Republic of the Philippines

Tarlac State University

COLLEGE OF TEACHER EDUCATION
CENTER OF DEVELOPMENT
Lucinda Campus, Tarlac City
Tel. No. (045) 493-0182; Fax No. (045) 982-0110
Re-accredited Level III by the Accrediting Agency of Chartered Colleges and Universities of the
Philippines (AACUP), Inc.

EL 119
Teaching and Assessment of Literature Studies

TOPIC

Teaching Prose and Dramatic Prose

Submitted by:
Asuncion, Efren
Bello, Wendie D.
Cunanan, Rose Ann F.
Manalang, Ruzzelle
Sundiam, Sean Kate
Vital, Trisha Louise V.
BSEd English 3-D

Submitted to:

Prof. Princess Dianne Y. Mercado

Instructor

February 13, 2021

 I. INTRODUCTION

“Prose is words in their best order”

Prose is meant for learning a language. Teaching prose means teaching
reading with comprehension. The learners are taught the skill of reading. The next step is
to teach them reading with comprehension. Reading with comprehension helps the
learners to acquire new vocabulary and content words. The power of comprehension can
be promoted through reading and listening.
Teaching prose enables the students to understand the passage, to read fluently, to
enrich their vocabulary and to enjoy reading and writing. It enables the learners to extend
their knowledge of vocabulary and structures and to become more proficient in the four
language skills. It develops the ability of speaking English correctly and fluently. Also,
Teaching prose focuses on increasing student's comprehension of the material and
establishing a personal connection to it.
And This Topic will help us to better understand the world of prose. As we dig
deeper into the discussion.

II. RELATED LITERATURES

Literature is language in use and is generally seen to play a vital role in language
teaching. Literary texts provide us with much aesthetic, intellectual and emotional
pleasure in that the writer often seeks to delineate their vision of human experience
through a creative, emotive use of language. In essence literature serves to enhance the
students’ language competence. This is demonstrated with several prose texts with a view
to show their pedagogical relevance to students’ language needs. In the conclusion, it is
emphasized that the link between language and literature which had been ignored in the
past should now be exploited for the development of students’ performances in the target
language.

The common ground between literature and language teaching has not been
sufficiently exploited. The learner’s mastery of the sound system can be enhanced
through practice with the stress, rhythm, and rhyme in poetry, and with dialogue in
drama. His use of vocabulary, idioms, and syntactic structure can be improved through
exposure to the best model of contemporary prose, fiction and non-fiction. (William
1990:5)

Contemporary language teachers have note exploited the interrelationship

between language and literature because of their erroneous impression that language
teaching method is designed to promote the correct and appropriate use of language in a
variety of situations through the practice of one kind of language skill or another. Their
belief is that English should be taught using “authentic texts” for specific purposes. Even
today most English language teachers’ use “content-based instruction”, which means
primarily that texts used to teach language come from fields other than literature.
Perhaps, language teachers are not mindful of the fact that literature can be linked for
purpose of mutual reinforcement is necessary to stem the trend of poor performance in
English in Nigeria today. This trend of unsatisfactory level of English language
performance in the country, coupled with the increasing importance of English language
in the nation’s day-to-day activities has been noted with concern by scholars (Jubril &
Freeman, 1984; Williams, 1990). With this situation, all those concerned with the
education task need to find means of solving the problem. The need for an eclectic
approach to the teaching of English has therefore been suggested by Williams (1990).
Williams believes that alternative choices rather rigid adherence to one particular method
will go a long way in improving learners’ performance in the language.

III. TERMINOLOGIES

Aesthetic - concerned with beauty or the appreciation of beauty.

Anecdote - a short amusing or interesting story about a real incident or person.

Controversial - giving rise or likely to give rise to public disagreement.

Disputes – a disagreement, argument, or debate.

Dystopian – relating to or denoting an imagined state or society where there is great

suffering or injustice.

Egocentrism – refers to someone's inability to understand that another person's view or

opinion may be different than their own

Embark – go on board a ship, aircraft, or other vehicle.

Envisioned – imagine as a future possibility; visualize.

Evaluation is a systematic determination of a subject's merit, worth and significance,

using criteria governed by a set of standards.

Evolution - the gradual development of something, especially from a simple to a more

complex form

Literature is an umbrella word used to describe a variety of creative works of

imagination that may be written or oral.

Literary - means concerned with or connected with the writing, study, or appreciation of
literature

Metacognitive is one’s ability to use prior knowledge to plan a strategy for approaching
a learning task, take necessary steps to problem solve, reflect on and evaluate results, and
modify one’s approach as needed

Polemic – a strong verbal or written attack on someone or something.

Schema is a cognitive structure that serves as a framework for one's knowledge about
people, places, objects, and events.

Substantial - of considerable importance, size, or worth.

IV. DISCUSSION

Prose refers to any written work that follows a basic grammatical structure (think
words and phrases arranged into sentences and paragraphs). This stands out from works
of poetry, which follow a metrical structure (think lines and stanzas). Prose simply means
language that follows the natural patterns found in everyday speech.

Prose is the most common form in writing and it is verbal or written language that
follows the natural flow of speech. It comes from the Latin “prosa oratio,” meaning
“straightforward.” In this presentation, we will tackle the four common types of prose
and the genres of prose.

4 Common Types of Prose

There are four distinct types of prose that writers use:

1. Nonfictional prose. Prose that is a true story or factual account of events or

information is nonfiction.
2. Fictional prose. A literary work of fiction. This is the most popular type of
literary prose, used in novels and short stories, and generally
has characters, plot, setting, and dialogue.
3. Heroic prose. A literary work that is either written down or preserved through
oral tradition but is meant to be recited. Heroic prose is usually a legend or fable.
4. Prose poetry. Poetry written in prose form. This literary hybrid can sometimes

have rhythmic and rhyming patterns. 

