The position of literature in language education

In recent years the emphasis placed on the importance of communication in foreign language education has caused a lack of literary texts to be used in Japanese textbooks. Why has this emphasis on the communication aspect of foreign language education caused the usage of literary texts to be pushed aside? On March, 2010 the Japan Foundation proposed that the Japanese foreign language education standard should emphasize cultivating the student's communication skills as that would act as a tool to show the results of the way Japanese was taught, learned, and studied. The purpose of this paper is to go over what exactly it is that Japanese Language Education is seeking and whether or not communication skills should be reconsidered. The meaning of literary texts and their possibilities in language education as well as the position of literary texts and their usefulness in language education will also be covered.