the he Position and Role of Literature in English Language Education Programs.

2026-01-30T23:12:29+00:00

This research aims to determine the status and teaching function of the English Language Education Program’s literature courses at Kiai Abdullah Faqih University Gresik. This research stems from an ongoing debate regarding the incorporation of English literary texts, especially those with authentic texts, into the EFL syllabus to help promote various skills and cultural literacy. Although it is theoretically beneficial, the teaching of EFL literature texts in the Indonesian context has been shown to have a poor impact, which illustrates the gap between the international interest in pedagogy and its actual educational practice. This study aims to determine the extent to which literature courses have been incorporated into the curriculum and determine its effectiveness on the learners' English language skills and cultural literacy, and the extent to which the locally-based English Language Immersion framework enriches the curriculum.

Data collection for this study involved a qualitative approach based on embedded case study methodology. Data collection included semi-structured interviews with the head of the English Language Education Program and the teaching staff, document analysis of the curriculum guides and the courses offered, and a critique of some of the literary works as well as the bibliographic references provided in the syllabus for the subject Literature in Language Teaching.

Findings for this study show that a single course, Literature in Language Teaching, which represents approximately 1.3 percent of the total accumulated credits for the program, is the only course offered to teach the literature component of the program. An analysis of some of the main reference texts revealed a considerable gap between what the program aimed to achieve and what the texts provided. Many of the texts tended to be outdated, presented a theoretical frame that was not current, or were simply too esoteric for the students. Therefore, a review of the curriculum for Kiai Abdullah Faqih University Gresik showed that, although literature is acknowledged in the curriculum, its value is not reflected in the curriculum of the programs offered at the university, especially in terms of the literary texts offered as references. This mismatch between what is offered in the curriculum and the texts that are provided as references may result in a lack of motivational strategies for the students with respect to the introduction of wisdom originally born in this locality. For a program to take full advantage of the transformative effects that literature has to offer, such programs need to thoughtfully reconsider and modify what literature is being offered, what texts are being used as references, and what other local knowledge and culturally relevant materials are being used, as techniques of EFL (English as a Foreign Language) literature. These are fundamental to the development of the students’ language skills, critical thinking, and integral appreciation of other cultures

JEET, Journal of English Education and Technology

the he Position and Role of Literature in English Language Education Programs.