LESSON 2

REASONS FOR STUDYING LITERATURE

When you study literature, you learn to appreciate words and power. You travel to other realms and
times through the texts you read. You understand about your own culture and others. Importantly, you
learn to consider multiple perspectives and understand the complexity of human nature.

What is the role of literature in the life of a student?

By using literary texts, students learn new words, syntax and discourse functions and they learn correct
sentence patterns, standard story structures. They develop their writing skills. Moreover, for young
learners, literature plays an important role in forming the reading skills but also in forming a reading
habit. Studying literature allows you to develop a thorough knowledge of literary history, theory, and
criticism, and enhances your understanding of a wide range of cultures and intellectual traditions.

How does literature make our lives better?

Literature expands our imaginations and refine our moral and social sensibilities. The emotional
situations and moral dilemmas that are the stuff of literature are also exercise for the brain studies
suggest, increasing our real-life. We also become sensitive towards other human beings.

The students who study only English Language, with its emphasis on reading and writing skills,
sometimes fail to see the point of studying English literature, especially if they have no plans to study
English or Translation at university. But English literature can introduce students to a range of aspects,
not only of the English language but also of English culture.

There are aspects of English culture that are encapsulated by English literature. Of course, this is quite
obvious when studying the works of Shakespeare or of writers, poets and playwrights of the eighteenth
and nineteenth centuries. It is, however, also true when studying other works of English literature.
Students can learn about allusions and references to different aspects of English culture. They can also
learn the context and meanings of famous quotes and phrases.
 Studying Literature does not confine the students to the traditions of England but includes the
possibility of introducing them to traditions which inform English Literature, such as the study of Ancient
Greek drama, and to literature in other contexts, such as American literature.

It also provides the students with an alternative to the pervasiveness of “television culture” with its
immediacy and, often, its shallowness.

An enjoyment and appreciation of Literature will give students the ability to develop this into an
interest in books and reading as they move away from their studies and into their adult lives. They will
have the confidence to approach and tackle new forms of books and writing, since they were exposed to
a range of literature during their school days.

When studying Literature, students can learn not only language aspects such as vocabulary items but
also that language can be used for specific and aesthetic purposes. Familiarity with the concepts of beat,
meter and rhythm can improve their own writing as students are able to appreciate and apply these
ideas.

Finally, the study of Literature can provide students with a fresh and creative angle with which to
approach their studies in particular and their lives in general.

So, the next time you are reading a newspaper article lamenting the lack of creativity and initiative in the
local workforce, remember that in a small way the study of English Literature can help to add a
refreshing and further dimension to a person’s life.

How can be a good literature student?

Six tips for being a better literature student

The audience knows the play, poem, or story.

Apply the literary terms such as verbal irony, symbolism, theme, and metaphor.

Everything we do is thesis-driven, meaning that it's argument.

Anticipate what the audience thinks about a piece of literature.

Plagiarism is easy to catch and will be dealt with harshly.

What literature can teach us?

When students analyze literature, they learn to identify cause and effect and are applying critical
thinking skills. Without realizing it, they examine the characters psychologically or sociologically. They
identify the characters' motivations for their actions and see through those actions to any ulterior
motives

What are the qualities of literature?

In this article, we are going to look at 5 essential qualities of good literature.

Literature should have a theme.

It should explain the relevance of the theme.

Literature should have a compelling idea.

Literature should have good style and grammar.

Literature should sound genuine.

TEACHING OF LITERATURE IN THE PHILIPPINES

What is literature in the Philippine setting?

Philippine literature is the literature associated with the Philippines and includes the legends of
prehistory, and the colonial legacy of the Philippines. Pre-Hispanic Philippine literature were actually
epics passed on from generation to generation originally through oral tradition.

Why is Philippine literature important in the curriculum?

We study literature so that we can better appreciate our literary heritage. Through a study of our
literature, we can trace the rich heritage of ideas handed down to us from our forefathers. Then we can
understand ourselves better and take pride in being a Filipino.

Philippine literature in English has its roots in the efforts of the United States, then engaged in a war
with Filipino nationalist forces at the end of the 19th century. By 1901, public education was
institutionalized in the Philippines, with English serving as the medium of instruction. That year, around
600 educators in the S.S. Thomas (the "Thomasites") were tasked to replace the soldiers who had been
serving as the first teachers. Outside the academe, the wide availability of reading materials, such as
books and newspapers in English, helped Filipinos assimilate the language quickly. Today, 78.53% of the
population can understand or speak English.

TEACHING LITERATURE THROUGH BLENDED LEARNING IN THE PHILIPPINES

In a country like the Philippines where access to technology is gradually taking off, the use of technology
has been seen as a possible way of enhancing learning. Specifically, for a literature class on modern
short stories in a small university in the Philippines, blended learning was used to facilitate interaction
between teacher and students. Many components of a traditional classroom were migrated online.

Syllabus, homework, and announcements were migrated online. Homework was submitted through a
web forum.

Student journals were likewise posted in the web forum. Submission of papers was done through
email.
 By moving most of the requirements online, classroom time was devoted to more intensive one-on-
one interaction between teacher-student and student-student. Learning outside the classroom enabled
self - learning while in-class interaction facilitated personal dealings with students.

The flipped classroom experience showed that by transferring classroom components online, students
take control of learning. Better class interaction meanwhile allowed the teacher to better guide student
learning.

The study assumed that all students had access to the internet but still, there were a handful of students
who had difficulties in regularly going online. Nevertheless, just because of more classroom time
devoted to student interaction, the value of migrating many classroom components online is seen as
advantageous. The model has been used to teach not only modern short stories but also other literary
texts such as The Iliad, Anna Karenina, and the Divine Comedy.

