Does Literature have a chance in the EFL context?

Natalia Sepulveda
English Literature
Prof. Claudia Trajtemberg
10th July 2009
Final Paper

Does Literature have a chance in the EFL context?



The purpose of this paper is remembering the first beliefs of literature at the beginning of this course and to find out if literature has a chance in the EFL classroom. After explaining those two ideas, the essay will explain why and how it is advisable to integrate literature in the curriculum. By the end of this paper we will also provide ideas and mention techniques teachers can apply in their classes. Having said this, we encourage you to keep on researching on this topic which will be of great benefit for educators’ current or future practice.

Sometimes when learning new things, we need a scientific and absolute meaning to be sure we are doing and understanding things right. However, when courses start they help you break down those assumptions you have had since the very beginning. That is exactly what happened with English Literature class. Throughout this semester we have learned that literature enables students to have their own representation of written texts and spoken speeches provoking a reaction, an impact. The beauty behind literature depends in the one who is interpreting and admiring it. We have also understood that it is possible to incorporate literature in our future classes. This was done as the topics of the course were unpacking, for instance Chaucer’s “The Wife of Bath’s tale”. Women’s role is one of the topics you can take from that tale and have a group discussion about the differences between women’s role for Chaucer and the one they have today.

But why do we intend to teach literature? Is not English teachers’ job to educate students about the foreign language only? English teachers are not meant to mainly focus on the rules linguistically concerned with the language. They are meant to educate in every level. It is well-known that if effective reading and writing is taught since the very beginning, our students will be more competent in the foreign language and the subjects they will study in their schools. By helping students to develop these skills, actually the four of them: speaking, listening, writing and reading. The way they learn, participate and recycle information and knowledge will be far more effective and meaningful for them. Furthermore, the main aim of language is to communicate. That is why integrating literature to our lesson plans will help our students understand language better. It will provide them with guidelines to understand other subjects, to become critical and therefore reflective, to increase their vocabulary, to be culturally more knowledgeable, among other things.

But how can teachers do this? There are several sources teachers can use in their classes. To name a few: Poems, songs, Newspapers. When working with teachers, using songs and poems is extremely advisable. This could be done by presenting the key vocabulary and supporting them with real objects or drawings/pictures. Once you have done this, you should say one line of the verse and illustrate it with the materials you have brought, and then students can repeat with you doing the same thing. Other ways to do it is through accompanying songs or poems with actions, or puppets.

When working with teenagers it is not as different as explained before. Teenagers also need realia and meaningful sources. You could use pieces of news, try to understand the main idea, focus on one language element, reflect on and predict the future. You could use the extract of a chapter that has the action or drama, or elements you know will grow on them. You could also practice reading aloud, which benefits their speaking skills. After having everybody participating in this, the group can analyze the ideas and share comments. Remember that you should always guide them if they have any question, or if they have hardships during this process you can provide tools or ideas to make it easier, for example: things they should worry about when reading and listening.

One good strategy that is worth our attention is Prediction. In this technique teachers should stop the reading at key points which you would like to highlight; this is how you will elicit predictions on the development of the story (Carter 172). As features can be highlighted, teachers as well as students can come up with questions which will help the process of exploring the written text or spoken speech. Another technique is summarizing, which as the name enlighten us is dedicated to make students focus their attention on the overall idea and produce a summary of it. Carter endorses this technique by saying that it should be seen as an enabling tool for students’ personal learning process of interpreting and engaging themselves with the text (174).

If you would like to have a more collaborative sharing of thoughts, you could have a forum for discussion. This can be really beneficial for your language class, since your students will practice the language and can correct each other in the mean time. There are several other techniques you can apply in your lesson plans, but always remember that you should always be clear of the purpose of your classes. This means that you should be clear and manage the topics you would like to go over in your classes. Meaningful topics are not only the ones that your students know but the ones that can be linked to things they might be interested in. Try to consider that if you should always try to plant a seed of curiosity on your students, since you are not just a teacher inside the classroom but you also make an impact on them outside of those four walls.

