The Role of Interdisciplinary English Literature in the Age of English Language Education Crisis: Exploring the Possibilities of Convergent English Education beyond Communicative Language Teaching

This study aims to offer how English language education based on English literary works (including children's literature) can respond more actively to the current crisis in which 'Korean-style' English language education is heading towards collapse. This study also aims to help English language instructors and scholars themselves understand the pedagogical, ethical, and political aspects of their teaching and research so that learning should be at the heart of all transformative actions against the crisis in the way that English language education can help EFL learners acquire a strong sense of agency, practice critical thinking, and respond to and initiate changes against the crisis. This study 1) critically reflects on the communicative approach that has long dominated our English language teaching and learning; 2) examines the hybridity and non-convergence of the various foreign language teaching and learning principles and methodologies introduced so far and attempts to develop new convergent English language teaching principles, directions, and methodologies with a humanistic approach as the centerpiece; and finally, 3) explores the necessity, importance, and methodology of shifting to content-competence- based English language teaching. It is hoped that these efforts can be integrated to overcome the gap between English language teaching practices and the world outside the classroom, thus helping overcome the current crisis in English language education from within and outside.