The Feasibility Of Providing English Literature Appreciation As An Optional Course In High School

The latest English Curriculum Criteria of Secondary Education was issued in April 2003 by the Ministry of Education. It has put forward and adopted the course mode that compulsory course combines with optional course in high school of our country and this curriculum stipulates literature appreciation as one optional course. However, seldom did high school provide literature appreciation as an optional course. This thesis discusses the feasibility of providing literature appreciation course as an optional course in high school. Therefore, students and teachers could overcome the psychological fear of difficulty and accept English literature. Thus, English literature could serve better for English teaching.This thesis is divided into four parts.Firstly, this thesis discusses what the topic based on. To emphasize that providing English literature course in high school is necessary and feasible, the thesis put some detailed statement of the background, the purpose and the meaning of providing English optional course to high-school students. Then, the thesis discusses the importance of literature to English teaching. Therefore, English literature course should be the first choice of optional course in high school.Secondly, the thesis provides theoretic supporting, such as Humanistic Theory, and Krashen's Input Hypothesis theory, to prove that providing English literature course in high school is feasible.Thirdly, the author designs questionnaires to test students and teachers'attitude towards providing English literature course as an optional course in high school. The results show that students are very interested in English literature and teachers also have the full desire to engage in English literature teaching. They think their ability could be improved through getting some further education. It means that providing English literature course as an optional course in high school could be put into practice. The results also inspire us to think further about the development of teaching materials, student-centered classroom, evaluation, teachers training and the study of teaching theory.Finally, several suggestions about how to providing English literature course are given. The teaching materials should go with students'cognitive development and meet the needs of students'hobbies. It also should enlighten students'thinking and enrich students'aesthetic experience. The teaching process could be divided into several steps, such as lead-in, fast reading, answering students'questions, understanding, discussion, appreciation and expanding. The assessment should be more diversified, i.e. formative assessment combining with summative assessment. These suggestions may give some enlightenment to teachers who will provide English literature appreciation course in future.