Author Archives: Irish Camille Sales

Literature has the power to give us an enriched understanding of other worlds, lives and times, of the way things have been and how they might be. Reading, thinking, writing and talking about literature is both a personal and collegiate experience a model of how society operates or should operate. Studying literature explores the text in its many contexts, how the text finds and makes a place in the world, how it is enabled to speak and to make a difference.

What is Literature?

literature is a body of written works. It has been applied to those imaginative works of poetry and prose distinguished by the intentions of their authors and the perceived aesthetic excellence of their execution. Literature may be classified according to a variety of systems, including language national origin, historical period, genre, and subject matter.

Why do we teach literature?

1. Cultural enrichment– reading literature promotes cultural understanding and awareness.
2. Linguistic model– literature provides examples of “good” writing, linguistic diversity, expressive ranges and so on.
3. Mental training– better than other discipline, literature trains the mind and sensibility.
4. Extension of linguistic competence– litertaure stretches the competences of learners who have mastered thelinguistic rudiments.
5. Authenticity- Literature is genuine linguistic material, not a linguistically contrived textbook.
6. Memorability– Because literature, especially poetry and songs, is memorable, it can be a memorized archive of linguistic usage.
7. Rhythmic resource– Poems assist the learner in assimilating the rythms of a language.
8. Motivating material– literature is more likely to engage with and motivate a learner than artificial teaching inputs because it is generated by some genuine impulse on the part of the writer and deals with subjects and themes which may be of interest to the learner.
9. Convenience– litetarure is a handy resource.
10. Memorability– because literature , espicially poetry and songs is memorable, it can be a memorized archive of linguistic usage.

To sum it up studying literature teaches us about the life, cultures and experiences of people in other parts of the world. It gives us information about other parts of the world which you may never be able to visit in your lifetime.

Literature according to Genre

• it came from the Greek word poiesis which means making.
• it refers to those expressions in verse, with measures, rhymes, lines, stanzas and melodious tone.
• poetry is an expressive form of writing. it allows author to share an idea or insight with others in a meaningful way.
• poetry is not written in sentences and paragraphs like prose. instead, it uses different structures that make it interesting to read.

Divisions and Types of Poetry

I. Lyric Poetry– in earlier days, it was meant to be sung to the accompaniment of musical known as lyre.

a. Simple Lyric– embraces a wide variety of poems and is characterized by subjectivity, imagination,melody, and emotion.

b. Song– short lyric poem which has a specific melodious quality and is intended to be sung.

c. Sonnet– a poem expressing of 14 lines with a formal rhyme.

d. Elegy– a poem expressing lament or grief for dead.

e. Ode- most splendid type of lyric poetry.

II. Narrative Poetry– it tells a story following an order of events. it includes:

a. Ballad– short simple narrative poem composed to be sung and is orally told from one generation to another.

b. Metrical Romance–  a long rambling love story in verse which is centered around the adventures of knights and lords and their royal ladies during the age of chivalry.

c.  Epic- a long majestic narrative poem which tells the adventures of a traditional hero and the development of a nation.

III. Dramatic Poetry– it has the elements that are closely related to drama because it is written in dramatic form or make use of a dramatic technique. It includes:

a. Dramatic Monologue- a combination of drama and poetry which represents the speech of a character in a particular situation at a critical moment.

b. Soliloquy– passage spoken by the speaker in a poem of a character in the play except that there is no one present to hear him except the audience or the reader.

c. Character Sketch- poem which the writer is concerened less with complete or implied matters of a story, but rather with arousing sympathy for, or some interest in an individual.

STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS OF POETRY

1. Verse– One line of poetry

2. Stanza– group of verses

3. Rhythm– beats or accented syllables

4. Meter- pattern of beats or accented syllables

5. Rhyme- syllables that sound similar

• it is derived from the Latin word prosa which means straightforward.
• Prose is ordinary language.
• Prose is written in sentences and paragraphs that may include dialogue.
• Most of the literature we read is written in pose.
• it is a form or technique of language that exhibits a natural flow of speech and grammatical structure.

Prose is a style of writing that does not follow a strict structure of rhyming and/or meter. Prose uses normal grammatical structures. Elements of prose writing include regular grammar and paragraph structures that organize ideas, forgoing more stylistic and aesthetic forms of writing found in poetry and lyrics. Prose can include normal dialogue, speeches, novels, news reports, etc. Prose is distinguished from poetry which uses line breaks and has meter that tends to defy normal grammar rules. In today’s literature, most stories are told in prose. There is no longer much emphasis on the oral tradition of storytelling, to which verse was very well suited. Since print came to be commonplace, storytellers tend to rely on prose to tell their stories because of the freedom it allows.

