The ways of teaching literature

Introduction. The literature component in English is aimed at enhancing students’ language proficiency, and it is also geared for the purpose of generating the aesthetic part of the language that is personal response from students. The English language Curriculum Specifications stated that the aim of literature is not only meant to address the interpersonal, informational aesthetic value of learning but also the learning of the English language in general. Similarly, this objective is in line to the curriculum of the Malaysia Ministry of Education (2009) that spells out the objectives of the introduction of literature component into the English language syllabus are to enable students to improve their proficiency through reading, respond to text, draw lessons and insights from slices of life, understand and appreciate other culture, relate to events, characters and own life as well as expose students to models of good writing. Literature in Education is aimed at developing the potential of students in a holistic, balanced and integrated manner encompassing the intellectual, spiritual, emotional and physical aspects in order to create a balanced and harmonious human being with high social standards. It is therefore, the primary aim of incorporating literature into the English Language syllabus is to improve students’ language ability. As stated in the English Language Curriculum Specification, the CCL Program is aimed to help students improve their English through reading simple fiction, to provide a continuum for the literature component introduced in school and to create an enjoyable learning environment. In relation to this, literature is not only meant to address the interpersonal and informational aesthetic value of the learning, but also beyond that where the students learn about people, culture, ethics, behaviors and other social norms. Hence, the implementation of children’s literature would help children to expand their imagination and to acquire literacy in their learning. There is a need to discover if the literature component in English is taught in line with its aims and objectives. Thus, a focus on the approaches employed by teachers in the teaching of literature component in English would be of great value and interest. This study focuses on teacher’s approaches and challenges in the teaching of CCL Program in primary schools. The study will focus on the approaches employed and challenges encountered in the teaching of literature to upper primary students. Literature is meant to be enjoyed, as literature can be employed as a tool to promote literacy and proficiency in the language. It assists students to deal with problem of social, cultural, racial or problem that deals with life in the real world. The CDC of Malaysia Ministry of Education (2006) provides three benefits of having children’s literature in primary schools’ learning in the implementation of CCL Program. They are (1) the personal and emotional gains which offer enjoyment, enrich children understanding of themselves and the world around them, develops imagination, helps children make sense of their own experience and evokes one’s feelings on issues related to life, (2) the learning gained allows children to learn new ideas and new knowledge, adds to their understanding ofconcepts, allows children to understand cultural traditions and values and issues in life, allows children to develop respect for self and others, and encourages them to become aware of their audience, and (3) the language gain which help children develop an awareness of how language works in communication, develop an understanding of the meaning of words, allows them to experience new ways of using language that bridges the gap between written and spoken language and allows them to experience the form of narratives.

Conclusion. This research utilized qualitative methodology. A descriptive research methodology was employed and it used a mode of classroom observation as the primary instrument, and semi-structured interview as secondary instruments. The sample population used in this study consisted of five randomly selected schools located in Kuala Selangor in the state of Selangor in Malaysia. In each school, one ESL teacher teaching Year 5 under the CCL Program was randomly selected, after securing permission from the school principals and the state education department. Hence, the sample population consisted of five ESL trained teachers teaching Year 5 ESL classroom. Each ESL classroom was observed three times. In this study, the five teachers are referred to as Teacher A, Teacher B, Teacher C, Teacher D, and Teacher E. The first observation for each class was not taken into consideration to avoid what researchers call the researcher’s paradox. Only data from the second and third observations were used for this study. All the classroom observations were audio recorded and field notes were taken to provide additional information on the classroom context. At the end, a total of 10 classroom observations were used for the purposes of data analysis.