Exploiting Ishiguro’s 'The Remains of the Day' as a Language Reinforcement Platform

Abstract

Literature taught through different genres in any language provides authentic material for language acquisition by ESL/EFL learners. It offers a range of linguistic choices and multiple levels of textual engagement. It also caters to (Krashen 1985) Input Hypothesis of i+1 in which acquisition is presumably maximized if input is positioned at one level higher than a learner’s existing level of language ability. For this research, the novel, ‘The Remains of the Day’ (TROD) (Ishiguro 1989) has been used to stimulate language learning. It may be noted that Ishiguro is a Nobel Laureate who depicts the harrowing struggle of the central characters resorting to memory assistance to reconcile with their past. The theoretical framework is informed by (Johns and Davies’s 1983) ideas of Text as a Vehicle of Information (TAVI), Text as a Linguistic Object (TALO) and Clandfield’s 2005 construct of Text as a Springboard of Production (TASP). Ishiguro’s style may also be compared to Hemingway in terms of producing episodic long sentences marked by conjunctions and the associations to his Ice berg metaphor. A single textual extract, guided by TAVI, TALO and TASP will be used to answer these research questions. How can TROD be used to teach the ESL/EFL learners’ reading skills? How can TROD be exploited to improve the vocabulary and grammar of ESL/EFL learners? How can selective paragraphs of the novel be used by ESL/EFL learners to develop their writing and critical thinking ability? The results of the research will probably highlight some of the ways in which literary texts can be exploited for language learning in an EFL/ESL context. The research may perhaps be restricted by its focus on a single literary text and its theoretical basis, but it will significantly contribute towards creative reimagining of the immense literary possibilities for language use.