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Literature as a Tool of Teaching a Second Language in the Environment of CBC: An Example of English in Rwanda

Received: 1 August 2023     Accepted: 17 August 2023     Published: 27 September 2023
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Abstract

Rwanda's education is facing the challenge of a language barrier, especially the instructional language of the students. Often the students fail to understand the lessons due to a lower level of understanding and communicating in English as an instructional language which is a second language to them. We realized that every teacher should be a language teacher as well. Therefore, the use of appropriate methods of teaching their subjects on the one hand, and language teaching on the other hand, is the appropriate way to understand instructional language. In this context, we investigated the best tool to fulfill the teaching of different subjects on the one hand and a second language on the other hand. So, this issue influenced the emergence of this article which was based on two specific research objectives. The first was to evaluate the effectiveness of literature in second language teaching in the context of a competency-based curriculum. The second was to determine how literature can be used in second language teaching in the context of a competency-based curriculum. The data collection methods used were interviews, observation, and literature review. The research participants were English teachers and students of senior three in selected secondary schools in Rwanda. The sample was the senior three teachers and students of English as well as the literary works. That sample was obtained using the purposive sampling method. The study results show that the literature contains the best examples of teaching a second language. This is due to the argument that we find examples of teaching grammar, vocabulary, and all language skills in literary works. In addition, the results showed that literature motivates students to practice the language in real life and helps them develop twenty-first-century skills as the main goal of a competency-based curriculum. Finally, the article has demonstrated the challenges of using literature as a language teaching tool and the strategies to be taken.

Published in International Journal of English Teaching and Learning (Volume 1, Issue 1)
DOI 10.11648/j.ijetl.20230101.12
Page(s) 6-14
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2023. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Second Language Teaching, Literature, Literary Work, Competency-Based Curriculum Environment

References
[1] Babaee, R na Yahya. W. B. R. W (2014). Significance of Literature in Foreign Language Teaching. International Education Studies. (7) 4. ISSN 1913-9020.
[2] Boyanton, D. (2015). Teachers and Students as Learners: Towards a Mutual Value Theory. New York: Peter Lang Publishing, Inc.
[3] Bradford, Arthur. (2006). Reading Literature and Learning a Second Language. Language Learning, 18 (3 & 4), 199-210.
[4] Brown, L. (2001). Fables of Modernity: Literature and Culture in the English Eighteenth Century. Cornell University Press.
[5] Chang, S & Tung. C (2009). Developing Critical Thinking through Literature Reading. Feng Chia Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences. (19), 287-317.
[6] Collie, J., & Slater, S. (1987). Literature in the Language Classroom: A Resource Book of Ideas and Activities. Cambridge University Press.
[7] Daskalovska & Dimova (2012). Why Should Literature Be Used in The Language Classroom? Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences. 46, 1182–1186.
[8] Duhan, R. (2015). The Relationship between Literature and Society. Language in India, 15 (4), 192-202.
[9] Elkilic, G., Kayintu, A. P. D. A., & Karaca, I. H. (2011). The Use of Literature in Teaching English Grammatical Structures as Well as Some Linguistic Components. In Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on Foreign Language Teaching and Applied Linguistics (pp. 490-495).
[10] Grabe, W. (2014). Key Issues in L2 Reading Development. In Proceedings of the 4th CELC Symposium for English Language Teachers-Selected Papers (pp. 8-18).
[11] Hapsari, A. (2016). Literary Competence for The Teaching of Literature in Second Language Educational Context. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/312574248.
[12] Henrietta, T., & Antonela, T. (2021). The Role of Literature as Vocabulary Teaching Instrument of a Foreign Language in Middle School. Educatia 21, (20), 74-79.
[13] Hişmanoğlu, M. (2005). Teaching English Through Literature. Journal of Language and Linguistic Studies, 1 (1), 53-66.
[14] Lazar, G (1993). Literature and Language Teaching. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press.
[15] Minardi, K. S, (1994) Using Children's Literature: An Approach to Teaching Reading. UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations. 84. https://digitalcommons.unf.edu/etd/84.
[16] Ntarangwi, M. (2004). Uhakiki wa Kazi za Fasihi. Augustana College, Rock Island, IL, 61201.
[17] Rahman, F. (2016). The Strategy of Teaching Literature through Language-based Methods: A Communicative Approach. In Annual Seminar on English Language Studies (Vol. 1, pp. 156-170).
[18] REB., (2015). Competency-based Curriculum-summary of Curriculum Framework Pre-primary to Upper secondary. Rwanda Education Board, Kigali – Rwanda.
[19] Richard, J. C & Rodgers, T (2001). Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching. New York: Cambridge University Press.
[20] Starja, A. (2015). The Impact of Literature in Teaching a Foreign Language – A Case Study On the Use of Drama and Its Practical Implications. European Scientific Journal. 11 (14), 432-441.
[21] Tuyishimire & Mlaga. (2021) Matumizi ya Fasihi katika Ukuzaji wa Stadi ya Tafakuri Tunduizi. Jarida la CHALUFAKITA, (3)-93-129.
[22] Urunana rw’Abarezi, (2018). Implementing CBC: Successes and Challenges. REB, Kigali Rwanda.
[23] Wissinger, D. R., De La Paz, S., & Jackson, C. (2020). Effects of Historical Reading and Writing Strategy Instruction with Fourth-through Sixth-grade Students. Journal of Educational Psychology, 113 (1), 49.
[24] Zainal, Z. B. (2017). The Role of Literature in Developing Speaking and Writing Skills of Higher Secondary School Students. Advanced Science Letters, 23 (9), 8929-8933.
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  • APA Style

