A Didactic Implementation of Real Literature in the ELF Classroom: An Emotional and Cognitive Journey

Abstract

In recent years, the study of the role of literature and its incorporation as a valuable tool for teaching in the EFL (English as a foreign language) classroom has become of a great research interest. Nevertheless, the integration of authentic literary texts in Spanish secondary schools seems to be an odyssey for many teachers of the target language. This paper examines previous research on the use of real literature as authentic material in the process of EFL acquisition. The principal aims of this paper are to encourage students to read in English and to reinforce the notion of using authentic literature as a valuable tool in the process of teaching and learning a foreign language. Furthermore, the study exhibits how the same literary works can be implemented into two different classrooms, in which the students’ level of English competence is remarkably varied.