Incorporating literature in EFL classroom: attitudes and experiences

Abstract

This study presents findings about first-year undergraduate students' attitudes to and experiences with reading literary texts in an EFL (English as a Foreign Language) context. It also explores the degree of literature integration in EFL lessons in Bosnia and Herzegovina. We conducted the research with ninety-eight students at the International University of Sarajevo (IUS); we examined their attitudes towards different literary genres, difficulties they face while reading literary texts, the type of assistance they prefer while reading, and their general interests concerning literature. The findings indicate that students prefer short stories to other genres and learn best through exploring themes meaningful to them. The results also show that literary texts in EFL classrooms are frequently used for vocabulary purposes. Literature is mainly integrated into EFL classrooms, except for technical high schools and madrasahs./ Keywords: EFL, literature, literary texts, attitudes, experiences, literature integration