So far, the teaching of English language and that of literature are implemented separately. This paper is concerned with how to teach both subjects in integration by using a language-based approach. The reason is that for students of English as a foreign or second language, the language of literary works is difficult, and in order to appreciate the subtleties within the students need to explore and examine the linguistic properties. Based on action research with two groups of students of different levels, a model of how to exploit classroom teaching materials using this approach will be demonstrated. It is evident that through the model, the separation of the teaching of the two subjects can be bridged.

Keywords: language-based approach, linguistic properties, integration