ISSN: 2226-6348
Open access
The implementation of utilising literary texts in ESL/EFL classrooms has been widely enforced in all levels of schools for its roles and benefits for language learning. Due to challenges faced by teachers, the teaching and learning by using literary texts in the classroom seem to be ineffective. Hence, a systematic review of the 15 published articles is presented in this paper to expound the challenges in incorporating selected literary texts and the suitability of teaching approaches and strategies applied in using the texts in teaching and learning of English from year 2013 to 2022. The findings depict on the common problems encountered by English teachers are related to students’ low proficiency levels, the difficulties of literary text interpretation and teachers’ lack of practices as well as low confidence levels in teaching literary texts in the class. The teaching approaches in literature lesson preferably applied was information-based approach and moral philosophical approach. Moreover, integration of educational technology strategy and student-centred activities are highly recommended to be applied in the literature lessons. It is hoped that this review will provide contribution for researchers to conduct literature related studies and enlighten policy makers into revamping literature curriculum in the future.
Arafah, B. (2018). Incorporating the use of literature as an innovative technique for teaching English. The 1st Annual International Conference on Language and Literature, 3(4), 24. https://doi.org/10.18502/kss.v3i4.1914
Affendi, F. R., & Abdul Aziz, A. (2020). Systematic review: the challenges and approaches in the teaching of English Literature in enhancing English proficiency. International Journal of Academic Research in Prgressive Education & Development, 10(4), 318–336. https://doi.org/10.6007/IJARPED/v9-i1/7136
Bobkina, J., & Dominguez, E. (2014). The use of literature and literary texts in the EFL classroom; between consensus and controversy. International Journal of Applied Linguistics and English Literature, 3(2), 248–260.
https://doi.org/10.7575/aiac.ijalel.v.3n.2p.248
Brumfit, C. (1985). Language and literature teaching: From practice to principle. Oxford.
Carter, R., & Long, M. N. (1991). Teaching literature. Longman.
Cheng, K. K. Y. (2008). Issues in the teaching and learning of children’ s literature in Malaysia. 9(2), 112–125.
Cheung, A. (2019). Second language teachers’ conceptions of teaching literary texts. The Electronic Journal for English as a Second Language (TESL-EJ), 23(1), 1–18.
Cheung, A., & Hennebry-Leung, M. (2020). Exploring an ESL teachers’ beliefs and practices of teaching literary texts: A case study in Hong Kong. Language Teaching Research. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362168820933447
DinkuGebeyehu, Mekonnen, S., & Markos, M. (2019). Teachers’ and students’ challenges, perceptions and techniques of using short stories in English as foreign language speaking classroom: BoredaForeign ary school tenth graders in Focus. International Journal of Engineering Science and Computing, 9(7), 23210–23211.
Suhaimi, E. A., Isyaku, H., Nazri, L. N. J. A. (2020). Students’ perceptions of the English literature component in Malaysian secondary schools in. Language Related Research, 11(6), 125–144. https://doi.org/10.29252/LRR.11.5.125
Suhaimi, E. A., Isyaku, H., Nazri, L. N. J. A. (2021). Approaches to the teaching of English Literature preferred by students in selected Malaysian secondary schools. Journal of Siberian Federal University. Humanities & Social Sciences 2021, 14(3), 396–407. https://doi.org/10.17516/1997
Gopal, R., & Mokhtar, M. M. (2020). Literary texts selection for Malaysian lower secondary schools in Perak. Universal Journal of Educational Research, 8(8), 3417–3422. https://doi.org/10.13189/ujer.2020.080815
Hassan, K. M. (2018). Difficulties facing English teachers in teaching literary texts at higher secondary level in Bangladesh. English Language and Literature Studies, 8(3), 15. https://doi.org/10.5539/ells.v8n3p15
I??kl?, C., & Tarakç?o?lu, A. Ö. (2017). Investigating problems of English literature teaching to EFL high school students in Turkey with focus on language proficiency. Journal of Language and Linguistic Studies, 13(2), 82–95. www.jlls.org
Kaur, P., & Mahmor, N. (2014). Examining the role of the English literature component in the Malaysian English curriculum. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 134(May), 119–124. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2014.04.229
Kementerian Pelajaran Malaysia. (2000). Sukatan Pelajaran Kurikulum Bersepadu Sekolah Menengah. Bahagian Pembangunan Kurikulum.
