Lesson 1: Literature of the Ancient East

Middle East or South West Asia Countries

The ancient near East covered the region that included many of the countries that make up what
is now the Middle East or South West Asia.

Mesopotamia - where civilization began.

Sumerians - first settlers of Mesopotamia.

-invented writing (cuneiform), astrology, irrigation and the concept of time.

-also invented the wheel, the sailboat, the chariot and the plow.

Ancient Region - birthplace to some of the earliest writings in human history.

Hebrew Bible and the Egyptian Book of the Dead - sacred texts that are valuable to
understanding the wisdom and thinking of the ancient world.

-possesses distinctive literary features and qualities and must be appreciated for their aesthetic
value.

Style or Technique - distinctive way that an author expresses the content of their work.

-distinguishes one piece of writing from another.

An integral part of an author's style is their choice of words, which includes the use of imagery
or descriptive words that appeal to the sense of sight, hearing, smell, taste or touch.

Psalms - rich in imagery

Imagery - uses descriptive language to paint an image to the reader's mind.

-poets and writers use this to help the reader connect to the imaginary world.

-writers use sensory details and figurative language to make imagery concrete and effective.

Imagery may be categorized as:

1. Visual (Sight) - focuses on the physical attributes of an object, person or scene.

2. Olfactory (Smell) - appeals to sense of smell.

3. Tactile (Touch) - appeals to our sense of touch.

4. Auditory (Hearing) - appeals to our sense of hearing.

5. Gustatory (Taste) - appeals to our sense of taste.

6. Kinesthetic (Movement/Motion) - known as Kinesthesia, used as a poetic device that gives

a feeling of natural or physical bodily movement or action.
-also known as Motion Imagery.

Tone - through the use of words, the author is able to convey tone: or their attitude towards
what they're writing.

An author writes for a certain purpose: to entertain by telling a story, inform by presenting
facts, persuade by presenting arguments and merely to express oneself by speaking or
writing one's feelings or thoughts.

An author may write for more than one purpose.

Purpose - often reflected in the theme.

Theme - underlying idea or meaning of an author's work.

He Asketh Absolution of God - conveys a theme that is both universal and timeless.

Inner peace can be achieved through contrition and forgiveness.

Definitions - an essential part of learning.

-students are often required to define terms or expressions as a way of showing how well they
understand these terms or expressions.

-necessary in writing.

-must never be more difficult than the word being defined.

Informal Definition - consists of a word or phrase, oftentimes a synonym.

Formal Definition - consists of a sentence which explains the meaning of a word or concept
with more informative details.

Important Elements of Public Speaking

1. Message - most important element: because without it, there can be no communication.

-brings out the purpose of the speaker.

2. Audience - the focus of public speaking is on the audience or the group of people to whom
the message is being addressed.

-attitude and response of the audience greatly influence the success of communication.

3. Speaker - must be able to deliver the message effectively by engaging the audience so that
their attention does not wander.

-whether the purpose is to inform, persuade or to entertain, an effective public speaker trives
for:

a. The quality or relevance of the message

b. Clarity of delivery

c. Connection with the audience

We engage in informal listening on a daily basis.

-such as when we listen to instructions, news reports, bulletins or announcements, reports,

speeches, informative talks, panel discussions, etc.

When one listens to information, the main purpose is to:

a. Learn and get facts

b. Not to interpret, analyze, evaluate or criticize

From the information that a listener gets from a listening text, generalizations may be formed.

Generalization - broad statement based on specific instances, details or facts.

-must be supported by evidence to be valid.

Informational Listening - emphasizes the listener's ability to grasp and understand useful ideas
and information from different listening sources.

Lesson 2: Pronouns
Nouns - name of words, (people, events, objects and ideas).

Pronouns - referred to as noun substitutes.

First Person - speaker

Second Person - person being spoken to

Third Person - person or people spoken about

Reflexive Pronoun - pronouns that refer to the subject of the sentence.

-the sentence does not make sense is the the reflexive pronoun is taken out.
Oneself - a third person singular reflexive pronoun.

-used to mean "any person in general"

-used as an object that refers back to the pronoun "one" when it is the subject of the sentence.

Intensive Pronoun - used to add emphasis to the subject of the sentence.

-taking this out does not affect the sentence.

Textual Aid - helps to understand and comprehend the story.

-educational instrument

-written/printed text

-essential phrase, thoughts, graphs and/or images.

-provides support and facilitate understanding of texts.

There are several kinds of textual aids, which help in the understanding of a text: two of these
are titles and advance organizers.

Titles, Headings and Subheadings - highlight key ideas in a reading text, breaking it down into
smaller parts and making it easier to read.

-helps the reader recall some prior or background knowledge that may have connections to the
new information contained in the text.

Advance Organizers - serves as a plan of things to be learned prior to reading.

-learning guide, it allows the reader to anticipate the content of a text and to recall information
they are familiar with.

-defines a purpose for the reader, directing the latter's attention to the important and relevant
information that they are looking for in the text.

Fishbone Diagram - often called a "fishbone" diagram, can help in brainstorming to identify
possible causes of a problem.

-visual way to look at cause and effect (Cause and Effect Diagram)
Flow Diagram - called a "flowchart"

-picture of the seperate steps of a process in sequential order.

-generic tool that can be adapted for a wide variety of purposes and can be used to describe
various processes.

Venn Diagram - uses circles to show the relationships among things.

-help to visually represent the similarities and differences between two concepts.

-Compare and Contrast

-can use two to three circles depending on the topics to be compared.

Graphic Organizer - powerful, visual learning tool that teachers like to use to help students
organize their ideas.

-used to clarify or simplify complex concepts.

Concept Map - used to help students organize and represent knowledge of a subject.

-begins with the main idea and then branch out to show how that main idea can be broken
down into specific topics.

Persuasive Writing - presenting ideas in a manner that will convince the reader to believe and
agree with the views presented in the text as valid and correct.

Essential Features of a Persuasive Text

1. Perspective - the writer must present convincing evidence to support their stand.

-a text is not persuasive if it only presents one side of an issue.

a. The writer's position

b. The opposing view

2. Structure - each part must be well-planned & well-crafted.

a. Introduction - must have a hook, or a beginning sentence that engages the reader's
attention.

-may be in the form of question, quotation, anecdote, a strange or amazing fact, statistic, or
forceful statement.

-must also include the thesis statement which clearly defines the writer's purpose and position.

b. Body - may consist of three paragraphs.

-the first two paragraphs must present a strong and sound reason to support the writer's
position.

-the third paragraph must present the opposing views and the writer's argument against them.

c. Conclusion - restates the thesis statement and summarizes the key ideas in the body.

-may include a suggestion, predition or a call for action.