Literature is a like-long process and it is teachers’ job to help throughout pupils’ process. After understanding the how’s and why’s we can come up with the conclusion that literature has indeed a chance in the EFL classroom. If educators wish to change the methodologies and integrate literature this will enrich students not only for their class, but all the subjects they take and even in their lives. There are several strategies, and students are always open to change. Teachers need to set goals, and establish healthy classroom environment so as to make this process easier. Lastly, there is a need for teachers to research on this topic; there are current studies about literature in the classroom that are worth our consideration. Let us finally remember that we are not only teaching the language, but providing students with the tools they need, in order to become competent, reflective and effective communicators and learners.


Works Cited
Carter, Ron. Investigating English Discourse: Language, literacy and literature. London: Routledge, 1997.

Venice has it all: love and hate + Comedy and Tragedy

The story takes place during the XVI century in Venice, Europe’s most liberal capital. Int hose times, Venice was divided between Christians and Jews, the former considered as real citizens and the latter, members of a ghetto who could only earn money through the practice of usury. Bassanio a merchant full of debts requests his beloved friend Antonio, a rich Merchant, money in order to go and marry Portia, a wealthy heiress who lives in Belmont. Since Antonio has invested all his money in trade ships, he could only accept to cover a bond on his name. That’s when Shylock, a Jew, receives a request from Bassanio, 3000 ducats for 3 months. Shylock’s surprise was evident when he realized who would be the loan’s guarantor. Was that the appropriate moment to take revenge on Antonio for all the mistreatment received throughout his life?



Shylock accepts loaning the money, without charging interest, but he proposes a condition. If Antonio is unable to pay for it, he will have to provide Shylock with one pound of his own flesh. After agreeing and signing the contract, Bassanio departs to Belmont where he would have to choose between 3 caskets, if he makes the right decision and chooses the casket in which portia’s portrait hides, she will be his and they’ll get marry.



Portia’s role in the movie is essential; in fact she is the heroine of the story. When Bassanio opens the lead casket and discovers her portrait, she couldn’t be happier. She sticks to the rules, not even knowing that he was the love of her life she gave him a hint to find the right one. She seems very submissive, but in fact she is quite independent and driven. She portraits a strong and in love woman, who does whatever it takes for her husband. In the movie, you’ll see that image that Shakespeare tries to illustrate, someone strong, feminine, eloquent and very intelligent.

The Merchant of Venice is a comedy in many ways, but a real tragedy in others. Shylocks intentions to avenge the pain and humiliation caused to the Jews took a different way and went against him. After losing his daughter, who escaped with a Christian, he became full of anger and hate. Later, when acknowledging that Antonio couldn’t pay his loan, he wouldn’t take any money offered by Bassanio, but Antonio’s pound of flesh. Law triumphed, but to what extent? The climax of the story happens during Antonio’s trial, a breathtaking moment. Don’t miss it!




The Merchant of Venice, a catchy story, interesting setting and characters. The ones who caught my attention were Portia and Shylock. She illustrates love and comedy, whereas he represents anger and tragedy. Still, both of them are strong-willed and no doubt intelligent.


In a way it’s easy to feel sympathetic for Shylock; Jews are mistreated and underappreciated by venetians. He loses his daughter and with her, some of his wealth stolen the day she eloped with a Christian. He is important too because he portraits the hypocrisy which lies in Christianity. Tragedy involves this character, especially the way his life concludes in this play. The fact of forcing him to convert to Christianity is the cruelest act towards Shylock.



On the Other hand, Portia provides comedy and love. She falls in love with Bassanio, and she does everything for him and beloved friend Antonio. She is not the type of woman who falls in love and becomes blind. But Shakespeare shows her as someone so intelligent that’s capable of getting whatever she wants no matter the price and effort made. For instance, when she probes Bassanio with the ring, she is trying to see beyond the caskets luck, she wanted to see how much he really loved her and how honest he was.

As any movie extracted from a book, it lacks of some details and thoughts you could only find in the book. Still, presents almost fully the intentions and personalities of its characters. I was impressed by the quality of the actors and set of the movie. Personally, Shylock’s monologue was moving. This movie really illustrates the feelings, the anger, frustration, love and enchantment, comedy, drama, tragedy, deception of the play. Well Done!

The Merchant of Venice I

OUTLINE

1) Brief summary of the book
2) Drama, comedy or tragedy?
3) Critique
4) Conclusion.

