“As we attempt to analyze dialogue as a human phenomenon, we discover something which is the essence of dialogue itself: the word. But the word is more than just an instrument which makes dialogue possible; accordingly, we must seek its constitutive elements. Within the word we find two dimensions, reflection and action, in such radical interaction that if one is sacrificed – even in part – the other immediately suffers. There is no true word that is not at the same time a praxis. Thus, to speak a true word is to transform the world.” (Paulo Freire, 1970, p. 75)
How can we as Literature teachers read and write the word/world?
Readings
Freire, P. (1970). Pedagogy of the oppressed [excerpts]. New York: Continuum.
Apple, M. (1992.) The text and cultural politics. Educational Researcher, 21(7), 4-12.
Liew, W. M. (2012). Valuing the value(s) of literature. Commentary, 21, 57-71. (This is just a quick-and-dirty summary of my take on critical pedagogy through literature. Take it or leave it..;-)
The world today has become a more challenging environment. Facts and figures have come to dominate our lives and in some way taken away the essence and passion to which we pursue things. Literature is a very versatile subject but has generally been considered one of the most difficult subjects to teach. Students are hesitant in taking up literature for the fear that they may not be able to score as well as other subjects like maths, the sciences and etc. For me, literature is all about experiences, and as Emily Dickinson once wrote, “There is no frigate like the book - to take us to lands away", certainly, the reader can transport himself/herself in history by returning to another age, or by entering the culture of another country. Literature can be as enriching as any other subject out there if we the literature teacher can make it an enriching experience. There is no right or wrong way to teach a Literature class in my opinion and the idea in teaching literature is not just about getting an answer but to getting an in-depth, provocative and creative insight to a text. The word in a text offers various possibilities through various perspectives. As literature teachers, we could offer our students to experience hope, encouragement, love, escape, the knowledge of human relationships and empathy through the various texts they engage in be it prose or poetry. I offer no definite answer to this provocation other than stating that for me, reading and writing the word would be to infuse passion for myself. The value of literature needs to be established from within myself before I can offer my students the chance to experience the sensations of what a text has to offer them. In reflection, they would gain a better understanding of literature and appreciation will come soon enough.
ReplyDeleteI strongly believe that Literature must be taught to everyone irrespective of what they want to be in life or what subjects they like. This is because it is probably one of the only subjects that inculcates the idea of varied perspectives. In the 21st century world, life has become very challenging. With the technological advancement we are becoming slaves to machines and very little stress is laid on being better human beings. Literature gives the student an exposure to higher human values of life and thus,help shape his personality holistically. Literature teaching should not just be about teaching the text and then assessing the students on it. As a literature teacher i would want to not just teach the text but also to make my students aware that there is more to the text than what is written. I would want my students to be explorers who can form their own interpretations about texts and who can also accommodate and respect the interpretations of others, no matter how different they are from their own. Thus, they can become individuals with a strong sense of confidence, empathy and tolerance for other peoples beliefs, which is something that the 21st century world definitely needs.
ReplyDeleteIn order to empower our students to read and write the word/world, we, teachers first need to do that and know why we do that. So how can we as Literature teachers read and write the word/world?
ReplyDeleteFirstly, we need to know that words both spoken and written is something that defines us as humans. "Human existence cannot be silent" (Freire, 1970). It's our human expression and that expression shapes our world. It's the means which humans create or in Freire's words "name the world".
This definition of word as that which defines us as humans means we need to hear the words of our students. More than that, we need to create an environment which encourages them to talk and write eg approaching our content through asking essential questions. To let them share their answers to these essential questions which in answering would help them give meaning to the world they live in- "name the world" and that is to allow them to be simply humans.
How do we create such an environment? By not teaching Literature in such a way that is top down but horizontal. To have a dialogue with the students and not a one-way downloading of information on the students and insisting that they take wholesale all that we said. Reader-centered approach should be encouraged and the words the readers (our students) valued. We don't just tell them that A is B but we ask them whether they agree and hear them out if they say A is not just B but also C (creation).
They need to have a part in creating the world/word (that is in discussion, such as a certain view of the set text) then they are purposefully creating, and achieve significance as men. "If it is in speaking their word that men, by naming their world, transform it, dialogue imposes itself as the way by which men achieve significance as men (Freire, 1970).
"Literature is so boring! The writers we study are all dead, doesn't that show something? Why do we have to study it? It's no use!"
ReplyDeleteSound familiar? Common complaints in a Literature classroom perhaps? Don't know about you, but I certainly hear a lot of this during my Lit lessons - both here in Singapore and back home in Malaysia. The main problem I have is trying to change these stubborn mindsets, and it's very sad that the more technology advances, the more focus is placed on practical subjects like maths and science, the further Literature falls down the list of relevance.
I've said it before, and I think it bears repeating: Literature is dying.
The onus falls upon the teachers then to try and make this subject come alive, to create an interest among the students who no longer find Literature relevant. What we need is to inspire them, to show them that Literature is far more meaningful than they give it credit for, that while subjects like maths and science are practical and useful, literature is what will make life all the more meaningful.
John Keating from Dead Poets' Society said it best: "And medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for."
How do we do that? We translate words into the world; text into visuals - and maybe audios. We infuse our lessons with emotion, with imagery, so that when we read out the words, even when we write out the words, they become more than just another page in a book or a scribble on the board. We transform what the students assumed are empty prints into something that carries meaning, something real - not necessarily realistic, not necessarily applicable in the modern context.
But real nonetheless, real enough to make a connection with the students. It could be surreal, it could be fantastic, it could be something entirely from a dream - but we need to make the words come alive, to turn those words into a world.
The potential of literature to enhance, to enrich and to entertain is beyond measure - and our responsibility is to help our students understand exactly that. So I concur with what Idroz said: "As literature teachers, we could offer our students to experience hope, encouragement, love, escape, the knowledge of human relationships and empathy through the various texts they engage in be it prose or poetry."
It starts from us.
The thing that came to mind was "littérature engagée", defined as “engaged literature”, or (and I rephrase the great Britannica) a "literature of commitment by Jean-Paul Sartre, who revived the idea of the artist’s serious responsibility to society. The idea is an application to art of a basic existentialist tenet: that a person defines himself by consciously engaging in willed action. The position was a reaction against the creed of “art for art’s sake” and against the “bourgeois” writer, whose obligation was to his craft rather than his audience. Engagement was understood as an individual moral challenge that involved the responsibility of adapting freely made choices to socially useful ends, rather than as “taking a position” on particular political or other issues."
ReplyDeleteIf we as Lit teachers want to read and write the word/ world, then we have to be engaged and committed to this cause that we want to fight for. It is not just about teaching "higher order thinking skills" or "critical thinking", these are great, but we need more than that. I feel great literature extends a call for action, and as teachers, we spread this passion (for learning and more reading) to our students. Ok this may sound communist/ marxist but we have to engage with the text, and enter into discourse/ dialogue.