Ready, Get Set, Go!

13th July 2010 (Tuesday)

Saieen Zahoor ‘s “Toomba” and Lady Gaga’s “Alejandro”

The first lecture of EDU 3234 – how would it be? Being an unpredictable and joyful lecturer, we always anticipate the unexpected, especially in his first lecture of the semester. So what have we done today? Well, we listened to two songs, i.e. Saieen Zahoor ‘s “Toomba” and Lady Gaga’s “Alejandro”. Songs?! What do songs get to do with literature? I never thought that songs and literature can have any similarity or even relation. Well, until today……

The following is the brief account of our discussion today:

1. Some songs can last forever; some songs will only be popular for a short period of time, and then, it’s heard no more. The same goes to literary works.

So what makes a literary work to be remembered and valued by readers?

2. Other than lyrics, singers loves to project their thoughts through MTV. For example, Lady Gaga’s is a brilliant choreographer who knows how to project the idea of sexuality, or even good vs. evil, through the images that are formed in her dances.

The technique of portraying underlying meaning, e.g. the use of figurative languages, determines a written work to be a highly extolled literature work or just an ordinary writing.

3. Learning about the songwriters through their songs. This reminds me about John Peck’s book, entitled “How to Study a Poet” by analyzing the dichotomies in a poetry.

We can study and understand more about a writer through their works or vice versa.

All in all, today’s lecture was a great set induction a.k.a. introduction for EDU 3234: Readings and Project Work for Teaching Literature in ESL Context. Enjoyable…… Relaxing…… Yet meaningful. It taught me on the criteria of a good literature, as well as the importance of having set induction before starting a new lesson.

Ready : Getting students to be ready,
Get set : Setting up the right network of schemata,

Go: Letting them go to obtain more knowledge through self-exploration and direct transmission from teachers.

“Teachers open the door. You enter by yourself.”

Chinese Proverb