1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY English is a very important language as it is frequently used internationally as a medium to communicate between people from different countries. However, the importance of English as a communication tool has grown and expanded not only as an international language, but also as a language in international relations and the exchange of knowledge and technology. In the initial stage, English spread internationally through colonization, migration and settlement, but as the years passed, English quickly gained high prestige in cultural, scientific, technological and other fields that contributed to English becoming global (Leitner, 1992). Nowadays it is generally recognized that learning English is a “must”. Therefore, English was formally granted second language status in Malaysia when the National Language Policy was implemented in 1970 and then officially taught in primary and secondary schools in Malaysia. Although English was granted second language status in 1970, English has had a relatively long history. history in Malaysia (Solomon, 1988). During the colonial era, the British practiced the divide-and-rule system that socially segregated Malaysia's three main races: Malays, Chinese, and Indians. As a result, linguistic segregations also occurred at the educational level when each community used their native language as the medium of instruction in schools that catered exclusively to their own ethnicity. English, meanwhile, was used in national-type schools located in urban areas where most of the pupils came from a noble and wealthy background and most of them were Chinese and Eurasians. After gaining independence from the British in 1957, English has become the established focus area in schools, students can find organized learning materials and equipment made available and accessible to them such as worksheets, tapes, videotapes and also computer-assisted language learning (CALL) programs and games used in English lessons. Over the years new improvements have been made and added to the existing program to increase students' English language proficiency. One of the major improvements made was the introduction of the Literature component as part of the KBSM English language curriculum in 2000. Prior to this, Literature in English was an optional subject at upper secondary level (Rosli Talif, 1995). The implementation of the literature component in the English language program was carried out after the Ministry of Education recognized that literature plays a vital role in language learning.