(K)Eine Zukunft für den fremdsprachlichen Literaturunterricht an Schulen?! Perspektiven und Ansätze

Abstract

Reading is out: very little young people read literary books in their leisure time; if they have to at school or university; most of them dislike literature classes. But reading is also out as far as curricula are concerned: Today’s (foreign language) teaching at schools and universities is strongly oriented on achieving educational standards. Reading literary texts and aesthetic learning are no longer seen as key competences in today’s curricula. Is this the end of (teaching of) literature? The article discusses reasons for the general reading displeasure, argues that reading competences are crucial for understanding different cultures and explores to which extend literature conveys values and competences which cannot be experienced and learned by reading factual texts. Finally the article pleads for alternative approaches to teaching literature and aesthetic understanding.