Literature in English Language teaching: An evaluation of a literature reader in Madras and Nasik

Abstract

This study aims to evaluate the Literature Reader of the Interact in English syllabus prescribed by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), India. The study examines the status of English language teaching in India and the role of literature in the language classroom.The mismatch between the objectives of the Literature Reader and the classroom practice with regard to a??personal response to literaturea??, a??literary appreciationa?? and a??classroom interactiona?? in the highly teacher-centred classrooms of India are highlighted in this research. The study also stresses the need to interweave process-based strategies in language-through-literature courses in the Indian context. The outcomes of the evaluation are discussed under pre-use, whilst-use and post-use evaluations. Data for the whilst-use and post-use evaluations were collected from six CBSE schools in two Indian states.