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Short fiction in the TEFL context

Short fiction is a highly useful learning tool for the upper intermediate and 
advanced English classroom, for, apart from encouraging reading in the target 
language, it entices students to analyse the text from different perspectives 
allowing them to focus on linguistic aspects as well as to appreciate the literary 
value of certain grammatical items. In addition, it encourages learners to study the 
various resources employed by the author in order to create mood and forge the 
different characters. 
It is also a great source of ideas for class discussion topics, as the stories 
can be chosen for the particular theme they touch upon: aspects of human affairs, 
psychological issues, cultural values, global concerns which trigger off animated 
debates among the students, thus providing excellent opportunities for developing 
their listening and speaking skills. 
For this paper I have chosen three short stories by contemporary British 
female writers to illustrate the pedagogic potential of short fiction in the language 
classroom: 'The Black Madonna' by Muriel Spark, 'The July Ghost' by A S. 
Byatt, and 'The Weighing up' by Angela Huth, all of which I have used with 
university students majoring in English.