Introduction

Abstract

A renewed interest in literature is gradually emerging in the foreign language curriculum as demonstrated in recent studies (e.g. Hall, 2015; Matos, 2012; Paran, 2010; Sell, 2005). The surge of research groups and new online tools on this topic, such as the Litinclass website (https://litinclass.wordpress.com/, Almeida, Puig, & Duarte, 2016) or the Literature in Language Learning and Teaching Research Network (https://lilltresearch.net/home/, Paran & Kirchhoff, 2019) testifies to the growing relevance of this pedagogical approach to the teaching and learning of foreign languages. Both recent scholarship and class practice provide evidence that reading literary texts helps students to develop their language skills, as “[l]iterature exposes students to complex themes and fresh, unexpected uses of language” (Lazar, 1993, p. 15). Moreover, “[a]t present, students who are extensive travellers demand a different approach to the cultural dimension” (Matos, 2012. p. 7); the study of literature in the language classroom provides these students with the intercultural skills that are increasingly necessary in the contemporary globalised world. As educators, we can employ the study of literature to prepare students for dealing with the complexity of a globalised world long after graduation.