Job Discussion Forums

[gerard]

The objective of the class I am teaching is to teach students how to think below the surface or offer an interpretation on a piece of writing. Only on a high-school level it doesn't have to be Harold Bloom. Anyway what can be used do you think. ??? On the test they will have to write something critical about Romeo and Juliet or the Color Purple or whatever. The test will be a surprise. I am thinking short (very short) articles with maybe an excerpt from a novel. I don't know > any ideas on what to possibly give students to read???

Have a nice day.

[Ajax]

A short story by Ernest Hemingway. One of my favorites is Cat in the Rain.

[Wolf]

[Roger]

The language has to be as plain as possible - I suggest John Steinbeck (Travels with Charlie, an epic journey across America, or Winter of Discontent or Grapes of Wrath to better suit Chinese students' predigested thoughts on capitalist America; also good and not too difficult a dramatic piece by Harold Pinter!).
I would love to find out how they react to the writing by some Chinese-American such as Amy Tan.

[Burl Ives]

[J-Pop]

I agree with a couple other posters Hemingway would be a good choice. A Hemingway selection would also fit the following idea:

[gerard]

Thank you but Hemingway is a good suggestion for ME to read. Can Chinese students handle "Hills Like White Elephants??" I had trouble with that in Uni... My prof said it was about having an abortion. And a good prof he was. I will keep this in mind though. Have a nice day...

[MartinK]

...

[gerard49]

[quote="gerard"]T On the test they will have to write something critical about Romeo and Juliet or the Color Purple or whatever. quote]
From one Gerard to another:
I got senior middle pupils to write a critical review on the opening scenes to Patch Adams. I showed the film and then gave them a typed handout. We talked about life being a journey of finding oneself. In the film he (Robin Williams) says " life is a coming home" for "all the restless hearts of the world". I was surprised by their insight and maturity. The Chinese are very spiritual and deep thinking people despite the Bureaucy.
Gerard D

[Scott in HK]

If you are just started to teach them how to deal with literature, it might be a good ideas to teach them a few reading strategies. I have recently finished a paper on how metacognitive reading strategies can help L2 readers to comprehend more of what they read.

Often teachers neglect to teach reading as they are concentrating on teaching 'language' but most students really benefit from some explicit teaching on how 'good' readers read.

The second thing you might want to try is, at first, to choose texts the students have some sort of connection to. This would mean some translated text if you can get them. Students do much better comprehending texts when they have some background knowledge that supports the text.

If you have to use Western texts, then you should increase this background knowledge before you delve into the text.

One reading strategy that seems to be especially good for L2 readers is called embedded questions where the teacher inserts questions into the text to make the students think more about what they have just read.

There is another called reciprocal questioning that is also very good. It is a little more complex but you should be able to find something about it on the web.

[greentea]

Scott :

Is this a paper you wrote or read ?

Could you give us more details, please ? I'd be interested in reading it, too.

[Scott in HK]

Greentea...the writing is still going on...I had to write up an action plan on how to teach students metacognitive reading strategies for one of my masters courses....when it is finished...proofread...and marked...(so I know I am not talking out of my arse)...I would be happy to send it along.

I have finished all the background reading. So I have learned a lot about teaching reading comprehension.

The one thing most articles stressed is that learning to read should be separated from learning the language.

For another course I had to develop a reading program for L2 middle school students. So I am learning a lot about teaching people to read.

I am taking a Masters of Education in Language and Literacy by distance.

[Roger]

Scott in HK,

"separating the teaching of how to read from the teaching the language..." - how? SOunds plausible, yet the two melt together in the middle.

And, you offered to send it along - I am interested!
I had to teach English Literature, and count on doing it again.

[Scott in HK]

Roger...sorry I was a bit vague. Let's see if I can make it clearer. Most teachers neglect the explicit teaching of reading techniques when they are dealing with L2 students. They concentrate on teaching the language...structure...vocabulary...and so forth. What some researchers have suggested is that we should not concentrate on just how to decode the text but to teach the students techniques that they can use to increase their comprehension.

As I was doing this project, my student, (just one as I don't have a reading class at my school, I had to find one student to run the project) remarked that she had never been taught any reading strategies before..not in her L1 and not in the 16 years she had been studying English.

So as a teacher you are to take time from teaching the language to teach them how to read more effectively. They may never have been taught these techniques in their L1. As they become effective readers through the use of these strategies, their will feel more able to take on more complex texts.

I also read some great things on vocabulary learning...and how increased reading rate is vital to increasing L2 reading comprehension.

[greentea]

Look forward to hearing more, Scot.