The Role of Literary Competences in Teaching the English Language

Fayziyeva Gulchiroy

Navoi Innovations University, Karmana, Navoiy, Uzbekistan

Keywords: Literary Competences, Literary Meaning, Literary Genres, Reading Competences Model.

Abstract: Nowadays there is a debate between scholars on the topic of the importance of using the literature in teaching

the foreign languages in ESL classes. In that way it is acceptable to raise the questions why? who? what?

Some language educators prefer to use literary materials not only for improving the students fundamental

language skills (reading, writing, listening and speaking) but also language areas(grammar, vocabulary and

pronunciation).The teaching and learning process can be smoothen if the teacher can apply the literary

competences properly in his classes as they are very important for students to be able to delve deeply into the

literary meaning. However, although different genres of literature like poetry, short fiction, drama and novel

are beneficial in teaching learning process, sometimes teachers have to deal with some problematic situations

to lead the literature lesson in the ESL classes (absence of preceding literature awareness, scantiness of

student’s recognition of the significance of studying literature, contrasting tastes of topics of learning). Below

we will discuss the role of competences to promote the student’s understanding in literary works as they allow

the readers to acquire a knowledge of dissimilar opinions and appreciate the differences in the real society.

1 INTRODUCTION

Since the middle of 1980s and 1990s applying to

literary works such as drama, novel, poetry and prose

has appeared in English as a second language context,

and it has been mainly utilized as a resource of

authentic material of the target language. In that way

literature can also be helpful for the EFL context

students as they seldom make the use of language in

context in their ordinary conversations. Moreover, it

is important to count other advantages like giving

opportunity for the learners to learn more about a

wide variety of perspectives, broadening their

horizons and indirectly teach them how to show

respect to certain values in real society. Not only

literature has been a medium or method of language

instruction – (Sharp, 2013) but also gave students a

chance to explore new cultures with the help of texts.

However, as literature is difficult to be applied to the

daily conversations, the effort to teach of literature

seems to be irrelevant in the process of

Communicative Language Teaching (CLT). As there

is difference between literary work and other types of

discourse such as magazine articles, textbooks or an

academic journal, literature requires the learner to

contemplate deeply . According to (Culler, 2002) in

order to understand the original context of the text,

the reader must have implied conception of acts of

literary exposition which helps one to focus on. He

names this skill as ‘‘literary competence’’ which

forces the reader to change the implication further on

than what is put on in the text”. Jane Spero’s early

representation for literary competences was consisted

of six measurements:

 Recognizing the ordinary perception of text

(general gist and specific information)

 Acknowledging the content (author’s

experience, social origin, ancestry, cultural

and geographical background)

 Learning to identify (emotions, personality,

incidents, scenes, backgrounds)

 Learning to value the literary materials (i.e.,

prospects, pattern, formation, imagination,

language, topic, temper, conspiracy,

classification, position, personality)

 Learning to be imaginative (indicating

tenderness, frame of mind, expressing

personality, settings, backdrop, episode:

employing sounds, imagination, harmony,

tempo)

 Schooling the condemnatory structure (new

criticism, Marxist criticism,

deconstructionism, structuralism based on

text)” – (Spero, 1991).

928

Gulchiroy, F.

The Role of Literary Competences in Teaching the English Language.

DOI: 10.5220/0012934500003882

Paper published under CC license (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)

In Proceedings of the 2nd Pamir Transboundary Conference for Sustainable Societies (PAMIR-2 2023), pages 928-932

ISBN: 978-989-758-723-8

According to Burtwitz Melzer, (2007) reading

competences model is based on approaches which is

including 5 dimensions,

 Motivational competence

 Cognitive and affective competences

 Intercultural competences

 Competence of communication about the text

 Reflexive competence

In each dimension learning objectives and skills

are suggested to the learners to be good at literary

texts. Besides, motivational, and reflexive

competences are emphasized as a part of intercultural

competences.

