Abstract
Finding a German publication in the field of foreign language acquisitionthat does not explicitly mention the role of literature would be an anom-aly. Within DaF (German as a foreign language), the position occupiedby works of literature has been subjected to no or very little scrutiny inthe past decades.
Simultaneously, it has become fashionable to criticisethe (supposed) deficiencies of the pragmatic and competence-driven approach to teaching. The paper offers a critical examination of the theo-retical underpinnings as well as the arguments often employed by the pro-ponents of the use of literature in teaching.
The findings hint at misleadingcitation practices, the absence of empirical research in the area as well asproblematic argumentation at times.