Luận văn thạc sĩ Luật học: Nhận thức của sinh viên chuyên Anh về tầm quan trọng của văn học Anh trong việc học ngoại ngữ: Một nghiên cứu tại Đại học Luật Hà Nội

MINISTRY OF JUSTICE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAININGHANOI LAW UNIVERSITY HOANG VIET LINH 443035 ENGLISH-MAJORED STUDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS TOWARDS THE IMPORTANCE OF ENGLISH LITERATURE IN LE

MINISTRY OF JUSTICE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING

HANOI LAW UNIVERSITY

HOANG VIET LINH

443035

ENGLISH-MAJORED STUDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS TOWARDS THE IMPORTANCE OF ENGLISH

LITERATURE IN LEARNING FOREIGN

LANGUAGE: A STUDY AT HANOI LAW

UNIVERSITY

Hanoi - 2023

MINISTRY OF JUSTICE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING

HANOI LAW UNIVERSITY

HOANG VIET LINH

443035

ENGLISH-MAJORED STUDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS TOWARDS THE IMPORTANCE OF ENGLISH LITERATURE IN LEARNING FOREIGN

LANGUAGE: A STUDY AT HANOI LAW

UNIVERSITY

Major: English Language

SUPERVISORNguyen Thi Hong Thu, MA

Hanoi - 2023

I hereby state that I: Hoang Viet Linh — Class 4430, being a candidatefor the degree of Bachelor of Arts accept the requirements of the Universityrelating to the retention and use of Bachelor’s Graduation Paper deposited inthe library

In terms of these conditions, I agree that the origin of my paper deposited

in the library should be accessible for the purposes of study and research, inaccordance with the normal conditions established by the librarian for thecare, loan or reproduction of the paper

April 2"4 2023

Supervisor Student

Nguyen Thi Hong Thu, M.A Hoang Viet Linh

My eternal gratitude to my Supervisor, Ms Hong Thu Nguyen Thi,M.A., for her unwavering guidance, constructive criticism, and practicalsuggestions throughout the duration of the thesis.

My genuine appreciation to every member of the Thesis Committee fortheir fair assessment and comprehensive review, as well as favorable feedbackfor my future research

My heartfelt thanks go to the legal English-majored students from course

44 for their active cooperation in the process of data collection

I am profoundly indebted to my beloved family and close friends for theirwise counsel and sympathetic ear throughout the journey

In the absence of the unconditional, unequivocal, and wholeheartedsupport of these individuals, my graduation thesis could not have beenaccomplished

ABSTRACTSThe strong relationship between language and culture has been widely

acknowledged by many scholars and researchers Numerous studies have beenconducted to figure out the importance of cultural learning in English languageeducation Promoting the interest in learning English through literature isviewed as one of the most ways to increase a student’s proficiency in a secondlanguage On that account, this study aimed to investigate what English-majored students perceive about the importance of English literature in Englishlanguage learning, difficulties in learning process and some methods toimprove so that they can enhance their foreign language competence Theresearch was implemented with the cooperation of 97 questionnairerespondents, together with 15 interviewees from legal English majors at HLU(course 44) The study was conducted by taking a mixture of quantitative andqualitative methods with a survey questionnaire and in-depth interviews The

findings revealed that most of the students expressed positive attitudes towards

the role of culture in English language learning The results also signify thatsome seniors had to confront some problems and adopt numerous methods toimprove the efficiency of their language over the process of learning Englishliterature Some constructive recommendations for students, educators, and theFaculty of Legal Foreign Languages were given regarding facilitating the

quality of foreign language learning acquisition in English literature classes atHLU

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEWW SG TS sen Hee, 61.1 Learning foreign language in higher education - - 61.1.1 The definition of foreign language - -s+++<ss++ssss+ 6

1.1.2 Learning foreign language in Vietnam and abroad 7

1.2 Learning English at Hanoi Law UniÏversÏty -‹‹- +55 91.3 English literature and learning English literature at university 9

1.3.1 The definition of English literafure - -s5+++<ss++<ss++ 9

1.3.2 The importance of English literature in learning foreign language

1.3.3 Learning and teaching literature at Hanoi Law University 14

1.4 Previous studies in relation to the importance of English literature

in learning foreign langØàØe - - - - c 112v SH 1 ng ng ky 15IS) (02 18

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CHAPTER 3: RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS 253.1 Results and discussion of the quesfionnaire . ‹- s5 25

3.1.1 The legal English-majored seniors’ Informatlion 25Š.1,1.1 Te SSO BSNS THÍÌD ¿se cán tang gà aii a Kiet 00408620406 25

3.1.1.2 The seniors’ years of learning English ‹- 26

3.1.1.3 The seniors’ English proficiency levels «- 27

3.1.2 The legal English-majored seniors’ perceptions towards the

importance of English literature in learning foreign language 27

3.1.2.1 The seniors’ perceptions towards the importance of English

literature in learning foreign lanØUaØ€ - s5 sssss++esssssesssess 27

3.1.2.2 The seniors’ perceptions towards the difficulties of learning

English literature during the COUTS€S - 55555 £++x++eessx 35

3.1.2.3 The methods employed by the legal English-majored seniors

for the improvement to foreign laguage skills through learning English

3.2 Results and discussion of the interView c2 47

3.2.1 The legal English-majored seniors’ perceptions towards the

importance of English literature in learning foreign language throughliteratUre COULSES - - -LLk HS S111 11g 1v re 47

