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CTMJ | traditionalmedicinejournals.com                                    Chinese Traditional Medicine Journal | 2021 | Vol4 |Issue4 
 

 

 Chinese Traditional Medical Journal 

IS LITERATURE DYING IN ENGLISH CLASSROOMS IN 

TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITIES? 

 

Wuh Linling, Liu Xiaohuigh, 
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, 

Guangzhou , China 
Department of Rehabilitation and Physical Therapy, Guangdong No. 2 Provincial People's 

Hospital, Guangzhou China, 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Introduction 

Literature adds to reality, it does 
not simply describe it. It enriches the 
necessary competencies that daily life 

requires and provides; and in this respect it 
irrigates the deserts that our lives have 

already become (C S Lewis) 
All professors would want to 

believe that the current curriculum and 

required texts in most engineering 
institutions fail to bring out the literary 

sensibility of teachers and students. The 

literary content of each new curriculum 
seems to be decreasing, and learners are 
being pushed toward a need-based learning 

of language. While these are necessary 
abilities that help students stand out in the 

job market, the discussion and recognition 
of students' emotional reactions to 
literature has been lost along the way. 

 

Abstract 

There has been a shift in the curriculum and mandated English textbooks at 

most of the technical institutions toward a more reference-based and information-
based approach. With each new curriculum, literature appears to have faded into 

obscurity because of a lack of literary substance and a preference for a need-based 
learning of language. When the emphasis is only on LSRW Skills to improve 
students' employability, literature looks superfluous, unnecessary, and out of date. 

Emotional reactions to literature are lost somewhere along the way. With an eye 
toward determining why it's so hard to get people to respond in a "literary" way, 

this study proposes ways to enhance non- literary texts by including brief literary 
extracts that help readers get a deeper knowledge of life, people, and 
circumstances. Teaching English as a second language by means of literature 

allows students to get a deeper understanding of the language, their own personal 
and social experiences, and the culture and history of their own country. literature 

provides possibilities for multi-sensory classroom experiences and encourages 
students to think critically and creatively, as well as eliciting a wide range of 
responses from the students. As students, professors, and industry professionals 

complete surveys and provide their input, this concept is solidified in their minds. 
Key Words : Emotional reactions, sympathetic heights, and a declining 

literary substance are all examples of this. 
 



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CTMJ | traditionalmedicinejournals.com                                    Chinese Traditional Medicine Journal | 2021 | Vol4 |Issue4 
 

Few literary passages are included 
in professional college English textbooks, 

so students are expected to answer in a 
matter-of-fact way. In spite of the teacher's 

best efforts, few students are able to 
produce 'literary' reactions to literature — 
psychological, social, and emotional 

responses are sorely missing. A lack of 
appreciation for or understanding of 

literature may be attributed to a variety of 
factors, including poor reading habits or 
even a lack of exposure to literature. 

Literacy began to decline in 
importance as language education and 

instruction began to emphasise the 
practical use of language instead. Today's 
students, particularly those in engineering 

schools, are more concerned than ever 
before with developing language abilities 

that will be useful in the workplace and on 
standardised testing such as placement 
examinations. In such a situation, literature 

seems to be superfluous, unnecessary, and 
antiquated. Teachers of English are now 

referred to as "language trainers," whose 
primary goal is to educate pupils 
employability skills and prepare them for 

the workforce. This is why group 
discussion strategies, presentation skills, 

resume writing, interview skills, report 
writing, and so on are so heavily 
emphasised in language laboratories. 

These subjects are taught with the goal of 
helping students get a job in the near 

future, which is one of the most important 
factors in determining their success. So, in 
a setting like this, how can literature fit in? 

A need-based curriculum may not have 
room for it. Is it possible to instil a love of 

literature in kids who have never read a 
book by Enid Blyton or Hans Christian 
Andersen as children? It is possible that 

this short-term crash course in their 
English Language Communication Skills 

or Advanced English Communication 
Skills lab might lead to long-term 
proficiency in the language.. 

Discussion 

To help students learn proper 

grammar, vocabulary, and LSRW abilities, 

the three JNTUH English textbooks have 
included several language activities. 

