Page 32 - Getting of the fence

Chapter 2
Abstract
There is an increasing awareness that the inclusion of literature in foreign language curricula can be beneficial to language learners. Especially the move towards integrated language and literature curricula is gaining ground. In this study we investigated the way EFL literature is approached in Dutch secondary education at pre-university level. Using a survey study (n = 106 EFL teachers), we investigated (1) how EFL teachers approach literature at pre-university level in Dutch secondary education, and also (2) which factors are related to the reported occurrence of four foreign language literary teaching approaches. Confirmatory Factor Analysis shows that the four identified approaches represent one underlying construct, which underlines our understanding of a Comprehensive Approach to foreign language literature teaching and learning. Results indicate that the variation between the ways foreign language teachers approach literature is enormous. Correlation analyses and t-tests indicate that curricular factors are significantly related to the way literature is approached. The fact that teacher demographics are generally not significantly related to the way foreign language literature is approached could be ascribed to curricular heritage or the way foreign language literature curricula are designed. The study concludes by suggesting several directions for future research.
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