3.2.2 The legal English-majored seniors’ difficulties with English

literature in learning foreign lanØUaØ€ 5s + sxs*+*ses+eeeressss 49

3.2.3 The methods employed by legal English-maJored seniors to handlethe problems in learning foreign language through English literatureCIASSES o ecccceeeececccccceseccccccuccccecccceceueeeccceasusececcceenateecececeuaececeeceuauteececeeees 49

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CHAPTER 4: RECOMMENDATIONS Ăn he 524.1 Recommendations for legal English-majored seniors 324.2 Recommendations for legal English-majored lecturers 544.3 Recommendations for the Faculty of Legal Foreign Languages 55

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3 Limitations and suggestions for further research - 58

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LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURESFIGURES:

Figure 1 The seniors’ gender ratio (N=97)

Figure 2 The seniors’ years of learning English (N=97)

Figure 3 The seniors’ English proficiency levels

Table 1 /ntegration of Mean Score of Descriptive VaÏMe ‹ - 23Table 2 The seniors’ perceptions towards the importance of English literature

LP 19210 11/1100115732215918101,15:7127572 SEO S000 00 th eh a ah kik 28Table 3 The seniors’ perceptions towards difficulties of learning Englishliterature AUring the COUISES scccccccccsesccessseeeseeeseeeessseeceseessseeesaeecesueeesaneeenaees 35Table 4 Case summary Of S€HÌOTS ` OPINIONS cccccccccccessscessseeesseesseeessseeessees 40Table 5 The seniors’ opinions on the best ways to improve foreign languageSkills through English literature CASS€S ccccccccsscccsseseeesessesseeeesseeeeseseesesesseeees 41Table 6 Case summary Of S€HÏOTS ` ANSWETS c5 5 SE ++ve+sxrxs 44Table 7 The seniors’ answers on the methods students should do to improveforeign language skills through English literature at hoME - -+‹ 44

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

HLU : Hanoi Law University

EFL : English as a Foreign Language

SPSS : Statistical Package for the Social Sciences

INTRODUCTIONThe principal objective of this section is to form the basis of the researchpaper with a detailed explanation of its rationale, aims, research questions,

scope, significance, and organization

1 Rationale for the study

English is agreed that it was and will continue to be the most prevailing

language in the world in the years to come, in Vietnam, it has developed andchanged over the years Due to globalization and the rapid development of

information and communication technologies, English is becoming more andmore important in the Vietnamese education system Hence, the role of

language education is of vital necessity in order to equip younger generations

with a good command of the English language for the purpose of becomingglobal citizens

It is widely agreed that language and culture have a strong relationshipand it is impossible to separate them from each other Such an interwoven

relationship has been investigated and confirmed by many researchers and

scholars To equip students for a modern society of globalization and economic

integration, it is ultimate to help them understand the role of culture in English

language learning because communication nowadays is taken place amongpeople from diversified cultural backgrounds Carter and McRae (2001:10)recommend using literature to help students go beyond “acquiring basicknowledge of the language” to “learning about the language and how it works”because using literature can help develop the “fourth” skill in language Theuse of literature as a technique for teaching both basic language skills (I.e.,

reading, writing, listening, and speaking) and language areas (i.e., vocabulary,

grammar, and pronunciation) is very popular within the field of foreignlanguage learning and teaching nowadays

Similar to other countries in the world, English literature is taught inVietnam for a number of reasons, the most common being that it provides easy

access to motivating content materials and cultural context, facilitates languageacquisition, broadens students’ language awareness, and develops students’

interpretive skills In terms of students’ perceptions of the importance ofEnglish literature in EFL, it was a vital component as their perceptions had a

strong impact on their success in language learning and culture learning, andespecially, people possessed positive attitudes towards language learning

through literature and its people could learn target better than those who did not

have a such positive attitude The texts in the course will encourage reading,thereby promoting language acquisition and increasing students’ languageawareness Traditionally, students only learn the grammar and technicalities ofthe language, but as literature is introduced into the curriculum, literatureclasses become more effective for foreign language learning because of itsfunny and close Smith (Smith: 1972:276) points out a similar attitude when hestates that “No teacher of literature ignores linguistic problems and no languageteacher really wants to leave his students speaking a sterile impoverishedversion of the language”, implying that a knowledge of literature ‘adorns’,

‘hones’, and ‘polishes’ language learners’, and by the same token any languageuser’s linguistic skills and competencies while knowledge of language allowsfor better and more appreciative readers of literary texts

In response to the urgent demand for literature acquisition with the aim

of learning a foreign language, the faculties of English in various tertiary

institutions have incorporated the subject of English - American Literature into

the curriculum, and the Faculty of Legal Foreign Languages at HLU is no

exception However, not many legal English-majored seniors perceive thesignificant influence of English literature on foreign language learning so as tostudy the subject with deliberate efforts and to prepare meticulously for their

English credits of basic language For that reason, the researcher, as a student

majoring in legal English, have reached a decision to undertake a study on legalEnglish-majored students’ perceptions towards the importance of English

literature in learning a foreign language at HLU with the hope that this study

partly helps the seniors better in their English foreign language

2 Aims of the study

The chief purpose of the study is to explore the legal English-majoredstudents’ perception towards the importance of English literature in learningforeign language at HLU To be more specific, this study is conducted to seek

the answers to the following issues:

e The students’ perception towards the importance of English literature inlearning foreign language

e The difficulties of learning English literature that students encounter to

improve foreign language

e The recommended methods for students to improve their foreign

language through English literature

3 Objectives of the study

The study objectives describe how the researcher accomplish the studyproject about the legal English-majored students’ perception towards the

importance of English literature in learning foreign language at HLU The main

objectives of the study may be indicated as under:

e Conduct a survey to investigate students’ perceptions

e Carry out the interviews to find out the challenges

e Point out some techniques which can help students improve

4 Research questions

The research will be implemented to resolve the following question:

e Question 1: What are the perceptions of the English major students atHLU about the importance of English literature in learning foreign

language through literature courses?

e Question 2: What are the difficulties of learning English literature fromstudents’ perspective?

e Question 3: What are the solutions recommended to improve foreign

language through English literature courses from students’ perspective?

5 Scope of the study

The study primarily concentrates on the legal English-majored students’

perceptions towards the importance of English literature in learning foreignlanguage at HLU The participants of the study are the legal English-majoredseniors (course 44) at HLU The target samples chosen are those who have

studied the credits of English - American Literature and have completed three

modules of English Furthermore, the students are assumed to have gained abasic understanding of literature from the credits related to English - AmericanLiterature as well as have experienced some problems in the progress of thecourse Accordingly, the English-majored seniors are deemed to fit into thescope of the study

6 Significance of the study

The study is expected to bring out some following contributions:

Theoretically, it contributes to surveying the importance of English

literature in learning foreign language in the framework of HLU English

language and literature education have an important role in the cultivation ofstudents’ language skills and the promotion of students’ English abilities Thefindings are expected to strengthen existing hypotheses and provide insight into

English literature

Practically, the findings of the study show how English language andliterature education can effectively provide students with literature andlanguage knowledge and expand the students’ thinking space and rich students’visions so that students can experience the language practice activities, whichcan effectively improve the language skills of students

Methodologically, the research uses a mixture of both quantitative andqualitative research methods to investigate the seniors’ perceptions towards the

importance of English literature in learning foreign language at ForeignLanguage Faculty.

7 Organization of the study

The study comprises three main parts: Introduction, Development, andConclusion

The Introduction includes the Rationale, Aims, Research questions,Scope, and Organization of the study

The Development is separated into four chapters as demonstratedbelow:

Chapter 1 is Literature Review which lays out the theoreticalbackground for research and reviews some of the preceding studies

Chapter 2 is Methodolody which supplies the data collectioninstruments, procedures of data collection, and data analysis

Chapter 3 is Results and Discussion which indicates the analytical

findings of the study and a meticulous clarification of the data analysis

Chapter 4 is Recommendations which offers sensible suggestionsbased on the key findings of the study

The Conclusion provides a summary of the study, implications of the

study, limitations, and suggestions for further research

CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW

The chapter sets out the theoretical background for the study First of all,

a rudimentary grasp of the use of literature as a technique for teaching bothbasic language skills (i.e., reading, writing, listening, and speaking) andlanguage areas (1.e., vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation) is very popularwithin the field of foreign language learning and teaching nowadays Sincelearning gives students the chance to practice the lexical, syntactic, semantic,pragmatic, and stylistic knowledge they have acquired in other courses,learning literature both as an application area covering four basic skills and asthe fifth skill is emphasized in language teaching Last but not least, a review

of past studies related to the importance of English literature in learning foreignlanguage is presented

1.1 Learning foreign language in higher education

1.1.1 The definition of foreign language

Language is an inevitable element of human life (Ashrafuzzaman &Alam, 2017) There is no communication that occurs in the world withoutlanguage, and English has become a popular language that people fromeverywhere can use In the world of globalization, the English language brings

to people plenty of opportunities Having a good level of English provideslearners with a handful of opportunities to enjoy their life and career

There are numerous comprehensive and simple definitions of language,

it could be “Language 1s a set of sentences, each finite in length and constructedout of a finite set of elements (Chomsky, 1957)” In Merriam Websterdictionary, language is defined as a system of conventional spoken or writtensymbols used by people in a shared culture to communicate with each other Alanguage both reflects and affects a culture’s way of thinking in comparison,Oxford dictionary defines language as “the method of human communication,

either spoken or written, consisting of the use of words in a structured and

conventional way”

A language is considered foreign if it is learned largely in the classroom

and is not spoken in the society where the tutoring happens Foreign language

refers to a non-native language outside of the environment where it iscommonly spoken The study of another language allows the individual tocommunicate effectively and creatively and to participate in real-life situationsthrough the language of the authentic culture itself Learning another languageprovides access to a perspective other than one’s own, increases the ability tosee connections across content areas, and promotes an interdisciplinaryperspective while gaining intercultural understanding Language is the vehiclerequired for effective human-to-human interactions and yields a better

understanding of one’s own language and culture

The language ability of students’ forms based on certain related knowledge students have after learning To express their inner feelingsand to pass the necessary communication information through a language all

language-need related language skills In a word, if there are no corresponding language

skills, the language will lose the corresponding communication functions andthe corresponding knowledge student learns will lose the foundation ofexistence Dan Douglas (2000:296) presents an interesting framework forlanguage ability which consists of the following components: grammaticalknowledge (vocabulary, morphology, syntax), textual knowledge (how tostructure and organize language), functional knowledge (ideational,manipulative, imaginative functions of language), and _ sociolinguisticknowledge (dialects, registers, cultural references)

