Challenges Encountering Literature Teachers of EFL Classes in Salahaddin University/ Erbil

Abstract

This study aims to investigate the factors underlying the challenges literature teachers face while teaching literature components at the university level. It also explores how literature teachers overcome challenges. The study tries to probe into three domains of challenges that are resulted from teachers themselves, from students, and from some external factors.  To obtain data, fifteen literature teachers from English departments at colleges of Languages and Education in Salahaddin University- Erbil (SUE) participated as a sample of the study. A quantitative questionnaire and qualitative semi-structured interview questions are adopted as research instruments. It is concluded that the vast majority of the participants perceive the challenges resulted by students to be the most serious set of reasons behind the challenges. The researchers attributed the challenges resulted by the students to teachers' lack of both theoretical and practical knowledge about teaching literature effectively, and to the students' concentration on memorization rather than understanding and creativity in the process of learning.