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The role of literature in ELT
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Fri, 03/13/2009 - 15:51
Hi everyone
Our first discussion in the LMCS discussion group back there in 2007 was about the role of literature in English language teaching. If you are here in this forum you probably believe, like myself, that literature should be an important and integral part of ELT.
However, I know many ELT professionals that are not very convinced of that and see literature either as the remains of 'cultural imperialism' or just the cherry on the cake, something you do if you have time and nothing else more important to teach. And something that should be excluded of any ESP courses in the name of 'students' needs'.
How would responde to such positions??
Debate is open :)
Cheers - Chris
Sun, 03/15/2009 - 06:24
#2
Hi Chris, Hi Mostafa,
Nice to see you here , it feels good when literature lovers meet. Yet, let´s not talk about how terribly blue some teachers feel when a colleague tells them that poetry is good for a rainy day- that day when absentees do not allow the teacher "to teach"- for that makes makes me think that all days should be rainy and that cherries should be the carrot we should all be after- . Literature, in all its ways, call it microfiction, comics, short stories, poems, novels, song lyrics, makes language meaningful to all.
"
Sun, 03/15/2009 - 13:28
#3
Hello fans of literature,
Maryadelpilar! Thanks for paying tribute to poetry and for siding with the proponents of poetry. I admit that all the moderators' words here in this flourishing forum have certainly a poetic touch. Guys, I find great pleasure reading your postings because they unveil many mysteries about teaching literature in English classroom, an activity that can give a special flavour to learning. This totally differs from classes wherein students are fed up with learned dictating habits. Many of my students came protesting against this in some school subjects like History and Geography because boredom is at play. Students need to play, to sing and, most importantly, to let their imagination work.
In this respect, I think there are some short tales and stories that are full of humour / moral lessons that a teacher should encourage students to read like Sandrella, Sheepskin, Thumbelina, Barbie, Aladin and the Magic lamp, Beauty and the Beast...etc. To perfectly achieve the desired objectives, teachers, in my opinion, ought to organize competitions in developing reading habits in their students. What is for example the last book you've read? Give a synopsis of it? How did you find it? What are your personal remarks about the story? These questions can help students look with critical eyes at what they read and consequently this can foster inspiration on them to write their own stories.
Cheers,
Rachid
Tue, 03/24/2009 - 20:07
#4
Hi All
Just a bit of food for thought: I know that many of us use literary texts in order to provide language and skills practice and many boks that bring together lit and ELT suggest activities where the literary text is transformed into something else, usually a new text in a different genre. Guy Cook, however, has a different approach to it. He says,
A recent tendency has been to ask students to do four things which might be unkindly characterised by the acronym RANT: React, Acculturate, Neutralise, Transform. Students must give an instant response, see the work as a cultural product, rewrite it as other more culturally specific genres. There are numerous exercises in books on literature teaching asking students to rewrite poems as advertisements, brochures, letters and so on. Though the intention may well be to emphasise the uniqueness, the ineffability of the literary work, the effect is often quite the opposite. (...) Students of course need to do something, but it does not have to be this. (LMCS Newsletter,Issue 16)
What is your opinion? Looking forward to your comments.
Cheers - Chris
Cheers - Chris
Wed, 03/25/2009 - 12:32
#5
Hi Chris,
I think Guy Cook's RANT approach is quite fruitful if we consider it from a critical-thinking point of view. This approach, which I would call method awakens in ss the ability to understand, compare and create new concepts.
Last week in a listening lesson I conducted, my ss were exposed to a poem about Cindrella they already know in Arabic. But what they felt new about the story was the way we approached it. Here are the steps we followed.( Is like Guy Cook's RANT?)
A-Pre-listening activity:
1- Name another heroine resembling Cindrella in other cultures?
2- Compare Cindrella to Shehrazade.
3- Close your eyes and describe Cindrella's physical appearence as she looks in the poem.
4- In your opinion, why did Cindrella's man let her down?
B- While listening activity:
1- Use a storyboard to show the progress of Cindrella's story.
2- Draw Cindrella's beloved when he got old.
3- Do you empathize with Cindrella? Why, why not?
4- What would you do if you were Cindrella?
5- What would you do if you were her beloved?
6- Does the title meet your expectations?
Follow-up
Imagine a story in your village in which a girl underwent the same situation as Cindrella's . What would be the reaction of her parents and neighbours and community?(homework)-not more than 20 lines.
Cheers
Tue, 04/07/2009 - 03:21
#6
Hi everybody,
I have just watched a session which ties up with our interest in this forum.
This is the link in case you haven´t seen it yet (I´m catching up with previous sessions slowly!)
Cheers,
Graciana
Tue, 04/07/2009 - 12:58
#7
Hi Graciana
Thanks for the link! Very interesting indeed.
Cheers - Chris
Sat, 04/11/2009 - 18:40
#8
hi Chris,
I have just watched your video session, I love your " Teaching can not be innocent" I will post this up in my classrooms at the teacher training course to remind my students of their mission and to remind myself of the reason why I have become a teacher. Thanks for your Voice, let´s hope it becomes some roar among teachers worldwide.
Best
pilar
Sat, 04/11/2009 - 21:45
#9
Hi Pilar
Thanks for your kind words! Let me tell you a secret - which will cease to be a secret of course :) But I haven't seen the video yet - simply did not have the courage to see myself speaking :))
Anyway, I hope the message is more important than the looks and I am really happy if my message can bring something good to you and other teachers around.
Cheers - Chris
Hi Chris,
I subscribe to your standpoint that literature is not a cherry on the cake; rather I hold that teaching EFL via literature can prove very efficace and lucrative, especially at university in tne Moroccan context.
My first contact with English literature at university has indeed promoted my learning of English. Reading authentic English literary texts is undubitably a trampoline to EFL learning. I think when ss are exposed to English prose or poems, they are immersed in the target language and learn in a more natural way. The examples of teaching poetry debated in one of the topics in LMCS is a concrete one.
cheerio