EFFECTIVE METHODS OF TEACHING LITERATURE
● looks at how schools in the UAE are inculcating a love of reading in their students
While it’s not easy to teach English literature to an easily distracted generation, schools in the UAE have started to use unique approaches to make lessons fun and engage students with the subject matter. Here’s what the educators have to say.
“It is important for students to realise that there are a number of ways to access and engage with literature today without necessarily ploughing through every single page of a Shakespearean play — from audio books and blitz-read activities to group presentations and Hollywood movies,” explains Holli Robinson, Head of English, Dubai International Academy Emirates Hills.
“Incorporating elements of mass media and popular culture into lesson planning encourages students to reflect and make real-world applications.
A few examples of activities we use at our school include looking at texts through different literary lenses, gallery walks, discussion and Socratic seminars, role play and drama, recontextualisation projects, script-writing and slam poetry.” “Teaching Chiranti Sengupta literature to young learners can be interesting if the teachers look at fulfilling the functional needs and expectations of the students,” says Dr Heena Rachh, Principal at Global Indian International School, Abu Dhabi Campus.
“Apart from the direct oral and written expressions, role play, dramatisation, movie shows, real life connects, comparative studies and making a different climax can be included in the lesson so that [student] linguistic skills can be challenged.
“In an initiative, our students were encouraged to write a line each to complete a book and then publish it. Artist Michelle Farooqi, who has created delightful illustrations for children’s book, and author Kate Messner visited the campus and interacted with students. These sessions proved to be immensely engaging for children.”
“Once the children are hooked into a topic, their attention span increases,” says Michaela Barber, Head of Junior School, Repton School Dubai.
“At Repton, children learn through a cross-curricular approach where they are immersed in a topic and all learning is linked to the topic. For example, one of the books our youngest children enjoy in early years is The Very Hungry Caterpillar, where we discuss the food choices that the caterpillar makes and then ask them to relate it to our own lunch boxes.
“For our older children, we apply the same principle but at a more sophisticated level. One of Repton’s most famous alumni is Roald Dahl.
“Each class takes a different Dahl novel and explores the characters and the plot. They are then tasked with presenting to the rest of the year group their reasons for why their class book should be read by others.”
“Selecting specific texts for individual learners or small groups ensures the content and level of challenge engages the readers and keeps the writing relevant,” says Tim Richardson, Principal, Raffles International School.
“Internet, on-demand programming and social media all make it possible for young readers and their teachers to connect with writers on a more personal level, which makes their published stories more interesting.
“At Raffles International School , the introduction of a structured online reading platform has had a positive impact on reading engagement, enabling students to gain rewards for reading books and completing follow-up activities.”