[etni] Fwd: Renee's letter
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- Date: Sun, 5 Jan 2014 20:23:42 +0200
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From: evelyn <efs@xxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Renee's letter
I would like to thank Renee for taking the time to express so clearly
both the problems and some solutions for the Literature test/program.
It has been clear from the beginning of the program that most of us
who have always made English literature a vital and intrinsic element
of teaching English here in Israel are not in favor of the program as
it stands. It demands focusing on thinking skills rather than the
literature itself. It encourages students to do every assignment
(graded or not) with the end grade in mind. It saddens me.
At our high school we have been doing the log, and we teach three
pieces of literature during tenth grade (two poems and one story) in
addition to teaching the basics – writing, reading comp, grammar
review, speaking, etc. In 11th grade, we complete the log. In 12th
grade we test the two remaining modules (winter and summer) and the
oral.
When I went into my 12th grade class this year, I said that I thought
we would go crazy preparing a project, unseens, writing, etc. all year
without doing any literature. So, for fun, (for “kef” as they say) if
they agreed, we could read Macbeth (they would have to buy it) and
then we could go see the production at the Camari. They wanted
reassurance...”Just for kef?” YES! It was a go! I haven’t had so
much fun since we started the literature HOTS program. True...perhaps
a few kids weren’t glued to the play in class all the time, and two
chose not to see the production, but what an experience. One of the
students asked “Lady Macbeth”( who was kind enough to come out after
the show and talk to the kids) how she had developed her character,
and she said that she had studied a certain translation and had input
from the director. She said, “For example, what translation do you
use?” And they looked at her and said, “Shakespeare’s”. She said,
“What? You read it in English?” You should have seen their faces!
In class afterwards, while studying the unit on Bernie Madoff, the
students were discussing how ambition destroys people, and they
brought up Macbeth as well as those in politics or whatever. It is
exactly what teaching literature is supposed to do- inspire and
challenge and expose students to ideas and experiences they might not
otherwise have. Unfortunately, this is often lost- no matter how much
of an effort we make- with the HOTS program.
And now the second semester of twelfth grade is about to begin. The
kids said, “Do you think we could study another Shakespeare and go see
it?” I nearly fell off the desk! It is the reason to go to school in
the morning, I must admit.
This is, by the way, a 5 point class...not English speakers...but
amazing young adults. And I think we are going to read a few of
Shalom Aleichem’s tales and go to see Fiddler, which they haven’t
seen.
And until I retire, this literature “for kef” experience will keep me going!
Evelyn Solomonov
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