EXPLORING THE TEACHING OF LITERATURE IN A UNIVERSITY EFL DEPARTMENT IN BENIN

Abstract

The teaching of literature is of paramount importance at a university level EFL department in so far as literature exposes students to authentic language and is likely to improve their language skills. This article seeks to find out strategies used to teach literature, determine the challenges confronting the teaching of literature and identify how literature teaching can be improved. The findings revealed that most respondents do not develop a syllabus for their course. In addition, teachers give an overview of the novels to be studied and ask the students to prepare and give presentations on such novels. Difficulties identified are related to the accessibility of the prescribed novels, learners´ poor linguistic, reading, and literary competences and the fact that students do not always have the prescribed novels. It has been suggested that the teaching of literature could be improved through literature teacher professional development and the organization of literary competitions to encourage students to read.