I cannot agree with you more on this point. On the one hand, teachers play a very important role in guiding the students through the literature course; on the other hand, people are not what they used to be, let alone the youngsters. Moreover, modern life is fast-paced. People are unwilling to read the classics, for it takes energy and time. Most important of all, they have to think.

Thanks, Dong. It is true that today's environment is the greatest challenge for Lit. teachers. And yes, thinking, as far as students are concerned is something totally unnecessary for them. Everything is on a trial an error basis...there are innumerable choices out there so why think, just pick! That's wha most video games train them to do! Wrong, try again..and eventually you will hit the right one! Hmmm real sad huh! That, on one hand. .on the other hand," teachers "are trained to teach, while students are not trained to be students" ( A local state education director once sad this). His argument was, students failing is understandable but teachers failing is questionble! Somehow, what the teacher does in the 40 minutes or so in class is not only crucial but also vital!

Having taught ESL, literature and composition for more than 20 years, I can attest to both responses about teacher failings and student failings. In the US, students seem to feel that anything more than 50 years old belongs to ancient studies with no relevance to their lives; unfortunately, too many teachers are often bound by outdated methodologies and repetitive approaches that bore our fast-paced students.

However, there is another point here that involves ESL students studying literature in English (I don't know if the literature is American, British, Europeans, World English). Unless a literature teacher can make some connection with her ESL students, those students may face some problems with the cultural context of the literature. Just as in learning to write academic papers in English, students face cultural comprehension problems in literature. Even when students understand the literal text, they may not be able to read the subtext of the literature or understand its place in the culture.

I try in my classes to make the most ancient text relevant to the present. "There is nothing new under the sun" and in literature, that is true. Despite contemporary society's "worship" of postmodernism or post/humanism, the fact remains that most popular culture can trace its roots to far more ancient concepts than most people realize. I teach World literature and British/Irish literature and enjoy finding connections among these texts that can cross centuries,millennias, and cultures. It is a shame to find that so many students are turned off by a study that can teach so much more than the written text.

Aysha Bey

I'm really awed by your comments Aisyh...but how many teachers have this passion to want to take that extra stride to to lure and haul the students in and "enjoy finding connections " So sad to know that there are only a handfull of teachers out there (relatively) who would! Unless the teacher is passionate about literture himself/herself, the connections will be as elusive as the wind!

Thank you for the kind words, Kunaratnam. Admittedly, I see fewer and fewer professors or teachers who love their job. I never expected to enjoy a classroom; all my college education was devoted to literary and linguistic research with no expectations of teaching classes to freshmen, sophomores. But life happened and I found that I get "psyched" by the classroom experience, although there are those classes that would make even a saint cry. When I first began in the classroom 30 years ago, I worked with remedial students and learned that "you can't save everybody or teach everybody." You try to inspire, to motivate, but some people will not be moved and a professor must learn to accept that and move on with those who will be moved or will try to make a strong effort. With any luck (and sometimes a lot of luck), a professor may get those one or two students who make all the work worthwhile.

Aysha

I can identify wth teaching remedial classes cos' every literture class here is a ‘remedial class’ - that's the measure of how much literature means to students here! Strange, that you remind me of my varsity Literature lecturer, Prof Margaret Maney, an expatriat from USA. It was she who had passed on the passion for teaching literature. Her classes were so full of fun and excitement. She was about 65 but functioned like a 25 year old. That passion of hers caught on to the entire class - we would never want to miss her class. But somehow, it was not easy to emulate in our literature classes in school. It starts like teaching remedial classes then by the end of the term it would seem as though they were spastics all along! Hahaha!!. Not tha bad, but you know the feeling you get when you realise that all the effort put in did not translate to even a third!! Wish I were as diligent as you! I seem to give up easily. This ‘giving up’ comes so naturally...as it’s the most convenient thing to do!!!

At the university I teach, English language only – no literature offered here. I do incorporate some literary texts (poems, short stories, songs) along the way....can’t take it too far though as by the end of the semester they are to came up with an academic term paper.sigh*

By the way Aysha, why haven't you attached a profile photo yet! I feel like I am communicating with God! "Unseen yet there huh!"

Cheers!

We are teachers who work hard and very close to our children, we know many things that can make them grow well or otherwise. Before we blame teachers or think about their positive or negative contributions, let us investigate on the principles or ways which facilitates learning especially ESL. ESL learners are not only affected by the teaching and learning process that many teachers employ, rather they are suffering from insufficient input that could be obtained not from teachers only but family members as well as peer interactions. Since learning involve twin tasks, observing principles and setting parameters, a teacher is less concerned with the failure of a child in mastering of English Language. To some countries, like Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda; English Literature which is very crucial for linguistic development is just taught not as a subject, but as a subset of English. To some ways teachers are the problems to these children as you have hypothesized, but not always; there are lack of teaching and learning materials, poor language policies (no good support like other sectors), lack of motivation in teaching profession and others. Thank You- JOHN MAGIGE

S Kunaratnam Sita Raman, there are so many ways to spice up our classes nowdays.

I brelieve that teachers are not the only problem as you state. Students' backgrounds are also part of the problem.

Some students come from illiterate homes where there are no printed materials. Reading is not fostered and in consequence literature to them is a strange object. I would say that ESL students who can't study literature are a difficult case to deal with but not impossible to teach.

I would suggest getting them to daydream. I would get them to imagine about places, imagine they are going to travel to far away lands where people will be nice to you or the opposite.

Using students' imagination and linking their imaginary expectations with literature, audio books and videos might help your students understand and love literature.

I taught the Black Cat to a group of undeserved EFL kids. I did not start with the story. I started with a 6 minute movie. I had them discuss the story in groups.

After doing this, I made photocopies, downloaded a free audio version of the black cat. I played the story to them and they read along.

They in groups discussed the vocabulary and they discussed the differences between the video and the story. They then talked about details in the story and they ended up talking about alcoholism viewed from the stand point of the narrator.

I interviewed some of my students and they said: "we loved it", but we ""feel we need to read more things like this to acquire more vocabulary and understand the American culture."

As I repeated before, my students are low-income students who live in dangerous neighborhoods, but I got my message through to them.

Thanks for your responses, John Magige and Jose. I agree with the fact that there are other variants that simultaneously impact and implicate on the learning process don't get me wrong. My focus was on teaching literature and the contention was, maybe 'the teachers are not doing enough'. As you pointed out John, "We are teachers who work hard and very close to our children, we know many things that can make them grow well or otherwise" . Exactly, and my concern is on the " ...or otherwise". Could it be that litrature teachers are not 'stretching' enough ...if so what could be done? Jose, you described how successful you were with the 'daydreaming' method/approach - interesting, but how many teachers take such initiatives!. Students come into our classes with multiple levels of proficiency...are teachers taking this into consideration and doing the necessary to meet the needs of, if not all at least the majority?

In Malaysia th situation is not that bad..English is a second language, not a foreign language here. Many students and even teachers believe that it is not imperative to include literature in the English curriculum - the English language can be mastered without the literature element!! Precisely the reason for my assumption that literture teachers may be party to this state of affairs.

Thanks again Julius Jose.