Sunday 2:15 - 3:05 PM
Cosmos A
Literature for Cultural Understanding in the Language Classroom 

Literature is not only a reflection of individual experience but also a portrayal of the culture of the author.     An examination of a foreign culture through literature will increase learners' understanding of people who are different from themselves and develop a greater tolerance for cultural differences (McKay, 1986).   As technological advancement brings different parts of the world together, an understanding of people who are different from oneself is essential to being a world citizen. Marquardt (1968) emphasizes that the knowledge of the culture of a society in which the target language is spoken is as crucial as mastery of the target language itself. In addition, learning about the target culture can expand learners' horizons, broaden their thinking, and even lead them to a better understanding of their own culture, because "comparison to other cultures results in read consideration of one's own cultural values where blind acceptance has existed before" (Valdes, 1986, p. 139).  As such, the interdependence between self and others makes understanding other cultures crucial to understanding one's own.  In this presentation, the presenter will demonstrate how the literature-based language teaching approach can be utilized in EFL classrooms to promote learners' better understanding of both the target culture and own culture. Classroom applications will be discussed and sample literature-based classroom activities will also be given.