However, in the opinion of Diehr et al., (2015)

literary competences “distinguishes six competences

assumed in three dimensions:

 Motivational and attitudinal competences:

e.g., reading, listening, and viewing

motivation, suspension of disbelief emphatic

perception of protagonists’ and other points

of view, reflecting one’s own experiences in

view of the text, aesthetic features of the text.

 Linguistic and discursive competences: e.g.:

activating linguistic skills,

 Aesthetic and Cognitive competences: e.g.:

reading comprehension, filling gaps, forming

hypotheses, recognizing and interpreting

aesthetic forms of presentation in different

genres, contextualizing literary texts.

 Linguistic and discursive competences, using

reading strategies and techniques,

communicating about the text. – (Dierh et al.

2015)

As authors mentioned, to be engaged with the text

requires psychological, emotional, and behavioural

competences as well as traditional language skills.

2 DEFINITION OF LITERARY

COMPETENCE

There has been a wide discussion among the

linguistics on how to define literary competences. It

is impossible how to learn literary competences

automatically. Literary competences are a basic

concept in the field of literature and linguistics which

motivate learners to understand and make sense of

value of literary materials. At first, linguist Noam

Chomsky used the term “competence” in order to

express speaker’s natural knowledge of language.

Later, this term was used to indicate specific

knowledge and skills required to collaborate and

translate literature productively. According to Maley,

1985 “It is just all how to use and study literature”.

However, it was defined by Brumfit et al., (1986) as

“an interesting combination of linguistics, socio-

cultural, historical and semiotic awareness “while

Culler gave nearly the same idea “conventions by

which fictions are read”. To some extend literature is

related to culture, Raymond Williams gives a social

definition of literary competence ‘’ as a description of

way of life, which expresses certain meaning and

values not only in art and values but also in

institutions and ordinary behaviour” - Williams

(1998). Notwithstanding their benefits, these

competence models include concepts like

motivational or cognitive competence, which are

difficult to pinpoint and accurately assess in pupils.

They also comprise competencies that aren't unique

to literary works. In contrast, the Companion to the

CEFR attempts to test learners' competencies in

handling a creative text in a clear and concise manner

by providing extremely practical "can do" statements.

The Companion introduces three new illustrative

scales relevant to literature in order to address the

imbalance caused by the absence of descriptors for

literature in the 2001 CEFR: "Reading as a leisure

activity," "Expressing a personal response to creative

texts (including literature)," and "Analysis and

criticism of creative texts (including literature)" –

(CEFR, 2018). These "can do" statements serve as a

springboard for our understanding of literary

competence in an ELT context, which consists of four

key competencies: empathy, aesthetic and stylistic

competence, cultural and discursive competence, and

interpretative competence. All these competencies

are firmly rooted in a general linguistic competence

of English and a reading competence alike. Even

though there are some obvious overlaps with the

categories that the Companion suggests, the

methodical grouping of related skills into the model

that is offered here enables a more methodical

approach to the instruction and, eventually,

evaluation of these skills, ideally by bringing

attention to the procedures involved in literary

appreciation. However, the discovery and

development of distinct competencies must not take

precedence over the study and understanding of a

literary material. Existing models of literary

competency tend to operationalize neglected parts of

ELT, which runs counter to the linguistic outcome-

orientation of current ELT. There is a chance that

English language instruction will be reduced to things

that are easily comparable and can be objectively

described as a result of the trend toward comparable

English capabilities that are defined by competence

levels and scales. Therefore, components that rely on

The Role of Literary Competences in Teaching the English Language

929

interpretation and/or personal reactions risk being

ignored – (Zydatis, 2005). Therefore, if using

literature in ELT is to continue to be a key component

of any national curriculum, even when examined

critically, it must adapt to competence- and outcome-

orientation. In an effort to make literary competences

measurable, current competence models include

distinctions between subcategories that honour the

potential of the literary works mentioned above –

(Paran, 2010). Most individuals worldwide first come

into contact with literature in a significant way in

school. Exams are the catalyst for the inculcation of

reading and writing in all of us, since they are taught

to us from a young age.

