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CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION
A. Background of the study
The last few decades have witnessed a rapid interest in English globally. More than two billion people are currently estimated to speak English in varying degrees of
competencies as their first, second, or foreign language. English is now taught in many countries and educational institutions as a second or foreign language. As a
result, Pennycook 1994:5 acknowledges that ‘English and English language teaching
seem ubiquitous in the world, playing a role everywhere from large scale global politics to the intricacies of people’s lives.”
English language teaching involves many components. Kitao and Kitao 1997 list five important components of language instructionteaching to include
students, a teacher, materials, teaching methods, and evaluation. This study focuses on teaching materials
by exploring teachers’ attitudes toward literature as a resource. Teaching materials are an essential component of EFL and include a variety of
educational materials that teachers use in the classroom to support specific learning objectives as set out in the curriculum. These include textbooks, literature,
newspapers, magazines, video, audio tapes, computer software, and visual aids etc. Teaching materials arean integral part of curriculum planning and teachers are
expected to play a vital role in the selection, design and implementation of the curricular.
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Teaching materials are used purposefully to teach students, to learn, to serve as a guide and resource books for ideas and activities for learning, and to give
teachers rationales for what they teach. Teachers can adapt, supplement or elaborate teaching materials to suit
students’ need and situations. Although, in the past few years, there have been complains that conventional teaching course materials
textbooks are heavily redundant, often outdated and do not induce response from students. Such materials do not offer real context to current realities and students do
not find pleasure repeating the same thing all over as contained in the materials and do not gain new knowledge. In activities with these texts, the learners only take the
role of passive learners. As a result, McRae 1991:23 observes that ‘the dullness of
conventional course- books ‘is the best way of stifling student learning. The teacher
who follows any course-book slavishly will inevitably bore him- or herself as well as students
’. It is widely acknowledged in the pedagogy that some materials are suitable
for language teaching, but are not specifically designed for teaching purposes. A number of authentic materials belong to this category of teaching materials.
According to Bacon and Finnemann 1990, “authentic materials are texts produced
by native speakers for a non-pedagogical purpose. Authentic language materials are spoken or written language materials that have been produced in the course of real
communication and not specifically produced for the very purpose of language teaching Nunan, 1999. These include: travel timetables, city plans, forms,
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pamphlets, cartoons, advertisement, newspaper or magazine articles, literature, TV broadcast, video and internet. They provide samples of authentic language by helping
to bring alive the real world into the EFLESL classroom. Collie and Slatter 1987 state that l
iterature is ‘authentic’material. By that we simply mean that most works of literature are not fashioned for the specific
purpose of teaching a language.’ Incorporating good authentic materials in language teaching could spur students to response, enhance their language skills and language
in use. Berato 2006 explains that as authentic material, literature can provide many advantages to improve language skills especially reading. Lazar1993:17 notes that
literature may provide a particularly appropriate way of stimulating this acquisition, as it provides meaningful and memorable contexts for processing and interpreting
new language. Pedagogically, literature offers stimulating, discussionary, linguistic and communicative experiences for teachers and students in and outside the language
classrooms. This study basically focused on literature as a material or resource for language teaching rather than literature for study, which is the teaching of literature
as a subject. Given the above it has been found that various genres of literature in
original, translated, abridged and simplified versions can be used for the purpose of teaching English. Though, since the 1960s, the rationale for the inclusion of literature
in foreign language teaching has been fiercely debated among scholars in English pedagogy, linguistics and literary criticism leading Sage 1987 to admit
that ‘the
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debate has attracted some of the best minds’. Short 1996 describes the development as a
‘border dispute over territory between linguists and literary critics’. The dispute and controversy eventually led to the separation of literature from language teaching.
Under current pedagogies, many EFL teachers still consider the teaching of literature in the language classroom as unnecessary; while a few regard it as a
teacher’s best tool because of its advantages and captivating power. Language scholars, Collie and Slatter 1987; Carter and Long 1991; Hill 1986; Maley and
Duff 1990; and etc., have demonstrated the advantages of using literature as a resource in language teaching. They have also offered theoretical arguments in
support of the use of literature in language teaching and a number of activities that can be implemented using literature. Wilkins 1976 argues that by using literature
“language teachers were trying hard to bring the outside world into their classrooms”. By this, “The classroom, therefore, becomes a locus for the generation of knowledge
and action. It is a participatory sphere, engaged and sometimes improvisational, that promotes liberation from established, official narratives and conventional
action ”Naiditch 2012
Using literature for language teaching, Arthur 1968:199 has discussed the reluctance of language teachers to include literature in the syllabus, while Blatchford
1972:1-6 blatantly rejected the study of English literature as a “luxury that cannot
be indulged, an ‘expensive gewgaw’. Topping 1968 argues that “literature should be excluded from the foreign language curriculum because of its structural
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complexity, lack of conformity to standard grammatical rules, and remote control perspective.”
