[etni] [FWD: Re: the purpose of teaching English]

 -------- Original Message --------
Subject: Re: the purpose of teaching English]
From: Barry Masha and family <barisil@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>

Give me a break!  Compared to the rest of the mess English 
teaching is in, this is no problem!

Just ask the Seefruit teachers what they plan to teach and 
teach something else!

We have the whole body of English Literature at our disposal.  
So don't teach Kvetcher in the Ryebread!

Teach Ender's Game!  Anne Tyler!  Alice Hoffman!  Whatever!

Then your results will See Fruit.

Barry S


Motti wrote:
> I see the purpose of teaching English as affording our students  the
> ability to use it in real life. This includes travel, (backpacking
> around the world,University studies-dealing with intricate and boring
> texts in English , surfing the web, talking to tourists , being fluent
> enough to be understood in business meetings etc.) Whether you are
> preparing a 3,4, or 5point class the ultimate goal should be for them
> to be able to use and understand English when they have to. As far as
> literature goes, in my opinion, that is a different course altogether.
> Frequently, to my consternation, texts I've brought in in english have
> been already taught in Hebrew-I.E. Catcher in The Rye,  Etc. etc. etc.
> as well as many short stories. If English literature is to be taught as
> literature then don't let the "safrut " teachers steal our texts. I
> generally see language instruction as my goal and literature as a tool
> and let the Literature teachers teach Literature as a separate subject.
> (English Language literature is so vast , spanning the gap of hundreds
> of years and 5 continents that to presume by teaching "english
> literature " you are teaching its culture brings up the question "which
> culture?" Brit, Us. Australian, (yes ,I assume they can write books Down
> under) South African, Indian , Canadian , Jamaican And so on. Teaching a
> play, a novel and several short stories can teach about a very specific
> culture of a very specific period, but what 'Culture' is everyone
> talking about?


--------------------------------------------
Visit the ETNI site - http://www.etni.org
Send a message to the ETNI list: etni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Send queries and questions to: ask@xxxxxxxx
--------------------------------------------

Other related posts: