A Study on the Views of English Literature Teachers about How to Teach English Literature: Libyan Higher Education Context

Abstract

This study examined the views of the English Literature teachers about how to teach English Literature in Libyan higher education context. Sixteen English Literature teachers teaching in higher education were the participants of this study. In order to collect data about the phenomena under investigation, semi-structured interviews were employed. Then, the collected data were analyzed qualitatively. The findings indicated that the teaching of English Literature still needs improvements. It was also found that basically three different approaches were followed by the partcipant teachers: Paraphrastic Approach, Information-based Approach and Language-based Approach. Among the preferred approaches to teach English literature, the most commonly followed approach of teaching literature was the Paraphrastic Approach. The findings also revealed that the participant English Literature teachers face some difficulties related to their teaching context and themselves. Context-specific difficuties were lack of facilities, visual aids, technology and lack of appropriate classroom environment while teacher related difficulties were lack of self-confidence in teachers and lack of establishing rapport in teachers with their students in class.