This paper reviews the notion of engagement, major categories of engagement, and considers research on engagement with literature in first language contexts and evidence of engagement with Chinese literature in the Chinese classroom as well.In addition, it further explores Chinese EFL learners’ barriers to engagement with English literature and provides a teaching application model to exhibit the function and effectiveness of four types of narrative framings in teaching a specific literary text. This paper reviews the notion of engagement, major categories of engagement, and considers research on engagement with literature in first language contexts and evidence of engagement with Chinese literature in the Chinese language as well. Addition, it further explores Chinese EFL learners’ barriers to engagement with English literature and provides a teaching application model to exhibit the function and effectiveness of four types of narrative framings in teaching a specific literary text.