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Palgrave Macmillan

New Approaches to Literature for Language Learning

  • Book
  • © 2019

Overview

Authors:
  1. Jeneen Naji

    1. Department of Media Studies, National University of Ireland, Maynooth, Maynooth, Ireland

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  2. Ganakumaran Subramaniam

    1. School of Education, University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus, Semenyih, Malaysia

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    You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

  3. Goodith White

    1. School of Education, University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus, Semenyih, Malaysia

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  • Examines the role played by literature in language learning from a practical perspective
  • Shows how literature can support the development of creativity, higher order thinking skills, and other ‘soft skills’ needed by students across the curriculum
  • Presents reading strategies which are essential to interpreting literature, and which are often neglected when teaching L2 reading skills

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Table of contents (9 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-vii
    Download chapter PDF

  2. Why Is Literature Important for Language Learning?

    • Jeneen Naji, Ganakumaran Subramaniam, Goodith White
    Pages 1-23

  3. Literature and Language Learning

    • Jeneen Naji, Ganakumaran Subramaniam, Goodith White
    Pages 25-50

  4. Ways into Literature

    • Jeneen Naji, Ganakumaran Subramaniam, Goodith White
    Pages 51-80

  5. Literature and Culture

    • Jeneen Naji, Ganakumaran Subramaniam, Goodith White
    Pages 81-97

  6. Literature and Technology

    • Jeneen Naji, Ganakumaran Subramaniam, Goodith White
    Pages 99-127

  7. Literature and Reading Communities

    • Jeneen Naji, Ganakumaran Subramaniam, Goodith White
    Pages 129-148

  8. Literature and Multimodality

    • Jeneen Naji, Ganakumaran Subramaniam, Goodith White
    Pages 149-169

  9. New Literatures in New Englishes

    • Jeneen Naji, Ganakumaran Subramaniam, Goodith White
    Pages 171-192

  10. Literature and Personal Growth: A Look to the Future

    • Jeneen Naji, Ganakumaran Subramaniam, Goodith White
    Pages 193-220

  11. Back Matter

    Pages 221-222
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Keywords

About this book

This book unpacks recent changes in the landscape of literature and language teaching, and aims to find new explanations for the altered relationships between readers and writers, the democratisation of authorship, and the emergence of new ways of using language. By examining topics as various as literature and technology, multimodality, and new Englishes, the authors take a fresh look at the use of literature as a tool in the teaching of English to second-language speakers. More than simply a way of teaching aesthetic and ethical values and rhetorical skills, they argue that literature can also be used to help students to critically evaluate assumptions about society, culture and power which underpin the production and reception of texts. The book relates theories of language acquisition and literary criticism to examples of literary texts from a wide range of global literature in English, and discusses new ways of engaging with it, such as transmedia story telling,  book blogs and slam poetry. It will be of interest to language teachers and teacher trainers, and to students and scholars of applied linguistics, TESOL, and digital literacies.

Reviews

“I believe both language teachers and literature instructors can benefit from this book to a great extent. I particularly recommend the book to those who teach language skills courses, creative writing and EAP courses and to those who are interested in new digital literacies.” (Derya Altınmakas, BAAL News, Issue 118, 2021)

“This is an exciting new volume, in which the role of literature in language pedagogy is explored comprehensively from a broad range of perspectives. Each chapter offers fresh insight. While discussion about this important theme seemed to have somewhat stalled after the 1990s, this timely collection brings it back to life with renewed energy and makes it relevant to the 21st century. An invaluable resource to anyone involved in language teaching and learning.” (Mario Saraceni, Reader in English and Linguistics, University of Portsmouth, UK)

“Literature as a means to teaching language is a fairly old idea. But what is unique about this book is that it shows ways of learning language through interdisciplinary approaches to literature and culture. The notion of literature the book espouses helps study language not only syntactically but by reading text via literary theories. This is performed with equal attention to New Englishes, multimodal texts and reading communities. A must-read for specialists and non-specialists alike.” (Ashis Sengupta, Professor of English, University of North Bengal, India)

“This is a rare innovation in language learning through the medium of literature, which readily avails the learner the opportunity of encountering language in action through the many multi-levels and contexts of language use that literary texts exclusively afford. The relating of current trends in technology and multimodality to both literacy acquisition and literature makes this a work whose authors have seen the tomorrow of language learning in a wide variety of seasons and environments.” (Joseph A. Ushie, Poet & Professor of General Stylistics and Criticism, University of Uyo, Nigeria)

 

Authors and Affiliations

  • Department of Media Studies, National University of Ireland, Maynooth, Maynooth, Ireland

    Jeneen Naji

  • School of Education, University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus, Semenyih, Malaysia

    Ganakumaran Subramaniam, Goodith White

About the authors

Jeneen Naji is Digital Media Faculty in the Department of Media Studies in Maynooth University, Ireland.

Ganakumaran Subramaniam is the Head of School and Professor at the School of Education, University of Nottingham, Malaysia Campus.

Goodith White retired as Director of the Applied Language Centre, University College Dublin, Ireland in 2015, and is currently Senior Research Fellow at the University of Nottingham, Malaysia Campus.

Bibliographic Information

  • Book Title: New Approaches to Literature for Language Learning

  • Authors: Jeneen Naji, Ganakumaran Subramaniam, Goodith White

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-15256-7

  • Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan Cham

  • eBook Packages: Social Sciences, Social Sciences (R0)

  • Copyright Information: The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s) 2019

  • Hardcover ISBN: 978-3-030-15255-0Published: 26 April 2019

  • eBook ISBN: 978-3-030-15256-7Published: 10 April 2019

  • Edition Number: 1

  • Number of Pages: VII, 222

  • Number of Illustrations: 1 b/w illustrations, 13 illustrations in colour

  • Topics: Language and Literature, Language Education, Language Teaching, Literacy, English, Digital Humanities

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