Students' Experiences with Black South African Protest Fiction in the Fourth Year English Language Classroom at a Comprehensive Rural-Based University: A Case Study

Black protest fiction continues to be taught at South African tertiary institutions, especially at previously disadvantaged institutions and it is cogent to ascertain if students at tertiary institutions still find this genre of literature relevant. This study is an attempt to investigate the experiences of fourth year students' experiences with Black South African protest fiction in the English Language classroom at a comprehensive rural-based university. It will also attempt to determine whether the millennium students still find this genre of literature relevant and meaningful to their lives. It should be noted that literature is a very important conduit in developing the requisite skills of reading, writing, speaking, listening and critical thinking for students training to be teachers of English. It is an imperative that students find the texts they are studying relevant - it is only if they find it relevant will they be able to engage critically with the texts. The current students are the millennium students who have not experienced legislated apartheid. Hence, this study attempts to ascertain directly from students if they find protest fiction relevant. This research study used the qualitative research approach. It employed the qualitative data generation method in the form of semi-structured face-to-face interviews. The results indicated that the majority of students believed that the teaching of protest literature was still necessary and relevant.