| In this dissertation, I examine the presentation of literary texts in seventeen Swahili-as-a-foreign-language textbooks. I observe the types of literary texts that are included in the textbooks and how their related activities reflect learners' presumed background knowledge to enhance communicative competence. Although a variety of literary texts are included, the activities that accompany them offer little opportunity for learners to use their background knowledge to comprehend these texts or their contextual use. Based on these results, I propose schema-based activities for using literary texts in the foreign language teaching and learning materials. Schema-based activities in reading activities enable the construction of meaning, cross-cultural understanding, using background knowledge, and developing linguistic competence in the target language. I argue that foreign language teaching and learning materials should include more complex literary texts alongside activities that build on learners' background knowledge to express ideas and construct meaning.;One of the seventeen textbooks examined uses this approach successfully, and I use my analysis of this text (Masomo ya Kisasa) to show how it could be used as a model for the creation of schema-based activities to facilitate students' understanding of literary texts and their cultural contexts. Finally, I conclude with suggestions that foreign language teaching materials should reconsider the presentation of literary texts for the sake of promoting communicative competence. Incorporating daily life experiences and learners' background knowledge with literary texts presented in the teaching materials would better enable the use of language in a variety of contexts. |
