In this book, Carroli addresses the perennial question of the proper use and effectiveness of literature in the foreign-language classroom. This monograph, an extended and revised version of her 2005 dissertation, continues this important discussion. As noted (correctly) from the outset, although the roles and applications of literature in language education have been extensively described and debated, the amount of quality research in these areas is unfortunately lacking. In this study, Carroli goes beyond the much debated question of whether second language (L2) literary texts should have a place in the L2 curriculum. She advances the claim that L2 texts play an integral part in the literacy and cultural learning process. It is important to note that Carroli defines L2 literature more as authentic L2 texts and prose rather than limiting this definition to include only a specific fixed canon of texts.

This volume is organized around the discussion of three studies. Chapter 2, “An Eclectic Approach to Research into Literature in L2 Language Education,” provides the background for the three data-analysis chapters by introducing and outlining the major theoretical concepts and methodology applied throughout the three studies. Chapters 3–5 present the methods and instruments adopted for each study carried out and described in this work. Chapter 3, “Students’ Perceptions of Literature,” discusses the results of sets of investigations conducted in 1998 and 1999 on students’ perceptions of literature and compares these results with findings from other studies and with educators’ and theorists’ views of literature. Chapter 4, “Students’ Experiences of Literary Texts: Linking Perceptions of Literature and Study Approaches to Students’ Learning Outcomes,” presents and analyzes the links among students’ perceptions of literature. To measure these perceptions, student journals and interviews are used as the main source of data. Carroli clarifies that the purpose of this particular study is to “identify effective L2 learners’ strategies and approaches to literature studies and to include them into a pedagogical approach aimed at enhancing the literature experience” (p. 5). Chapter 5, “Linking Research to Practice: A Pedagogy of Awareness and Change,” evaluates a novel pedagogic approach based on principles of phenomenography (e.g., awareness, reflective variation, change) and hermeneutics (e.g., the class as a learning community). Carroli exploits the hypothesis that the optimal use of literary texts in the L2 classroom and change in student learning are related to two fundamental components: First, an increased level of awareness, which involves noticing language forms and their connection between language and culture, is considered essential. Second, the class hermeneutic community must create and promote an environment in which students can negotiate meaning.

Two key factors emerge from Carroli’s insightful studies; these elements appear to be omnipresent in L2 classrooms in which L2 literature is effectively used as a pedagogical tool to not only target vocabulary and grammar improvement but also improve cultural awareness of the target culture. First, Carroli repeatedly points to the importance of taking learners’ views on language and literature as the starting point for “a reconsideration of the role of L2 literature pedagogy and research” (p. 186). Second, the importance of the need to incorporate students’ views, approaches, and successful strategies into the classroom using a hermeneutic pedagogy is highlighted. This is closely related to the previous point. In light of this finding, discussion of the L2 literary texts, regardless of the language of the discussion, could be perceived as metalanguage. The challenge, of course, for a L2 instructor is to find opportunities to reduce the desire to communicate solely in the first language about language and cultural issues present in the selected L2 literary texts. However, this small shortcoming aside, Carroli’s assertion to include these essential components in the L2 classroom as an effective means of increasing the optimal use of L2 literary texts in the L2 classroom is well supported. From a practical standpoint, the text is neither too long nor too dense and makes for an easy read. It is thus relatively accessible and easy to understand for almost anyone in the field of L2 language pedagogy. Carroli’s study provides ample food for thought and suggests innovative ways to enhance the L2 learning experience through L2 literary texts.