A Comparative Study Literature Use of ELT Teachers with an ELT Background and Those with a Literature Background in Their Reading Classes

A Comparative Study Literature Use of ELT Teachers with an ELT Background and Those with a Literature Background in Their Reading Classes

BASTUG, Harun
OZKAN, Ahmet

Key words: teachers’ perceptions, curriculum, ELT, reading classes, literature use ABSTRACT This study was conducted to determine whether English language teachers’ perceptions, attitudes and practices about the use of literature depending on their educational background, ELT or Literature, vary during their teaching practices in reading classes. Several curriculums of English Language Teaching (ELT) and English Language and Literature Departments of some private and public universities at undergraduate level have been compared to see to what degree they differ in their curriculum; the percentage of literature and related courses among these programs. And to what extent these differences in undergraduate programs lead to different practices in reading classes.The study also aimed to reveal the advantages and disadvantages of incorporating literature into ELT from teachers’ perspectives depending on their educational background. The study was conducted with 120 preparatory class instructors working in private and public universities in Istanbul. The data were collected through a questionnaire and were evaluated on SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences). The findings have revealed that teachers, whose language practices or experiences about teaching come from different educational backgrounds, tend to take a different approach to using literature in their reading classes. The findings also have revealed that teachers with a literature background believed in the benefits of using literature and literary works on improving the overall language proficiency, improving reading skills, contributing to vocabulary development during their reading classes. On the other hand, the findings have revealed that teachers with an ELT background mostly did not believe in the necessity of using literature as part of their reading classes. And those with an ELT background who believed in the necessity of using literature in their reading classes did not see themselves competent and did not feel confident in using literature.

Article
PeerReviewed

IBU Publishing

2013-05-03

1777