New publication

2006

It is stated that literature needs to have a special place in education programmes for foreign language teachers because it has proven to be invaluable in various and diverse educational situations. Raising foreign language learners' intercultural awareness stands out as the area in which literature is particularly successful. Future teachers need to learn how to teach literature in a creative and flexible way, so that they can employ literature appropriately, and so that they are able to fully realize its potential in foreign language learning and teaching.

2019

This study investigates the use of literary texts for intercultural learning using a Master course of English as a foreign language in Algeria as an empirical example. We first define essential concepts that guided this course-'culture', 'language-culture nexus' and 'intercultural competence'-before we explain the socio-linguistic and socio-cultural context in Algeria, as it is the foundation of the choice of literary texts. The empirical study was an action research project that took place in two universities. We explain the research methodology and teaching methodology in which lessons were planned on the basis of Byram's model (1997) of intercultural communicative competence. In the analysis we draw on the existing literature and extracts from the students' discussions and worksheets to argue for the significance of using literary texts in encouraging 'aesthetic reading' leading to empathetic responses that were significant in developing intercultural communicative competence. Finally, we provide recommendations in terms of theory and practice for teachers and syllabus designers who intend to use literary texts for intercultural learning.

Intercultural Communication Education

In this article we discuss how the design of a higher education language course can challenge the power of sentimentality in the classroom. In particular, the paper analyses the role of literature in intercultural language education through the lens of affect theory, while focusing on minimizing sentimentality in the classroom, especially when the literary texts used confront students with trauma-related content involving human rights abuse, death and suffering, and trigger discomforting emotions in students such as sadness, anguish, fear and more. We suggest that it is important for educators and students in higher education to recognize the affective and biopolitical dimensions of literature teaching in intercultural language education. This is illustrated through the design of an English language course syllabus in an Argentinian higher education setting. The paper concludes with a discussion of the curricular and pedagogical implications for intercultural language education.

2018

Due to constant and rapid changes occurring in the contemporary word, the outcomes of foreign language learning (FLL) should be re-thought and focused on the specific needs of modern learners. Above all, as a result of the globalisation process and mobility programmes, people not only encounter members of different communities worldwide, but education has also been internationalised at all its levels. Therefore, apart from the development of learners’ linguistic competence, there is a need for the development of their intercultural competence since they should be able to successfully communicate in different sociocultural contexts. One of the ways in which this can be achieved is certainly the use of authentic materials in the classroom as they communicate ideas and are culturally loaded. As literary texts deal with cultural topics involving readers cognitively and affectively, they should find their place in foreign language teaching (FLT)

International Education Studies, 2011

In the history of language teaching, literary texts have gradually been reduced to a source for linguistic learning, as an informative representation of cultural traits or even dismissed from the foreign language classroom. This paper aims to add reasons that justify considering literary texts a vital presence in the foreign language classroom. One general aim is to promote the study of foreign literature as enjoyable and (inter)culturally significant.The classroom is inevitably a culturally heterogeneous setting since its elements are already socialized subjects. Instead of its limiting role of supplying knowledge, the classroom ought to foster reading critically through a pedagogy of questioning the text, searching for and building textual meaning. Teaching literature in a foreign language should underline how literature offers new perspectives and how these views are directly relevant to the world we live in and the lives we lead.

International Journal of Multilingual Education, by Lilia Teterina, 2015

The focus of attention in this article is exploration of cultural messages conveyed by literary texts which are used as instruments for raising cultural awareness of students-philologists. The goal of this work is to demonstrate the actual intercultural potential of fictional discourse for understanding otherness and developing students' linguosociocultural competence. The research is based on the experience of analyzing English literary texts with English philology students but the techniques used are applicable for studying culture in any foreign language.

2012

As the increase in the pace of globalised communications enables s eco n d-language (L2) students to become more proficient and enthusiastic about their learning, teaching literature i n the target language has taken new relevance and importance. A g rowing body of evidence indicates that teaching literature to L2 learners can provide a number of valuable outcomes, including helping students to understand and appreciate other cultures different fro m their own. Literature provides useful examp les of syntax and language usage in different genres, introducing a level of enjoy ment to the learning experience and encouraging L2 learners to pursue additional readings in the target language. The opportunity for immersion in the target culture takes the students to another level of appreciation of the cu lture and civilisation of the target language. To determine how these desirable outcomes can be imp lemented in s eco nd-language classrooms, this paper provides a review of the relevant scholarly literature concerning teaching literature to L2learners in general and as a mediu m to bridge the gap between cultures in particular. Examp les of the use of literature in the author's Arabic language classes are provided throughout. A summary of the research and important findings are presented in the conclusion.

2017

As English becomes the global lingua Franca, the correlation between the English language and particular culture is problematic. Consequently, English Foreign Language (EFL) learners should have intercultural competence while improving their linguistic competence. Moreover, intercultural communication is more complex than communication between persons of the same culture. Thus, the practitioners of English language teaching need to know how to integrate the knowledge of intercultural communication in English language classes. This paper emphasizes the strategy of integrating the language learners’ intercultural communication competence in English literature teaching, especially in reading novel. Through reading novel, students are exposed to more cultural varieties and understand the culture concepts. The strategy mostly encompasses activating learners’ cultural awareness, considering context, and understanding obstacles in English reading comprehension from the perspective of cross...

2019

This study investigates the use of literary texts for intercultural learning using a Master course of English as a foreign language in Algeria as an empirical example. We first define essential concepts that guided this course-'culture', 'language-culture nexus' and 'intercultural competence'-before we explain the socio-linguistic and socio-cultural context in Algeria, as it is the foundation of the choice of literary texts. The empirical study was an action research project that took place in two universities. We explain the research methodology and teaching methodology in which lessons were planned on the basis of Byram's model (1997) of intercultural communicative competence. In the analysis we draw on the existing literature and extracts from the students' discussions and worksheets to argue for the significance of using literary texts in encouraging 'aesthetic reading' leading to empathetic responses that were significant in developing intercultural communicative competence. Finally, we provide recommendations in terms of theory and practice for teachers and syllabus designers who intend to use literary texts for intercultural learning.

Englisia: Journal of Language, Education, and Humanities

Foreign language teaching is a medium to raise students’ inter-cultural understanding, awareness, and sensitivity important for establishing tolerant mindset in multi-ethnic community. However, the use of literary works in foreign language teaching, for example TESOL, which could elevate intercultural competence since they promote respect and appreciation, is almost unexplored. This paper examined to which extent the values of moderation are presented during the teaching of literature and explicated in the curriculum, as well as the course outline of literary courses in three participating Indonesian Islamic Universities. This case study research collected data through a semi-structured interview with three lecturers English Literature Department, Walian University (pseudonym) administered under Indonesian Ministry of Religious Affairs and were analysed through critical exploratory lens. The results demonstrate that lecturers face complex issues regarding the incorporation and promo...