It is fundamental and, in the eyes of students, an

essential skill to be able to empathize with a group of

characters printed on a page. Sensing themes and

messages also allows us to view the world from a

different angle. A vessel is created by literature. A

reader can learn new things by using the 130 million

books that have been written worldwide as a guide

and a bridge.

3 COMPONENTS OF LITERARY

COMPETENCES’

The following competences are regarded as the main

components of literary competences:

 Linguistic Competence

 Cultural Competence

 Genre Competence

 Literary Theory Competence

 Stylistic Competence

3.1 Linguistic Competence

It is sited in the centre of literary competence which

encloses a reader’s awareness of the language, syntax,

and lexis used in the literary work. This rudimentary

knowledge helps readers to decode literal meaning of

a text like characters, events and its plot. The

unconsciously acquired grammar that enables a

speaker to utilize and comprehend a language is

referred to as linguistic competence. Sometimes

called I-language or grammatical competency. In

contrast, consider language performance.

Linguistic competence is not an evaluative phrase in

the sense that Noam Chomsky and other linguists use

it. It speaks instead of the natural language ability that

enables one to associate sounds with meanings. "We

thus make a fundamental distinction between

competence (the speaker-hearer's knowledge of his

language) and performance (the actual use of

language in concrete situations)," stated Chomsky in

Aspects of the Theory of Syntax (1965). This theory

states that language competence can only be

"properly" used in idealized circumstances, which

would presumably exclude any memory, distraction,

emotion, and other potential roadblocks.

3.2 Cultural Competence

To enable the readers to be aware of historical events,

social norms and cultural references, literary

materials are usually inserted in specific cultural

contexts. To illustrate, “Gulliver’s travels” can be a

vivid example to get the readers acquainted with the

political climate and ideology of the period during

which the novel was written. When Ali M. Mattu

started his doctoral studies in clinical psychology at

the Catholic University of America five years ago, he

believed he was prepared to take on almost any

cultural issue because he was a member of a minority

group and a former Asian-American studies minor

with an interest in diversity. As it happened, one of

his first clients confounded the future diversity chair

for APAGS. According to Mattu, who is currently

APAGS's chair-elect, "He was going on and on about

confession, using a lot of Catholic lingos that I'm not

familiar with." "Then he looked at me and asked point

blank, 'Have you been to confession here?'"

3.3 Genre Competence

Each literary genres, such as tragedy, poetry, drama,

and fiction differ from each other according to their

agreements and assumptions. Due to recognize these

genre-specific features and comprehend them

accordingly literary competences play the vital role.

The methodical study of literary analytical techniques

and the nature of literature is known as literary theory.

Since the 19th century, literary theory and analyses of

intellectual history, social philosophy, moral

philosophy, and interdisciplinary topics pertaining to

meaning interpretation have been a part of literary

studies. The latter kind of literary studies in the

humanities is a branch of post-structuralism in

contemporary academia. As a result, the term

"theory" evolved to refer to a broad range of academic

methods to text analysis, some of which drew

inspiration from semiotics, cultural studies,

philosophy of language, and continental philosophy.

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3.4 Literary Theory

Literary competence requires to be familiar with

several literary theories such as author theories or

“pragmatic” theories, mimetic theories, feminism, or

post colonialism which can reveals facets of a text.

Literary theory originated in ancient Greece

(Aristotle's Poetics is a frequently cited early

example), ancient India (Bharata Muni's Natya

Shastra), and ancient Rome (Longinus's on the

Sublime). It was only become a profession in the 20th

century. Medieval scholars continued to publish

works based on literary studies in the Middle East

(Al-Jahiz's al-Bayan wa-'l-tabyin and al-Hayawan,

and ibn al- Mu'tazz's Kitab al-Badi) and Europe. The

aesthetic theories of philosophers from antiquity to

the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries have had a

significant impact on literary scholarship today. The

history of literature is connected to literary theory and

criticism. Some academics—both theoretical and

anti-theoretical—make reference to the arguments

over the benefits of academic purpose. Literary

theory is the systematic study of the nature of

literature and of the methods for literary analysis.

