Literature in the Language Classroom : A Resource

Cambridge Handbooks for Language Teachers

by joanne-collie

This is a practical guide for practising teachers of English and teachers in training. It offers teachers a rationale and a variety of imaginative techniques for integrating literature work with language teaching. It is divided into three sections: Part I discusses the questions: Why teach literature? What should we teach? How should we teach it?; Part II outlines and illustrates a wealth of student-centred class and homework activities appropriate to each stage of the study of a literary work. Detailed descriptions of the activities are accompanied by numerous sample worksheets; Part III demonstrates techniques for working with complete texts, and shows how the activities outlined in Part II can be applied to particular novels, plays, short stories and poems. All activities described have been used successfully with a wide range of classes from intermediate level up.

Genres: Teaching

274 pages, Paperback

First published December 17, 1987

Reviews

[Milan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Less than practical. In trying to maintain a balance of sorts between useless gab and useful teaching examples the authors managed to furnish the reader with descriptive portions which are still a bit more lengthy and self-serving than necessary, and practicalities, which are too sketchy to save teachers any meaningful time. Somehow, they anticipated the worldview that puts idea-making way above the drudgery of actually making them work. Dope. Come to the classroom with nothing but ideas and see how that works out. Yes, there are some handy concepts and I did take some notes, still, the book does nothing to your workload and in that case it is quicker to just come up with the ideas yourself. Ideas are easy, you just get them.

[ENDRISADANE]

CRITERIA OF