WHAT IS LITERATURE? (Edebiyat Nedir?)
Literature is literally "an acquaintance with letters", but has generally come to identify a collection of texts. Nations can have literatures, as can corporations, philosophical schools or historical periods. It is commonly held that a literature of a nation, for example, is the collection of texts which make it a whole nation. The Hebrew Bible, Beowulf, the Iliad and the Odyssey and the American constitution, all fall within this definition of a kind of literature. More generally, a literature is equated with a collection of stories, poems and plays that revolve around a particular topic. In this case, the stories, poems and plays may or may not have nationalistic implications. The Western Canon is one such literature.
Classifying a specific item as being part of a literature is very difficult. To some people, "literature" can be broadly applied to any symbolic record which can include images, sculptures, as well as letters. To others, a literature must only include examples of text composed of letters, or other narrowly defined examples of symbolic written language (hieroglyphs, for example). Even more conservative interpreters of the concept would demand that the text have a physical form, usually on paper or some other portable form, to the exclusion of inscriptions or digital media.
Furthermore, there is a perceived difference between "literature" and some popular forms of written work. The terms "literary fiction" and "literary merit" are often used to distinguish between individual works. For example, the works of Charles Dickens are perceived by almost everyone as being "literature", whereas the works of Jeffrey Archer tend to be looked down on as unworthy of inclusion under the general heading of English literature. Works may be excluded if, for example, the standard of grammar and syntax is poor, the story unbelievable or disjointed, the characters inconsistent or unconvincing. Genre fiction is sometimes excluded from consideration as "literature".
Frequently, these boundaries are crossed by the texts that make up literature. Illustrated stories, hypertexts, cave paintings and inscribed monuments have all at one time or another pressed the boundaries of what is and is not literature.
WHY DO WE USE LITERATURE IN ELT CLASSES? (Neden edebiyatı İngilizce Öğretmenliği Sınıflarında kullanırız?)
• Literature is authentic material. It is written in an unmodified language and therefore while dealing with it learners increase their language awareness.
• Literature encourages interaction. Literary texts contain multiple layers of meaning, which stimulates the learners' imagination and promotes discussions in which they share their feelings and opinions.
• Literature educates the whole person. By examining values in literary texts, teachers encourage learners to develop attitudes towards them. These values and attitudes relate to the world outside the classroom.
• Literature is motivating. Students can feel a real sense of achievement at understanding a piece of highly respected literary work. Besides, literature, since it opens a window on another culture, frequently also on another time, is usually more interesting than the texts found in course books.
