Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[Claudia Kim]

As a student majoring in English Literature,
I personally think that all literary works are rather interesting
and fun to read, except in cases where those literary works are
part of the lecture.

Before taking literature classes, I liked reading English literature
and going out to find books of the old classics.
However, once a professor assigned literary works, I began
hating them.

Because the main purpose of reading the book becomes
analyzing, reading, and thinking for getting good grades,
reading the book does not become fun anymore.

What do other people think about this?

[Anuradha Chepur]

Human nature, I suppose. When something is considered as work, it is less enjoyable than when it is done just for fun.
But literature is intense reading, and also emotionally exhausting. It is about analysing, understanding etc.
I would suggest you continue reading for fun.
Grades will fall in place per se.

[Anuradha Chepur]

Hi again,

Your natural way of reading a literary text is a well-recognized approach to literature. It is called the 'Reader-response theory', mainly propagated by Wolgang Iser and others. This approach allows you to freely and spontaneously react to a text without being dictated by the traditional approach of preconceived ideas as to how you are supposed to react to it. You can use this approach (if you university allows it) to interpret work, and this way it won't cut into the fun . Here is the Wikipedia link, and you can google out lot more on it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reader_Response

[asterix]

When I was at school I hated Shakespeare for exactly the same reason as Claudia gives.
I can appreciate Shakespeare's talent now, but I'm still not falling over myself to readhis stuff.
Mind you, I guess I'm fairly well versed in the plays we had to study.

[Anuradha Chepur]

Shakespeare's drama in school?
Over here we do it only in college. If at all in school, only simplified prose versions.

[Anuradha Chepur]

Reading literature takes a lot of energies.
And teaching it - even more.
I remember our lecturers used to be totally involved with the work they speacialized in and with those characters. I suspect, they are living with those characters all the time, even when they are driving or cooking.
The lecturer who taught us Hamlet got us all so involved, that all of us fell in love with Hamlet.

Teaching literature is beyond me.
I'm better off teaching language.

[asterix]

We did Macbeth at prep school. I was 10, but I can still remember large amounts of it.

[Anuradha Chepur]

At 10, I wasn't aware of Shakespeare.

[Anuradha Chepur]

It is said that veterinary doctors and students of literature make better human beings.
Logic?
Vets have learnt to understand and be kind to animals, so being kind to humans is no big deal for them. I found it to be true of a couple of vets I know.
And those who study literature have learnt to understand literary characters, so understanding real humans is easy for them.

[Cristi]

Hi!!

Anuradha, you're right...

Umm...well I think that when you read stuff for school it's a bit boring because you know that later you'll have to respond questions and even later take a test about it, though you have to see that like something extra and not something that will alter your reading. In other words, just enjoy the book or whatever you're reading and don't think that it is for a school asignment, that way you'll achieve the core of reading, which is pleasure and inspiration.

Anyway, have fun reading and NEVER hate books.

Bye!
_________________
�PURA VIDA! Carpe Diem

"Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear--not absence of fear."
Mark Twain.

[pugachevV]

You have to remember that at school they are teaching you to pass exams. Is not necessarily the same thing as educating you.

[Cristi]

Ummm.... I really don't think you're quite correct, mate...

Why are you going to school if it's not for education??? I mean, it would be pointless, don't you reckon? It's true that some subjects are stupid sometimes and are sort like, do the exam, get more that 70 and pass to next level... But not ALL subjects have that purpose. As a matter of fact, most of them are taught so we LEARN and get a general culture, what would you do in life without math or language, you couldn't comunicate with anyone and you would be no one, see? Or what about history? If you didn't have a single idea of what happened in your country before you where born you couldn't be able to be part of it, be a citizen, know about politics and society, have your own opinion and do something good for it.

So, in conclusion, schools are for education, kids go there to LEARN not for doing exams. Exams are just part of the system and they are probably not the best way of grading you, but they are what most people use and even if we don't like them, they are necessary if we continue with this system.

Have a nice day you all!
_________________
�PURA VIDA! Carpe Diem

"Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear--not absence of fear."
Mark Twain.

[Jenniferdu521]

You all know Shakespeare very well? excellent.
But I have not read Hamlet completely, although I bought the complete works of Shakespeare when I was in high school.

I really want to read the famous works seriously, but always I feel I have not enough time to do it.

When I was in school and collegue, I paid more attention to the exam than the interesting. What a pity~

[suesummers]

Hey all!
My view differs from some of you all. I've loved every moment of my Shakespeare class since school. But i feel a lot of credit for that goes to my teacher. Ironically, he used to say that the way one is introduced to Shaky (yeah, he was cool enough to say that) determines what he'll think of Shakespeare all his life. And I tend to enjoy his works more when I'm studying them as a text than when just reading to kill time.
_________________
Centennial College Rocks!

[Stephanie S]

I think studying English literature can take away from the fun you have when reading for your own pleasure, but it can also help you to understand things you might not realise on your own. I personally like to read classic books for myself, and then later look up the biography of the author, and read critical essays about the book, etc. Sometimes I skip the introduction and then read it when I'm done.
Stephanie
Elanguest