Abstract:

The essence of foreign literature teaching is an art, yet it has long been plagued by a lack of artistic character. Relevant studies have mostly focused on technical operations or interdisciplinary integration, neglecting the artistic nature of understanding. This paper explores the artistic approaches to foreign literature teaching from three dimensions: cherishing paradoxes, “unlearning” and enhancing pleasure. Cherishing paradoxes requires awakening teachers’ awareness of paradoxes and guiding students to perceive the paradoxical connotations and defamiliarization art in literary works; “unlearning” emphasizes first eliminating pseudo-knowledge and faulty perceptions, and practicing the teaching principle of “breaking down the old to build up the new”; enhancing pleasure necessitates returning to literary texts themselves, and fostering students’ sense of pleasure in in-depth reading by focusing on the characteristics of literary language, and stimulating the “ceaseless, delightful movement” deep within students’ mind. The research indicates that the core of the artistic path in foreign literature teaching lies in upholding literariness, imparting art through art, resolving the current utilitarian dilemma in teaching, and fulfilling literature’s inherent mission of nurturing the mind and nourishing the soul.

Key words: foreign literature teaching, art, paradox, unlearning, pleasure