A Study of the Effects of Teaching Literature on Improving Students’ Second Language Attitudes

The study aimed to investigate if teaching simple (not simplified) literary texts in university classes as their General English course-book can affect students’ attitudes toward their L2. In view of this, a study was designed and conducted at Safashahr Azad University. Sixty-one freshmen learners (studying English as their General English) participated in the study. Ten short stories were taught as the course content of the GE in the experimental class. Short stories ranged from 106 words to 2294 words. “A General English Course for University Students” (Birjandi and Jaberi, 2005) was taught in the control group. The results showed that using literature in English classes brings positive effects on students’ L2 attitudes. Using authentic simple literary texts in GE classes seemed to create a learning environment in which students were willing to participate in class interactions, which helped learners form a more positive attitude towards English.