Paper short abstract:

As an extension of the debate on innovative pedagogical designs in JFL education within Japan, this study reflects on an alternative approach to JFL instruction by critically examining it from the perspective of 'literature.'

Paper long abstract:

In recent years, various pedagogical approaches have been suggested for adapting JFL instruction to meet the learning needs of students from different backgrounds and reevaluating the foundations of JFL instruction is one research domain within Japan that continues to gain prominence amongst contemporary scholars. As an extension of this debate, this study reflects on an alternative approach to JFL instruction by critically examining JFL education from the perspective of 'literature.' While previous research suggests that using literary texts can enhance JFL students' learning of language and culture, knowing which methods and texts can be useful is a problematic issue for JFL instructors, especially if their background is not in linguistics, cultural studies, or literature. In this presentation, I firstly situate the discussion by examining collected domestic views and assumptions regarding the use of literary texts in the teaching of Japanese as a foreign language. I then suggest concrete approaches to using literary texts. These approaches have proven effective in cultivating learners' language skills and cultural understanding and can easily be adapted to various instructional environments.