Learning Literature in English in the 21st Century: Turning Digital World Challenges into Grabbable Opportunities

Abstract

The 21st century unravels how education needs to provide learners with transformative skills, knowledge, attitudes and competencies to help them maximize opportunities while coping with challenges related with the digital world. Teaching Literature nowadays must target not only literary competence development but also other subjects especially in a world driven by Information Communication Technology (ICT) in all sectors of life. In this study, the researcher delves into the merits and demerits of learning literature in a second language in a digital world. Using questionnaire administered to students in literary combinations, information collected revealed lack of access to some important online materials, few or lack of ICT gadgets, oral tradition dwindling, the copy paste culture, students laziness and little interest in reading among other challenges. Opportunities were identified such as accessible various online sources, fresh materials, easy material storage, research and innovation facilities, English language learning through literature and integration of ICT in literature among others. To produce graduates fitting the needs of the current century, it is pertinent to address the reported challenges and grab the identified opportunities with two hands.