Spencer and his " Faery Queene"

The letter wasn’t really easy to read. But after our last session, I was able to get an overall idea of its meaning. Edmund Spenser decided to write about King Arthur since he felt he was a virtuous man, who represented the twelve virtues. “The Faery Queene” is an allegory since it denotes a hidden message which also tries to pass on a moral. Although I didn’t read the entire poem, I’m aware that allegories always try to teach us something and I’m sure Spencer wanted that when he referred about the virtues. We always have to read between the lines, what did he want us to interpret? Perhaps he just desired to influence society on a better way or path to BE a human being. In his letter, he mentions Temperance, which controls our own behavior, holiness, being pure and spiritual and last but not least, chastity. Why were these so important for him? I’m not so sure, however, I feel all of them take us to MODERATION.
Furthermore, It would be simple to say that he only underlined the virtues and qualities he felt were most important for people to practice. However, we need to think that there is always something else hidden in a writer’s purposes. That’s why I would like to insist the letter is made with second intentions. Maybe, to have the queen’s protection and King Arthur’s as well.
If it was that so, he was quite smart… to show his support to them, and his denial (to Protestantism and catholicism) when referring to the virtue of evil, represented by Duessa.



Sources:

http://www.sparknotes.com/poetry/fqueen/summary.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Faerie_Queene

What do women want? There’s no single and right answer for that, since women are pretty complicated and unique.
What I can say is that the book proves that in the 21st century we still want sort of the same things women used to want before.
In “The Wife of Bath”, power over people was, according to Chaucer, the aim for women. If my interpretation is correct, I believe he is wrong. Personally, I don’t need to have power over people, but to have power over my own decisions.
Actually, what I desire goes beyond power… I want to love and to be loved in return, sincerely and deeply. Basically, a man who is committed and willing to make a life together, in the good and in the bad times with me.

What’s more, the woman in the story also needs sexual satisfaction, because that was, repressed for women in those times. But I’m sure that if she lived here and now, she wouldn’t feel that is THE most important thing in a relationship.

G. Chaucer's view of "TRUTH"

“Truth” for Chaucer embodies the way human beings can live happily and peacefully, in harmony with god. He is presenting a world corrupted, which is not so different from the one we’re living now. As he said: "for greed entails hate and social climbing uncertainty”, my interpretation is that greed equals hate, since wanting to have or to own more personal possessions, like material goods are, generates envy, therefore, hate.

Social climbing entails uncertainty, why? Is it because of money or a need of self-assurance? How can you socially climb? Through pretending being another person you aren't to get what you want? Well, things change so easily that if social status it’s important for you, one can become even more insecure when having a high social status. Furthermore, he mentions the existence god, and it means he is devoted to his image and how he feels that truth and god gives people an unbeatable balance and harmony in life which will enable them heaven.

I wonder...is that so?

Epic Poem : BEOWULF.

It certainly didn’t ring a bell when I heard about Epic Poems. Beowulf? “That’s a movie”, I thought!

After going through its chapters, I realized that an epic poem, like this one is, represents a historical time and place, unknown and mystical that becomes real thanks to all the heroic and brave characters it holds. Perhaps epic poems embodies a part of history that nobody has been able to fully discover, therefore, it may be so wisely written that contains a secret only few have been able or will discover. Maybe it’s just fictional, who knows, at least I’m certain that it is worth interpreting and analyzing it.

Literature

Learning has wonderful paths. One always discovers something new that makes exciting and adventurous the road of learning one has undertaken. We’ve read Todorov, a franco-bulgarian philosopher, in his pursuit of the meaning of literature and its use.

The following is a quotation written by this author:

“The texts that I was reading- personal narratives, memoirs, historical works, testimonies, reflections, letters, anonymous texts from folklore- did not have, like literary works, the status of fiction, because they directly described lived experience. However, like literary works, they let me discover unknown dimensions of the world, they moved me profoundly, and they made me think” ( Todorov 16- 17)

Personally, I thought literature was “sophisticated” writing. Now, after reading and becoming more knowledgeable about literature, I can state there’s no unique definition for it. It enables us to interpret, to have our own representation of the written text and spoken speech, provoking a reaction an impact. For instance, there’s no need for literary works to be fictional, since personal and real experiences such as: memoirs, testimonies among others, can make an impact on us, therefore, as long as they are valuable texts, they will equal literature.



Todorov, Tzvetan. “What is Literature for?” Project Muse 38.1(2007): 13-32

“Tzvetan Todorov.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. 13 March 2009. 3 April 2009