The use of literature in second language teaching has been advocated for a number of years, yet despite this there have only been a limited number of studies which have sought to investigate its effects. Fewer still have focused on its potential effects as a model of spoken language or as a vehicle to develop speaking skills. Drawing upon multiple research studies, this volume fills that gap to explore how literature is used to develop speaking skills in second language learners. The volume is divided into two sections: literature and spoken language and literature and speaking skills. The first section focuses on studies exploring the use of literature to raise awareness of spoken language features, whilst the second investigates its potential as a vehicle to develop speaking skills. Each section contains studies with different designs and in various contexts including China, Japan and the UK. The research designs used mean that the chapters contain clear implications for classroom pedagogy and research in different contexts.

1. Introduction --Part I. Literature and spoken language -- 2. The realism of conversation in literature -- 3. Using literature in text-driven materials to help develop spoken language awareness -- 4. Literature, TV drama and spoken language awareness -- 5. Haiku and spoken language: Corpus-driven analyses of linguistic features in English-language haiku writing -- 6. Screenplays as a pedagogical medium for cultivating EFL learners' metapragmatic awareness of speech acts in spoken English -- Part II. Literature and speaking skills -- 7. EFL learners reading and discussing poems in English -- 8. An analysis of collaborative dialogue in literature circles -- 9. Exploring literary texts as a tool for developing L2 oral proficiency -- 10. Conclusion: Implications for pedagogy and research.