Use Of Literature In Teaching Research Articles

Literatur im DaF-Unterricht: einige kritische Anmerkungen

Finding a German publication in the field of foreign language acquisition that does not explicitly mention the role of literature would be an anomaly. Within DaF (German as a foreign language), the position occupied by works of literature has been subjected to no or very little scrutiny in the past decades. Simultaneously, it has become fashionable to criticise the (supposed) deficiencies of the pragmatic and competence-driven approach to teaching. The paper offers a critical examination of the theoretical underpinnings as well as the arguments often employed by the proponents of the use of literature in teaching. The findings hint at misleading citation practices, the absence of empirical research in the area as well as problematic argumentation at times.

Literature and the Human Condition in Teaching and Learning

ABSTRACTThe benefits of literature are countless. Social workers, however, are usually not inclined to count the teaching and practice of social work among its beneficiaries. We believe that literature is one of the ways to enrich vital components of social work knowledge, attitudes, and skills. In this article, we begin by calling attention to a historical precedent for the use of literature in social work education and practice. We then examine recent research on the impact of literature on human behavior, empathy, and critical thinking and consider its epistemological roots. Next, we review evidence from social work journals on the use of literature in teaching and practice. Having examined the relationships of literature to professional knowledge and practice, we devote most of the article to illustrating how, as social work educators, we are and can be using literature effectively in the teaching of social work.