Utility of English Literature in English Education in Korean EFL Setting

Literature is a valuable resource for English learning, serving as both a repository of language materials and a reflection of cultural heritage. Its importance is widely recognized, offering benefits beyond linguistic competence, including cultural, aesthetic, and cognitive dimensions. Literature aids in understanding language rules and cultural contexts, fostering deeper cultural appreciation and engaging learners both cognitively and emotionally. It helps learners express and understand emotions, enhancing imagination and creativity. Literature motivates learners, provides cultural context, and stimulates language acquisition in classrooms. It broadens language awareness, improves reading comprehension, and supports holistic education. Additional benefits include providing meaningful context and diverse vocabulary, stimulating imagination, enhancing creativity, fostering cultural awareness, encouraging critical thinking, and aligning with communicative language teaching. This article explores the literature's utility and pedagogical applications in English teaching within the Korean EFL setting. (Mokwon University)