Theories on Literature Teaching and Learning: A Critical Perspective
Critical Theory in literature education focuses on developing critical consciousness in readers through close analysis of structures and ideologies in texts. Literary Theory emphasizes the reader as a co-creator of meaning, while Reader Response Theory highlights the active role of the reader in constructing meaning. Understanding biases, assumptions, and reader-text relationships are central to these theories to foster deeper engagement with literary works.
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Theories on Literature Teaching and Learning ~Critical Theory ~Literary Theory ~Reader Response Theory
Critical Theory structure- or text-oriented approach, emphasizes on close readings and analysis of literary techniques, aims at developing a critical consciousness in the readers about the functioning of structures in the text. enables the readers to actively engage with the text to discover the ideological and political textual representation of the text,
What biases do we bring to texts? What assumptions do we have about what we are about to read? We need to give our students opportunities to connect their everyday lives and interpretation of the events that encompass them to the texts they read in school (Hall & Piazza, 2010, p. 93).
Literary Theory literary theory has brought the reader onto the centre stage and made him co-creator of the text. employsthe principles of modern approaches to learning. serves to nurture cognitive processing of learners.
Reader Response Theory Originated from Rosenblatt s transactional theory - emphasis on the relation between reader and text while constructing meaning. The construction of meaning in the personal literary experience is the main characteristic when thinking of the connection between the reader and the text. This perspective focuses on the process of knowing, the active role of the knower, and the need for communication among inquirers. Rosenblatt s Reader Response Theory, is one of prominent critical theories, has been considered as an inspiring movement in literature teaching pedagogy.
The process of making meaning of the text involves their schemata and feelings, and intertextualization strategy. Rosenblatt s views on the concept of aesthetic and efferent stances are very influential (Church, 1997) in RRT. The aesthetic and efferent notions in reading show different readers roles as discussed in studies of literature pedagogy. Aesthetic reading has to do with transactional reading by which readers use their own emotional capacities Efferent reading relates to readers ways of focusing on textual features or information-driven understanding of the texts assigned.
aesthetic reading happens if students have repeatedly found that, in approaching a text called a poem or a story, they can assume that they are free to pay attention to what the words call to consciousness (p. 37, Rosenblatt 2005). We, as ESL teachers, should encourage students to talk freely about their reading experience with peers and with the teacher so that aesthetic reading can be initiated. The types of reader response strategies engaging, describing, conceiving, explaining, connecting, interpreting, and judging
Studies on the application of reader- response theory Significance to classroom practices concerning the teaching of literary genres such as poetry, fiction, and drama. Specifically, reader-response theory also offers reading- writing integration activities (Musthafa, 1994). In reading and comprehending a text, the reader actively creates meaning and by doing so, she or he can bring into the text her or his schemata about the topic, sociolinguistic conventions, intentions, and other moral values and life perspectives. Tucker (2000) suggests that when applying reader-response pedagogy, students are free to express their ideas, thus making them critical readers.
RRT also enables the design of activities that guide students to think critically about what they read. This theory makes students go beyond the literal levels of reading. The stories/poems/dramas they read gave them the opportunity to talk about their own insights, helping them to speak English in front of their classmates. This thoughtful process of reading seems to lead to critical thinking. Therefore, when students read literature, they interact with the text. By interacting with the text, they interpret what they read. By interpreting what they read, they can work towards speaking English more creatively. This adds to the students personal growth and their autonomy both as language learners and as individuals, and contributes to their ability to empathize and comprehend others values and needs.
Teaching Drama in the ELT classroom Drama is an effective tool that can be used to promote interaction and language skills in the ESL classroom as well as create a class bonding experience.
Reasons for Incorporating Drama in the ESL Classroom Drama can be a valuable teaching tool. It gets students up and moving around and interacting with each other. It s particularly appealing to kinesthetic learners but can be used successfully for all learners. It also contextualizes language, making real and three-dimensional that which is on the printed page. Students will improve the speaking and listening skills in performing scenes and also their writing skills through such activities as dialogue writing. Drama also teaches the pragmatics of language how we appropriately use language to get something done, like make a request. Drama promotes class bonding: in drama classes, there is usually a great deal of comradery.
Most ELT teachers nowadays advocate some elements of a Communicative Approach and therefore recognise and appreciate the value of Drama in ELT. Drama can be defined as activity involving people in a social context and there is no doubt that effective communication in social situations It involves other forms of communication that go beyond language competence and includes the use of gesture, body posture, intonation and other prosodic features.
The advantages of using drama. One of the main aims of using drama in a language course is to provide an active, stimulating, fun and creative environment in which to develop the student s language learning potential. Students are encouraged to explore English through their imagination and creativity and to express this through language, and other forms of communication, that may include: movement, action, dance, and role-play. These activities aim to develop: Confidence, motivation, trust and participation Oral and written communication skills Awareness of interpersonal and sociocultural communication skills Accuracy and fluency of expression Rhythm and pronunciation Linguistic intelligence Social interactive skills
What are the problems? Teachers who work in a traditional environment and follow a very structured syllabus are often afraid to experiment with more student centred activities. These fears are usually based around the apprehension that the class will become noisy, unfocused and the teacher will lose control. Other problems that arise in drama based classrooms. These include: Learners use L1 persistently Learners don t participate Learners make lots of errors Dominant / shy students Learners get confused and do not know what to do Noise Chaos
Drama activities would sometimes have surprising and unexpected results. ESL/EFL professionals need to use this medium more because the artificial world of the classroom can be transformed into a quasi-real language situation and provides an endless amount of opportunities for student s personal growth. We cannot only teach grammar and phonetics with drama but also it has the power to transform the actors as well as the audience.
A Structured Approach to Teaching Drama Teaching Drama to large groups places a number of demands on the teacher. When teaching drama we can expect: a fairly high level of conversational noise different groupings, with students standing, moving, sitting, and using space to express themselves different groups working at different paces towards different goals
Drama making Imagination Movement and Rhythm Pantomime Improvisations Puppetry and Mask Making
New Techniques in Drama Participation Theatre Developmental Drama Process Drama Drama-in-Education Theatre-in-Education Forum Theatre
Special Techniques Side coaching Teacher-in-role Teaching-in-role Parallel work
Values for the teacher Expanded perspective of your learners Reveals his or her imagination Skills in problem solving Ability to work with others Drama does not require mastery of technical skills Drama demands sensitivity to and a knowledge of your learners SKILLS COME WITH EXPERIENCE
