Help! Mayday! Mayday! Literature teachers are drowning. Lifebuoy! Lifebuoy!

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[Announcements] [Introduce Yourself] [ICT] [Prasekolah] [LINUS] [KSSR] [UPSR] [PMR] [SPM] [STPM] [School] [Classroom] [Clubs & Uniformed Bodies] [JPN] [SPA] [SICT] [SPP] [SPS] [SPPK] [SPSPK] [SPI] [SPsK] [JNJK] [PPD] [Program] [Computer & Internet] [Let's Hear It From You] [Membergroup]

[Josephine Engkassan Yee]

It has been over 7 years since Literature Component was introduced to our students and to our dear teachers nonetheless. We were thrown into the sea of literature without a fair warning, poorly equipped and left to swim or sink. Teachers started grabbing for any visible planks to stay afloat. Those managed to reach the shore were scurrying for references in the bookshops. Some teachers in the cities with Internet access began burning candles at both ends. The less fortunate teachers in the rural schools with generators to generate electricity had to wait patiently for the department to send something, anything to shed light. The less innovative would start reading the novel with the students in class and together they embarked on a journey by trial and error. The remaining grumbled, moaned, protested, grunted and snarled.

Well not quite, English teachers were not in total darkness, we were exposed to literature in teachers' training college and university. We read Animal Farm by George Orwell, Macbeth by William Shakespear, King Lear by the same author and A streetcar named Desire by Tennessee Williams, to name a few that I could remember and countless poems to research. We were introduced to the teaching of literature but why do we still sigh out loud just thinking about teaching literature to our students? Are literature teachers today still gasping for air or are they breezing through literature with a profound understanding of the subject? Have they grown to love teaching literature?

Most importantly, do literature teachers need help? What kind of help? Are there any lifelines for teachers in dire need of help? What can we do to help? Can YOU help? Or is it true the best help is to help ourselves first?

[Adeline Ong]

Real dramatic,
I know for sure you're not in the drowning boat.

What the students need to do actually do in the exam is to have a personal response, a reaction to what is being read.

What is needed are thought provoking questions.. Then again we are faced with students' proficiency level and so we need to explain to their level, get their response of their level and hopefully bring them to the level expected for them to score in the exams. 

I think we've done well. 

Adeline

[Willie Nelson]

Hi, yup literature is a heavy subject to learn especially to students from rural schools. To add into teachers' misery, these students are not even exposed to the language itself and it's hard to get them understand the literature.

However, there is a way which I think is effective and can attract students' attention that is by using the English Teaching Courseware. There are literature components inside the courseware besides English language itself and I find that the visual techniques are interesting and students show interest in the content of the literature. Teachers can also use the activities to varify their teaching methods. Maybe teachers can try to explore the teaching courseware themselves as the materials are useful. I've been using these coursewares and I do recommend teachers to use them sometimes in your teaching. Wish you all the best!

[Adeline Ong]

Hi Willie,
Totally agree with you. 
I guess we have the teaching courseware to thank.  Especially for the 'lengthy' short stories.  For introduction in form 4 and revision in form 5.  Have actually burnt personal copies to all English teachers in my school.  This is just the start. 

I wish they'd have it for Form 1 & 5. The Dr. Jekyll is ok too.  However we still need them to give personal response from the text. 

One thing at a time.

Adeline

[Ting Siew Ping]

I personally think the literature component is very interesting.  Of course, all this comes with experience.  I was lost at first.  I had to read and make an analysis of the types of questions that would probably come out.  Now, I have more confidence in teaching my students.  My students seem to enjoy it, too.  Anyway, I am still trying new approaches.  Wish you and me, myself good luck. 

[Elsie Theng]

  Well, good luck Siew Ping.

[Richard Boon]

I personally think the literature component is very interesting.  Of course, all this comes with experience.  I was lost at first.  I had to read and make an analysis of the types of questions that would probably come out.  Now, I have more confidence in teaching my students.  My students seem to enjoy it, too.  Anyway, I am still trying new approaches.  Wish you and me, myself good luck. 

Hello cikgu Ting,
Yes, it should be a part of us to be confident in ourselves, and 'show our students that we' enjoy our literature lesson. In my case, i really envy you because you and the other SMK English teachers are teaching the literature i studied, or rather, researched a couple of years ago. But i'm also enjoying the SK's literature, which is 'a bit less challenging' to me.

Keep up the good effort, cikgu, and i'm sure you'll be happy with your 'harvest'.

[Timothy Salang ak James Anin]

Teaching literature in secondary school is meant only to 'use' the literary material to teach English. It is not meant to teach the students on what we've studied in university. In other words, not to make research out of it for the students as their knowledge are not to ours. But we need to expose them earlier to these subjects for them to get ready for their preparation in their upcoming higher studies. Any way try to enjoy it. Make sure the students understand the stories and poems (form 1-5) in order to make them enjoy learning literature. Consider it not as a burden.

[Clement Ak. Ganis]

a few website for fellow teachers
refer here, all activities n lesson plan samples included

http://teacher2b.com/literature/pearl.htm

http://www.enotes.com/pearl-lesson/

[Timothy Salang ak James Anin]

Thanks Ganis. Lots of information from w/site.

[Carrol Ho]

Check out this webesite ok. Hopefully it can help.

http://www.literature.com.my/

[Richard Boon]

Check out this webesite ok. Hopefully it can help.

http://www.literature.com.my/

A piece of sharing, Ms Carrol. But, it had distracted me from engkabang for quite a while, surfing the site you have linked here (ha! ha!). But anyway, thanks again, for sharing.

[Carrol Ho]

U r welcome, Mr. Richard Boon. I wikk try to provide more info soon kalau ada k 

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