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1、Chapter1IntroductionAristotleoncedefined“literature”as“abranchofartwhichimitatesnature”(1997:63),whichmeansliteratureisthebasicrepresentativeofhumanemotions,feelings,actions,andthoughts.AccordingtoCarterandLong(1991:3),itispossibletoclassifythesignificanceo
2、flearningliteratureintothreegroupsnamely“linguistic”,“cultural”,and“individual”ones.Linguistically,literatureiscreatedfrombasicmaterialsoflinguisticstudy(Chapman1973:44),soitcanbeusedasaperfectmeanstoexemplifystructuresandvocabularyforEFL.Intermsofculture,l
3、iteraryworksarereferredtoas“aresponsetothebackgroundinwhichitisactualized”andsaidtobe“identicalwithcivilization”(WellekandWarren1956:20).Forindividuals,Griffith(1987:1)believesthatteachingliterature“enlargestheuseofstudents’imaginationandimprovestheircreati
4、vity”.Inshort,literaturebearsgreatsignificanceinitself.ManyprofessorsofEFLattachconsiderableimportancetotheteachingofEnglishliterature.YinQiping’s(YinandChen2002)viewsinthisrespectcanbeusedtosupportourargument.Heagreesthatliteraturehasacrucialroletoplayincu
5、ltivatingstudentstobemoreimaginativeandcreative,andthat“…anEnglishprogramthatdoesnotlooktothepastworksofliteratureinparticular,deprivesourstudentsoftheopportunitytoparticipateintheongoing,cross-culturalandlife-enrichingdialoguebetweenpastandpresent”(p.320).
6、Fromtheseremarkswecanconcludethatliteraturecoursesareindispensableforforeignlanguagelearners.However,thepastfewyearshavewitnessedadifficulttimeformanyteachersofEnglishliteratureinChineseuniversities.YinQipingobservesthatthe“pragmatictrend”placesever-increas
7、ingpressureonbothliteratureteachersandEnglishmajors,asemployersoftengivepreferencetothosewhohavetaken“pragmaticcourses”,namely“EnglishforSpecificPurpose”(ESP)coursessuchasForeignTradeEnglish,EnglishforScienceandTechnology(YinandChen2002:320).Asaresult,theat
8、titudeofdenialortheneglectofthevalueofliteratureprevailsamongEnglishmajors.SurveysshowthatmoreandmoreEnglishmajorsbegintothinkEnglishliteraturecoursesare“boringandimpractical”(YinandChen2002:321).Thus,
