Research in Language-Literature Instruction: Meeting the Call for Change?

Abstract

The purpose of this review is to assess whether recent scholarship on language-literature instruction—the deliberate integration of language development and literary study at all levels of the foreign language curriculum—within the context of U.S. institutions of higher education reflects shifts in thinking regarding the role of literature in foreign language curricula. These shifts have come in response to the 2007 Report of the Modern Language Association Ad Hoc Committee on Foreign Languages, which recommended replacing the traditional two-tiered program structure with more coherent curricula that merge language and content, and to the general questioning of communicative language teaching as a viable method for language instruction and adequate preparation for advanced-level work in a foreign language. Current approaches to language-literature instruction and foreign language curriculum design favor multimodal language development that places equal importance on oral and written language and interpretative interaction with literature to construct textual meaning and establish form-meaning connections. This review surveys empirical and classroom practice research on literature in language courses and language in literature courses and concludes with a consideration of larger curricular issues and areas for future research.

Attitude towards and Perception of Literature in EFL Setting: A Case Study on QU Male Undergraduate Students

“…These studies in the Arabic context often identified a mixed attitude toward literature in Arabic-speaking communities. However, scholars outside the Arab world (Tehan, Yuksel, & Inan, 2015;Babaee & Yahya, 2014;Lakshmi & Jayachandran, 2012;Paesani, 2011;Fogal, 2010;Ghazali et al, 2009;Ögeyik, 2007) have recently and vehemently highlighted the role of literature in language learning and teaching. Literature occupies a central place in language learning.…”

“…The authors highlighted different techniques that can be of great help for teachers and learners alike. Paesani (2011) reviewed the research on different models that include literature as a necessary part of the curricula. Her review of scholarly studies in the field suggested that language in literature and literature in language courses can lead to a shift toward a multimodal language development.…”

Patterns of tasks, patterns of talk: L2 literacy building in university Spanish classes

“…Researchers have noted that literature courses such as those that make up the senior levels of foreign language programmes have little if any systematic focus on language development (Paesani, 2011), while lower-level courses typically focus on the development of oral communicative competence and grammar/vocabulary (form). Such a divide suggests that transition courses need to address tasks that not only are familiar to freshman and sophomores, but that also help socialise undergraduates into the types of tasks they will be required to undertake in more advanced content/literature classes.…”

“…The present study focuses on the third-year Spanish course. Scholars have argued that the language-content or languageliterature 'gap' that exists between courses in the basic-intermediate and upper-level course sequences often makes third-year language learning problematic (Brandes & Rettig, 1986;Brown, Bown, & Egget, 2009;Kraemer, 2008;Lord, 2014;Paesani, 2011). Students who are used to learning the grammatical and lexical patterns in beginning and intermediate courses need help learning to function in upper-level courses, which tend to focus primarily on content, typically literature (Zyzik & Polio, 2008).…”

“…Understanding this can help teachers move students successfully into the more advanced language study encountered in senior courses. Paesani (2011) calls for further empirical research on 'best practices for integrated language-literature instruction that moves students toward advanced-level FL abilities' (p. 174) and the potential contribution of technology in this instruction. The current paper responds to this call by detailing four patterns of tasks that teachers can focus on to facilitate this transition and suggesting how these tasks fit into third-year FL curricula.…”