Literature in English language teaching : a revisit in the Malaysian context

Abstract

When literature was first incorporated as a tested component in the English language syllabus at secondary school level in Malaysia, the local research community provided some insights into the challenges and issues in relation to the move. It has now been more than eight years since literature was introduced and this paper attempts to revisit the situation by describing the overall learning needs of current language learners and their perceptions of the use of literature in learning English. These needs are matched with the expectations and perceptions of teachers who have become accustomed to using literature as a resource to teach the language.