This study examined how student-teacher and early-career English language teachers perceive the role of literature in their linguistic, intellectual, and professional competence within EFL teacher education programs. A quantitative survey design was used. A self-designed, 10-item Likert-scale questionnaire, grounded in the literature on language teaching and teacher education, was administered electronically to 46 participants: 19 student-teachers and 27 recent graduates teaching in EFL environments. The questionnaire showed strong internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = .858). Both groups responded positively, and the two did not differ significantly in their perceptions of literature’s contribution to linguistic and intellectual competence (p = .377). Recent graduates rated literature’s educational application higher than pre-service teachers did, a difference that approached but did not reach statistical significance (p = .051). Agreement was highest for literature’s cultural value and lowest for its use in grammar teaching. The findings suggest that the practical value of literature is appreciated more fully through classroom experience, pointing to a gap between literature coursework and teaching practice. Recommendations for strengthening the link between the two in teacher education curricula are discussed........................... Keywords:................... literature, teacher education, EFL, pre-service teachers, communicative competence, critical thinking.