Literature Teaching In English Classes Of Senior High Schools

In the basic foreign language education, the relationship between literature and language teaching has always been a disputed topic in the field of English teaching in high schools at home and abroad. Literature has played an important role in foreign language teaching. However, with the change of education and social conditions, especially under the influence of communicative approach, the position of literature has historically been challenged and the role of literature has gradually been devalued. Many foreign language teachers, who support the communicative approach, advocate language teaching and dissever literature from language. For a long time, in English class of high school, linguistic knowledge and linguistic competence have always been overemphasized while literature teaching has been neglected.In the literature review, the paper elaborates on the definition of literature, explains the relationship among literature, language and culture, analyses the correlation between literature and language teaching, summarizes the purpose, position and effect of literature teaching, contrasts the development and change of literature teaching in foreign language teaching at home and abroad. All these aspects theoretically show the necessity of literature teaching of English teaching in high schools.Furthermore, the author designs two questionnaires for teachers and students. The respondents of this survey, who are from a high school of Shanghai, include sixteen teachers and the students of four classes in Grade three. And this survey aims to know about the present situation of literature teaching of English teaching in high schools and the attitudes to literature teaching of teachers and students. In order to make teachers and students convenient to answer the questionnaires, they are in the form of multiple-choice questions. Statistical findings are calculated by means of percentage. At last, they are showed in the form of tables. The results of this survey prove that it is necessary to carry out literature teaching of English teaching in high schools. Literature teaching and language teaching are inseparable. Literature teaching helps to motivate students'interests, strengthen students'integrated language capabilities and improve the effects of English teaching. People can get some implications of foreign language teaching and learning from both the analysis of theory and the enlightenment of practice:the aim of literature teaching is to cultivate students'literature diathesis; enhance students'abilities of appreciation, analysis and evaluation about literature works; improve students' linguistic knowledge and linguistic skills; strengthen students' abilities of cross-cultural communication; and shape students'perfect personalities. Literature teaching is not only necessary for students to learn English well, but also gives a variety of knowledge nutriment to cultivate students'all-round development.Finally, the author appeals to teachers to update the ideas about education, reform teaching models, and improve teaching strategies. Teachers should combine literature teaching with language teaching, and make them serve better for each other. At the same time, students should fully realize the important position and function of literature teaching in English language teaching. And they should pay more attention to literature learning and improve themselves in all aspects.