Young Adult Literature on the Rise? The possibilities of Young Adult Literature for Dutch teachers of English literature, and its Present-Day Usage

Abstract

In Dutch secondary schools, Dutch students are introduced to works of English literature. Students are supposed to read and study English literature, as the Dutch school system sees literature as an important element in one’s cultural formation. But “literature” can have so many meanings. In general, secondary schools will regard “literature” as adult literature. But Young Adult Literature (YAL) can also prove fruitful. This thesis has looked into the attitudes of Dutch high school teachers of English towards YAL. More than half of the respondents believe that the aim of their literary lessons is to increase the reading pleasure of their students. To achieve this goal, a very large majority lets his or her students read YAL for their reading list. In fact, almost all respondents claimed that YAL could be fruitful for their literary lessons. While information and education on YAL is lacking, teachers have managed to include YAL succesfully into their classrooms.