| Abstrakt: |
The paper gives an overview of approaches to teaching literature to ESL students in order to form their literary competence – the mastery of reading skills and knowledge of role and norms of literary language, ability to differentiate a literary and non-literary text, to understand and analyze them. It has been stated that nowadays literature is considered to be too complicated and inaccessible to ESL students which is caused by ineffective teaching methods that are teacher-centered and do not take into account students’ points of view. Besides, there is a discrepancy between the content of the syllabus and teaching approaches and strategies. Different classifications of approaches to teaching literature worldwide have been characterized: 1) language-based, culture-based, professional growth and integrated approaches; 2) traditional, language-based and reader-response approaches; 3) New Criticism, structuralism, stylistic, reader-response, language-based and critical literacy approaches. Their advantages and disadvantages have been highlighted. It has been proved that no definite approach can be absolutely efficient as teachers have to use a combination of methods that are student-centered, interactive, communicative; fulfill educational, communicative and humanistic functions; and create better background knowledge of students so that they can discuss the content of the work, not concentrating on grammar, lexis and textual interpretation. Students should be encouraged to read independently, appreciate literary texts and develop language skills and cultural awareness about the language of the original. It has been defined that reader-response and language-based approaches work well for ESL students. Stylistic and critical literacy approaches are the most motivating and communicative, but the most effective way is to combine approaches to take into account each aspect of literature study and involve students as active participants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