Genres of Prose Fiction

science fiction (or sci-fi)

historical fiction
romance fiction

 Science fiction is a genre of prose fiction that mostly relies upon the writer’s
imagination.
Example: Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

Aldous Huxley was born in Godalming,

England, on July 26, 1894. The fourth
child in a family with a deep
intellectual history, his grandfather was
the noted biologist and naturalist T. H.
Huxley, an early proponent of Charles
Darwin’s theory of evolution; his
father, Leonard, was a teacher and
writer; and his mother, Julia, was a
descendant of the English poet
Matthew Arnold. In adulthood,
Huxley’s older brothers, Julian and
Andrew, would both become
accomplished biologists, and Huxley
himself envisioned a future career in
 Historical Fiction

Some prose fiction is based on real events - an example of this would be

a historical fiction novel. The writer uses historical research to create a story rather than
using their own life experiences, but they also use their imagination to make the story
come alive.

Example: Hilary Mantel’s novel Wolf Hall (2009)

Hilary Mantel, in full Dame

Hilary Mary Mantel, original
name Hilary Mary Thompson,

(born July 6, 1952, Hadfield,
Derbyshire, England), English
writer known for her bleakly
comic, socially probing novels
set in a wide range of
contemporary and historical
milieus.

Romance Fiction

"A romance is a work in which the plot centers around a love relationship. The plot line
must be substantial enough for the reader to maintain interest from chapter to chapter.

The genre of Romantic Fiction has two strict criteria:

The first is that the story must focus on the relationship and romantic love
between two people.
Secondly, the end of the story must be positive, leaving the reader believing that
the protagonists' love and relationship will endure for the rest of their lives.

Example: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Jane Austen, (born December 16,
1775, Steventon, Hampshire,
England—died July 18, 1817,
Winchester, Hampshire), English
writer who first gave the novel its
distinctly modern character through
her treatment of ordinary people in
everyday life. She published four
novels during her lifetime: Sense
and Sensibility (1811), Pride and
Prejudice (1813), Mansfield Park
(1814), and Emma (1815). Her
novels defined the era’s novel of
manners, but they also became
timeless classics that remained
critical and popular successes for
over two centuries after her death.
 Here are some celebrated fiction writers from the 20th and 21st century:

 George Orwell - best known for his dystopian novels 1984 and Animal Farm. His
prose fiction could also be defined by its focus on the themes of politics and power.

 Ian McEwan - known for his prose fiction in the realist genre.

 Zadie Smith - a writer that resists writing in a particular genre. Her novel NW is
set in multi-cultural, modern day London and could be seen to have elements of realist
and thriller fiction.

 Margaret Attwood - likes to experiment with genre and has written both science
fiction and crime fiction prose.

 Andrea Levy - writes literary fiction with narratives that are often told by a range
of different characters and frequently deal with the theme of migration. Her
novel Small Island explores the link between place and identity.

Different forms of prose fiction

Most prose fiction is presented in the form of a novel, novella or short story.

The word ‘novel’ comes from Latin and Italian origin and means 'new’. Novels became
popular with readers in the 18th century, so are a fairly new type of fiction compared
with poetry and drama.

Prose texts are usually defined by their length, though there are other differences:

Short stories

 Tell a complete story in a few thousand words.

 Have a limited number of characters.
 Are sometimes more about conveying an atmosphere than plot.
 Often leave questions unanswered for the reader to think about.

Some writers are famous for their short stories. Philip K Dick, the science-fiction writer,
wrote short stories that were turned into the films Minority Report, Total Recall and The
Adjustment Bureau.

Novellas

 Are mid-way in length between short stories and a full-length novel.

 Usually have one plot-line.
 Are not always divided into chapters.

You may have heard of Charles Dickens’s novella, A Christmas Carol. Another famous
novella is John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men. Although these forms are short, they
provide the reader with a vivid snapshot of life and have well developed characters.

Novels
  Are a relatively modern form of literature.
 Often have a number of different plot lines which can support or contrast each
other.
 Usually have several characters and their stories.
 Are often divided into chapters.
 Normally tie up all the loose ends by the end of the book.

Some famous novels which you might have heard of include: Jane Eyre by Charlotte
Brontë, Lord of the Flies by William Golding, and Life of Pi by Yann Martel.

Genres of Nonfictional Prose

Nonfictional prose, any literary work that is based mainly on fact, even though it may
contain fictional elements. Examples are the essay and biography.

Nonfictional prose genres cover an almost infinite variety of themes, and they assume

many shapes.

The genres include:

Political and Polemical writings

Biographical and Autobiographical literature
Religious writings/ Moral
Philosophical

 Political and Polemic writings

A polemic is a strong attack or argument against something. Most of the time the
topic is on a controversial subject; like important issues concerning civil or human rights,
philosophy and ethics, politics, religion, and so on.

Example: The Communist Manifesto is one of the most well-known political polemics
in literature, and one you’ve surely heard of. It was written by 19th century philosophers
Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, who identified what they saw as the major problems of
capitalism and the class struggles it caused.

 Biographical and Autobiographical literature

Biographical Literature
A biography is simply an account or detailed description about the life of a
person. It entails basic facts, such as childhood, education, career, relationships, family,
and death.

Example: Shakespeare: A Life (By Park Honan) This biography is the most accurate, up-
to-date, and complete narrative ever written about the life of William Shakespeare. Park
Honan has used rich and fresh information about Shakespeare in order to change the
perceptions of readers for the playwright, and his role as a poet and actor.
Autobiographical literature

An autobiography tells the story of a person’s own life. While that person writes
his own account, he or she may take guidance from a ghostwriter or collaborator.

Example: The Story of My Life (by Helen Keller) In her autobiography, The Story of
My Life, Helen Keller recounts her first twenty years, beginning with the events of the
childhood illness that left her deaf and blind. In her childhood, a writer sent her a letter
and prophesied, “Someday you will write a great story out of your own head that will be
a comfort and help to many.”

Religious writings/ Moral

A religion is a particular system of belief about how superhuman forces, such as a
god or gods, control the universe as well as setting down practices for worshiping or
acknowledging those forces. Every major religion uses writing to preserve its core beliefs
and pass them down to subsequent generations, though disputes over those writings can
also lead to conflicts and divisions.

