Method in the madness: teaching of English Literature in Japanese Universities
This paper explores the problematics of teaching English Literature in an EFL context. The analysis is based on class-observations and interviews with students and teachers in six Japanese universities over a period of nine months. The focus is on issues of English proficiency and literary compete...
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| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Pusat Pengajian Bahasa dan Linguistik, FSSK, UKM
2015
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| Online Access: | http://journalarticle.ukm.my/9066/1/8673-27889-1-PB.pdf http://journalarticle.ukm.my/9066/ http://ejournal.ukm.my/3l |
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| Summary: | This paper explores the problematics of teaching English Literature in an EFL context. The analysis is based on
class-observations and interviews with students and teachers in six Japanese universities over a period of nine
months. The focus is on issues of English proficiency and literary competence, on choices made for medium,
material and method, and on problem-solving measures taken to reduce the ‘foreignness’ of English literary
texts. Among the measures looked at are the current use of the grammar-translation method and the inclusion of
various support/introductory/survey courses built into the English Studies programme as an attempt to close the
students’ proficiency-comprehension-knowledge gaps. Among the more contentious issues discussed are related
to the wisdom of transplanting the canon of Western universities into non-English-speaking institutions, the
appropriateness of imported teaching methodologies and the absence of local perspective input. |
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