Language educator, Edmondson 1997 rekindles the debate on the values of literature in language teaching and learning byposing two critical questions : 1.
Does literature have something special to offer the language learner and therefore the language teacher? 2. What justifies the inclusion of the literary components in
language teaching programs? Ten years earlier, Collie and Slatter asked whether we should be teaching literature in the foreign language classroom at a pre-university
level, or not.‘The question which is certainly at the forefront of debate today, yet it remains controversial and the attitude of many teachers ambivalent’Collie and
Slatter, 1987:1-2. Collie and Slatter note that ‘keeping literature off the syllabus, has
produced a certain amount of unease as well. There is the awkward fact that many learners want and love literary texts, as we have found time and time again. Similarly,
they often wish to become more familiar with patterns of social interaction in the country which uses the target language.
In a fairly recent study, Lin and Guey 2004 note some critical concerns about
the teaching of literature in the EFL context. They remark that “Behind such utilitarian concern of pedagogy is a widely held assumption that the study of literary
English has little bearing on EFL learner needs to promote functional command of English. They also note that one of the tragedies of current English teaching is that
literature in many newly established “applied English departments” has begun to
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disappear gradually from the language classroom. They state that literature has not been given due consideration at many colleges and universities because many
educational institutions have put their main emphases on practical language skills at the expense of literature. With these concerns, there is indeed a perceived wide gulf
between the teaching of English and the teaching of its literature in EFL context. Since the 1980s, the role of literature has been reassessed in the EFL
classroom. Gilroy 1995 writes that ‘After a long absence, literature has made a
comeback into many EFL classrooms having been expelled along with the grammar - translation method... but in recent years it has become difficult to ignore it. Duff and
Maley 1990:3 earlier observed that , “there has been a remarkable revival of interest
in literature as one of the sources available for language learning.” As a result, Bagherkazemi and Alemi 2010 conclude that
‘the current consensus of opinion regarding the integration of literature in language programs is overwhelming, and by
far exceeds the points of controversy. The consensus holds great promises as it is informed by current research in language teaching, language learning and acquisition,
and psychology ’. In addition, Zyngier 2006 points out that literature is back but it is
not wearing new clothes; it is we teachers who is wearing new spectacles. Meanwhile, the relationship between language and literature continues to
attract scholars ’ attention. MacCabe 1985:47 contends that “To truly know a
language,
you must know something of the
literature
of a
language
”. Brumfit 2000, Littlewood 2000, Carter and Long 2000 argue that it is difficult to isolate
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literature from language and emphasize the advantages of teaching literature to both native and non-native speakers of English. Regmi 2004 states that literature which
accepts language as its raw materials, is not only the mode of expression, vehicle for thoughts but also a useful and effective resource of language teaching and helps the
learners in fostering their language skills By integrating literature in the
language classroom, the teacher’s aim is to teach language in use. Hymes 1972 describes two levels of linguistic knowledge:
the level of usage and the level of use. In his definition, usage involves a knowledge of linguistic rules, whereas use entails knowing how to use these rules for effective
communication. Widdowson 1975 points out that since some literature presents language in discourse where the setting andrelationships are defined, and illustrates a
particular dialect or register embedded within a social context, it is effective in developing of awareness of language use. Literature has been used to teach language
usage, but rarely has it been used to develop language use. Under current pedagogies, the emphasis is to use literature to develop language use in language learners and for
them to attain communicative competence. With the emergence of communicative language teaching method CLT,
many scholars now contend that literature provides rich linguistic input, effective stimuli for students to express themselves in the language and a potential source of
learner motivation. Literature provides opportunities for multi-sensorial classroom experiences that can appeal to learners with different learning styles and through new
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devices or texts supplements of audio-texts, music CDs, film clips, video and podcasts etc. Van 2009 adds that since literature is full of instances of real-life
language in various situations, it provides unprecedented opportunities to ameliorate syntactic, pragmatic, cultural, and discoursal awareness among learners.
Sage 1987:2 however observes that many teachers consider the use of literature in language teaching as an interesting and worthy concern. Collie and
Slatter 1987 who have done research on using literature in the language classroom said that we have found that role play, improvisation, creative writing, discussions,
questionnaires, visuals and many other activities which we use successfully to vary our language classes can serve a similar purpose when we teach literature. Engaging
students in classroom practicestasks such as discussion, pair and group work, dictation, dramatization, question-answer, role-play, improvisation, prediction
exercises, jumbled sentences, summary writing, and creative writing based on a particular literary text will definitely enhance their
students’ linguistic, cultural and communicative skills. Teaching literature in the language classroom enables students
to see language use in different contexts thereby enhancing their language competencies. Ikegulu 1989 points out that literature provides an additional way in
which learners of English as a second language is exposed to the elasticity of the language.