An example of religious writing is 'scripture,' which is considered divinely inspired.

Scripture and Non-Scripture

The monotheistic religions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam put religious
writings front and center. Al three have a set of sacred writings, called scripture, that
followers believe were handed down by God himself or at least divinely inspired. The
scriptures are often supplemented by a large body of non-scriptural writing that interprets
the sacred texts. Division of these religions into sects, or religious subgroups, such as
Orthodox and Reform Judaism, Catholicism and Protestantism, or Sunni and Shia, are
often caused by differing interpretations of the sacred texts.

COMPREHENDING PROSE

In view of the tremendous role that reading plays in most of our lives, we know
amazingly little about the processes involved in reading comprehension. Though this
paucity of knowledge may seem surprising, it becomes more understandable when we
consider how complex comprehension really is. Comprehension of prose, whether written
or oral, involves considerably more than understanding the meanings of individual words
and sentences; it also requires that one understand how the ideas expressed in one
sentence are related to ideas expressed in other sentences. An even more critical
component of comprehension is the knowledge that one brings to the reading situation; in
fact, the same passage may be understood in different ways depending on a reader's
background. Thus, comprehension involves a complex interplay between the reader and
the material.

 Identifying Main Ideas

 Reading comprehension tests abound with questions requiring identification of
main ideas. The frequency with which such "main idea" exercises are given to beginning
readers is evidence that this skill is regarded as an important component of reading
comprehension.

Experimental investigations of children's understanding of main ideas have used

three general approaches.

One approach simply tests for recall of a passage and examines the relative
incidence of main ideas in the recall protocols (e.g., Binet & Henri, 1898; Christie &
Schumacher, 1975; Korman, 1945, cited in Yendovitskayz, 1971).

A second approach is to present children with a passage and ask them to classify
the information as to its importance level (Brown & Smiley, 1977).

The third approach is to ask children to describe the main idea of a passage in
their own words (e.g., Danner, 1976; Mal'tseva, cited in Smirnov, Istomina, Mal'tseva, &
Samokhvalova, 1971-72; Otto, Barrett, & Koenke, 1969).

 Understanding Logical Structure

In addition to extracting main ideas from a passage, an important element of

comprehension is understanding how and why the ideas are interconnected. Skill at
understanding the logical structure of a text is firmly rooted in prior knowledge of the
world. For example, if children do not understand how two events in the physical world
are logically related, we can hardly expect them to perceive this relationship in a text. It
should be noted that some of the studies to be reviewed in this section are not explicitly
focused on prose comprehension, but rather the comprehension of logical and temporal
relations. They are presented here because they deal with what we believe is an important
prerequisite of prose understanding.

In conclusion, comprehension of logical structure is an early-developing skill.

Children's knowledge about logical relationships and structure greatly influences their
memory for prose material. Those passages that are organized according to an underlying
logical structure are better remembered than arbitrarily sequenced or disorganized
passages. The studies reviewed, however, illustrated that there are developmental
differences in the skills brought to these tasks. These differences seem to be related to
children's awareness that logical structure has a facilitative effect on memory. Older
children were more flexible and competent in using active strategies to increase memory
for disorganized material. An important area of future investigation is the process by
which this flexibility and awareness of logical structure develops

 Making Inferences

In order to understand the main ideas of a text and perceive their

interrelationships, it is often necessary to bring in information that is not explicitly
presented in the text. Many of the things readers need to know to comprehend prose are
not explicitly stated; therefore, they must be able to draw upon prior knowledge of the
world to make inferences and fill in "gaps" in the flow of ideas. That comprehension
involves an interaction between the incoming information and what a person already
knows has been persuasively argued by Bartlett (1932). By providing numerous examples
of prose recall protocols, he demonstrated that meaning is not inherent in a text but must
be constructed by the reader, and so may differ depending on experience, attitudes and
context.

Making inferences is a comprehension strategy used by proficient readers to “read

between the lines,” make connections, and draw conclusions about the text’s meaning
and purpose.

Making an inference involves using what you know to make a guess about what
you don't know or reading between the lines. Readers who make inferences use the clues
in the text along with their own experiences to help them figure out what is not directly
said, making the text personal and memorable. Helping students make texts memorable
will help them gain more personal pleasure from reading, read the text more critically,
and remember and apply what they have read.

 Why Is It Important?

Researchers have confirmed that thoughtful, active, proficient readers are

metacognitive; they think about their own thinking during reading. They can identify
when and why the meaning of the text is unclear to them and can use a variety of
strategies to solve comprehension problems or deepen their understanding of a text
(Duffy et al. 1987).

Proficient readers use their prior knowledge and textual information to draw

conclusions, make critical judgments, and form unique interpretations from text.
Inferences may occur in the form of conclusions, predictions, or new ideas (Anderson
and Pearson, 1984).

 Using Higher-order Knowledge Structures

Throughout this chapter, we have argued that comprehension involves an

interaction between the reader's background knowledge and the text itself. Prior
knowledge plays a crucial role in all of the skills we have discussed: extracting main
ideas, understanding logical structure, and drawing inferences. When using these skills,
specific knowledge may be brought to bear on particular segments of text; for example,
we access our knowledge about tools that can be used for cutting paper to infer that
"scissor" was the implied instrument in the sentence "She cut the paper." Situations also
arise where more generic knowledge can be used to enhance comprehension.

For example, people have generalized knowledge about stories, with specific
expectations about their structural components. Similarly, people often have general
knowledge about the structure of reading materials specific to their field, i.e., journal
articles.

Such organized collections of knowledge are known as "higher order" knowledge

structures or "schemata."

Schemata are thought to facilitate comprehension because they can be used as an

organizing framework within which to integrate incoming information. (See Anderson,
1977, & Rumelhart & Ortony, 1977, for further discussion of the role of schemata in
comprehension.)

We have schema for genre as well as for content. Some young children
understand fiction better than nonfiction because they’ve been read many stories and
have formed a schema for story structure. Whether they can name story elements or not,
they expect characters, setting, and events. They follow the story more easily than they
navigate a nonfiction text, which might be organized through a variety of less familiar
text structures.