The main theme of Philippine literature

The early writings in English were characterized by melodrama, unreal language, and unsubtle emphasis
on local color. The literary content later imbibed themes that express the search for Filipino identity,
reconciling the centuries-old Spanish and American influence to the Philippines' Asian heritage.

Strategies in teaching literature

There are six approaches in the teaching of literature. They are the (1) Language-Based Approach, (2)
Paraphrastic Approach, (3) Information-Based Approach, (4) Personal-Response Approach, (5) Moral-
Philosophical Approach, and (6) Stylistic Approach.

Why is Philippine literature unique?

The Philippines is unique for having important works in many languages. Philippine authors made these
languages their own, adding a distinct voice to them that was unique to our archipelago. The most
politically important body of Philippine literature is that which was written in Spanish.
LITERATURE TEACHING IN THE 21ST CENTURY AND K-12

What is literature in the 21st century?

The 21st century in literature refers to world literature produced during the 21st century. The measure
of years is, for the purpose of this article, literature written from (roughly) the year 2001 to the present.
21st-century teaching means teaching as you have always taught but with today's tools and technology.
It means utilizing everything that is important in today's world so that students will be able to live and
prosper in today's economy, as well as having the ability to guide students and to prepare them for the
future.

What is the purpose of 21st century literature?

It teaches us about life by exposing us to the lives of different people through their stories, and from
these vicarious experiences, we learn important lessons and values. Literature teaches us humanity – to
be sensitive and empathetic towards others.
12 Strategies for Teaching Literature In The 21st Century

Use combinations of media–classic and modern together, leveraging one against the other. Music,
video streams, short videos (like TikTok), video games, plays, poems, film, posters, poems, essays,
novels, podcasts, etc.

Have students analyze diverse media forms for their strengths and weaknesses–and involve both
classic and digital forms.

Have students turn essays into videos into podcasts into letters into simply-coded games into poems
into apps.

Allow students to choose media while you choose themes and/or academic and/or quality standards.

When designing units, choose the media first, then the standards (yes, this likely goes against what
you were taught–but give it a try).

Insist all student work‘leaves the classroom’ and is published–then design units accordingly.

Use RAFT: Role, Audience, Format, and Topic/Tone/Theme. Then have them revise media in response
to new roles, audiences, formats, or topics, tones, or themes. Martin Luther King’s “I Have A Dream
Speech” in a new format (a video?), or to a new audience (modern hip-hop artists?), or with a new tone
(angry?). Students experimenting here are experimenting with media design, which is exactly what
authors do.

Use a thematic focus to design units, assessments, project-based learning–whatever activities

students ‘touch.’ One of the hallmark characteristics of classic literature is that it endures. This is, in
part, due to the timelessness of the human condition. Love lost, coming of age, overcoming obstacles,
civil rights, identity, and more are all at the core of the greatest of literary works. The ability to the texts
to nail these conditions gives the m their ability to endure, so teach through that. The author (e.g.,
Shakespeare) or media form (e.g., a play) may not seem relevant to a student–and that’s okay. The
author chose that form based on prevailing local technology. Help them focus on what is being said and
why–and how.

Use tools for digital text annotationon pdfs, note-sharing, and more to help students mark text,
document questions and insights, and revisit thinking or collaborate with others during the reading of
classic texts.

Create social media-based reading clubs. Establish a hashtag that anchors year-long discussion of
certain themes, authors, text, or whatever other category/topic that makes sense for your curriculum.

Have students create and produce an ongoing podcast or YouTube channel on, as above, relevant
themes, authors, texts, etc.

Connect the old with the new in authentic ways to center the knowledge demands of modern
readers.
WHY SHOULD K-12 STUDENTS READ AND STUDY LITERATURE IN THE 21ST CENTURY?

Reading is one of the most important intellectual activities we as humans can ever engage in. It’s more
than simply decoding a string of symbols on a page or a wall or a message board. Reading is a process of
comprehension and understanding and it applies to every aspect of life where we must decode
something in order to lead our individual existences.

Nevertheless, things have changed since the turn of the century, so as educators we must ask: Why
should students read literature in the 21st century? The following YouTube video answers that question.

Green’s four main reasons why he believes literature is important:

Stories are about communication.

Reading is always an act of empathy, always an imagining of what it’s like to be somebody else.

Reading critically and thoughtfully gives us better tools to explain corporate profits and broken hearts
and helps us to connect to each other.

By knowing what it’s like to be the people we read about, we learn more about those around us,
those who came before us, and we learn more about ourselves.

WHAT QUALIFIES AS A TEXT IN THE 21ST CENTURY?

What can be considered a text anymore? Previously it’s been just that: text. It was words on a physical
page that people read, but with the ever-growing prominence of technology in life and in classrooms,
the word text is much like the word film. We still use it to refer to movies, but we don’t use “film”
anymore, do we?

Text should include much more than just words on a page. What about words on a computer screen?
Spoken word poetry—which is becoming extremely popular now—screen plays, movies, audio books,
text messages, blogs, podcasts, instant messaging, YouTube videos, pictures, and scripts should all be
included in this definition of text.
As long as a person is able to re-read, analyze, visualize, ask questions, relate it to real life, talk about it,
and think about it, why are we devaluing these things as non-textual items? The internet has made it
possible for students to take these non-traditional texts as revisit them so that they may analyze them.
We are transcending the limitations of print-based texts into this incredible realm of possibility through
advancing technology.