The Effectiveness of Current Approaches to Teaching Novel to University EFL Learners : Investigation & Reflections

Abstract

Taking the novel as a model of study, the plan of this study was of two dimensions. The first dimension was to make interviews with 6 teachers of English novel to the juniors and seniors, in 4 departments of English in 3 universities within Duhok Governorate Area. The interview form made use of Lazar’s (2013) tri-assumed-alternative approaches model to teach literature; a language-based approach, literature as content approach, and literature for personal enrichment approach. The teachers of novel were asked to tell how far their approaches of teaching novel are identical with one of Lazar model’s three approaches, as well as to fill in a questionnaire about their training to teach literature. The second dimension was to design a questionnaire to investigate the learners’ reflections about their learning and study experience with the novel-teaching approaches used by their teachers. Finally, an analysis of the findings was made, which helped to develop certain conclusions which proved the hypotheses made by the research about the professionalism of the novel-teacher’s approaches to teaching novel. In addition certain recommendations were made suggesting raising the sailing of the novel-teachers training in how to teach literature.