What is the Place of English Literature in ELT Classrooms? A Review of Related Studies Tarek A. Alkhaleefah College of Languages and Translation, Al Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University, Riyadh 11681, Saudi Arabia Corresponding Author: Tarek A. Alkhaleefah, E-mail: tariqkh.ksa@gmail.com ABSTRACT The debate over the place and role of literature in language classrooms has long intrigued researchers and teachers’ interests over the years. Although there is an overall consensus that the teaching of literature in English language teaching (ELT) classrooms can help foster L2 learners’ language skills and cognitive abilities, some researchers have suggested that integrating literature in ELT classrooms should be approached with caution due to EFL learners’ limited language proiciency. In this paper, the researcher reviews previous related studies on the place of literature in the English language teaching (ELT) contexts. The aim of this review is to shed light on this researchers/teachers’ ongoing debate over the place of teaching English literature in ELT. In particular, the review examines how researchers perceive the role of literature and its authenticity in ELT classrooms as stimulating learners’ interests and personal engagement with literary texts, fostering L2 learners’ language skills (particularly their reading and creative writing skills), and enhancing their critical thinking skills and strategic processing of texts. Furthermore, the review covers issues related to how the integration of literature in language classrooms should be carefully task-designed and assessed. Key words: Authentic Reading Material, Critical Thinking Skill, Developing Cognitive Ability, Fostering Learners’ Academic Skill INTRODUCTION Over the years, a large body of research has been produced over the controversial debates surrounding the place and role of literature in English language learning/teaching classrooms. Since the 1980s onwards, various researchers and practitioners have presented and argued for different and sometimes clashing views regarding whether litera- ture should or should not be integrated in ESL/EFL set- tings. On the one hand there are those views that have held skepticism over the suitability and eficiency of literature in ESL/EFL classrooms. This is mainly due to the intrinsic properties of literary texts in possessing a unique use of language deeply foregrounded with some lexical, stylistic, structural and cultural complexities which are often be- yond ESL/EFL learners’ proiciency levels (McKay, 1982, 2001; Savvidou, 2004). On the other hand, many propo- nents for the integration of literature in ESL/EFL class- rooms (e.g., Akyel, & Yalcin, 1990; Amer, 2003; Brumit, & Carter, 1986; Carter & McRae, 1982, 1996; Collie & Slater, 1991; Duff & Maley, 1990; Erkaya, 2005; Gower & Pearson, 1986; Hirvela & Boyle, 1988; Langer, 1997; La- zar, 1993, 1996; Maley, 1989, 2001; McKay, 2001; Oster, 1989; Widdowson, 1983) have advanced their compelling arguments for the beneits of this integration which to their views outweigh those negative attitudes and skepticism to- wards this assimilation. Published by Australian International Academic Centre PTY.LTD. Copyright (c) the author(s). This is an open access article under CC BY license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) http://dx.doi.org/10.7575/aiac.ijalel.v.6n.7p.192 These advantages include, for instance, the role of liter- ature in fostering L2 learners’ language skills, particularly their reading and writing skills, and their cultural apprecia- tion and tolerance, to name a few. For instance, Lazar (1993, pp. 14-15) lists various reasons as to why literature is essen- tial and beneicial to language learners: 1. It is very motivating. 2. It is authentic material. 3. It has general educational value. 4. It is found in many syllabuses. 5. It helps students to understand another culture. 6. It is a stimulus for language acquisition. 7. It develops students’ interpretive abilities. 8. Students enjoy it and it is fun. 9. It is highly valued and has a high status. 10. It expands students’ language awareness. 11. It encourages students to talk about their opinions and feelings. Extending her discussion of some of these reasons for using literature in ELT classrooms, Lazar (1993: 17) argues that “..reading literature in English does encourage students to become broadly aware of the social, political and histori- cal events which form the background to a particular play or novel.” Not only does literature provide learners with access to cultural background, but it also encourages language ac- quisition, expands learners’ language awareness, and devel- International Journal of Applied Linguistics & English Literature E-ISSN: 2200-3452 & P-ISSN: 2200-3592 www.ijalel.aiac.org.au ARTICLE INFO Conlicts of interest: None Funding: None Article history Received: July 10, 2017 Accepted: August 20, 2017 Published: December 01, 2017 Volume: 6 Issue: 7 Special Issue on Language & Literature Advance access: September 2017