We develop schema through our experiences in the world – who we know, where
we go, what we do. We also build it through reading, listening, and viewing a variety of
media. Just as each of us has a different genetic profile, we each bring different schema to
our literacy pursuits in and out of school.

STRATEGIES IN TEACHING PROSE

Teaching prose enables the students to understand the passage, to read fluently, to
enrich their vocabulary and to enjoy reading and writing. It enables the learners to extend
their knowledge of vocabulary and structures and to become more proficient in the four
language skills. It develops the ability of speaking English correctly and fluently.

SILENT READING

Methods and Goals for Teaching Silent Reading

Guided silent reading is an instructional strategy that often gets crowded out by more
popular methods of group or whole class reading instruction. Like any other skill,
students need to be guided to read silently with the purpose of comprehending. Several
methods and goals for implementing silent reading instruction in your classroom are
listed below.

Methods

 Start Small

Start with small amounts of text and work your way to longer passages over time.

 Use Complex Texts

Complex texts are texts that represent an appropriate level of challenge for students.
According to the New York State Department of Education, complex texts take into
account three criteria:
  Quantitative elements of a text such as word length, word frequency, and sentence
length.
 Qualitative factors of a text such as text meaning or purpose, text structure,
language conventions, and clarity.
 Reader and task considerations that reflect characteristics of a specific reader,
such as the reader’s background, motivation, and knowledge about the topic, and
the specific task, such as the purpose and complexity of the task and the questions
asked.

 Allow for Simultaneous Responses

During the discussion portion of instruction, require students to respond to

prompts or questions about the passage(s) in a synchronous manner. This

will allow you to gauge who is struggling with the reading, and who would

benefit from guidance back through the text to find the answer.

Goals

 Read silently with a high degree of comprehension. 

 Silently read increasingly complex texts successfully.

 Read silently for longer periods of time.  

 Read silently for comprehension without (or with less) teacher supported
reinforcement. 

GENERAL AIMS OF TEACHING PROSE:

 To understand the passage and grasp its meaning.

 To read with correct pronunciation, stress, intonation, pause and

articulation of voice.

 To enable students to understand the passage by silent reading.

 To enrich their active and passive vocabulary.

 To express the ideas of the passage orally and in writing.

 To enjoy reading and writing.

 To develop their imagination.

  To prepare the students for world citizenship.

SPECIFIC AIMS OF A PLAY:

 To provide opportunities for self-expression.

 To play different roles.

 To speak English in the conversational style.

 To mold one’s character.

Five Tips to Increase Silent Reading Speed and Improve Reading Comprehension

1. Improve reading posture and attitude

Reading is not a passive activity. Your body position has much to do with your level of
engagement with the text. Establish a purpose for your reading and be realistic and honest
with yourself.

2. Improve concentration

Anything competing with full concentration reduces reading speed and reading
comprehension. Consciously divest yourself from the thousand other things that you need
to or would rather be doing. Good reading does not involve multi-tasking.

3. Improve reading rhythm

The reading pace should be hurried, but consistent. This does not preclude the need to
vary your reading speed, according to the demands of the text, or the need to re-read
certain sections. But, do not read in a herky-jerky fashion. Use your dominant hand to
pace your reading.

4. Improve eye movement

Focus on the center of the page and use your peripheral vision to view words to the left
and right when you are reading columnar text, such as newspapers, articles, etc.

5. Improve interactivity

Good silent reading comprehension is always a two-way conversation between author

and reader. The text was written by a person—so personalize your reading by treating the
reading as a dialogue. This mental conversation improves concentration and
comprehension.

Teaching Drama in Distance Learning

 Performing literature—either directly from the book as readers’ theater or with a
script adaptation—allows students to express themselves authentically in a virtual space.

1. Start by reading a text or script through, trading off so that as many students as
possible get a chance to read the main parts.
2. Engage students in a short discussion about broad themes, and brainstorm ideas
on problem-solving technical challenges and design opportunities.
3. Cast the show by inviting students to write down three roles they’d like to play
and one role they’d rather not. Invite students to share their reasoning.
4. Look and listen for the places where students are just reciting lines.
5. Stop and ask if they understand what a line means and how they can communicate
that to an audience.
6. Talk about behavior, not just emotion.

Reader's Theater in 5 Easy Steps

 Choose a script. Choose a prepared script, or have kids choose a book from
which to develop a reader's theater script.
 Adapt the script. If adapting, kids identify speaking parts (including narrators)
and break down the story into dialogue.
 Assign parts. Kids might try out different parts to get a feel for them, then
choose their roles themselves.
 Highlight parts and rehearse. Kids highlight their dialogue, then practice their
lines at home and in groups during school.
 Perform. The cast reads the play aloud for an audience, often made up of parents
or younger students.

Prose is meant for learning a language. Teaching prose means teaching reading
with comprehension. The learners are taught the skill of reading. The next step is to teach
them reading with comprehension. Reading with comprehension helps the learners to
acquire new vocabulary and content words. The power of comprehension can be
promoted through reading and listening.

Teaching prose enables the students to understand the passage, to read fluently, to
enrich their vocabulary and to enjoy reading and writing. It enables the learners to extend
their knowledge of vocabulary and structures and to become more proficient in the four
language skills. It develops the ability of speaking English correctly and fluently.

The main aims of teaching prose are

a) literary and

b) content

To achieve the literary and content, the aims of teaching of prose should be
intensive and extensive.

INTENSIVE READING:
Reading a text for accuracy is called intensive reading. It is done with the close guidance
of the teacher. It forces the learners to pay more attention to the text. It involves the
profound and detailed understanding of the text. It is primarily concerned with the
developing of reading strategies.

The reading strategies are

1. Judgement

2. Reasoning

3. Interpretation and

4. Appreciation

Intensive reading is more an exercise in accuracy. Students do not read a text only for a
specific purpose of information. A text is considered suitable for scanning of information,
paying attention to the writer’s intensions, arguments, ideas, style, etc., The students are
expected to answer all questions which involve their understanding of the text, grammar,
vocabulary, writing, etc.,

So, an intensive reading must be based on the structural syllabus.

1. It must be interesting.

2. It should be well graded.

3. Multiple numbers of colorful pictures are necessary.

4. The pictures should stimulate an interest in the lessons.

5. More opportunities for oral discussions before reading the text.

6. Difficult words, phrases and ideas should be clearly explained by the teacher.

7. It must have provisions for silent reading and reading aloud.

AIMS OF TEACHING PROSE:

The main aim of teaching prose is to develop the language ability of the students. It is the
intensive study of a language. The language ability helps the learners to use English
language without any problem.

GENERAL AIMS OF TEACHING PROSE:

To enable the students

1. To understand the passage and grasp its meaning.

2. To read with correct pronunciation, stress, intonation, pause and articulation of voice.

3. To enable students to understand the passage by silent reading.

4. To enrich their active and passive vocabulary.

5. To express the ideas of the passage orally and in writing.

6. To enjoy reading and writing.

7. To develop their imagination.

8. To prepare the students for world citizenship.

SPECIFIC AIMS: The specific aims of prose change according to the subject matter
like biography, play, story and essay.

SPECIFIC AIMS OF A STORY:

1. The learners learn a few facts through the story.

2. To teach morals.

3. To mould one’s character.

4. Exposure to the style of story writing.

SPECIFIC AIMS OF AN ESSAY:

1. The learners learn a few facts through the essay.

2. To make students curious about the subject of essay.

3. Exposure to the style of essay-writing.

4. To arrange ideas in an organized manner.

SPECIFIC AIMS OF A BIOGRAPHY:

1. The learners are exposed to the lives of great men.

2. To mould one’s character.

3. Aspiration for better things in life.

4. To inculcate in them desirable sentiments.

SPECIFIC AIMS OF A PLAY:

1. To provide opportunities for self-expression.

2. To play different roles.

3. To speak English in the conversational style.

4. To mould one’s character.

DIFFERENT STEPS INVOLVED IN TEACHING PROSE:

A prose lesson is not for memorization of questions and answers but for learning a
language. The prose lesson contains structure, vocabulary, grammar, views and ideas for
comprehension. The students read prose with comprehension and write sentences about
the lesson using the correct structures and content words. The steps for teaching of prose
may be summed up as follows.

1. Introducing the prose lesson

Introduction of a lesson is to fulfill two purposes. They are;

a) To recollect the past knowledge.

b) To win student’s attention to the new subject.

Teachers should try to motivate the students to study the new lesson. The various efforts
made by the teacher to create interest or to attract the attention of the students is known
as preparation of the lesson. The teacher introduces the lesson by asking appropriate
questions. He uses models or pictures. The questions arouse the interest for the new
lesson. The teacher tests the previous knowledge of the students and links it to the
subject.

2. Teaching structures:

A new structural item is presented by the teacher to enable the students to identify the
new structures. In introducing structures, substitution table is of great help. It highlights
the elements of the pattern and their order and nature. Secondly, the teacher presents the
structure in readily understandable situations. It helps the students to cleat its meaning
and use. This helps them not only to understand the meaning of the new item but also its
use in different contexts. Opportunities are provided to the students to use the structures
themselves.

3. Dividing the text into smaller units:

Reading long passages of a text may be tiresome for the teacher. So, the text will have to
be split up into smaller, more manageable units or sections. This will facilitate the teacher
to present the lesson interestingly and efficiently.

4.Teaching vocabulary:

The teacher uses an object, a model or a picture to give clear ideas about new words
and their meaning. The meaning may be explained through ‘real situation’.
The purposes of expositions are:
1. i. To clear the meaning of difficult words, phrases & idioms.
2. ii. To make the comprehension of the passage easy.
3. iii. To promote intensive reading.

5. Model Reading by the Teacher:

The teacher reads the selected passage aloud. He should be careful about pronunciation,
words, phrases & intonation in his reading before the students. His reading is observed by
the learners and imitated. This model reading by the teachers helps the students for aural
comprehension. The teacher gives instructions regarding postures and attention. The
teacher should not be completely absorbed in his reading.

6. Silent Reading by the students:

The teacher gives time for the students to read the passage silently. Silent reading is
helpful for rapid reading, learning of new words and a quick understanding of meaning.
A short time of five to ten minutes for silent reading is followed in every session.
7. Testing Comprehension:

To check the students’ comprehension ability, the teacher asks questions to the students.
The questions are from the taught passage. The question should be direct, short and
objective based. The same procedure i.e. steps 4, 5, 6 & 7 can be followed for the other
units of the lesson.

8. Testing application:

The aim of application test is to evaluate the achievement of the learners. The questions
may be of oral or written type. After teaching of structure or vocabulary, the teacher
normally asks the students to do the exercises given at the end of the lesson.

9. Loud reading by the students:

The teacher asks the students to read the taught units loudly in the class one by one. To
develop clear pronunciation this loud reading is very much helpful. It improves the tone,
rhythm and fluency. Each student is asked to read a short passage. At the end of reading,
the errors of pronunciations are corrected. Students should be asked to keep the books 30
cm away from the eyes. They hold their books on the left hand and the right hand is free.
The teacher needs to exercise more care at the time of students’ reading.

10. Giving assignment:

Assignments to the students are given by the teacher for the following purposes.

a) To remember the meaning and spelling of new words.

b) To use the words in sentences.

c) To write the gist of the passage.

d) To answer the questions.

e) To do the exercises based on the taught units.

Examples for task:

1. Read the sentences fast. [Drawing a picture of a girl]

2. Read the passage and answer the question [Comprehension exercise]

Literary Appreciation and Valuing in/of Prose

According to Lombardi 2020, Literature is a term used to describe written and
sometimes spoken material. Derived from the Latin word literature meaning "writing
formed with letters," literature most commonly refers to works of the creative
imagination, including poetry, fiction, and in some instances, and song.
 Literature helps us to grow in a way that e builds up our imagination and literature
teaches us new things and it gives our life more meaningful, it gives us skills and it
informs us of what happenings around us.