There has been little concern about using literature in EFL classrooms in Indonesia. It can be argued that many teachers have not enthusiastically embraced
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literature for the purpose of teaching English at all levels of education in the Indonesia. Although citing empirical evidence to substantiate this statement of claim
may be difficult due to lack of research in this area. Discussions as well as observations with EFL teachers have revealed what might be termed a sense of
apprehension in using literature in the language classroom. Incorporating literature in the EFL classroom has not been emphasized by many educational institutions.
In view of this, the non-use of authentic materials in particular seems to contribute to
students’ poor performance in the language. Kirkpatrick 2007 observes that teaching English in Indonesian schools and colleges has been less than
satisfactory in the last few decades. Students are leaving high schools and universities without sufficient English skills to communicate effectively or compete
internationally. Musthafa 2001 who has conducted extensive research on the problems of teaching English in Indonesia reported that one of the hindrances of
teaching English in Indonesia might be the absence of good, authentic learning materials, teachers tendency to rely on non-communicatively engaging learning tasks
such as grammar-based worksheets, and the absence of visible social uses of the language outside the classroom confines. Musthafa states other factors as:limited time
allocation for teaching English and inadequate time for students to actually learn to speak English in class because the teacher is more concerned to teach the grammar
and syntax.
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Nifisah 2006 explains that ‘Teachers-especially in formal schools, tend to
focus more on language forms, but less on language functions and acceptability. For instance, they are inclined to teach grammar forms without emphasizing the
functions’. With emphasis on grammar, students do not get the opportunity to experience literary texts which expose them to the authentic use of the language and
enlarge their vocabulary. According to Flora Debora Floris 2005, In Indonesia, literature written in English has been rejected as meaningful
language usage in EFL classrooms. One of the most common complaints is that teachers and curriculum supervisors find literary texts “difficult”, “hard to
understand” and “ not relevant” to the students’ lives. Thus , the use of literature in Indonesian EFL classrooms seemed like an irrelevance 2005
Nifisah confirms that ‘Using literature in Indonesian EFL classrooms is quite little, if
not neglected’. Reasons that curriculum supervisors care less about integrating literature in English teaching because they have not come to terms its values, most
teachers lack the methodologies and skills to teach literature and students lack motivation to read. Nifisah believes that the present lack of attention to using
literature in ELT Indonesian setting requires some points to ponder. A number of language scholars and English language experts in Indonesia
have voiced their concerns about the non-use of literature in the EFL classrooms. In a meeting in 1999,
tagged ‘Sastra Masuk Sekolah’, ‘Literature goes to School’ held in
Jakarta, Fuad Hasan calls for the teaching of literature in schools. He stated in an article
that: “Literature should be introduced to students so that they are aware that
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literature is part of language teaching. Therefore, curriculum and teachers of the language should arouse interest in students to appreciate and know the need for
literature” ‘
Sastra perlu diperkenalkan pada siswasupayamereka sadar akan adanya sastra sebagian dari kesanggupan berbahasa. Oleh karena itu,kurikulum serta
pengajar bahasa perlu membangkitkan minat terhadap sastra sehingga terbentuk
sikap menghargai dan membutukan sastra pada para siswa’ Sarumpaet, 2002:ix. Professor Riris K. Toha-Sarumpaet, a proponent literary scholar and teacher at the
University of Indonesia is at the forefront of campaigns for the teaching of literature including teaching Indonesian literature for high school students. In her book
“
Sastra
Masuk Sekolah”, she believes there is a need for the teaching of literature in the classroom for both language and aesthetic purposes.
Meanwhile, the teaching of English in Indonesia since the 1950s has largely been conducted using traditional approaches which focus on grammar teaching.
These approaches to language teaching emphasize the structural methods of language learning, such as grammatical
‘correctness’, repetition of graded structures and restricted Lexis.
Long 1986:42 recalls that “some approaches in the past in a period approximately 19601980 have not always served to develop responses to language
or isolate the different kind of responses involved”. Long adds that ‘the teaching of literature is an arid business unless there is a response, and even negative responses
can create an interesting classroom situation as then the learner has to say
why
he or
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she dislikes the text. Long emphasizes that the teaching of literature to non-native speakers should be to develop responses.
The attention being drawn in this thesis followed radical changes in the nature of language teaching and introduction of the newer methodologies aimed at
inducing active communication in students. Language is now viewed as communication and the aim of teaching a language
to enhance students’ communicative ability.
“The secret of using literature in the foreign language classroom is to avoid traditional classroom teaching roles” so that motivation can be
stimulated and a literary text can come alive for readers Faber, 1998:83. Short and Candlin 1989: 179 -180 therefore emphasize that if literature is worth teaching qua
literature, then it seems axiomatic that it is the response to literature itself which is important.’