Khan, K., Kunz, R., Kleijnen, J., & Antes, G. (2003). Five steps to conducting a systematic review. Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, 96(3), 118–121.
Krishnasamy, J. (2015). An investigation of teachers’ approaches employed in teaching the English literature. Asian Journal of Education and E-Learning, 03(02), 136–145.
Lima, C. (2011). Selecting Literary Texts for Language Learning. Journal of NELTA, 15(1–2), 110–113. https://doi.org/10.3126/nelta.v15i1-2.4616
Ling, S., & Eng, S. C. (2016). Types of English literature teaching approaches preferred by teachers in secondary schools in Miri, Sarawak. International Journal of Language Education and Applied Linguistics, 04, 1–14. http://ijleal.ump.edu.my/
Wai, L. K. T., & Abidin, Z. H. (2020). Learning Poetry: Attitudes and challenges faced by ESL students. LSP International Journal, 7(2), 55–69. https://doi.org/10.11113/lspi.v7.16343
Othman, N. I., Shah, P. M., Karim, A. A., Yusof, A., Din, R., Ramli, N. A., & Salleh, N. S. (2015). Personalizing learning of English literature: Perceptions and challenges. Journal of Personalized Learning, 1(1), 104–112.
Paatsch, L., Hutchison, K., & Cloonan, A. (2019). Literature in the Australian English Curriculum: Victorian primary school teachers’ practices, challenges and preparedness to teach. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 44(3).
https://doi.org/10.14221/ajte.2018v44n3.4
Parojenog, R. C. (2020). Approaches in teaching literature employed by senior high school teachers. IOER International Multidisciplinary Research Journal, 2(2), 52–58.
Prowse, P. (2002). Top ten principles for teaching extensive reading: A response. Reading in a Foreign Language, 14/2.
Mustakim, S. S., Mustapha, R., & Lebar, O. (2014). Teacher’s approaches in teaching literature: Observations of ESL classroom. Malaysian Online Journal of Educational Science, 2(4), 35–44.
Sivapalan, S., & Ahmad, W. F. (2010). A web-based multimedia approach to literature in Malaysian secondary schools: Learners’ preferences. European Journal of Social Sciences, 12(3), 328–335.
Subarna, S., & Ganakumaran, S. (2008). The incorporation of literature in the English language program for engineering students: learner interest and perception. 3L: Language, Linguistics, Literature, 14, 45–73.
Subramaniam, G. (2003). Linguistic Pathways to the Study of Literature in the Malaysian ESL Context. GEMA Online Journal of Language Studies, 3(1), 1675–8021.
Suliman, A., Yunus, M., & Nor, M. Y. (2019). Scrutinising the preferences in Literature approaches and activities: from the lenses of ESL teachers. 3L: The Southeast Asian Journal of English Language Studies, 25(2), 38–48.
https://doi.org/http://doi.org/10.17576/3L-2019-2502-03
Suriani Mohd Yusof, Zalina Mohd Lazim, & Khazriyati Salehuddin. (2017). Teacher trainees’ perspectives of teaching graphic novels to ESL primary schoolers. 3L: The Southeast Asian Journal of English Language Studies, 23(3), 81–96.
Yahya, O. (2017). The inclusion of literature components in Malaysian English papers: the challenges and pros in leaching and Learning. Al-Ta’lim Journal, 24(3), 174–186.
Yulnetri. (2018). Obstacles encountered while integrating literature in teaching English. Ta’dib, 21(1), 39. https://doi.org/10.31958/jt.v21i1.1099
Yunus, M. M., Salehi, H., & John, D. S. A. (2013). Using visual aids as a motivational tool in enhancing students’ interest in reading literary texts. Recent Advances in Educational Technologies, 114–117. http://arxiv.org/abs/1305.6360
In-Text Citation: (Sylvester & Aziz, 2022)
To Cite this Article: Sylvester, A. C., & Aziz, A. A. (2022). A Systematic Review of Utilising Literary Texts in English Classroom: Challenges and Teaching Approaches. International Journal of Academic Research in Progressive Education and Development. 11(2), 929- 948.
Copyright: © 2022 The Author(s)
Published by Human Resource Management Academic Research Society (www.hrmars.com)
This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) license. Anyone may reproduce, distribute, translate and create derivative works of this article (for both commercial and non-commercial purposes), subject to full attribution to the original publication and authors. The full terms of this license may be seen at: http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode