The role of literature: english textbooks and literature in secondary teaching in Portugal

Trabalho de Projecto apresentado para cumprimento dos requisitos necessários à obtenção do grau de Mestre em Ensino de InglêsThe purpose of this Project Work is to assess how English textbooks present an approach to the literary text in secondary schools in Portugal. Whilst textbooks are not the only resource teachers use in their teaching practice, in the last years they have gained a significant place, being now the main tool in any classroom. Acknowledging its importance means textbooks have become legitimizing tools for the contents they promote. On the other hand, there has been a regression in textbooks due to several policies, political and educational, that have affected their role as sources of meaningful learning. In fact, being textbooks a reading of the syllabus and frequently their substitutes, it will be shown that there are flaws in the syllabus that are replicated in textbooks, affecting its content. In educational terms, the literary texts as valuable and valid learning material have been cause of debate throughout years, although the English syllabus in Portugal promotes its use. Bearing this in mind, the emphasis will be placed in the use of literary texts as a way of achieving meaningful learning and enhancing students’ knowledge of English as a foreign language and on how textbooks do not support this perspective nor recognize its importance, because they follow a communicative perspective of learning a language