Students who enroll in the introductory course in literature in a foreign language usually come to it with a distaste for literature and somewhat limited linguistic preparation. A course, such as the one described here, would be one in which the following questions and issues are dealt with: (1) the nature of a literary work of art, (2) the constitution of a literary creative process, (3) the nature of the reading process, (4) the possibilities for interpreting and analyzing literature, (5) literary genre, (6) literary period, (7) literary history, (8) literary terminology, and (9) literary criticism. For a course in a foreign language taught along these lines, it is suggested that students read complete texts and that examples of the main genres be included. The instructor would lead students step-by-step through some literary works, after they had been read in their entirety. During the entire course, students deal with basic literary issues and concepts, and they learn to appreciate their variety and complexity. Through this course, many students learn to see the beauty of a work and to understand the basic issues at work in it. Not only are they introduced to literature in the foreign language, they often develop an appreciation for and interest in literature as such. (AMH)