TYPES OF PROSE

1. FICTION- this pertains to a narrative form, in any medium, consisting of people, events or places that are imaginary. In other words, it is based strictly on history or fact. Examples: short stories, legend, fairy tale letters, folk tale memoirs, novel, fables, and myth.
2. NON-FICTION- it is any document or content that purports in good faith to represents truth and accuracy regarding information, events or people. Examples: essay, report, personal narrative, memoirs,letter, article,journal,biographies

DRAMA

Drama can also be called a play. in a written form, a play includes a cast of characters, dialogue and stage directions. it is organized in scene and acts. The structural elements of drama are:

Cast– list of characters in play. Dialogue– words that tell the actors what to say. Stage Directions– words that tell how the stage should look or what the actors should do.

Through teaching what literature is, and its component could be a way for the learners to live a fulfilling life to think critically and to  figure out what the truth is and work through problems. To fully understand what’s going on in the book, readers must pay attention to details, form relationships, and develop their individual ideas. Textbooks are frequently used by teachers to help expand students’ vital thinking skills. They will be nicely prepared for their future careers with this tool.

The most important factors in the enjoyment and embracing literature is the methods of teaching performed by the teacher.  When students understand how to approach a literary text, they can develop important capabilities that can help them succeed in a future career. Literature is important to be taught at schools or even universities. By learning it, the students are hoped getting helpful things to their life. Usually when students hear the word literature, soon a thick old book of poems, prose and play and also a bored class come to their mind. Actually it is not true, in teaching literature the teacher can build the joyful situation. So, the students can really involve into the lesson and have fun, and then later they will get something from it. In this blog I will discuss the methods and strategies which can be applied in teaching literature in English classroom.

One methods of teaching literature is the CONTEXTUAL LEARNING. Wherein it is based on a constructivist theory of teaching and learning. Learning takes place when teachers are able to present information in such a way that students are able to construct meaning based on their own experiences. The components of contextual learning are:

-Creating meaningful relationship -Performing a significant job retention -Learning to adjust – Collaboration – Critical and creative thinking -Individual experience – The achivement of a high standard – Using authentic assessment

Contextual learning emphasize the following:

-Problem- solving learning -Authentic instruction -Inquiry based learning -Project-based learning -Worked-based learning -Service learning -Cooperative learning

In this part we are going to apply methods which will benefit both teacher as well as learners. I have chosen a poem entitled ‘The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost, to become an example of teaching poem. 

A. pre-reading– Pay attention to the title. Ask the students whether they can get the whole meaning of the poem before reading it or not (only by looking at the title). Based on the title “The Road Not Taken”, ask the implicit or maybe the explicit meaning that the students got at the glance when they look at the title. You will hear many different ideas from your students.

B. Listening- Ask them to listen to your poem reading. This activity can prepare them to read by themselves and discuss it. And then you can start reading it with good rhythm. The good rhythm shows the abstract feeling from the poem.

C. Becoming familiar with the poem- Hand out the copy of the poem to the students, or just write it down on the white board. But if you have the copy, it is much better than write on the board.

D. Discussion Questions– Remind the students that the questions about poem do not always have “right or correct” answers. So students can answer it freely based on their ideas, experiences and maybe their imaginations. Ask the students such questions like these:
1. What does the title “The Road Not Taken” mean to you?
2. What is the connection between the title and the content?

E. Reading- Ask the students to read the poem by themselves, not only once but several times. So that they can deeply get into the poem and hopefully get into the point that the author purposed to be understood.

F. Writing practice– After they have discussed and read the poem several times, now ask them to make connection between the title and the content, also and their experiences. Ask them to imagine that they are the one in the poem. Then ask them “what can you see?, how do you feel?”. Write a paragraph describing the scene. Use their own words, but feel free to borrow some sights, words and phrase from the poem.

Literature Learning- the aims of literature learning is to widen our knowledge and visions to understand more about some great literary works, famous authors and their thought. It will also make us get acquainted with their ideas, their feelings, and their attitudes towards life, man, nature and God.