However, the 'human interest' that 
literature may bring is lacking. It is 

possible that a short storey by O.Henry or 
Somerset Maugham, a poem by Tennyson 
or Keats, a prose piece by Charles Lamb or 

Francis Bacon would have filled this gap, 
sparked discussion, and helped students 

relate to situations, recognise characters' 
emotions, and comprehend universal 
human emotions, even in a foreign cultural 

setting. Only factual and cut-and-dried 
texts are now read by kids, with little room 

for creative and literary creativity, which is 
a major problem. 'The Tea Party' from The 
Householder by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala is 

the sole literary piece in the three 
textbooks indicated above that allows 

space for improving vocabulary, reading 
between the lines and recognising subtle 
comedy and soft sarcasm. While the letter 

written by a son to his father, which 
criticises the Indian education system for 

lacking practical exposure, does resonate 
with students who can identify with it, it 
does not elicit the same literary or 

aesthetic responses as a letter from Alice 
Walker's The Color Purple or Jane 

Austen's Persuasion. 
The passage "Satya Nadella's e-

mail to his employees" from the textbook, 

Fluency in English given by JNTUH, is a 
good place to start (R 16 ). Students' 

reactions to the material have been mostly 
negative, with many expressing 
disappointment that only Microsoft staff 

are being'motivated' by it. The Road Not 
Taken by Robert Frost is utilised as a 

reading practise in the same section. For 
kids, the topic of being at a crossroads in 
life, experiencing conflicting feelings, and 

finally making choices and the 
consequences they involve is universally 

relatable. Students are deprived of feeling 
the emotions, empathising with the 
narrator, and instinctively apprehending 

the scenario in the first text, which serves 
the aim of language learning. There's 

nothing like teaching something tough and 



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CTMJ | traditionalmedicinejournals.com                                    Chinese Traditional Medicine Journal | 2021 | Vol4 |Issue4 
 

open to several interpretations, something 
that may open pupils' eyes and minds to a 

wide range of possibilities. As an example, 
Kalam's Presidential address from the 

same textbook appears predictable in 
content and offers little in the way of 
cultural challenge while Double Angels, a 

short Christmas storey assigned to students 
for reading practise in the same chapter, 

offers plenty of opportunity for cultural 
curiosity, emotional appeal, and 
sensitization. 

As a result, how can one add a 
literary depth to an otherwise dry text? 

1. tough or exciting? To what 
extent should textbooks, which tend to 
focus on facts rather than feelings, handle 

the universal themes of love, war, and 
loss? There are many ways to make 

textbooks more engaging for students, but 
the representational aspect may be used to 
get them involved and stimulate their 

imaginations and cognitive capacities as 
well as assist them develop empathy and 

creativity. Students and teachers may find 
the article What Should You Be Eating in 
the JNTUH (R18) textbook quite matter-

of- fact, but it can be enlivened by using 
related literary material such as Charles' 

Lamb's Dissertation Upon Roast Pig or a 
JAM Session on Fast Food Culture Among 
Youth. This can be done in a variety of 

ways. A Common Faults activity may be 
made fun by reading aloud a poem like 

Nissim Ezekiel's A Farewell Party to Ms 
Pushpa TS or A Very Indian Poem in 
Indian English, or by having students look 

for errors in English on signboards. 
2.Teachers of English might ask 

themselves a few questions and keep a 
journal of their experiences while utilising 
literary and non-literary texts to teach the 

language. According to a survey of 
English instructors in Hyderabad, the 

following questions were asked: 
1.Use of both literary and non- literary 
texts: what have you learned? 

2.How have students reacted to a piece of 
literature? It differs from a non- literary 

text in what ways? 

3.Adding literary content to non- literary 
text has been shown to increase motivation 

levels. 
  

4If you're looking to improve your 
language abilities, what do you think is the 
best way to go about it? 

  
5When teaching literature, how can you 

include all four of these skills? 
  

6What are the problems in teaching a 

literary work in terms of semantic, 
syntactical, and cultural aspects? Is the text 

more fascinating and difficult because of 
these? 

  

7How can you guide pupils toward an 
intuitive knowledge of people, events, and 

so on, and help them sense the subtleties 
and complexity in their depiction? " 

  

8The following is how the educators 
responded: 

9One of the reasons they favoured 
literature was that it provides a more 
intuitive knowledge of grammar, 

vocabulary, and syntax via its use of 
analogies. With regard to language 

instruction, if the teacher was given a set 
of guidelines, they had to work within 
those guidelines, which they found 

enjoyable. When it came to reading 
modern literary works, students found it 

simpler to relate to them than older works. 
  