Since the 19th century, literary scholarship includes

literary theory and considerations of intellectual

history, moral philosophy, social philosophy, and

interdisciplinary themes relevant to how people

interpret meaning. In the humanities in modern

academia, the latter style of literary scholarship is an

offshoot of post-structuralism. Consequently, the

word theory became an umbrella term for scholarly

approaches to reading texts, some of which are

informed by strands of semiotics, cultural studies,

philosophy of language, and continental philosophy.

The methodical study of literary analytical

techniques and the nature of literature is known as

literary theory. Since the 19th century, literary theory

and analyses of intellectual history, social

philosophy, moral philosophy, and interdisciplinary

topics pertaining to meaning interpretation have been

a part of literary studies. The latter kind of literary

studies in the humanities is a branch of post-

structuralism in contemporary academia. As a result,

the term "theory" evolved to refer to a broad range of

academic methods to text analysis, some of which

drew inspiration from semiotics, cultural studies,

philosophy of language, and continental philosophy.

3.5 Stylistic Competence

It is important to analyse and recognize the writer’s

choices in language, style and tone which is vital for

the readers to appreciate the elegance of the material

and acknowledge how these choices put up to its

overall impact. Characterizing the subject and goal of

researching stylistics has been done. Studies have

been conducted on stylistics aspects such as stylistics

of language, stylistics of speech, and stylistics of

fiction. It is possible to distinguish between the ideas

of "language style" and "speech style." It has been

discussed how to comply with style norms and the

characteristics that contribute to the development of

stylistic aptitudes and competencies. A defined

linguistic-didactic system has been established to

help students develop their stylistic competence. This

system consists of the following: functional-stylistic

learning approaches (which guarantee efficient work

on the representation of the features of the

functioning of language units, their implementation in

each style, the development of speaking fluency),

learning patterns (patterns of language learning and

patterns of speech learning), general didactic and

linguistic didactic teaching principles.

4 THE SIGNIFICANCE OF

LITERARY COMPETENCES

Since literary competences play an essential role to

engage with the literature on a higher level, it is not

only an academic pursuit but also a required skill to

go deeply into the meaning of the text. Below some

reasons are enclosed to prove why literary

competence is valuable:

• Effective communication

• Enhanced appreciation

• Cultural insight

• Personal growth

Moreover, in second language educational context

literary competence is an important concept for the

teachers to teach the literature since it sets up a clear

definition of what the learner must have during the

reading process. With the help of literary

competences, individuals can develop skills through

the literature that are not only useful for today’s

global environment, but also inspires changes and

innovations as studying English literature motivates

us to acquire knowledge through novels, poems,

stories in various types of areas such as economics,

politics and cultural aspects.

5 CONCLUSION

In spite of some disagreement and confusions about

applying competences in second language

The Role of Literary Competences in Teaching the English Language

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teaching/learning process, it should be taken into the

consideration that literary competence is an important

concept as it leads the reader to go deeply to the

essence of the text than what is written on the paper.

Furthermore, it develops some basic qualities in

readers by teaching them cultural value, personal

outlook and appreciation the differences in the real

society. Applying critical thinking to the writing,

speaking, listening, and reading abilities becomes

essential when thinkers actively share their authority

over the texts, themselves, and other sources. The

practice of interactional critical literacy in an EFL

English literature classroom is described in the

current study. The recent shift in the curriculum from

emphasizing knowledge to textual analysis ability

serves as the driving force behind the exercises.

Because so few students were able to demonstrate

their literary competency through the response

papers, the study's data set was rather limited, making

it difficult to conclude if the activities were successful

in getting the children interested in literature.

Nonetheless, the targeted group interview subjects

and the group discussion that were documented in this

study.

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Culler, J (2002) Chapter 6 LITERARY COMPETENCE.

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Augistin, R, T (2014) Literacy Education: The first step

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