A’level literature can be demystified

Literature is one of the subjects that tease students at A’level. It is regarded as being very difficult and wide. It is considered as a subject for the ‘book-worms’ and those whose reading culture is poor, do not even think of doing it. The fact is that Literature is very interesting and if it is taught well can make students very enthusiastic about it. Teachers should always be conversant with the set books so that they go to class with confidence. They have to do a lot of research to be able to inspire learners to love the subject and work hard to pass it with flying colours just like the other subjects. They should use the learner-centred approach to teach the elements of prose, poetry, plays and novels. They should inspire students to read the texts on their own before participating in class discussions. This is possible when students are given questions about the areas that the teacher wants them to read so that they read with a purpose of getting the information necessary for the discussions. Texts should be dramatized in class by students taking up roles of the various characters. For instance, if the teacher is handling a play like ‘‘Romeo and Juliet’’, he may ask learners to imitate the characters. Likewise, if he is teaching a novel like ‘‘Things Fall Apart’’, he may distribute the roles of the characters to the learners including the narrator. The situations in the texts are brought to life and this helps learners to fully understand what is portrayed. Use of the ‘hot- seating’ method is also a very effective way of teaching Literature. In this case, each student is given a set of questions to research on and give a presentation in class. This is done when the class is through with reading and analysing a given text. Learners are required to look for information from the text and give presentations in front of the class. Thereafter, the rest of the members react by supplementing and challenging the discussant’s presentation. Interesting and heated debates always occur which help the participants to develop analytical skills as they challenge one another. At the end of it all, they are able to deepen their understanding of the texts. When teaching poetry, the teacher should be able to arouse the interests of the learners by asking them to recite poems in class. Learners should be encouraged to write their own poems using the poetic features that they are taught. For instance, they may be asked to write poems using aspects like similes, metaphors, personification, repetition, irony and symbolism among others. Once they learn to use such features in their poems, it becomes easier for them to identify them in poems that they study and they can easily discuss their effectiveness in bringing out the intended message. Teachers should always help students to relate what they read in the texts with what happens in the society today. This helps them to realise the relevance of Literature in real life situations and they are able to know that Literature is a reflection of what people experience in the world. Mind maps stimulate the interests of the learners as they study the subject and when they draw such maps, they are able to check their understanding of the events and characters in the texts. The Internet is a reliable source of information about the set books and if students are guided on how to look for information, they enjoy studying the subject. They can even download movies about the set books and watch them to master what they read. I strongly believe that if we teach Literature in the right way, those doing it will always excel and we shall be able to market the subject to many students out there. The writer is a teacher of English Language and Literature.