This paper examines the methods and approaches employed in the teaching of English literature in EFL reading classes. The study finds that although many EFL literary texts are suffused with Western cultural norms and values, which create student comprehension problems, the teaching of cultural background in literature is glossed over in favor of an approach which places more importance upon information retrieval for specific purposes. However, the reading of a selection of key Western literary texts reveals that English literature has historically served an important function in producing a specific way of thinking about non western cultures. Furthermore, it is found that some anxiety is held by teaching professionals in relation to the possible affect of these literary representations upon EFL reading students. In light of these findings, the paper advocates the avoidance of a purely Western culture-specific literature syllabus in EFL reading classes, and instead recommends the adoption of a multicultural and critically comparative approach. Finally, the paper outlines a future research project, involving Japanese English reading students based at a private university, which would aim to discover whether the employment of such an approach improves EFL students’ cultural and linguistic perception of English texts.
Investigating Literary Representation in EFL Reading Texts:An analysis of English literature and its usage in EFL.
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031-054 Neil Addison
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