Literary Appreciation is the bedrock of literature. It covers literary principles,

terms, techniques, and devices (Pera, 2016 p.1) Literary Appreciation is simply the ability
to understand, enjoy and evaluate works of Literature (Pera, 2016 p.3.)

Literacy appreciation also called literary criticism because examines and

evaluates literary works. Literary appreciation is the evaluation of literary works to
provide a reader an overview and deep understanding of the literary works. It is important
to evaluate the literary works to know the deep meaning and to understand well the
pieces. The purpose of literary appreciation is to understand and evaluate literary works.
For instance, your professor asked you to have a literature examination and you have to
compare the dramatic technique and playwright and what is the relationship to each other.
You have considered the literary appreciation knowledge to answer that question.

 What are the stages of literary appreciation?

They are an approximation of the different levels of how individuals develop the
personal attitudes, reading, watching, and listening skills that are a necessary part of
literary appreciation.

Each developmental stage or level (Nilsen and Donekson, 2019) is characterized by:

An optimal age (grade level)

Sample literary materials

Sample action activities

 Level 1: Understanding that Pleasure and Profit comes from literature (Ages 0-
5: Pre-School)

Literature can refer to oral manifestation (Songs and nursery rhymes) as well
as graphic or visual depictions such as pictures books, television programs, and
appealing signs. In this stage, let the children engage in reading stories, watching
movies, and television. The children have opportunities to learned literary works.

 Level 2: Learning to read (Decode) (Ages 6-8: Grade 1-3)

In this stage, children are developing literacy. It is a vital role for the students
to acquire literacy during their childhood because will enhance more different skills.
And those children who learned to read easily are understanding in a stage of
“unconscious enjoyment”. They are becoming addicted to one particular book or
character about what they read.

 Level 3: Losing oneself in a story (Ages 9-11: Grade 4-6)

Through reading different literary works children will not develop the literary
appreciation always give students tasks or activities while reading the story for the
children will analyze and evaluate the literary works.
 Level 4: Finding oneself in a story (Ages 12-14 Junior High) Adolescence

At this stage, young learners have more experience and there are engage with
literature such as books or movies. It depends to them on what they are preferred
about themselves and they are reading a story to find out about themselves, not
simply to escape into someone else’s experience. Also, and they are curious about
other sides of life, for instance, the unbelievable and grotesque). Their purpose is to
largely finding of themselves and where they fit in society.

 Level 5: Venturing Beyond Self (Ages 15-18 High School)

In this stage, learners go beyond his or her egocentrism and to the larger circle
of society. Teenagers are responsible for assessing the world around them and where
they fit in. and this stage is more about, intellectual and physical development instead
of advanced reading skills. Reading at this level allow for focusing on the person's
psychological needs about society, for instance, science fiction and fantasy help to
create new ideas about the existing society.

 Level 6 and 7: Reading widely and Aesthetic Appreciation (Ages 18-death)

At the college level, the young adult reads best-sellers books and is involved
in acclaimed literary works such as novels, plays, and films and sharing their
experiences with their peers.

Throughout adulthood, the reader who has developed the skills and attitudes
necessary to enjoy the literary experience at all previous levels is ready to embark on
a life of aesthetic appreciation. (understanding the beauty artistic value).

 What is the importance of understanding the different stages of literary

appreciation?

To appreciate literature, people at any stage must experience pleasure and

profit from their reading, viewing, and listening. As future teachers, we must meet
young people where they are and help them feel comfortable before trying to move
them on.

The prose is a form of language that has no formal metrical structure. Prose
applies a natural flow of speech, and ordinary grammatical structure.

The prose is commonly used in our daily life because can be form written or
spoken and prose helps us to deliver our idea, opinions, and feelings. These are the
example of prose such as textbooks, lectures, essays, novel, and short stories because
prose it consists of the paragraph and sentences and it conveys information and ideas for
us to communicate with other.

A prose work may be fiction or non-fiction.

Fiction - is an imaginary story created or invented by a writer.

Fiction talks about the imaginary things, characters, and events that readers
impress their imaginations about what they read or watch. However, fiction is not
presented as a fact because it is based on the creative imaginations of the writers and
situations that the author wants to convey. Fiction helps us to imagine new things and
helps to enhance our imagination. The purpose of fiction is to engage us to understand the
people perspective's and also to communicate between the writer and the reader's
perspective. The works of fiction are all creative and entertainment and they can build up
our imaginations

According to Cambridge vocabulary, nonfiction it is writing that is about real

events and facts, rather than stories that have been invented.

Non-Fiction sills with facts and information and it is through to life story that the
authors or writers share their own life story that makes it interesting to the readers.
For instance, bibliography, memoirs; journalism; and historical.
 Autobiography - An autobiography is the story of a person’s life written by that
person and the author is also the main character of the story, autobiographies are
written in the first person. (blurb.com)

Autobiography is a story written about themselves that the authors want to

express and convey about their life experiences, and the most exciting events about or her
life. The example of autobiographies such as letters, diaries, journals, and memoirs
because it was written by the person.

 Biography - A biography is a description of a real person’s life, including factual

details as well as stories from the person’s life. Biographies usually include
information about the subject’s personality and motivations, and other kinds of
intimate details excluded in a general overview or profile of a person’s life

The biography is a detailed description of the person's life and it includes

the background information of the person such as the educational background and
personal experiences. This biography is not written by the author wherein written by
other people. When you are writing a biography always written 3rd person point of view.

Autobiographies and biographies are both considered nonfiction but they have
real and accurate information. This type of nonfiction is important because has made an
impact and important contributions to our society.

TYPES OF PROSE

 Novelette - It is generally known as a narrative, longer than a short story but shorter
than a novel, especially a romantic novel which is considered to be badly written.

