Reintegrating Literature into Language Teaching

This article advocates the need of literature reintegration into English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classes, emphasizing its pivotal role in promoting comprehensive language development. The article explores the importance of literature in language acquisition, cognitive development, and cultural understanding by examining a range of fictional, cultural, and religious narratives that have historically shaped linguistic and cultural identities. Despite contemporary trends marginalizing literature in language learning, this article contends that literature serves as a fundamental component, providing linguistic, cultural, and cognitive nourishment essential for holistic language development, and also asserts that its inclusion enhances language proficiency by nurturing creativity, critical thinking, and linguistic exploration. Through a mixed-methods approach, including literature review and quantitative analysis via survey, the study elicits perspectives from EFL learners, Bachelor’s, Master’s, and PhD students, educators, and professionals, revealing robust endorsement for literature incorporation in language learning which can be achieved by using various methodological instruments including scenarios, role plays, imitative exercises. The findings highlight the profound impact of literature on language acquisition, cultural immersion, and cognitive development, providing empirical evidence to advocate for its integration into EFL curricula.