Integrating Literature in EFL to Foster Moral Growth and Character Development: A Study of The Jungle Book
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.34050/els-jish.v9i1.44818Keywords:
Moral Literacy, Ethical Sensitivity, Ethical Reasoning, Moral Imagination, Literature in EFLAbstract
Education plays an important role in shaping human character and the selection of appropriate learning materials significantly contributes to students’ personal and moral development. This study attempts to explore the integration of Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classroom, focusing on its potential to foster moral literacy through ethical sensitivity, logical reasoning, and moral imagination. Using a qualitative descriptive methodology and drawing on Nancy Tuana’s framework of Moral Literacy, the research seeks to examine how the novel’s themes can contribute to the moral growth of the junior high school students. The findings reveal how the ethical sensitivity is conveyed through its themes of brotherhood and acts of heroism, while moral reasoning is exemplified by the emphasis on gratitude and the consequences of revenge. Additionally, the moral imagination is demonstrated through camaraderie and self-preservation efforts. Therefore, the study concludes that The Jungle Book offers valuable material for promoting moral literacy, making it a rich pedagogical resource in EFL contexts. Besides, it emphasizes the dual role of literature in both enhancing language skills and promoting moral values, thereby offering a holistic approach to education that nurtures both linguistic competence and ethical development of the young learners.
References
Abbas Abbas, D., Pattu, M. A., & Rahman, F. (2023, June). The New American Women Concept as Modern Women in the Novel My Mortal Enemy by Willa Cather: A Feminist Literary Criticism. In Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Linguistics and Cultural (ICLC 2022) (Vol. 756, p. 20). Springer Nature.
Aghagolzadeh, F., & Tajabadi, F. (2012). A debate on literature as a teaching material in FLT. Journal of Language Teaching and Research, 3(1), 205–210. https://doi.org/10.4304/jltr.3.1.205-210
Al-Busaidi, S. S., & Tuzlukova, V. (2015). Exploring English academic texts on language education and pedagogy: Structural, stylistic and lexical features. Academy Publication. https://core.ac.uk/download/266995676.pdf
Ainul Aishah Awang, A., & Aziz, A. A. (2024). The impact of contemporary children’s literature (CCL) in enhancing English proficiency: Teachers’ perspectives. Penerbit Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM Press). https://core.ac.uk/download/621119855.pdf
Begley, P., & Tuana, N. (2007). Conceptualizing moral literacy. Journal of Administration, Educational, 45(4), 364–378. https://doi.org/10.1108/09578230710762409
Cahyani, A. D., Nahdhiyah, N., Taufik, M., & Andini, C. (2025). Evolution of Emotions from the Movie Matilda 1996 to the Movie Matilda 2022 (Comparative Analysis Study). ELS Journal on Interdisciplinary Studies in Humanities, 8(2), 611-621.
Creswell, J. W. (2014). Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches. Sage Publication Inc.
Degwale, Y., Gashaye, S., & Simachew, M. (2020). Representation of literary texts in English for Ethiopian textbooks and their practice in the classroom: Grade 9 and 10 in focus. Academy Publication. https://core.ac.uk/download/327120466.pdf
Eripuddin, M. (2017). The analysis of plot and setting as found in The Jungle Book movie. Jurnal Ilmiah Edu Research, 6(1), 1–8. http://journal.upp.ac.id/index.php/edureseach/article/view/212
Ihejirika, R. C. (2014). Literature and English language teaching and learning: A symbiotic relationship. English Language Teaching, 7(3), 85–90. https://doi.org/10.5539/elt.v7n3p85
Junaid, S., Andini, C., Nahdhiyah, N., & Maimun, A. M. (2026). Intertextual Transformation of Intrinsic Elements of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland in the Webtoon Dorm Du. Dialectica Online Publishing Journal, 1(2), 173-181.
Junaid, S., Andini, C., & Junaid, K. U. (2025). The Role of Illustrations in the Fictional Picture Book The Little Red Hen for Developing Visual Literacy in Early Childhood. Dialectica Online Publishing Journal, 1(1), 64-71.
Junaid, S., & Andini, C. (2025). Symbolism of Victorian society in the anthropomorphism of the Peter Rabbit picture book (1901). ELS Journal on Interdisciplinary Studies in Humanities, 8(1), 278-288.
Kipling, R. (2000). The Jungle Book. Pearson Education Ltd.
Mahdori, M., Rahman, F., Faisal, R., Aditya, T. P. M., Sosrohadi, S., & Sachiya, F. (2025). Revealing aspect of culture through literature: Learning from Sutan Takdir Alisjahbana. International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology, 10(3), 1211-1216.
Mette, R. (2011). Colonialism, children’s literature and translation: A reading of the text and illustrations in Italian versions of The Jungle Books. In D. R. Miller (Ed.), Prefazione agli Occasional Papers del CeSLiC. http://amsacta.cib.unibo.it/view/series/Quaderni_del_CeSLiC._Occasional_papers.html
Moulin, D. (2023). How much moral psychology does anyone need? Tolstoy’s examples of character development and their impact on readers. Literature and Morality Journal.
Muslimat, Rahman, F., & Amir, P. (2019). Trends in Reading Literary Fiction in Print and Cyber Media by Undergraduate Students of Hasanuddin University. International Journal of Education and Practice, 7(2), 66-77.
Nahdhiyah, N., Rahman, F., Makkah, M., & Herawaty, H. (2022, February). The Role of Learning Literary Work in Enhancing the Awareness of Loving Nature. In 67th TEFLIN International Virtual Conference & the 9th ICOELT 2021 (TEFLIN ICOELT 2021) (pp. 296-301). Atlantis Press.
Noprianto, E., Suherdi, D., & Muslim, A. (2022). A subject matter specialist versus students’ moral guardian: EFL teachers’ voices on character education incorporation into classroom instructions. International Journal of Language and Literature Education.
Nurgiyantoro, B. (2007). Teori Pengkajian Fiksi. Gajah Mada University Press.
Rahman, F., & Weda, S. (2018). Students’ perceptions in appreciating English literary works through critical comment: A case study at Hasanuddin University and Universitas Negeri Makassar. Asian EFL Journal, 20(3), 149-172.
Rahman, F., & Amir, P. (2019). Trends in Reading Literary Fiction in Print and Cyber Media by Undergraduate Students of Hasanuddin University. International Journal of Education and Practice, 7(2), 66-77.
Rahman, F. (2018). The constraints of foreign learners in reading English literary works: A case study at Hasanuddin University. Journal of Arts and Humanities, 7(2), 01-12.
Rizzo, K., & Bajovic, M. (2016). Moral literacy through two lenses: Pre-service teachers’ preparation for character education. International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, 28(1), 131–138. http://www.isetl.org/ijtlhe/
Selian, H., Suhadi, J., & Manugeren, M. (2017). Heroism in Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book. Language Literacy, 1(1). https://papers.ssrn.com/abstract=3113930
Siaj, R. N., & Farrah, M. A. A. (2018). Using novels in the language classroom at Hebron University. Journal of Creative Practices in Language Learning and Teaching (CPLT), 6(2), 44–59.
Suma, M., Rahman, F., Dalyan, M., Rahman, F. F., & Andini, C. (2023). Literature And Family Development: A Character Building Education. Journal of Namibian Studies, 39.
Zhu, X. (2018). Watch & Learn: A Teacher’s Guidebook for Film-Based ESL Courses. USF Scholarship: A digital repository @ Gleeson Library | Geschke Center. https://core.ac.uk/download/216990905.pdf
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Md. Jobaar Talukder, Shahadat Hossain Azad
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