1.1.2 Learning foreign language in Vietnam and abroad

Learning a foreign language is all about learning how to trulycommunicate and connect with others, an incredibly important life skill thatcan only be cultivated by interacting with people Studies have demonstratedthe cognitive benefits of learning another language, no matter how old you are.These studies have shown that bilinguals tend to have bigger brains, better

memories, are more creative, are better problem solvers, etc Not only do theseadvantages make it easier to learn yet more languages, but they also make it

easier to learn, well, anything The ability to quickly switch between tasks is

especially important in today’s busy multitasking world Bilinguals can switchbetween tasks much faster than their monolingual counterparts and can handlemany more tasks at once It is estimated that about 90% of foreign languagelearners have studied English (Do, 2006) English education has been identified

as key to improving the quality of its rapidly expanding tertiary institutions and

is crucial to the larger aim of modernising and internationalising its economy.Learning foreign language in Vietnam is different from learning foreignlanguage abroad In Vietnam, during tertiary education, students study English

as their major or as a part of their study program Most students choose to learnEnglish to qualify for better jobs, to be eligible for promotions, or to undertakethe overseas study Foreign language study is simply part of a very basic liberaleducation Learning a foreign language such as English and getting soaked into

an entirely new culture and worldview is the surest way to becomeknowledgeable, proficient, and improve language processing skills

It is easier to study a language when students are abroad Students would

be surrounded by the language 24/7 and they would learn words andexpressions in a practical setting, which allows a long-lasting knowledge of thelanguage The memorization that feels tedious at home will come naturallywhen students live in an immersive environment and attend English foreignlanguage school Students will become much more conscious of not onlycultural customs, but of the grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation patterns

of their first language When learners master a foreign language, they canexercise their new superhuman power of being able to understand whatsomeone is saying, recall the proper vocab and grammar, put that vocab andgrammar into the proper context, and reply back all on the spot and in a timely

manner This likely explains the improvements in listening, reading, and

writing skills that foreign languages impart to former monolinguals

1.2 Learning English at Hanoi Law University

Because of the strong impact of English on global integration, learningEnglish at HLU has become a compulsory subject for the students’ trainingprogram Besides enhancing the quality of legal education, the question of how

to teach and learn English effectively has gained great concern among lecturers

and learners for the past few years At the basic level, equipping learners

through the English skills module is the priority and main goal in the process

of teaching English In English-majored program, they study English skills andrelated subjects such as phonetics, grammar, legal English, and culture andliterature modules Students are not only acquiring the language for the subject

of the course but also improving other matters related in order to enhance theirforeign language

With a basic knowledge of the language, students have a certain ability

to communicate However, in the process of language communication in daily

life, students do not only need to skillfully apply the basic knowledge of these

languages but also need to master certain skills in the use of language process

Different people will have different ways of expressing the same meaning,

while in different contexts, the same person will also have different ways ofexpression All of these are a mixture of many aspects of learning English, bylearning, students can enhance their proficiency not only in study but also in

their life

1.3 English literature and learning English literature at university

1.3.1 The definition of English literature

Literature is the expression of life in words of truth and beauty; it is the

written record of man’s spirit, of his thoughts, emotions, and aspirations; it is

the history, and the only history, of the human soul (Long 1989:8) It is

characterized by its artistic, suggestive, and its permanent qualities Its two tests

are its universal interest and its personal style Its object, aside from the delight

it gives us, is to know man, that is, the soul of a man rather than his actions;and since it preserves to the race, the ideals upon which all our civilization 1s

founded It is one of the most important and delightful subjects that can occupy

the human mind

Hudson (1963:10) explains that literature can be seen as an aesthetic

exploration and literary studies include recognition of the creative aspect and

appreciation of this creativity As an aesthetic exploration, its concern is withtruth, and as such literature may be seen as an aspect in the process of awareness

of the world that very often is pursued some significant cause (like morality or

human curiosity) with great concern about human predicaments Literature

presents human consciousness of life’s possibilities and consequently, throughthe study of literature, the learner will develop responsibility for truth withinhis mental style Further, Hudson (1963:11) also claims that literature is a vitalrecord of what men have seen in life; what they have experienced of it, whatthey have thought and felt about those aspects of it which have the mostimmediate and enduring interest for all of us

So, literature is a body of written or oral work to stimulate the

imagination and confront the reader with a unique vision of life English

literature is a broad term for all English-language literature that has beenproduced throughout history Many of the most famous works in the history ofEnglish literature deal with universal themes and can be helpful for those

wishing to understand historical time periods and the development of literature

and poetry over time Once we have broken the barriers that make studyingliterature seem daunting, we find that literary works can be entertaining,beautiful, funny, or tragic They can convey profundity of thought, the richness

of emotion, and insight into character They take us beyond our limited

experience of life to show us the lives of other people at other times They stir

us intellectually and emotionally and deepen our understanding of our history,our society, and our own individual lives.