10There has been a paradigm shift from 

literary texts to a fast-track course in 
language competency among students 

today. Due to linguistic or cultural barriers, 
students who come from non-literate 
backgrounds find it difficult to enjoy 

literature. 
  

11Teachers believed that by incorporating 
literature that is relevant to the textbook 
topic, they might increase motivation and 

spark interest in their students. 
A scientific work, for example, 

may be used to help students acquire 



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CTMJ | traditionalmedicinejournals.com                                    Chinese Traditional Medicine Journal | 2021 | Vol4 |Issue4 
 

technical language or to improve their 
writing skills. Learning language via 

literature may be done through an intuitive 
rather than prescriptive approach. 

It is possible to better combine LSRW 
skills via literary works. Figures of speech, 
rhetoric, paralinguistic elements, 

vocabulary, sentence patterns, and more 
may all be found in Martin Luther King, 

Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech. Non-
literary texts may also be used to produce 
the same effect, although the motivation 

and interest may be lower. 
12. Cultural or language barriers may 

make the text more difficult to understand. 
It's possible that a poetry will turn out to 
be a dictionary at some point. The 

instructor must assist pupils in overcoming 
these hurdles and developing an empathy 

for the job. 
 

In technical universities, texts 

recommended do not allow much 
possibility for comprehending subtleties in 

personalities or circumstances. However, 
this may be accomplished by 
supplementing literary works that provide 

this kind of opportunity. 
It was also taken into account how 

students reacted to learning a language via 
literary and nonliterary sources. Questions 
included: 1. What do you think is more 

interesting in an English classroom: a short 
tale or an academic essay? 

Poems may either make you 'feel' 
something, or they might turn you off to it. 

Reading Comprehension, 

Vocabulary, Grammar, or Writing, which 
of these is your favourite? 

 Does a short story/poem resonate with 
you on a personal level? 

 

How well are you able to relate to 
characters in fiction? 

 
How important do you think it is to 
develop a love of reading early in life? 

 
Responses from students are included 

below. 

 
1. Students liked short tales over 

scientific essays because they piqued their 
attention and curiosity, and they were able 

to connect to them more. However, they 
also noted that the two may be connected. 

 

Poems were more relevant to 
students in all of their emotions, whether 

they were unhappy, joyful, or in conflict, 
according to the students. One should not 
be critical of poetry since it represents the 

poet's feelings and allows the reader to 
experience them, they said. 

 
Learning new terms was fun for 

students, and writing allowed them the 

opportunity to express their ideas without 
restriction. 

 
As they were able to 'universalize' 

their feelings by connecting to a tale or 

poetry, it resulted in a Cathartic effect. 
 

One of them even remarked, "I am 
them in my brain." 

 

It is much easier to appreciate and 
comprehend literary works if you have 

read a lot as a child. It aided in the 
development of more well-rounded 
individuals capable of contributing to 

society. 
The question of whether or not 

literature is necessary for language 
instruction has been a raging one for 
decades. Can't we take snippets from 

economics, history, or science to achieve 
the same thing?? Is there any text that will 

do the job? It all depends on how one sees 
the text—as a challenging work that 
requires students to develop their 

comprehension, analytical, and language 
skills, or as a literary work that enables 

students to gain a deeper understanding of 
life, people, and situations and inspires 
them to reach higher levels of empathy. 

The content and language of a book 
may be used to enhance one's life and 

one's ability to learn a language. Learning 



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CTMJ | traditionalmedicinejournals.com                                    Chinese Traditional Medicine Journal | 2021 | Vol4 |Issue4 
 

a new language with the help of literature 
may accomplish both of these goals. It 

allows you to improve your vocabulary 
and grammar while also learning more 

about yourself, other people, and the 
culture and history of the country you're 
from. It's a rewarding experience to study 

literature, since it may lead to the creation 
of new ideas and ethical viewpoints. There 

is something honest and engaging about 
literary works of all lengths, whether they 
be little poems, short stories, epics, or 

novels. 
improves one's ability to communicate in a 

foreign language, while also serving as an 
example for students to follow. Literature, 
according to Carter and Long (1991), 

serves a three-dimensional role in a 
classroom setting. As a cultural paradigm, 

where the literary work is seen as a 
product, it may be used in classrooms. An 
examination of a text's social, political and 

historical context may be done using this 
method. Literary trends and genres can 

also be examined. This is a teacher-
centered approach, not one that emphasises 
language learning. 

ii. Learner-centered language model — 
This method emphasises both the learning 

of grammar and vocabulary and the 
examination of stylistics. 

