Icelandic Secondary School Students’ Attitudes Towards Literature in the English Classroom. A Qualitative Study

Abstract

The focus of this qualitative study is to explore the views and opinions of students towards secondary school English classes in general, the teaching of English literature, and how important they think literature is to language learning. Participants were asked about their relationship with literature in the classroom, as well as their reading habits in general. The importance of reading and the perceived decline of reading among young people is explored, as well as the role of reading in foreign language learning, and the types of literature being taught. The role of English as a global language is discussed, along with its considerable impact on modern Icelandic society. A number of Stephen Krashen’s theories are examined, and the value of reading literature in the English classroom discussed. The data was gathered by the semi-structured interviewing of a number of Icelandic secondary school students on the verge of graduating, and the results indicate that secondary school students are indeed interested in the use of literature in the English classroom, since almost all participants believed more emphasis should be placed on literature in English teaching. Participants called for more various teaching methods, more novels in the classroom, and a wider choice of reading material. English as a subject was perceived as enjoyable and relatively easy, as students claimed that good grades were not difficult to achieve. The students’ confidence in their English abilities might be misjudged, as research has shown that young Icelanders tend to over-estimate their English skills considerably. The attitude towards English classes was positive in general, as the importance of English in modern society was very clear to all participants.