Tuesday 03 April, 2001
Writer's Workout
According to the 19th century novelist, Nathaniel Hawthorne, 'Easy reading is damned hard writing.'
Whilst eager writers are often keen readers is it possible to teach literature students to think imaginatively so that they'll write creatively? And if so, how?
Creative Ways aims to bring a spark of creativity into the teaching and learning of literature. The series, which is inspired by the British Council Conference on the teaching of literature held at Oxford University each year, explores creative ways into understanding texts and offers an exciting range of practical activities guaranteed to activate the creativity of students in the classroom.
The Writer's Workout
The methods and approaches outlined in Creative Ways, derive from The British Council Conference. Currently in its 16th year, the conference focuses on a different theme each year. Through lectures and workshops delegates explore current theoretical issues and teaching practice.
Last year the organisers felt that all too often teachers concentrate on the critical and neglect the creative and the conference looked at ways of changing that. Creative Ways covers workshop activities from the conference.
It is an intense writer's workout; allowing students to express their feelings about being creatively involved in learning. So limber up and prepare to stretch your creative thoughts.
Step 1
Unravel the meaning of the word 'text'. Explore how an understanding of its meaning can help students to create written work of their own: 'weaving lines' in poetry, 'spinning a text' and other 'textile' approaches to writing, for example.
Step 2
Develop imagery in students' writing through looking at simile and metaphor.
Overcome fear of literary texts through looking at how language can be used to offer new insights into familiar experiences and events.
Step 3
Explore the creative process through the example of folk tales and fables.
Write a new ending to an existing tale, and use this to look at the conventions of story telling and the ideology of texts generally.
Step 4
Develop a narrative and poetic voice, and construct character through 'hot-seating'.
Encourage students to interact with characters and situations, to see stories as living dramas they can engage with.
Step 5
Use 'gap filling' to raise language awareness and to give students a deeper understanding of texts.
Play with language, through looking at catch phrases, collocations and idioms.
Step 6
Overcome an overly critical or analytical approach to teaching literature and creative writing.
Encourage students to see the personal in literature, and to make links between their own lives and the literature they're reading.
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| British Council Conference 2001 |
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Firing the Canon is the title of this year's conference (1 – 7 April 2001), focusing on new approaches to teaching the literary canon.
It looks at how the canon is changing and focuses on new and dynamic ways of teaching the literary canon and making it relevant to students today e.g. by using film and multi-media technology.
The purpose of the Oxford conference is to explore current theoretical issues and practice in the teaching of British literature outside the UK.
It is aimed particularly at teachers and teacher trainers at upper secondary and tertiary level and is chaired by Stephen Regan of Royal Holloway College, University of London and Lizbeth Goodman of the Institute of New Media Performance, University of Surrey. |
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