Page 66 - Getting of the fence

Chapter 3
Association published a report in 2007 in which they advocated replacing the traditional two-tiered language and literature configuration with a “broader and more coherent curriculum in which language, culture, and literature are taught as a continuous whole,” (n.p.) language-literature instruction has gained increasing interest worldwide. This is evidenced, for example, by the recently published companion volume to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, teaching, assessment (Council of Europe, 2018). Although the first edition, which was published in 2001, included literature in its general descriptions, literature was only sparingly part of the can-do statements. Furthermore, the 2001 version is explicit about the distinction between foreign language and literature teachers: “It is much to be hoped that teachers of literature at all levels may find many sections of the Framework relevant to their concerns and useful in making their aims and methods more transparent” (Council of Europe, 2001, p. 56). In addition to leaving the explicit distinction between language teachers and literature teachers out, the 2018 edition also includes three new scales, which ideally should become part of the redesign of foreign language- literature curricula: Reading as a leisure activity; Expressing a personal response to creative texts (including literature); and Analysis and criticism of creative texts (including literature) (Council of Europe, 2018).
Although language-literature instruction is not new, research into this area is slowly moving from essentially theoretical and practitioner based research (Paesani, 2011) to empirical research. In order to move this area of research forward, Paran (2018) argues that we not only need more empirical research and sophisticated data collection and data analysis, we especially need more empirical research in the context of secondary education “the locus of most language teaching in the world” (Paran, 2008, p. 490).
3.1.4 Student voice in foreign language-literature teaching research
Despite the increasing interest in actively engaging students in educational research (McCallum, Hargreaves, & Gipps, 2000), in foreign language research students are primarily involved as data sources (Pinter, 2014; Pinter & Zandian, 2014). According to Pinter (2014) this is due to the prevalent experimental positivist research tradition within these fields. In a review study of research in foreign language-literature education, Paran (2008) discerned two types of research into students’ views: large-scale research concerning the role of literature in foreign language courses and more small-scale research focusing on feedback
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