 

Personal development model—iii This is a 
more student-centered approach that 

emphasises the importance of the process.  
Literature may have a profound effect on 
individuals because of its ability to elicit 

strong sensations and thoughts in its 
readers. 

These are the three models that English 
instructors use in their lessons. Unlike 
literature courses, where the cultural model 

is more prevalent, language classes are 
more likely to utilise a language model to 

teach grammar or vocabulary. When the 
learning objective is literary instruction 
rather than language instruction, the 

personal development paradigm comes 
into play. 

Conclusion 

 
Students are able to 'experience' 

literature rather than just read it since it is 
made up of actual stuff. It is possible to 

breathe life into one's vocabulary, 
grammar, and syntax. For this reason, 
literature is more powerful and 

transformational than any other medium. 
According to those who have studied 

human emotion and cognition, literature 
may play a key role in helping society 
better comprehend the lives and minds of 

individuals. Because of this, Mikaela 
Warner explains, "I study literature 

because I feel there is power in tales. 
Literature is both a solitary experience and 
a shared one. Because of its complexity, 

understanding and describing humanity 
would take an unlimited number of words. 

That's the fun of literary studies: there's 
always something fresh to learn." The act 
of immersing oneself in a fictional 

universe aids in the development of 
empathy and the capacity to see things 

from another person's perspective. Using 
literature as a teaching tool helps students 
develop critical and aesthetic reactions, as 

well as an understanding of current values. 
A student's life is enriched by literature, 

which helps them develop a variety of 
perspectives on life, a deeper 
understanding of oneself and others, and a 

sense of belonging to a larger community 
of human emotions, experiences, and 

issues. Understanding various cultures, 
being aware of differences, and cultivating 
an attitude of tolerance and understanding 

are all things that may be accomplished 
using this method. Creative and critical 

thinking abilities are cultivated, as well as 
a willingness to examine oneself and one's 
assumptions. "Multi-sensorial classroom 

experiences" (Rahayu 2011) and appeal to 
learners with varied learning styles may be 

found in literature as a source of learner 
motivation. One of the best ways to 
improve one's grammar and linguistic 

abilities is to use this resource. 
the grammar and language of an 

argument. You don't need any formal 



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CTMJ | traditionalmedicinejournals.com                                    Chinese Traditional Medicine Journal | 2021 | Vol4 |Issue4 
 

training to pick up these talents; they may 
be learned on your own by reading a lot. 

An English teacher may have to follow the 
prescribed curriculum and adhere to the 

prescribed content in textbooks, but in an 
English classroom, the teacher can bring in 
a literary feel by augmenting a non- literary 

text with a literary one, by infusing a 
literary dimension to the text, and thus 

making it an invaluable motivational 
resource and an effective stimulus for 
language learning. 

References 

 

1.Literature and Language Teaching, 
Oxford University Press, 1986 by Brumfit, 
CJ and Carter, R.A. 

2.The Handbooks for Language Teachers, 
New York, Longman, 1991 by Carter R. 

and Long M.N. 
3.Literature (Resource Books for 
Teachers), Duff A & Maley A, Oxford 

University Press 2007, p. 83. 
4Achieving Fluency in the English 

Language, Orient Blackswan, 2016 
  

5There are many reasons to study 

literature, including the following: 
.  

6https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/articl
e/using- literature- introduction 

  

7Mundi Rahayu: Literature in Language 
Teaching, Lingua: Journal of Language 

and Literature, 2011. 
.  

8Skills Annexe-Functional English for 

Success, Orient Blackswan (2013). Board 
of Editors. 

  
9.English for engineers by Sudharshana, 
N.P. and Savitha, C., Cambridge 

University Press, 2018. 
 


