Using Literature as a Teaching Medium in English Classes in Sweden  

Abstract: There is a great tendency in using literature as a medium of language teaching because literature plays an essential role in developing the students’ language skills. It also helps them in acquiring cultural experiences and to attain a better understanding of the literary texts. The Swedish National Agency for Education supports the inclusion of literature in English language classes in each of primary, secondary and even upper secondary schools. This research aims to examine the underlying reasons behind incorporating literature in teaching English, specifically in Swedish secondary schools grades 7-9, and it sheds light on how teachers manage to employ literature effectively in the classroom. Moreover, it explains the criteria behind selecting appropriate literary texts that suit students’ needs. The study also states some problems that may encounter teachers in adopting literature as a way of teaching. All these issues are discussed through conducting qualitative interviews with three English teachers. This study points out that literature has been used as a paramount tool for teaching English. By reading literary books, students’ knowledge about social and cultural issues is developed and their language skills also become better. Furthermore, teachers mention that there are several central criteria to note when using literature during the process of teaching literature, such as selecting literary materials with topics that students can find interesting to work with. Different kinds of tasks have been assigned to students to get the opportunity to describe, analyse and reflect upon what they worked with.  Some of the challenges identified by the teachers are lack of time and the students’ different skill levels. More studies are required regarding the efficacy of using literature as a helping educational tool in English language learning from students’ views, in particular considering individual and linguistic improvement.