The 3 models on Teaching Literature

● different models suggested on the teaching of literature to ESL/EFL students (Carter&Long,Lazar

1998)
● How teacher uses a literary text depends on the model chosen
● differ in terms of focus on the text

1. CULTURAL MODEL
● views a literary text as a product
● treated as a source of information about target culture
● most traditional approach
● often used in university when teaching literature
● examine the social, political, historical background, literary movements and genre
● no specific language work done on a text
● quite teacher-centered (teacher’s input)
● information-based (the text is a source of facts, information
● reading tends to be based in obtaining information
● teacher transmits knowledge to the students
Lazar, 1993- focus on content require students to examine history, and characteristics of
literary movements, cultural, social , political and historical background to a text, thus
demanding a large input from the teacher
Activities under cultural model
● lectures, explanation, reading of notes and criticism provided in workbooks or by the teacher
CULTURAL MODEL….
● Teachers working within such an orientation stress the value of literature in encapsulating
the accumulated wisdom, the best that has been thought and felt within the culture.
● Teaching literature within a cultural model enables students to understand and appreciate
cultures ideologies different from their own in time and space and to come to perceive
tradition of thought, feeling, and artistic form the heritage the culture of such cultures
endows.

2. LANGUAGE MODEL
● Literature puts students in touch with some of the more subtle and varied creative uses of
the language.
● The main impulsive of a language centered literature teaching is to help students find
ways into a text in a methodical way and for themselves.
● Literature is made from language and that the more students can read in and through
language they will be able to come to terms with a literary text as literature.
2. LANGUAGE MODEL
● most common approach to literature in the ESL/EFL classroom
● language-based approach (Carter , Long 1991)
● seeks a closer integration between language and literature
● students can improve their language proficiency by using literature as a resource in language learning
● for linguistic practice used in mechanistic way
● provides a series of language activities orchestrated by the teacher
● seeks greater unification between language and literature
● the language-based approach help students to focus attention on the way as to how the language is
used
● see literary texts as resources for language practice through series of language activities
● rather than studying literature for the purpose of acquiring facts and information
● enables learners to access a text in a systematic and methodical way in order to exemplify specific
linguistic features e.g. literal and figurative language, direct and indirect speech
● can choose to focus on general grammar and vocabulary or use stylistic analysis
ACTIVITIES: cloze procedure, prediction exercises, jumbled sentences, summary writing,
creative writing and role play, part of the repertoire of EFL activities

REDUCTIVE APPROACH- Carter and McRae (1996) describe this model as taking a “reductive” approach
to literature, the activities are just integrative and disconnected from the literary texts, it deviates to the goal
that we teach literature to get an information. Any type of text can be used to teach the language

STYLISTIC ANALYSIS- close study of the linguistic features of the text.

3. PERSONAL GROWTH MODEL (PGM)
● outlined by Carter and Long (1991)
● attempts to bridge the cultural and language model
● it focuses on the particular use of language in a text
● placing it in a specific cultural context
● helps learners develop knowledge of ideas and language
○ contents and formal schemata
○ through different themes and topics
● seeks the opportunity for students to relate and respond to themes and issues by
making a connection to their personal lives
● function relates to theories of reading emphasizes the interaction of the reader with the
text.
● text itself has no meaning, provides direction for the reader to construct meaning from
the reader’s own experience
● need of the students’ personal engagement with the reading of literary texts
● development of language competence and literary competence of the students, pleasure
and personal fulfilment which come out of the reading of literature making a literary text
one’s own
 ● aims to infuse a continuous love and appreciation of literary texts
● helps learners to achieve an engagement with the reading of literary texts.
● encourages learners to love literature beyond the classroom
● motivate and enliven the students in the literature class
● selecting appealing works
● can respond linguistically and emotionally and emotionally
● the process of reading-an enjoyable, responsive, individual and collective experience for
all,(Carter 1991)

4. INTEGRATED MODEL (DUFF AND MALEY, 1990)

● main reasons for integrating these elements : linguistic, methodological, motivational
○ LINGUISTICALLY- by using a wide range of authentic texts we introduce learners to a
very wide range of styles , registers , and text types at many different levels
○ METHODOLOGICALLY- literary discourse allows readers to the processes of reading
-strategies for intensive and extensive reading etc.
● MOTIVATIONALLY- literary texts prioritise the enjoyment of reading
What are the goals in teaching literature?