The word novelette is referred to a story that was romantic or sentimental because
most of the theme or story of the novelette is romantic stora y and novelette it tells a
coete story but it is longer than the short dry. On the other hand, novelette has a simple
character and a plot same as a short story but the word count of novelette is usually
between 7,500 words to 17,500 words.
 Short Story - it is a narrative of the event or many related events, which is less
complex than a novel.

The short story is also a work of fiction that is usually written in prose. In reading
a short story it can be done in one sitting because it has few characters and a simple plot.
Short stories play a vital role for the readers because they acquired moral lessons from
the story that happened in daily life.

 Anecdote - It is a short humorous or interesting story about a real person or event. It

can show a single aspect of personal life or even.

The anecdote is also a short story about a real person and events and most of the
topics in the anecdote is about personal experience and sometimes it can be done in
speech or discussion group of people. For instance, the coworker's group discussing dogs,
and one of the groups of coworkers tells a story about her dog that comes downstairs,
then that one of the coworker's group tells anecdotes because it discusses the real events
that happened in her life

 Novel - It is a long narrative fiction that has a more complex plot than a short story. It
can also be described as an invented prose narrative of great length and a certain
complexity that deals imaginatively with human experience usually through a
connected sequence of events involving a group of persons in a specific setting.

A novel is a narrative work of prose fiction that tells a story about specific human

experiences over a considerable length. (Prahl, 2019).

The novel is a longprinted story about imaginary characters and events and the
novel is written in prose form and it is considered a length but it is usually published in a
single book and some of the novels are about history and culture. One of the first novels
in Japan is the Tale of Genji it just part of Japanese Literature and most of the events in
the story introduce their culture in Japan. Novels help us to broaden our knowledge and
help us to grow to understand the deeper meaning of the story.

Elements of Prose
 Theme - it is the central message about life or human nature expressed in a literary
work.
The theme is the main idea, topic, or subject in the story and the theme is
important in the story because the theme has a moral lesson that the authors want to
convey and we need to apply the lessons that we have learned in our daily life. The theme
is one of the reasons why the authors wrote the story and themes give the authors an idea
to provide lessons in the story.

 Plot - is a sequence of related events that take place within a definite period in a
literary work.
Plots develop in five stages: exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and
resolution.
 The exposition gives the setting, introduces the characters and conflict, rising
action develops the conflicts and complications., the climax or the turning point is the
highest point of interest, the falling action shows the events that take place after the
climax, and resolution or denouement describes how the conflicts are resolved.

The plot focuses on the characters and their roles in the story. It is also important
because we can identify the sequence of events of the story and the plot is the movement
of the story and the plot typically find into introduction.

 Setting - refers to the place and period in which the action of a literary work takes
place. The setting can also include ideas, customs, values, and beliefs.
The setting is the time and place where a scene occurs. The setting is important
because as readers we can visualize and imagine the settings in the story. In the setting,
there are two ways such as time and place. Time has many areas in the setting such as the
characters' time, time of day, and time of year these areas in time it is important to
determine the specific time events in the story. However, the place in the setting, such as
city, beach, building, room, and the like. But the setting can change throughout the plot
because the events can change a certain period. The setting is one of the important
elements of the short story because establishes the conflict and mood of the story and the
setting gives clues on what the certain theme of the story. Lastly, the setting is important
because can help a reader to better visualize the story and easily imagine the specific
place in the story.

 Character - Characters are the persons or objects affected by these actions and ideas.
and a character plays a role in the action of a literary work.
At the beginning of the story, it is important to introduce the characters with
enough information that the reader can visualize each person. Characters it is also
important because they provide details and action in the story.

 Conflict -Itis the struggle between two opposing forces in a literary work. The
external conflict is the struggle between a character and another character or between
a character and an outside force such as society, destiny, or nature.
We all know every story has a conflict to solve and l the characters attempts to
resolve the problems in the story. Conflict is important to the story because the story
becomes more exciting and interesting.

Lesson Design in Teaching Prose

Prose is words in their best order.

Prose is meant for learning a language. Teaching prose means teaching reading
with comprehension. The learners are taught the skill of reading. The next step is to
teach them reading with comprehension. Reading with comprehension helps the
learners to acquire new vocabulary and content words. The power of comprehension
can be promoted through reading and listening.
AIMS OF TEACHING PROSE:
The main aim of teaching prose is to develop the language ability of the students. It is the
intensive study of a language. The language ability helps the learners to use English
language without any problem.

GENERAL AIMS OF TEACHING PROSE:

The main aim of this method is to make all learners participate. In this Active learning
Methodology, the students involve in reading, writing, speaking, drawing, sharing, ideas
& expressing individual skills.

SPECIFIC AIMS:
The specific aims of prose change according to the subject matter like biography, play,
story and essay.

STORY
1. The learners learn a few facts through the story.
2. To teach morals.
3. To mold one’s character.
4. Exposure to the style of story writing.

ESSAY:
1. The learners learn a few facts through the essay.
2. To make students curious about the subject of essay.
3. Exposure to the style of essay-writing.
4. To arrange ideas in an organized manner.

BIOGRAPHY:
1. The learners are exposed to the lives of great men.
2. To mold one’s character.
3. Aspiration for better things in life.
4. To inculcate in them desirable sentiments.

PLAY:
1. To provide opportunities for self-expression.
2. To play different roles.
3. To speak English in the conversational style.
4. To mold one’s character.

STEPS INVOLVED IN TEACHING PROSE:

A prose lesson is not for memorization of questions and answers but for learning a
language. The prose lesson contains structure, vocabulary, grammar, views, and ideas for
comprehension. The students read prose with comprehension and write sentences about
the lesson using the correct structures and content words.

