The article talks about how--and whether--"English" can justify itself as an academic discipline, and about the pressures on it to do so. In the search for justification, is it the creative writer or the critic who provides the crucial element of value? Particular reference is made to the tradition of English at Cambridge, where the…

A stylistic approach to the teaching of English literature is required--one that focuses on the use of specific language styles instead of the traditional singular focus on theme. The only justification for studying English literature in its original language (i.e., English) is because the language used by the writer is a crucial element in the…

Reader-response journals were successfully employed in a "Reading Shakespeare" course for non-majors, making literary tradition accessible to students untrained in classical rhetoric. Students were encouraged to employ any combination of four approaches. First, students were invited to ask questions about the language, sequence of…

An English instructor at the University of Central Arkansas observed three problems students encounter with the often formidable writings of John Milton and developed strategies for alleviating those problems. The first problem was the difficulty posed by the vocabulary and syntax of "Paradise Lost." The instructor discussed with the…

The study and teaching of literature is the emphasis of this special journal issue. The nine articles included in the issue discuss the following: (1) time and social class in William Faulkner's "A Rose for Emily," (2) Robert Frost's "Yankee Ironist," (3) an approach to teaching "Moby Dick," (4) using games to review…

Each of eight modules in this course guide focuses on a specific work of British literature from a particular historical period. Each module contains descriptions of rationale, objectives, instructional activities, postassessment, remediation procedures for that particular unit of study, and a list of titles for additional reading. Subjects of the…

Written for teachers, librarians, students, parents, and other storytellers, this book emphasizes the value and enchantment which children can find in the fabulous stories of four main European traditions--Greek myths and legends, Northern myths and legends, Arthurian Romances, and fairy tales. The four chapters contain (1) discussions of myths,…

Two methods of reading "Paradise Lost" aloud were used in a college course: (1) round robin reading observing the poet's own divisions of the material and spread over 10 days; and (2) round robin reading of the entire poem continuously taking up an entire day. Both approaches were effective in emphasizing the poem's oral dimension. (MSE)

A practicum aimed to increase the relevancy (to the ethnically diverse students of contemporary classrooms) of the regular high school senior English course in British literature and composition by expanding the curriculum to include selections from countries (other than the United States) influenced by the British Colonial Empire. Using a…

Students need to be made comfortable with the "foreign" language of British English before they can fathom the range of and changes in English literature through the centuries. In one approach to college English, students spend most of the first semester studying nineteenth century novels. After having studied four such novels, each for between…

A study compared the results of a 1986 survey on the opinions of preservice teachers with those of a survey conducted in 1984 by William Bennett (at that time chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities). Bennett's survey asked respondents to list 30 works that students should be expected to read before high school graduation.…

Language teaching through literature is based on the principle that literary works of art can give students intellectual pleasure. It should be revived in English language teaching in Japan because (1) it has the power to motivate students to learn a language they might not learn otherwise, (2) literature is readily available and applicable to a…

A class activity for young adult students of English as a second language uses simplified versions of Shakespeare's familiar dramatic plots to promote student participation and use of second language skills. The students are provided with a list of characters, a synopsis of the story, a room with floor space, and a time frame in which to recreate…

This collection, containing essays by contemporary critics, analyzes such aspects of the novel as structure, history, point of view, techniques, and its future. Included are "What is Exposition?" by Meir Sternberg; "Notes Toward a Comic Fiction" by Robert B. Martin; "The Aesthetics of the Supra-Novel" by Irving H.…

Five essays among those judged to be excellent in the 1995 Advanced Placement Examinations are presented. Each is a timed essay, and for each, the test question and time limit are given. Subject areas include art history, psychology, comparative government and politics, and English literature and composition. (MSE)