LITERATURE has long been a subject of study at the secondary or tertiary level in many countries. But, until recently, it has not had much emphasis in the EFL/ESL classroom. It has only been since the 1980s that literature has attracted more interest among EFL teachers. Lindsay Clandfield, a teacher trainer at Oxford House College Barcelona, offers some ways in which literature can be used in the classroom.

　　There are many good reasons for using it in the classroom. Here are just a few: First, literature is authentic material. It is good to expose learners to this unmodified language in the classroom because the skills they acquire in dealing with difficult or unknown language can be applied outside the class.

　　Second, literature encourages interaction. Literary texts are often rich, with many layers of meaning. And they can be effectively used for discussions and sharing feelings or opinions.

　　Third, literature expands language awareness. Asking students to examine sophisticated or non- standard language (which are found in literary texts) makes them more aware of the norms of language use.

　　There have been different models suggested for the teaching of literature to ESL/EFL students. How the teacher uses a literary text depends on the model chosen.

　　The cultural model views a literary text as a product. This means that it is treated as a source of information about the target culture. This is the traditional approach, often used in university literature courses. The cultural model examines the social, political and historical background of a text, as well as literary movements and genres. There is no specific language work done on a text. This approach tends to be quite teacher-centred.

　　Then there's the language model. It is more learner-centred. As learners proceed through a text, they pay attention to the way language is used. They deal with the meaning and increase their general awareness of English. In this model of literature study, teachers can focus on general grammar and vocabulary or they can use stylistic analysis. Stylistic analysis involves the close study of the linguistic features of the text. This allows students to make meaningful interpretations of a text its purpose is to help learners read and study literature more competently.

　　The personal growth model is also a process-based approach. It also tries to be more learner-centred. This model encourages learners to have their own opinions, feelings and personal experiences. It aims for interaction between the text and the reader in English. This helps make the language more memorable. Learners are encouraged to "make the text their own". This model recognises the immense power that literature can have to move people and it attempts to use that in the classroom.

　　Some potential problems can occur when using literature in the classroom. For example, how does the teacher choose the material? Is a text too difficult?

　　Obviously a teacher doesn't want to use a text that is completely beyond the learners' grasp. This will ultimately be frustrating for everyone involved.

　　However, the difficulties with vocabulary in a text might not be an obstacle to comprehension. Learners can be taught to infer meaning of difficult words from context. The selection of a text must be given careful thought, as must the treatment of the text by the teacher. This means the teacher should think about the tasks he or she set for reading a piece of literature, not just the text.