1. Introducing the prose lesson

Teachers should try to motivate the students to study the new lesson. The various efforts
made by the teacher to create interest or to attract the attention of the students is known
as preparation of the lesson.
2. Teaching structures
A new structural item is presented by the teacher to enable the students to identify the
new structures. 
3. Dividing the text into smaller units
Reading long passages of a text may be tiresome for the teacher. So, the text will have to
be split up into smaller, more manageable units or sections. This will facilitate the teacher
to present the lesson interestingly and efficiently.
4. Teaching vocabulary
The teacher uses an object, a model, or a picture to give clear ideas about new words and
their meaning.
5. Model reading by the teacher.
The teacher reads the selected passage aloud. He should be careful about pronunciation,
words, phrases & intonation in his reading before the students. His reading is observed by
the learners and imitated.
6. Silent reading by the students
The teacher gives time for the students to read the passage silently. 
7. Testing comprehension
To check the students’ comprehension ability, the teacher asks questions to the students.
The questions are from the taught passage.
8. Testing application
The aim of application test is to evaluate the achievement of the learners.
9. Loud reading by the students and
The teacher asks the students to read the taught units loudly in the class one by one. To
develop clear pronunciation this loud reading is very much helpful.
10. Giving assignment
Assignments to the students are given by the teacher for the following purposes.

Materials and Resources in Teaching Prose

What is prose?
Prose - It is a form of language that has no formal metrical structure. It applies a
natural flow of speech, and ordinary grammatical structure, rather than rhythmic
structure, such as in the case of traditional poetry.
Prose can be either fiction or non-fiction. It can be “poetic”.

Examples of Prose
 1. The Hunger Games,  by Suzanne Collins, is a prose novel.
2. Cinderella is a prose fairy tale.
3. The Yellow Wallpaper is a prose story by Charlotte Gilman Perkins.
4. The State of the Union Address is a prose speech delivered early in the year by the
sitting president of the United States.
5. The Declaration of Independence is a prose document signed by prominent
American colonists who wished no longer to be under British rule.

When identifying a piece of writing as a prose, the piece should be written in a typical,
straightforward manner.

Teaching prose means reading with comprehension.

Reading with comprehension helps the learners to acquire new vocabulary and content
words.

Materials and Resources in Teaching Prose

1. Printed materials consist of all written material, excluding non-print resources,

which convey planned course information.

Examples of print resources include, but are not limited to:

 Textbooks
 Workbooks
 Reference books
 Newspapers
 Journals
 Magazines
2. Lesson plan refers to a teacher’s plan for a particular lesson. Here, a teacher must
plan what they want to teach students, why a topic is being covered and decide
how to deliver a lecture. Learning objectives, learning activities and assessments
are all included in a lesson plan.
3. Curriculum Guide is a structured document that delineates the philosophy,
goals, objectives, learning experiences, instructional resources and assessments
that comprise a specific educational program.
4. PowerPoint presentation is often used to create business presentations but can
also be used for educational or informal purposes.
5. Video has become an important part of higher education. It is integrated as part of
traditional courses, serves as a cornerstone of many blended courses, and is often
the main information delivery mechanism in MOOCs.
6. Graphic organizers  is a visual and graphic display that depicts the
relationships between facts, terms, and or ideas within a learning task.
7. Teaching aids is anything used by a teacher to help teach a lesson or make it
more interesting to students. 
 8. Internet has become a major tool for effective teaching as well as a learning
tool. Teachers can use it as a teaching tool by posting their teaching materials
(notes and videos) on school website or forum. The learning process becomes
interesting and diverse with the use of tutorial videos and notes.

Example of Prose by level:

Grade 7 They have Philippine literature

 How the world was created

 Tungkung langit and alunsina by
 Story of creation
 The origin of the world – maranao
 Ibalon
 The two brothers of Egypt
 Indarapata at sulayman
 Lam ang

Grade 8 - Afro Asian literature

 Ramayana
 The tale of two brothers of Egypt
 The sole of the great bel of china
 The story of the aged mother japan
 Guno and kuyo of indoneisa
 Gold harves of Thailand

Grade 9 anglo American literature

 The battle of Grendel from baewolf

 Romeo and Juliet
 The lottery

Grade 10 world literature

 Daedalus and icarus

 Cupid and psyche
 The three musketeers
 The gorgans head
 Arachne
 How odin lost his eye

V. ACTIVITIES

Preparatory activity:

Do you still remember the last time you have performed a drama or a theatre play?
Narrate your experiences in a more creative way. Maybe, you are a character that time.
 Closure Activity
Name:
Section:

If you are given a chance to write a story what genre of prose you will use and why?

VI. REFERENCES
 Anigbogu, N. (2016). The Use of English and Communication Skills. ResearchGate.
 Arcela, C. (2014). Materials and Resources in Teaching Prose. Study.com
 Bestock, S. (2020). Teaching Drama in Distance Learning. George Lucas Educational
Foundation. https://www.edutopia.org/article/teaching-drama-distance-learning
https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/articles/teaching-content/reader39s-theater-5-
easy-steps/
 Brooke (2019. Methods and Goals for Teaching Silent Reading. Literacy in Focus
LLC. https://www.litinfocus.com/methods-and-goals-for-teaching-silent-reading/
 Javier, L. (2013). Understanding the stages of literary appreciation. Slideshare.
 Madhavan & Sambatcoumar (2011). Teaching of Prose. WordPress
 MasterClass. (2020, November 8). What is Prose? Learn about the differences
between Prose and Poetry with Examples.
https://www.masterclass.com/articles/what-is-prose-learn-about-the-differences-
between-prose-and-poetry-with-examples#quiz-0
 MasterClass (2020). What Is Prose? Learn About the Differences Between Prose
and Poetry With Examples. Articles.
 Pennington, M. (2021). Five Tips To Increase Silent Reading Speed and Improve
Reading Comprehension. Pennington Publishing.
https://blog.penningtonpublishing.com/reading/five-tips-to-increase-silent-reading-
speed-and-improve-reading-comprehension/
 Pera, A. (2016) Literary Appreciation. Slideshare.net
 Prose Fiction. (2021). Bitesize.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zyymw6f/revision/2
 Peyre, M. (1969). Nonfictional Prose. Britanicca.
https://www.britannica.com/topic/nonfictional-prose
 Reder, LM. (1978) Center for the Study of Reading, UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS
AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN 51 Gerty Drive Champaign, Illinois 61820