Teaching Literature at the University Level. Metaphor as an Aesthetic Motivated Device for Understanding the Literary Texts. Case of the University of Saida

Abstract

Teaching literature to EFL learners has often been marginalized from EFL classrooms due to its abundance of symbolic patterns, commonly referred to as ‘figures of speech.’ In fact, there may be no literary text devoid of metaphor or any other form of figurative language. However, metaphor presence is minimal in Algerian English as Foreign Language (EFL) literature classrooms. It rarely serves as an integral aesthetic device for understanding literary texts. This study aims to explore the role of metaphor as an aesthetics-motivated device in enhancing the understanding of literary texts among first-year EFL students at the University of Saida, Algeria. The research employs a triangulation of quantitative and qualitative methods for data collection. It includes pre- and post-tests designed to investigate how recognition of and active engagement with metaphors influence students’ understanding of literary texts. Furthermore, a questionnaire was developed for both literature teachers and first-year students. Three teachers in charge of teaching literature in the department were also interviewed to shed light on their views about conceptual fluency. The results obtained from this study are used to propose teaching techniques and strategies that could be integrated into the literature programme at the University of Saida to enhance the teaching of literature.