ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the versatile ways in which literary genres and their linguistic characteristics lend themselves to helping students achieve linguistic and cultural proficiency. There are innumerable pedagogical benefits to using literary materials in language curricula. These materials are not limited to the written text, but include other input forms and media, such as film, sound recordings, songs, etc. Within the framework of content-based instruction (CBI), the chapter argues for using a healthy "dose", to borrow Badawi's term, of literary text at all levels of the language curriculum and proposes ways to remedy the artificial gulf that separates content courses from language classes in most current university programs. CBI rests on three fundamental principles: subject matter core, the use of authentic texts, and appropriateness to the needs of specific students. Some other methodological parameters are very useful in introducing literary materials or designing content courses: selecting materials, sequencing learning tasks, stages of reading and individualizing learning.