Literature, in fact, does not have less meaning than language Literature

has various meanings depending on the context that the speakers refer to.Literature referring to literary writing could be defined as “the achievement ofaesthetic and moral merit” such as those of canon or the great tradition Or else,

it is understood as “creative and imaginative” writing Merriam-Websterillustrates literature as “writings having excellence of form or expression andexpressing ideas of permanent or universal interest” and Oxford terms literature

as “written works, especially those considered of superior or lasting artisticmerit” Literature has a range of characteristics such as excellent, aesthetic,creative, imaginative, expressive, valuable, and universal Therefore, indelivering its characteristics and entity, a tool language is unavoidablynecessary It becomes the only choice and its ultimate means

A piece of literature differs from a specialized treatise on astronomy,

political economy, philosophy, or even history, in part because it appeals, not

to a particular class of readers only, but to men and women; and in part because,while the object of the treatise is simply to impart knowledge, one ideal end of

the piece of literature, whether it also imparts knowledge or not, is to yield

aesthetic satisfaction by the manner of which it handles its theme Good works

of literature are not museum pieces, preserved and studied only for historicalinterest They last because they remain fresh, transcending as well as

embodying the era in which they were written Each reader reading each work

is anew and unique event and the works speak to us now, telling us truths abouthuman life that are relevant to all times People can gain a lot from literature inmany ways, but the most rewarding experiences can come in those momentswhen we feel the author has communicated something personally to us, oneindividual to another

1.3.2 The importance of English literature in learning foreign language

Literature has been a subject of study at different levels of education inmany countries, but in recent times it has been given much emphasis in the EFLclassroom (Kaslioglu & Ersin, 2018) The use of literary texts in foreignlanguage teaching has greatly increased over the last few years The role ofliterature in language classrooms was questioned during the period from 1960

to 1980 Many scholars argue that literature offers a cultural background,expands learners’ language awareness, provides motivating content material,educates overall personality, and develops interpretative abilities amonglearners (Carter & Long, 1991; Widdowson, 1975) Scholars like Collie andSlater (1987) have argued that literature is a great source for culturalenrichment, authentic material, personal involvement, and most importantly,language enrichment Students in different contexts prefer literature tolinguistic and methodology courses

Learning literature and language skills are inextricably linked The close

relationship between developing competencies through the study of literaturecan be seen in many programs of study Most importantly, however, literaturealso makes learning grammar and vocabulary easier Literature texts help

learners internalize the grammar and infer the meanings of words from the

context, it may help to improve a learners’ feel for the language as they will beable to sense that words have a certain weight and quality Moreover, teachingmethods and students’ learning styles are also important factors for developinglanguage ability as well as improving basic skills The selection of literarygenres with many different topics in accordance with the language ability,along with the teachers orienting the students about the program’s goals,explaining the methods, and monitoring each learning process of students,

guiding students is the golden key to the door of knowledge

Literature can stimulate English learning interests The rich and variedvocabulary, expression, and wonderful chapters in literary works present

exquisite charm for learners, which is more attractive than the illustrative orexpositive language materials and can stimulate the intrinsic motivation of

learning At the same time, literary works reflect the vast world and complex

people and can mobilize learners to participate and think, so that their learningstates will be changed from passive to active Through the study andaccumulation of literary works and the improvement of literary literacy,personal language ability will also be strengthened Literary works containinexhaustible language materials On the one hand, it uses language to create

an artistic image, is free from time and space constraints, and can always reflectthe endless social life and the world’s face; on the other hand, it can directlydepict the complex and subtle hearts of the characters truly The literary worklibrary is the language library where there are amazing language materials thatcan be drawn The rich and emotional literature provides the specific context

of the vocabulary and helps the learner understand

Since English is not our mother tongue, the biggest obstacle to learning

is that there is no beneficial language environment In addition tocommunicating with native speakers of English, the simplest and most effectiveway is to read foreign literature Literature itself is the combination of languageand culture Literature is the most vivid and the easiest material to understand

a nation’s temperament, social relations, cultural characteristics, customs, andpsychological states When reading a literary work, the learner seems to enterthe world which is created by the author based on real life and to feel the use

of different languages in different situations Learning is not only the words or

grammar Immersing in the target language, learners can better learn and masterEnglish

In summary, it is vital to grasp the important role of English literature in

learning foreign language Hence, it is an urgent task for learners to acquire

English literature to the best of their foreign language ability

1.3.3 Learning and teaching literature at Hanoi Law University

Literature plays a vital role in learning and teaching English at theuniversity level It is one of the compulsory subjects that students have to be

involved in for five weeks in semester The study of literature is a humanizingforce that allows students to develop critical thinking skills, explore differentperspectives, and gain a deeper understanding of the world around them It not

only helps students improve their language proficiency but also enhances their

critical thinking skills, creativity, and cultural awareness Studying Englishliterature provides students with opportunities to explore different literarygenres, styles, and periods, and gain insights into the historical, social, and

cultural contexts in which they were written

In teaching English literature, teachers employ various methods toengage students and facilitate their learning They use a range of materials,including novels, poems, plays, and films, and encourage students to analyze

and interpret them through different lenses, such as feminist, postcolonial, or

psychoanalytic Teachers also incorporate discussions, debates, and groupprojects to foster students’ analytical and communicative skills and help themdevelop their own critical perspectives