As a result, Senior 2005:71 states that “We need to have a clear
pedagogical goal in mind: What precisely we want our students to learn from these materials.
” Since the current goal of language teaching is to help students attain ‘Communicative Competence’ Hymes 1972, literature can play an important role in
achieving this goal if effectively exploited by a creative teacher and planned towards fulfilling the objectives of language teaching.
As the researcher, it is important to explore teachers’ attitudes towards
literature as a teaching material because, according to Borg 1991:1, ‘...teachers were not robots who simply implemented, in an unthinking
manner, curricula designed by others; rather, teachers exerted agency in the
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classroom – they made decisions, both before and while teaching, and these
decisions thus became a new focus for educational researchers. The questions being addressed now were not simply ‘what do teachers do?’ but also ‘what
do they think?’, ‘what decisions do they make?’ and ‘why?’. The notion of universally applicable teaching behaviors was viewed increasingly critical as
the uniqueness of different educational contexts – and particularly the
uniqueness of teachers and learners as human beings – was
acknowledged’1991:1 Consequently, Fishbein and Ajzen 1975 define an attitude as the general
feeling ranging from positive to negative or evaluation goodbad a person has towards self, other people, objects and events. T
eachers’ attitudes appear to lie at the heart of teaching and associated with the style of teaching; the belief and perception
of teaching materials and methodologies. Many experts now contend that the materials used in the English classroom, and the way they are presented and dealt
with by teachers, correlates directly with how well students are able to increase their language proficiency. And if research must be carried out to explore the teaching of
literature in the EFL context , such research must first address the issue of teachers’
attitudes towards it because the success or failure of an educational material depends largely on the attitudes of teachers towards the material introduced or implemented.
Though, incorporating a new material in an established educational system can pose a number of challenges to educators concerning the approach and may bring problems
to language teachers. These challenges reflect teachers ’ educational background,
skills, beliefs, experiences, practices and attitudes towards the materials as in many tertiary institutions, the responsibility of choosing suitable
materials for students’ learning objectives falls on the department and course facilitators.
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Many previous studies carried out about the teaching of literature in the language classroom mainly focused on the roles and values of literature. As a result,
little attention has been paid to teachers’ attitudes towards the material. Hence, the
issue of teachers’ attitudes towards literature has been grossly neglected. Meanwhile, Gilroy 1995
conducted a study focusing on teachers’ attitude in using literature. The study used 20 native-English-speaking teachers of a variety of courses at the
University of Edinburgh Scotland, Institute for Applied Language Studies IALS to investigate into t
eachers’ attitudes to using literature in the language classroom. Using interview schedule, the results showed that while many of the teachers did not
feel the need for a specialized course in literature for ESL, most would welcome more background knowledge to increase their confidence in handling literary texts.
Another study related to the present was conducted by Chantha 2000, who investigated Cambodian teachers’ perceptions and practices about using literary texts
in English in foreign language classrooms at the Department of English of the Institute of Foreign Languages at the Royal University of Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
The results showed that all the teachers welcomed the inclusion of literature in language programs. Many of the teachers had some difficulties using literary texts
with their students. They believed that the language of literary texts and the cultural knowledge embedded in them caused difficulties in using literary texts with their
students.
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So far, it seems no significant research has been conducted in this area to ascertain
teacher’s attitudes towards use of literature in the Indonesian EFL. It is even difficult to cite as a reference what attitudes teachers hold towards the use of
literature in Indonesia. Unless a research is carried out, the true place of literature in the Indonesian EFL will always be a matter of speculation. Therefore, the main
objective of this study will be to explore and describe teachers’ attitudes towards use
of literature in the EFL classroom. It is based on this objective that the study was designed to be a qualitative research using phenomenological approach.
B.Problem Statement
This study seeks to explore two main issues: 1.
What are teachers’ attitudes towards the use of literature in the teaching of English as a Foreign Language?
2. What are the factors that affect teachers’ use and non- use of literature in the EFL
classroom?
C.Objectives of the study
The objectives of the study are: 1.
To explore teachers’ attitudes towards the use of literature in the teaching of English as a Foreign Language.
2. To explore the factors that affect the teachers’ use and non- use of literature in
the EFL classroom.
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D.Benefits of the study
1. For curriculum developers and supervisors, the findings of this study will serve as an input to access the values and roles of literature inEFL curriculum.
2. For Teachers, the findings offer to clear some misconceptions about the use ofliterature in EFL classroom.
3. For Students and future researchers, as well asthose who want to undertake research in related areas, this study serves as a resource material. The study
however is meant to be a modest contribution to the area of literature teaching, especially in local context, in which researches remain scarce.
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CHAPTER II LITERATURE REVIEW
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