The possibility that many English teachers take their subject too seriously should be considered. The assumption that literature can to any degree either improve or adversely affect students is doubtful, but the exclusive study of "great literature" in our secondary schools may invite basic reflections too early: a year's steady diet of "King…

During the last 15 years, Chicano literature has not only repeated some of the topics of Mexican literature, but has added many more. Similar to Mexican literature, Chicano literature deals with: the pains, trials, and common experiences of childhood; the loss of religion, as traditional Catholicism confronts the changing needs and desires of the…

The speeches in this collection on English instruction are by (1) Walker Gibson, who discusses the teaching of responsibility to the young by making them responsible for clear writing; (2) Hart D. Leavitt, who describes the ways in which many possible subjects for composition can be seen in the collection of pictures, "Stop, Look, and Write"; (3)…

Developed for a high school quinmester unit on existentialism, this guide is designed to help students examine the philosophy and life style of the existentialist. Performance objectives for the course include defining the human capability of choice, analyzing existential works that reflect attitudes of philosophical disorientation and literary…

It was the purpose of this study to design a secondary school curriculum in narrative and dramatic literature which would reflect the growth of structures of thought and behavior in early and middle adolescence. Based on Jean Piaget's theory of intellectual development which begins in the student's experiences and works toward…

This curriculum guide is intended to introduce fifth and sixth grade children to the study of poetry. Separate units include discussion of, suggested activities for, and questions about (1) metrics and scansion; (2) rhyme scheme and stanza; (3) diction, denotation and connotation, and onomatopoeia; (4) rhyme (end rhyme, masculine and feminine…

This study assesses the role of oral interpretation in a comprehensive theory of discourse and suggests how oral interpretation may be integrated with the study of literature. Oral interpretation is thought to be useful to the student of literature because: (1) the analysis may lead to a valid interpretation of the work; (2) focus is placed on the…

Emphasizes the usefulness of integrating communicative and literary analyses to study the symbolic and pragmatic aspects of human relationships. Describes a health care course that teaches practitioner-patient communication through the application of communication theory to literary "case studies." Uses a scene from "The Elephant…

Describes the focus of a freshman literature course: understanding literary meaning, analyzing literary form, and exploring literary value with each of the three one-quarter classes drawing on the resources of a major area within current literary studies, such as hermeneutics (meaning), poetics (form), and criticism (evaluation). (EL)

A partial report of research on high school student response to literature, using Alan Purves's categories of engagement, perception, interpretation, evaluation, and miscellaneous. (RL)

Reports a conversation between Cleanth Brooks and Willie Morris concerning changes in literature during the postmodern era. Discusses narrative form, arguing that contemporary literature is moving away from story telling. Contends that the small percentage of the public which reads serious fiction is the reason for this shift. (KO)

Presents a case study of one teacher's method of teaching literature. Discusses the emphasis on a process of critical interpretation of subject matter, transformation of that content, and continuous learning based on the literal and metaphorical aspects of content. Concludes that critical thinking is encouraged by organizing imagery, forms of…

Drawn from talks given at a conference held at the University of New Hampshire in October 1984, the papers in this collection explore the relationship of composition to reading and literature studies. Following an introductory chapter written by Thomas Newkirk, which contains background information about that relationship as well as an overview of…

In explorations of American literature in high school, the tradition of sailormen and the sea is generally not considered independently or distinctly because the sea is not viewed as a separate region of thought. Songs of the whalers and sailors of the sea and the inland waterways are frequently related to the historical and spatial context of…

The application of computer techniques to the making of concordances and indexes has brought about many innovations including the KWIC format and the exhaustive concordance. Although claims for the merits of these concordances are not always justified, the KWIC method offers the following advantages: (1) the detection of formulaic expressions and…