To learn English literature effectively, students need to be active

participants in the learning process They should read widely, reflect on whatthey read, and engage in discussions and debates with their peers They shouldalso be open to different interpretations and perspectives and develop their ownideas based on evidence and analysis Furthermore, they should develop theirwriting skills by producing different types of written assignments, such asessays, reviews, and research papers

Learning literature at the university level is about more than just

mastering a set of skills, it is about engaging with complex ideas, challenging

assumptions, and exploring new perspectives Learning and teaching Englishliterature at the university level is an enriching experience that enhances

students’ language proficiency and critical thinking skills while exposing them

to a wide range of cultural and literary traditions Teachers and students playcrucial roles in this process by using effective teaching and learning methods

and engaging actively in the learning process

1.4 Previous studies in relation to the importance of English literature inlearning foreign language

The first investigation into the topic is “Significance of Literature in

Foreign Language Teaching” by Ruzbeh Babaee & Wan Roselezam Bt Wan

Yahya (2014) The research aims to consider literature as a significant tool for

teaching fundamental language skills including speaking, listening, reading,

and writing Reasons for the use of literature in language classrooms and major

factors for choosing appropriate kinds of literary texts in such classes should

be highlighted in order to make readers aware of the primary reasons why

language instructors are suggested to use literary texts Furthermore, teaching

language skills through literature, the advantages of various kinds of genres of

literature to language teaching, and some issues faced by language instructors

in teaching language via literature are considered in the present study.Literature provides opportunities for foreign language classes and can appeal

to students with various learning styles Literary texts are reliable sources of

linguistic input and can help the students practice the four skills—speaking,

listening, reading, and writing In this study, the researchers demonstrated thebenefits of using literature in foreign language teaching Literature can help

students enhance their perception of other cultures and societies Also, literarytexts can consider authentic subjects like love and war that one may experience

in the real world Indeed, literature is representational instead of referential

While referential language tends to communicate at only one level and isinformational, the representational language of literature considers the students

and involves their feelings and perceptions of the real world Literary texts helpthe students to activate their imagination and develop their emotions

The second relevant study was undertaken under the title “The role of

literature in foreign language acquisition” by Marija Krsteva (2014) The

objectives of the research see to analyze literature plays an essential role in

foreign language acquisition Each level of foreign language study requires the

inclusion of literary texts Together with factual facts, it develops a deeperawareness of language use Courses indicate the complexity of various texts in

terms of themes, characters, or cultural difficulty This method acquires an

enormous proportion of linguistic and literary information through highereducation At university schools, learning English focuses not so much on theliterary work from the artistic point of view, as on the text conveying ideas that

students familiarize themselves with and build vocabulary In upper levels of

foreign language acquisition students increase their competence and confidence

to speak and present ideas in the foreign language At advanced levels, foreignlearners put their imagination and research to work and many of themaccomplish verbal advantage close to native speakers

The third study refers to “A study of Vietnamese teachers’ perceptionsand practice in teaching English literature in the context of English” by NguyenThi Kieu Thu (2022) The study aims at exploring the perceptions ofVietnamese teachers of English literature from major universities in Ho ChiMinh City, which focuses on two main aspects namely their perception of ELF,1.e., awareness as well as evaluation of its status in Vietnam, and its influence

on their teaching philosophy and practice in English literature courses At the

tertiary level, English literature, as a theoretical subject, is an obligatory course

in most English departments teaching students majoring in English due to theinextricable link between literature and language The incorporation ofliterature into teaching language becomes intriguing when English adopts itsrole as EFL, a means of communication among people of different mothertongues and cultural backgrounds A number of concepts associated with ELF,which the participants value influences their teaching in terms of material

selection, and class activities but not assessment where the native speaker

norms concerning language use are respected

The final research digging deeper into the relationship between Englishliterature and learning foreign language is “The Role of English Language and

Literature in Cultivating Students’ Language Skills” by Weixiang Liu & PengYang (2017) The purpose of the study was to demonstrate English languageand literature education shall enhance the language skills of students Literature

is a kind of art that reflects objective reality in the form of language and words.Literature can get rid of the binding of specific material materials, be free fromtime and space constraints, reflect a wide range of rich social life, and directly

characterize the complex and delicate inner world The cultivation of language

skills is inseparable from literature Literature can stimulate the interest inlanguage learning, provide rich and vivid materials, make learners seem to beimmersive and unknowingly complete the accumulation of vocabulary, the

infiltration of grammar, and the formation of language sense At the same time

of getting the ability of understanding, the ability of outputting language alsoforms With the improvement of literary literacy, language skill also increasesfrom basic understanding and expression to deep understanding and literaryexpression The study of English language and literature has an importantinfluence on improving students’ skills to use language

Taking all the previous studies into account, the researcher comes to a

realization that the major purpose of these studies is to clarify the importance

of Literature in learning foreign languages These investigations shared the

same suggestions for both learners and teachers to pay greater heed to theteaching and learning process of English literature In comparison with thesepreceding research papers, any sandy has a deep concentration on the

importance of English literature in learning English language based on the

perceptions of learners Moreover, the researcher pay attention to improvingforeign language on the journey of learning English literature amongst students

so as to offer valuable suggestions for both educators and learners to enhancestudents’ language abilities Besides, my study is a descriptive, explanatoryresearch that aims to investigate and provide an in-depth understanding of the

learners’ perceptions, whilst the purpose of the cited research was to measure

and figure out the relationship between English literature and learning EnglishLanguage Accordingly, my current research seems to fill the gaps in thestudies

