Chapter 11: “The world was hers for the reading”: Literature in the World Language Classroom

Chapter 11 considers the role and place of the teaching of literature in the world language classroom. It begins with a discussion of the concept of a “canon,” and explores the historical origins of the Judeo-Christian scriptural canons as well as the development of a “literary canon” in the 19th century. It also offers a description of the nature of the western literary canon, explaining the purposes of the literary canon, especially in educational contexts, and exploring the controversies surrounding the western canon. It then seeks to provide answers for why it might be important to teach literature in the setting of the world language classroom. The chapter then examines the concepts of “literacy across the curriculum” and the elements of the reading process as they occur in world language education classrooms. Finally, the chapter offers a discussion about genre and genre study as a tool for teaching literature in a critical manner in world language education.