The effects of the integration of arts into the EFL/FL classroom

Abstract

Integrating arts into foreign languages classroom may have potentially positive effects in students’ motivation. The approach fosters students to earn and use knowledge in an authentic way. This research explores the effects of the integration of arts (Literature) to teach foreign languages (EFL/FL). The arts selected for this research was reading (Literature) because of the evidence in favor cited on several scientific researches. It is categorized as an explanatory synthesis. This study aims to review scientific works about how this integration acts in student motivation for learning in EFL/FL contexts. Articles were chosen between 1983 to 2016. In general, older scientific studies were included by the reasons that they were sustaining relevant findings for the present work. A first finding shows that the integration of arts is motivating because it provides students with authentic material and a relaxed environment where learners might develop their unique qualities. It is relevant to acknowledge that there was not found a decrease in motivation associated with increase of age range of the participants which is associated with the novelty caused by arts approach. The second finding evidenced that the election of arts to teach foreign languages was beneficial, independently of arts being used as a strategy or as an arts project. The last concern was about students’ and teachers’ perceptions, whereas arts were interlaced with teaching foreign languages. Notwithstanding the reasonable concerns that arts integration may have for teachers, in the case of students, it evidenced a high degree in motivation. In accordance with observations of the present work, whereas arts integration should be demanding in time and in authentic material research, it might be an appropriate approach to teach in an EFL/FL classroom, considering that students may be implicated in their learning, which should be the last goal for teachers.