1.5 Summary

To sum up, this chapter lays the foundation for study with crucial insightsinto foreign language, literature, the importance of English literature in learningforeign language, and earlier studies Concerning foreign language, there is aclarification on the definition of foreign language, the basic knowledge offoreign language of students When it comes to English literature, theresearcher pays heed to the definition of English literature, and the meaning of

English literature Furthermore, the importance of English literature in learning

foreign language is explicitly explained With regard to earlier investigationsassociated with the importance of English literature in learning foreignlanguage, the researcher takes some of them into detailed consideration by

comparison with my study

2.1 Research design

The research was undertaken by adopting a mixture of both quantitativeand qualitative research methods to investigate the seniors’ perceptions towardsthe importance of English literature in learning foreign language at Foreign

Language Faculty The instruments employed to collect the data are a

research-made questionnaire and in-depth interviews To begin with, the surveyquestionnaire was calibrated thoroughly by the supervisor to ensure its validityand reliability After having been comprehensively devised, the questionnairewas distributed to the seniors through Google Forms The respondents wererequested to return their answers in a week The gathered data was screenedand encoded for the purpose of data treatment with the IBM SPSS application

In addition to the questionnaire, an interview was held to gain deeper insightinto the target participants The set of interview questions was invented and

meticulously scrutinized with the academic assistance of the supervisor before

interviewing participants directly Afterward, the primary data was utilized to

carry out the analysis

of 120 legal English-majored seniors, only 97 of them actually engaged in the

survey with their highly positive responses by means of Google Forms When

it comes to the interview, the researcher asked 15 students of the mentionedsurvey informants, who are willing to provide valuable information related tothe subject matter of the study, to take part in it

An explanation for selecting the target group is the appropriateness oftheir academic levels To make the matter clear, these learners have been

exposed to English literature and have passed the English literature course

Besides, the students are assumed to have gained a rudimentary knowledge ofliterature from the credits in relation to English - America Literature as well ashave experienced some problems of learning through English literature class

their metalinguistic awareness The questionnaire survey was conducted based

on the study of Alshammari & Elsayed In terms of the survey questionnaire,

30 different questions were segmented into two primary parts The former isthe respondents’ information, and the latter is the main content of thequestionnaire In the first part, three questions in relation to the samples’

genders, years of learning English, and English levels were fully developed

The second part has three subdivisions, namely, “The importance of English

literature in learning foreign language’, “The difficulties of learning English

literature during the courses”, and “Some solutions to improve foreign

language skills through learning English literature” with 25 closed questionsand 2 semi-closed questions Furthermore, a five-criteria Likert scale was used

in the research The five-point Likert scale consists of five description

categories, namely (1) Strongly disagree, (2) Disagree, (3) Neutral, (4) Agree,and (5) Strongly agree The researcher has executed a test of the validity of thesurvey questionnaire, the results of the dummy run were acceptable with

Cronbach’s Alpha value (a > 0.9)

2.3.2 Interview

Concerning the in-depth interviews, 4 questions were invented to

examine the learners’ perception towards the importance of English literature

in improving foreign language skills These questions deal with three central

themes of the study, namely “The importance of English literature in learning

foreign language through literature courses”, “The difficulties of learning

English literature”, and “Solutions recommended to improve foreign language

through English literature course”

2.4 Procedures of data collection

The data was collected through a research-made questionnaire and

in-depth interviews concerning the seniors’ perceptions towards the importance

of English literature in learning foreign language

2.4.1 Data from questionnaire

After the survey questionnaire was conscientiously designed with thehelp of the supervisor, the questionnaire was then delivered to legal English-majored seniors (course 44) via Google Forms In the online questionnaire, theresearcher offered detailed explanations about the sole aims of the study and a

brief description of how to reply along with a guarantee of preservingparticipants’ confidentiality Afterward, the data screening was conducted to

discover the relevant answers for data analysis Accordingly, 97 pertinentresponses were adopted for the analysis of data

2.4.2 Data from in-depth interview

Following the survey questionnaire, in-depth interviews were executed

to gain a thorough grasp of the findings from the survey 15 out of 100participants in the survey were willing to be involved in the interview directly

In each interview, the researcher commenced with a short overview of thecurrent study and then asked the participants to be genuine during the entireprocess so as to achieve the expected outcome

2.5 Data analysis

2.5.1 Quantitative data

In the first place, the quantitative data of the survey questionnaire was

handled with the aid of IBM SPSS software version 29.00 In particular,frequency and descriptive statistics were employed to discover the legalEnglish-majored seniors’ perceptions towards the importance of English

literature in learning foreign language First of all, frequency analysis in SPSS

was adopted to figure out the proportion of seniors’ responses to close-endedquestions concerning their personal information The same frequency analysisprocedure was used to discover the percentage of students’ answers from

multiple-choice questions regarding their methods to improve foreign language

through English literature courses Secondly, descriptive statistics on SPSSwere performed to gain insight into the major content with the aid of 25 Likertscale items Before the obtained data was processed, the qualitative values were

transformed into quantitative values in this manner:

