Enhancing employability skills by bringing literature back into the foreign language class: the Litinclass website

Puig, I and Bela Almeida, A (2017) Enhancing employability skills by bringing literature back into the foreign language class: the Litinclass website. In: Innovative language teaching and learning at university: enhancing employability. Research-publishing.net, pp. 105-114. ISBN 9781908416490

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Abstract

The international research network, “Literature in the Foreign Language Class” (Litinclass), was created with a view to exploring and sharing ideas on the numerous skills and benefits that can be derived from language learning through literature. In this paper, we will focus on how literature can have an important role in the development of specific employability skills in the language class, as it relates not only to purely linguistic abilities, but also helps foster other soft skills such as intercultural awareness, problem-solving abilities and critical thinking. Finally, we will consider the role of the Litinclass research group, and in particular the Litinclass website https://litinclass.wordpress.com/, in bringing together expertise in this area. This website, aimed at MFL teachers and researchers, both at school and university levels, aims to pool resources and methodologies in the area, and to bring innovation to the study of literature in the foreign language classroom.