An investigation into teachers' attitudes toward the use of literature in the Thai EFL classroom

One of the major changes in second and foreign language instruction in the past several decades is the shift in teaching methodologies--from a focus on the structural properties of the target language to an emphasis on the expression and comprehension of meaning. This change has created a need for instructional and methodological alternatives to be employed as part of ESL and EFL curricula to supplement or replace traditional methods and textbooks which aim only at bettering learners' linguistic proficiency. Given such need, one of the alternatives which researchers have investigated is the use of literature both as a rich source of meaningful language input and as a tool from which a variety of motivating classroom activities can be generated.;This study, therefore, proposes an investigation that will help establish the integration of literature in the teaching of English as a foreign language in Thailand. Although previous research has suggested that literature does have a prominent part in English language teaching, and that the integration of literature into EFL instruction can be effective, the introduction of literature-based instruction in Thailand where the traditional grammar-translation method still prevails has to be carefully carried out. With a belief that any instructional innovation should begin with altering teachers' attitudes and opening their minds to alternative ways of teaching, together with a belief that teachers' points of view on certain issues have to be made clear before any attempt at changing them can be made, this study explores EFL teachers' attitudes toward, and present practices in, using literature as part of their resources for English instruction in Thailand.;The findings from the survey questionnaires completed by 194 EFL teachers in Thailand and the in-depth interviews with the selected sub-sample have significantly contributed to understanding of the present practices including the roles literature currently plays in Thai EFL instruction. They have also shed light on the possibility of making more use of literature in EFL instruction in the country. The findings from the study are also related to current language learning theories upon which a set of recommendations for literature-based language instruction are based.