Upper Secondary EFL Teachers’ Attitudes and Practices when Teaching Literature. A Qualitative Interview Study

Abstract

A focus on communicative language teaching has led to literature taking a less prominent role in EFL teaching, to the extent that its value has been put into question by both teachers and scholars. This study aims to investigate upper secondary EFL teachers’ attitudes and practices to teaching literature. This is achieved through qualitative semi-structured interviews where seven EFL teachers from various regions in Sweden participated. The findings revealed highly positive attitudes where the teachers acknowledged the value of literature teaching and highlighted many learning benefits such as language development, cultural awareness, personal growth and a greater understanding of the world at large. They also identified different challenges regarding the use of literature. Finding literary texts suitable to students’ levels and motivating students to read were among the difficulties the teachers emphasised. The teachers’ goals and practices for teaching literature varied significantly. However, they all seem to use literature as a tool for teaching aspects pertaining to language and culture rather than focusing on teaching literature in itself. Further research is needed to better understand the role that literature has in EFL teaching, especially regarding teachers’ goals and practices for teaching and using literature.