AWEJ > All Issues > Volume 7 - 2016 > Awej Volume 7 Number 4 December 2016 > Challenges to Teaching English Literature at the University of Hail: Instructors' Perspective
Arab World English Journal (AWEJ) Volume.7 Number.4 December, 2016 Pp. 125-138
DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.24093/awej/vol7no4.9
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Challenges to Teaching English Literature at the University of Hail: Instructors' Perspective
Elham T. Hussein
Department of English,
Faculty of Arts, University of Hail
Aida H. Al-Emami
This descriptive-analytic study aimed at identifying the most significant impediments to teaching English literature from the perspective of male and female instructors at The University of Hail (UoH). The study was conducted during the first semester of the academic year 2015-16. A questionnaire was used to collect data from 10 female and 12 male instructors. Data analysis revealed that the instructors consider the students' level of language proficiency, the texts' linguistic and stylistic degree of difficulty as well as the degree of cultural (un)familiarity to be crucial issues which impact the productivity of the teaching -learning process. Narrowing the distance between students and the text by relating the themes and characters of the literary work to the students' personal experiences, on the one hand, and by making students read independently, on the other, were found to be the most important practices the participants followed in order to help students read, enjoy and comprehend literature.
Keywords: challenges, teaching literature, instructors, Saudi Arabia, University of Hail
Cite as: Hussein, E. T. Al-Emami, A.H. (2016). Challenges to Teaching English Literature at the University of Hail:
Instructors' Perspective. Arab World English Journal, 7(4)
DOI https://dx.doi.org/10.24093/awej/vol7no4.9
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Challenges, instructors, Saudi Arabia, Teaching literature, University of Hail
https://dx.doi.org/10.24093/awej/vol7no4.9
Dr. Elham T. Hussein earned her PhD in Modern British and American Drama from Purdue
University. She taught literature at The Hashemite University in Jordan for five years and then
moved to Hail University in KSA, where she is currently teaching. Dr. Hussein teaches a wide
spectrum of literature courses but mainly courses on modern drama, fiction and poetry. In
addition, she offers training courses in creative thinking and writing. Her research interests
include political memoirs and Palestinian literature.