So as to clarify how legal English-majored seniors perceive the subject

matter of the study, the Mean scores of 25 items were calculated and interpreted

according to the formula of Field (2005) in “Discovering statistics using SPSS”

with the following values:

Table 1 Integration of Mean Score of Descriptive value

Range of mean score Descriptive value

4.26 - 5.00 Strongly agree

3.16 - 4.25 Agree

2.66 - 3.15 Neutral1.86 - 2.65 Disagree1.00 - 1.85 Strongly disagree

2.5.2 Qualitative data

In terms of qualitative data, responses from the interview were processed

via content analysis The collected data were inspected and modeled with thegoal of indicating significant information, explaining the tendency, andsuggesting conclusions The interview was presented in a 4-question interviewform and then was transcribed and analyzed by research to avoid inconsistency

or possible biases and then displayed with participants’ answers as the quote.The 4-question interview form which was sent to 15 participants includesquestions from 3 main categories The first category contains 2 questions torecord the students’ perception of the importance of English literature in

learning foreign language, in particular, they are “Question 1: Do you think

that English literature is important in learningforeign language? If yes, why?”’,and “Question 2: How does English literature help you improve your Englishlanguage?” The second category consists of “Question 3: /n your opinion,what is the most challenging in literature classes? Why?” to point out students’problems in literature Finally, the last category was about the methods which

are effective for learning foreign language through literature, “Question 4:

What methods have you found effective for helping you learn foreign languagethrough English literature class?” were asked to collect data

CHAPTER 3: RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS

In this chapter, the data gathered from the survey questionnaire and the

information gained from the in-depth interview will be taken into

comprehensive account with pie charts and tables

3.1 Results and discussion of the questionnaire

3.1.1 The legal English-majored seniors’ information

3.1.1.1 The seniors’ gender ratio

Figure 1 The seniors’ gender ratio (N=97)

37% 59%

mFemale = Male = Prefer not to say

As presented in Figure 1, there is a disparity in the male-female ratio ofthe legal English fourth-year majors at HLU Out of 97 informants, the number

of female students is 57 (58.76%), greater than that of male counterparts whichcomprise 37.11% by 36 In addition, 4 participants prefer not to reveal theirgenders with a proportion of 4.12% The phenomenon of female dominancecould be clarified by the fact that the bulk of female students expresses a strongpreference for social sciences majors at a university like HLU Furthermore,the higher proportion of females taking part in the survey indicates that the

theme of the study has received more attention from females rather than theircounterparts.

3.1.1.2 The seniors’ years of learning English

Figure 2 The seniors’ years of learning English (N=97)

58%

= More than 10 years = More than 12 years = More than 15 years

It is observed from Figure 2 that the majority of students have beenlearning English for more than 12 years The option “More than 12 years”accounts for roughly 57.73%, which was followed by the choices, namely

“More than 10 years”, and “More than 15 years” with 28.87%, and 13.4%respectively It can be concluded that a large number of students have beengetting exposed to English for quite a long time

3.1.1.3 The seniors’ English proficiency levels

Figure 3 The seniors’ English proficiency levels (N=97)

= Intermediate = Upper Intermediate = Advanced = Proficient

In general, fourth-year students primarily categorize themselves into

three English proficiency levels, namely “Intermediate”, “Upper

Intermediate’, and “Advanced” of four English competency levels “UpperIntermediate” is selected the most by 60 students, which constitutes 61.86%

Following the proportion, the percentage of students who have reached

“Advanced” and that of those at “/ntermediate” are 24.74% and 11.34% in thegiven order The least-chosen level is proficient with only 2 students (2.06%)

3.1.2 The legal English-majored seniors’ perceptions towards theimportance of English literature in learning foreign language

3.1.2.1 The seniors’ perceptions towards the importance of Englishliterature in learning foreign language

First and foremost, to perform a detailed analysis, the researchertabulated the findings of the survey questionnaire and divided them in Table 1

Furthermore, before digging deeper into the parts of interpreting the treated

data, the researcher will take the Mean score and Std Deviation into

consideration It can be noticed from both the tables below that the Std.

Deviation of 15 Likert items ranging from 885 to 1.256 clearly shows a strong

variation amongst students’ options Besides, based on the conversion of Meanscores into equivalent Descriptive values, eight out of fifteen Likert items fallinto the description response of “Agree” (Mean: 3.16 - 4.25), namely 3, 4, 5, 6,

7, 8, 11, and 15 In addition, the remaining statements were divided into groups

“Neutral” (Mean: 2.66 - 3.15)

Table 2 The seniors’ perceptions towards the importance of English

literature in learning foreign language

N Minimum Maximum Mean Sta.

Deviation

1 Learning English literature

increases your interest in 97 3.14 1.109learning English language

2 English literature helps you

" horizons ` “ 510 3

3 Literature assists you in

developing your general 97 3.19 1.044

language knowledge

4 English literature can

inculcate reading habits among 97 3.40 1.143students

5 English literature can provide

access to other cultures ú Mã lu

6 English literature helps you to

participate in various tasks D7 3.28 1.256

(individual and in pairs tasks,