A university teacher of English as a second language in Japan describes his rationale, methods, and materials for teaching language through literature. Literature was chosen for its intellectual sophistication and ability to motivate adult learners. The use of recorded readings and/or video or filmed versions of texts is recommended as a means of saving time, and a number of readings and films are suggested as appropriate. All are brief enough to be used in an instructional period of 90-110 minutes. The film version is preferred over the recorded reading because it is more easily understood, allows for the teaching of the piece as an integrated whole, and saves class time that can be used for its criticism. A sample syllabus is included, with some discussion of the reasons for selecting and sequencing the works for instruction in Japan. (MSE)