    Donard Bikorimana. (2023). Literature as a Tool of Teaching a Second Language in the Environment of CBC: An Example of English in Rwanda. International Journal of English Teaching and Learning, 1(1), 6-14. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijetl.20230101.12

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    ACS Style

    Donard Bikorimana. Literature as a Tool of Teaching a Second Language in the Environment of CBC: An Example of English in Rwanda. Int. J. Engl. Teach. Learn. 2023, 1(1), 6-14. doi: 10.11648/j.ijetl.20230101.12

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    AMA Style

    Donard Bikorimana. Literature as a Tool of Teaching a Second Language in the Environment of CBC: An Example of English in Rwanda. Int J Engl Teach Learn. 2023;1(1):6-14. doi: 10.11648/j.ijetl.20230101.12

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  • @article{10.11648/j.ijetl.20230101.12,
      author = {Donard Bikorimana},
      title = {Literature as a Tool of Teaching a Second Language in the Environment of CBC: An Example of English in Rwanda},
      journal = {International Journal of English Teaching and Learning},
      volume = {1},
      number = {1},
      pages = {6-14},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ijetl.20230101.12},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijetl.20230101.12},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijetl.20230101.12},
      abstract = {Rwanda's education is facing the challenge of a language barrier, especially the instructional language of the students. Often the students fail to understand the lessons due to a lower level of understanding and communicating in English as an instructional language which is a second language to them. We realized that every teacher should be a language teacher as well. Therefore, the use of appropriate methods of teaching their subjects on the one hand, and language teaching on the other hand, is the appropriate way to understand instructional language. In this context, we investigated the best tool to fulfill the teaching of different subjects on the one hand and a second language on the other hand. So, this issue influenced the emergence of this article which was based on two specific research objectives. The first was to evaluate the effectiveness of literature in second language teaching in the context of a competency-based curriculum. The second was to determine how literature can be used in second language teaching in the context of a competency-based curriculum. The data collection methods used were interviews, observation, and literature review. The research participants were English teachers and students of senior three in selected secondary schools in Rwanda. The sample was the senior three teachers and students of English as well as the literary works. That sample was obtained using the purposive sampling method. The study results show that the literature contains the best examples of teaching a second language. This is due to the argument that we find examples of teaching grammar, vocabulary, and all language skills in literary works. In addition, the results showed that literature motivates students to practice the language in real life and helps them develop twenty-first-century skills as the main goal of a competency-based curriculum. Finally, the article has demonstrated the challenges of using literature as a language teaching tool and the strategies to be taken.},
     year = {2023}
    }
    

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    AB  - Rwanda's education is facing the challenge of a language barrier, especially the instructional language of the students. Often the students fail to understand the lessons due to a lower level of understanding and communicating in English as an instructional language which is a second language to them. We realized that every teacher should be a language teacher as well. Therefore, the use of appropriate methods of teaching their subjects on the one hand, and language teaching on the other hand, is the appropriate way to understand instructional language. In this context, we investigated the best tool to fulfill the teaching of different subjects on the one hand and a second language on the other hand. So, this issue influenced the emergence of this article which was based on two specific research objectives. The first was to evaluate the effectiveness of literature in second language teaching in the context of a competency-based curriculum. The second was to determine how literature can be used in second language teaching in the context of a competency-based curriculum. The data collection methods used were interviews, observation, and literature review. The research participants were English teachers and students of senior three in selected secondary schools in Rwanda. The sample was the senior three teachers and students of English as well as the literary works. That sample was obtained using the purposive sampling method. The study results show that the literature contains the best examples of teaching a second language. This is due to the argument that we find examples of teaching grammar, vocabulary, and all language skills in literary works. In addition, the results showed that literature motivates students to practice the language in real life and helps them develop twenty-first-century skills as the main goal of a competency-based curriculum. Finally, the article has demonstrated the challenges of using literature as a language teaching tool and the strategies to be taken.
    VL  - 1
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Author Information
  • Department of Humanities and Languages, Faculty of Education, University of Rwanda College of Education, Kigali, Rwanda

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