Saturday, March 3, 2012

English Literature at Yusof Ishak Secondary School

In Yusof Ishak Secondary School, Upper Secondary students do not study English Literature at all. David Grant’s play, Free, is currently being taught to Sec 2 Normal (Academic) and Express students. The language used in the play may be too simple and straightforward to encourage critical thinking and inferential questioning, but it caters to the abilities, needs and interests of the students, who are mostly weak in English. Hence, there is a need for more guidance and scaffolding at the literal level in order to aid them in understanding what the text is about before they could learn to appreciate the text. Information-gap activities are highly recommended for the Sec 2 Normal (Academic) students.

Most students are visual and kinaesthetic learners. Hence, I was encouraged to use clips from movies as examples to illustrate the different types of dramatic tension that exist in the play. Lessons are structured around interactive activities like Hotseating and role play for students to socialise with one another, as well as to showcase their acting talents. One of the activities also involves the design of a flier for the drama production, using persuasive language. The activities mostly focus on themes, characterisation and language, and the play does not give students opportunities to explore other literary devices such as imagery, metaphors and similes. For their CA tests, Sec 2 Normal (Academic) students are required to remember key quotes from the text, the characters who spoke those lines, as well as the specific Acts and scenes from which those speeches were taken. In the tests, they are also required to give their personal opinions about issues in the text, thereby bringing their background experience and prior knowledge into their personal responses. Students are made to match the characters’ names with the adjectives that best describe them. The tests are set at a level that is challenging and demanding, but not beyond the abilities of the students. This helps to engage and sustain the interest of students.

2 comments:

  1. "The activities mostly focus on themes, characterisation and language, and the play does not give students opportunities to explore other literary devices such as imagery, metaphors and similes" = is it assumed that these literary devices are beyond the capability of the students?

    ReplyDelete
  2. According to my CT, those literary devices are way too overwhelming for the Sec 2 students and are not suitable for them, given the fact that they have a poor command of the English language. The main reason why this play was selected over Shakespearean plays like The Merchant of Venice or Romeo and Juliet is that it is easily understood and accessible due to the simple language used. Also, students are able to relate to the content of the play as it is about the relationships between students and their teachers.

    ReplyDelete