Culture as an Influence on Literary Interpretations: Integrating Literature in Order to Teach Cross-Cultural Values in the language Classroom

Literature provides cultural themes and values that are beyond the means to increase students' linguistic competence in the language classroom. This paper aims to illustrate the advantages of integrating literature in language classrooms in order to promote students' cross-cultural awareness. We selected three essays from a book entitled Living with stranger in the U.S.A. and outlined a cluster of value differences between American and Korean cultures embodied in the literature. specifically, values related to horizontal vs. vertical relationships between the teacher and the student with respect to the two cultures are discussed: namely, a cluster of values consisting of equality, informality, and contextual roles in the American context; and another cluster of values consisting of hierarchy, formality, and role continuity in the Korean context. The analysis shows that Americans and Koreans can interpret these essays differently based upon their cultural values. Finally, the paper presents a culture assimilator and a critical incident, designed to help promote Korean students' awareness of cross-cultural values.