitudes and motivations concerning literature, literary canons and their implementation in the classroom. This is achieved through interviewing five EFL-teachers, all of which are active at various upper secondary schools in Sweden. The study finds that all respondents view literature as containing an inherent aesthetic value, and see reading literature as beneficial to students due to it conveying valuable second-hand experiences and perspectives. In contrast, respondents’ views on literary canons, as well as teacher-student roles when teaching literature are more varied. Finally, the majority of respondents report a difference between their own and their students’ views on literature, with students questioning the purpose of reading literature at all. From these findings, a few areas of future research are identified. Firstly, more in-depth survey research must be carried out with regard to teachers’ motivation behind chosen methods for teaching literature. Secondly, the incongruence between teacher-student views on reading warrants further study. Notably, any such studies should include both students’ and teachers’ accounts of the phenomenon.