1. Development and/or extension of literary competence.

Literary competence is the ability to internalize the 'grammar' of literature
which would permit a reader to convert linguistic sequences into literary structures and meaning (Jonathan
Culler). Anyone wholly unacquainted with literature and unfamiliar with its conventions would be quite
confused if presented with a literary work. He/She may be able to read the literary text, but may not fully
comprehend what the text may signify or mean. He/She must possess literary competence not just reading
comprehension skills.

2. Development and/or enhancement of the imagination and creativity.

Literature definitely-develops and enhances the imagination. The different literary genres allow the readers
to enter different worlds - realistic, - realistic, fantastic, futuristic, and even out of this world. Literature
hopefully will inspire them to write their own poems, essays, fiction, or drama and encourage them to
respond creatively by tapping their own skills and talents in drawing, singing, acting, and the like.

3. Development of students' character and emotional maturity.

Through literature, the students can discover and realize many universal truths and insights about the world
and human nature. They may learn from the different literary texts knowledge, wisdom, and values that
they will apply in real life.
4. Development of critical thinking.

Literature is a very good means to develop critical thinking. Students may be challenged to
interrogate their own beliefs and practices and those of others. The study of literature will
help them interpret, analyze and criticize things in their own life and
those around them.

5. Development of literary appreciation and a refined reading taste.

The literary experience should provide students a love for literature. They will learn what is
beautiful in a poem, what to like in a drama, what is good in a novel or short story, or what
is worthwhile in an essay. Hopefully they will read on their own and become readers of
literature for life.
The Teacher of Literature: Requisites and Demands

1. Literary competence.
The teacher of literature must not only be literature literate, but more importantly literary competent
himself/herself. He/She is the one who mediates between the literary text and the students.

2. Broad reading background.

A teacher of literature must not be just one paragraph or one book ahead of his/her students. He/She
must have read a lot of literature before even venturing to teach it.

3. Love for literature.

The students must sense that their teacher in literature oozes with love for literature in the way he/she
discusses literary texts, gives ready examples, quotes lines of poetry or passages from fiction or drama,
or talks about the authors.

4. Emotional maturity and experience.

Certain topics and themes in literature need to be handled carefully and tactfully, without moralizing or
pontificating or passing judgment on people, their religion, race, gender, or class. He/She must
remember that the object is to liberate the students' minds from prejudices, biases, or narrow
mindedness.
5. Knowledge of different methods, strategies and techniques.
The teacher of literature constantly finds ways to make the teaching of
literature meaningful, interesting, enjoyable, and even unforgettable for
his/her students. Teaching with only one method and using the same
strategy and technique will only bore the students and make them hate it.

6. Knowledge of students' reading ability, language ability, and interests.

The teacher must know where the students are coming from - their ability
level, what they have read, if they like acting, singing, writing, or debating,
what hobbies and habits they have, etc.
Considerations in choosing methods, strategies, and techniques in
teaching literature

1. Teacher-centered vs student -centered classroom

2. Teacher Talk vs student-talk
3. Supplementing the print page
4. Variety
5. Multiple Intelligences
6. Higher Order Thinking Skills
Considerations in Interpreting Literary Texts

1. Meaning-making vs meaning spotting

2. Meaning vs significance
3. Using literary approaches and theories
4. Reader and the text
5. Reader and the text
6. Reader and other readers
7. Text and other texts
Considerations in Choosing Literary Texts

1. Students' language ability.

Discussing and responding to literature
written in English will come easier if students have at least average language ability. If the class has
low language ability, the text to be chosen should have low frequency of difficult words or a glossary
should be provided.

2. Students' reading ability.

Success in reading and understanding literature written in English depends on the students' ability to
comprehend. The teacher should start with shorter texts for a class with low reading ability

3. Students' cognitive ability.

Students with high cognitive ability show more success in studying literature. For a class with low
cognitive ability, the teacher may opt to start with texts that have more familiar subject matter so
students can make use of their schema or previous knowledge.

