This work aims to highlight the importance of literature in the teaching of English at the secondary level, as a pedagogical resource and thus be able to improve the linguistic competence of students in the foreign language classroom. For this, we inquire about the role played by literature within the teaching-learning methods of a second language (English). It begins with a brief tour of the use that has been given during the different methodologies implemented in the various stages. Likewise, they are reflected and argued different reasons why literature constitutes an enriching didactic material. In order to show you the benefits that its use contributes to the students and we analyze how it is integrated within the regulations. Current secondary education. In addition, creative writing is exposed as a method to work the different skills, effective with benefits for both students and teachers. Finally, the literary criteria used during the practice are reasoned, through a survey made to the student's object of the work based on what is stated in the theory, demonstrating at the end the feasibility of using literature in the classroom.