The pros and cons of using literature in an ESL classroom are examined. It is argued that if literary texts are used, they must be carefully selected and approached in a manner promoting an aesthetic interaction between reader and text. An example of this technique is given. (Author/MSE)

Increasingly over the past several years, the reading of literature has been viewed as a social interpretive process. Conceptions of reading have changed from a largely cognitive process of print decoding to a socially situated one of understanding and appropriating a variety of discourse and text conventions. "Difficulty" is the result…

Research has shown that tasks of intermediate difficulty generally elicit the greatest efforts on the part of students. For this reason, teachers are advised that the use of moderate goal setting is one of the most effective means of ensuring favorable vocational outcomes. The general paradigm of achieving vocational success through moderate goal…