4. Culture load.
The culture load of the text may pose difficulty to the students.
The texts to be chosen should not have heavy culture load. If it cannot be helped, then more
background information about the text should be provided by the teacher.
Methods Employed in Teaching Literature

1. Lecture Methods: formal, informal, straight recitation

2. Discussion Methods: pair work, buzz group, group work
3. Public speaking methods: memorizing, interpretive reading :readers
theatre,chamber theater
4. Audio-Visual methods: teaching with slides, teaching with OHP, teaching with
film,vcd,dvd, teaching with cassette recorder/cd player
5. Project Methods: scrapbook making, exhibit/diorama,dramatization, literary map,
timeline, video/audio scriptwriting, making a storyboard/screen adaptation
6. Field Research Methods: field trip, author interview
7. Creative writing methods: journal writing, closure writing, team writing, writing
workshop
Some strategies and Techniques

1. Using the title and cover design.

The teacher motivates the students by showing them an interesting or intriguing cover design of a
novel. Students are asked to guess or infer what the book is about from the title and cover design.
Another way to use this is to ask students to make their own title and cover design for a novel, a short
story, or a drama.

2. Getting in the Mood.

This is a kind of guided fantasy. The teacher asks students to make a mental picture of particular
scenes in the story or a scene depicted in a poem. Then the class is invited to inhabit the scene in their
minds. Once they have done this, students are asked what they felt, saw, etc.

3. Biographical Montage.
This is a good activity to use to talk about the author before taking up his/her work. Students collect or
make photos, objects, things, pictures of places, etc. relevant to the author's life. These are mounted
on a cartolina or illustration board, even a simple folder, and arranged or laid out creatively.

4. Writing Chapter O.
Students are asked to write a scene before Chapter 1 of a novel they have just read. They can write
the additional chapter following the author's style. This is like writing a prequel of the story.
5. Graphic Representation.
Students are asked to make a visual representation of the plot, characters, or setting.
Crayons, water color, pencil or the like can be used as drawing materials.

6. Creative Conversation Writing.

Writing dialogues is a way for students to explore their views about the characters of the
story itself. Students may be asked to take some scenes from the story in which there is no
dialogue, and they imagine the conversation that took place.

7. Thought Bubbles.
Students are asked to write the 'inner' dialogue that parallels the 'outer' dialogue in the
literary work. They may even draw the thought balloons and write the dialogues inside
them.

8. Movie Poster.
Students are asked to imagine the story as a movie. They will make a movie poster just like
the ones they see in movie theaters to advertise films. They choose the actors to play the
characters in the story, the place where the movie will be shot to reflect the setting of the
story, a design to reflect something of the plot, and an ad blurb to reflect the theme of the
story.
9. Movie Trailer
Students prepare a 1-minute teaser about the story as it it is a film. There is a voice-over
announcer to narrate something about the story. The other students in the group act out the
chosen scenes for the trailer.

10. Worksheets.
To encourage students to read on their own, worksheets can be made, These worksheets
can be in the form of an agree/disagree worksheet, true/false worksheet, values worksheet,
or a completion worksheet.

11. Sculpting
Students work in groups to re-create the important scenes in a story through a kind of a
montage or tableau set-up. One member acts as the 'sculptor' who 'sculpts' a scene using
his/her group members as the
'sculpted' objects.

12. Transparency Overlay

The transparencies are used to re-create the characters, setting,or plot by putting one
transparency over the other to build/complete the desired output.
PARADIGM SHIFT IN TEACHING LITERATURE
What do we teach?
FICTION
● It is any imaginative recreation and re-construction of life. It includes short stories
and novels. The novel and short story differ from each other in length and
complexity. Even though fiction is make-believe , the characters seem almost real
and the situations or problems they are in are similar to real life. Readers see
themselves in the characters or they relate them to real people they know.
Elements:
a. setting
b. characters
c. plot (exposition-complication-crisis-climax-denouement)
arrangement: chronological, circular (linear w/flashback, in medias res)
d. point of view (omniscient, first person,third person limited)
e. theme
f. images
g. symbols
Students‘ problem when using the short story
THANK YOU!