To know whether the learners understand fully the topics, an assessment is given. Assessment is defined as a process of gathering data to better understand the strengths and weaknesses of student learning. Assessment should integrate grading, learning, and motivation for your students. Well-designed assessment methods provide valuable information about student learning. They tell us what students learned, how well they learned it, and where they struggled.  Procedure which is based on tests is called testing. It is the salient part of assessment in learning. Measurement is the quantifiable part of the testing process, it is required to gauge the efficacy of programs and the growth of students. Without measurement, we do not know what to assess. the evaluation is the culminating ct of interpreting the gathered information for the purpose of making judgement about student’s learning and needs. This forms a part of assessment.

The following are the kinds of Assessment and Evaluation

A formative assessment is a short, low-stakes check that provides both teacher and student with immediate feedback on the student’s comprehension of a learning target. The goal of formative assessment is to monitor student learning to provide ongoing feedback that can be used by instructors to improve their teaching and by students to improve their learning.

Examples of formative assessments include asking students to:

• draw a concept map in class to represent their understanding of a topic
• submit one or two sentences identifying the main point of a lecture

Teaching and studying literature gives everyone enjoyment, and reading great literature exercises our imagination. We enjoy stories, it is a pleasure to meet characters and to live in their world, to experience their joys and sorrows. Discussing what literature is all about will give enough knowledge to the learners especially for those who says studying literature is boring. With the use of effective methods and strategies, teacher will be able to teach and deliver what the topic is all about. Those strategies are the key for the learners to love and embrace literature. And when those method is being applied teacher could assess every learners on how far their understanding is based on the lesson. The teachers will give criteria for every assessment that will be given to the learners.

Studying Afro- Asian literature gives us knowledge on how and what their culture and tradition is, as well as their moral values and perspective in life. This flow on how the different stories passes generation to generation. Those literary works of Afro Asian remarked us lesson in which we could apply to our daily living.

In simpler thought, Afro-Asian literature refers to literary output of the various countries and culture in Africa and Asia. This includes their oral traditions.

African literature is not important only because of its relevant setting and relatable storylines. It also increases our social consciousness and raises awareness of social, political and economic crises that the African continent is facing.

African literature simply refers to the literary works written by Africans for the Africans. African literature is unique and peculiar as compared to literary works from other continents. African aesthetics as a part of reference system comprises of social, artistic and philosophical values: in music the artistic values refer to the orderly arrangement of music or oral poetry. The arts may be considered good because they satisfy artistic and social values. The philosophical values of culture will be manifested in the artistic forms which operate within a specified symbolic system. For example, if the leopard skin signifies the chief, representation of the chief will be reflected through the use of this symbol. African written literature is an effective tool of communication and carries African culture in it. Through it, sentiments and compliments are expressed and the artistic knowledge imparted from generation to generation.

Ancient Egyptian literature, which is one of the world’s earliest, is an an important component of Ancient Egypt’s great civilization, and a representation of the peoples’ life, culture, and beliefs. Ancient Egyptian Literature comprises a wide array of narrative and poetic forms including inscriptions on tombs, stele, obelisks, and temples; myths, stories, and legends; religious writings; philosophical works; wisdom literature; autobiographies; biographies; histories; poetry; hymns; personal essays; letters and court records.

Arabic literature is the writing, both as prose and poetry, produced by writers in the Arabic language. The Arabic word used for literature is Adab, which is derived from a meaning of etiquette, and which implies politeness, culture and enrichment. Literary criticism in Arabic literature often focused on religious texts, and the several long religious traditions of hermeneutics and textual exegesis have had a profound influence on the study of secular texts. The most essential point about Arabic literature is that it stems directly from the Holy Qur’an—pre-Islamic poetry notwithstanding. Apart from some 1st century AD graffiti (which hardly counts as literature), we have no evidence of writings in Arabic before the time of the Prophet Muhammad.

The history of Chinese literature extends thousands of years, from the earliest recorded dynastic court archives to the mature vernacular fiction novels that arose during the Ming dynasty to entertain the masses of literate Chinese. Chinese literary works include fiction, philosophical and religious works, poetry, and scientific writings. The dynastic eras frame the history of Chinese literature and are examined one by one. The grammar of the written Classical Language is different than the spoken languages of the past two thousand years. The most well-known forms of Chinese literature are classical Chinese poetry, especially that of the Tang Dynasty, the Four Great Classical Novels of the Ming and Qing, and the works of modern writers like Lu Xun. China’s Four Great Classical Novels, among which is the Three Kingdoms, are famous throughout Asia.

