Musthafa, seven issues and dilemmas in literature teaching in EFL context ... 136 SEVEN ISSUES AND DILEMMAS IN LITERATURE TEACHING IN EFL CONTEXT: LESSONS FROM INDONESIA Bachrudin Musthafa Indonesia University of Education email: dinmusthafa@yahoo.com Article received: 21September 2014 Final proof received: 15 December 2014 Abstract: Using literature instruction practices in different “literature programs” as a point of departure, this article discusses some knotty issues and dilemmas confronting English literature instructors and researchers in Indonesia, especially those working in the context of English as A Foreign Language (EFL). First some commonly adopted approaches to literature teaching are outlined and specific issues and dilemmas located. Next, using Indonesian current situation as a case in point, these perceived issues and dilemmas are fleshed out and possible solutions from diverse fronts are then sketched out. Keywords: Literature in EFL, Literature and ELT, Literature Programs, Literature Teaching and Learning Like other purposeful activities we choose to engage in, literature teaching is a political act. This instructional practice results from a complex interaction among varied forces, including instructors’ conception of what literature is, how it might contribute to human development, what learners are capable of learning and how literature should be learned and what resources—both internal and external—are at the instructors’ disposal. To make things even more complicated, these determinant factors are themselves fluid, making it virtually impossible to make fixed generalizations across contexts. The purpose of this article is to bring to our attention the situated nature of literature teaching and learning by bringing to fore diverse conceptions of literature, various options of how to approach literature and its teaching together with their concomitant issues and problems. To situate the discussion into a relatively concrete context of situation, some explicit reference will be made to observations of instructional practices and course offerings in various English Studies programs recently joined an organization called Indonesian English Studies Association (IESA) based in Depok, including those affiliated with UPI (Indonesia University of Education), UNPAD (Padjadjaran University), UTama (Widyatama University),UI (University of Indonesia), UNJ (State University of Jakarta), UNSOED (Soedirman University), UNY (State University of Yogyakarta), UGM (Gajah Mada University), USD (Sanata Dharma University), UKSW (Satya Wacana Christian University), UNNES (State University of Semarang), UNDIP (Diponegoro University), UNESA (State University of Surabaya), Unand (Andalas University), Unsrat (Samratulangi University), Universitas Papua (UNIPA), and Petra Christian University, Surabaya. Based on program descriptions officially provided by department chairs of these university members, some common issues are explored and possible ways for improvement charted. WHAT LITERATURE IS Many different definitions of literature exist which point to different directions: some