Hindu literature ranges from abstract philosophical texts such as the Brahmanas and the Upaniṣads, through epic poems including the Mahābhārata and the Rāmāyaṇa, to the popular stories known as Purāṇas glorifying individual deities. Among the most important are two epics, the Mahabharata and the Ramayana; the Bhagavad Gita, a text inserted into the Mahabharata that focuses on the god Krishna; and the Dharamasastras; consisting of the manuals concerning dharma and aphorism on dharma. A Hindu views the entire universe as God’s and everything in the universe as God. Hindus believe that each person is intrinsically divine and the purpose of life is to seek and realise the divinity within all of us. The Hindu belief is totally non-exclusive and accepts all other faiths and religious paths.

Hebrew literature consists of ancient, medieval, and modern writings in the Hebrew language. It is one of the primary forms of Jewish literature. In its essence, Hebrew literature is historical, national, deed-based narrative prose. In other words, it is narrative prose that is based on an understanding of time as the flow of history, of man as part of a nation, and of reality as a series of actions rather than a constellation of objects in space. Hebrew is the language of the Bible, which is both a religious and cultural foundation of incalculable influence and – especially read in the original language – one of the world’s most dazzling literary achievements. Learning Modern Hebrew is the simplest way into the Bible.

Japanese literature throughout most of its history has been influenced by cultural contact with neighboring Asian literatures, most notably China and its literature. Early texts were often written in pure Classical Chinese or lit. ‘Chinese writing’, a Chinese-Japanese creole language. Japanese literature has a long and illustrious history, with its most famous classic, The Tale of Genji, dating back to the 11th century. Often dark but full of humor, Japanese literature showcases the idiosyncrasies of such a culturally driven nation. In Japanese literature, a love story may not have such a clearly defined beginning or end, but might instead be a snippet of someone’s life or relationship. This is inspired by opposing views on narratives, time, and endings.

Korean literature is the body of literature produced by Koreans, mostly in the Korean language and sometimes in Classical Chinese. For much of Korea’s 1,500 years of literary history, it was written in Hanja. It is commonly divided into classical and modern periods, although this distinction is sometimes unclear.

Indonesian literature is a term grouping various genres of South-East Asian literature. Indonesian literature can refer to literature produced in the Indonesian archipelago. It is also used to refer more broadly to literature produced in areas with common language roots based on the Malay language. An important position in this early literature is occupied by Javanese prose and poetic versions of the two great Hindu epics, the Mahabharata and the Ramayana. The Javanese also borrowed from India’s sophisticated court poetry in Sanskrit, in the process making it Javanese in expression, form, and feeling.

Studying Afro-Asian literature gives us knowledge on how and what their culture and tradition is, as well as their moral values and perspective in life. This flow on how the different stories passes generation to generation. Those literary works of Afro-Asian remarked us lessons in which we could apply to our daily living.

African literature is not important only because of its relevant setting and relatable storylines. It also increases our social consciousness and raises awareness of social, political, and economic crises that the African continent is facing.

Now let us move forward to the Egyptian Literature.

When a new born baby arrives,young children often feel excited but also left out. They feel that you’re giving all your attention and love to the new baby. But being a parent how could you adjust your first born child? Here I can share some tips on how to help them adjust.

Giving some time to have one on one bonding with my daughter is my way to make her feel that I still have time for her. I and my partner have a routine in taking care of our new baby. Even how busy we are, we make sure that she knows that she is important to us. For example I and my daughter read story books and watch cartoons together.

Making our child familiar with the new baby. I let my first born child touch her little brother gently with my supervision. Sometimes I let her try to carry the baby.

During baby’s bath time I let her help me prepairing bath things and help dry the baby after. I also praise our older child. I always say to her” Caleb is very lucky to have you as his big sister because you are so helpful and lovable”. Breastfeeding my little one gives also a time to bond with his older sister. She is always watching and laughing with her brother and asking me if she did that before when she is a baby. I told her that what and how caleb is doing is the same when she is a baby before. And I explain to her how important is the milk to make the baby grow strong and healty.

We as a parent also need to appreciate and do not get mad to the help of our child even sometimes it is not helpful. There are times that my child swing her little brother faster. I told her that its not the proper way of swinging a baby,for I know that she wants only to make lullaby her brother.

All our children needs our warm and loving relationship with them. We can build and strenghten our relationship with them by giving positive attention. For it makes them feel they are safe and secure. It also shows that we are equal in treating them.

Juggling a new born baby and a toddler is difficult, but based on my experience of being a second time mom it feels me that its only a traditional period, and a time to cherish as it goes by so quickly. Asking some help and support is part of it and consider the needs of each child is important. But even we have lots of work and responsibilities we need to take care of ourself because I believe that I cannot fully take care of my children if I’m not taking care of my self.