Why Shakespeare?

Why Shakespeare?

In language classroom, it is important to use authentic language materials, for students can learn the art of language and the art of writing from those best works. Teaching literature in a foreign language class has gained growing attention, for literature can improve learners’ reading and writing skills, as well as their cultural knowledge. Within literature there are all kinds of genres and words from different periods. Since contemporary works are close to learners, they have been more broadly used. However, Shakespeare’s works also have their values in an English as Second Language (ESL) classroom. Shakespeare’s plays consist of a large amount of spontaneous dialogue, which represent real-life communication. Learners will improve their communicative skills. Also, his plays are laden with cultural background. English learners will be able to learn those deeper meanings and be able to connect with pop culture better. Using Shakespearean drama will also reduce students’ anxiety, because drama creates a fun environment for students to express themselves.

Learning Shakespearean drama is beneficial for eliciting authentic, interactive, and fluent language outputs from learners. Language arises from the need to do things with words. Dramatic dialogues represent real-life oral communications. Learning those dialogues will help students develop communicative skills: they learn how to respond to other speakers in a dialogue.

Teaching Shakespeare develops fluency in English learners, because the complex language challenges students to study the texts more intensely; the poetic language also helps students connect deeper with the sounds and rhythm of English. Pickett’s paper “Teaching Shakespeare to ELLs to Develop Fluency” presents a research from “Shakespeare in the Schools” program, where native speakers were taught Shakespeare in a summer school. Findings suggest that the complexity of the themes and language of Shakespeare promoted powerful engagement with the material. Although students were intimidated at first, they then were excited about the intense themes and physical activities. To better understand the puzzle, they spent more time and delved deeper into the texts. Pickett argues that the same can be applied to ESL classes, with proper scaffolding. Besides, Pickett observes that Shakespeare’s poetic language allows learners to have a better sense of the sounds of English and have access to the emotions conveyed through sounds, rhythms, and intonation — the musical components of language. 

Shakespeare’s creativity in language provides an ideal resource and sample that encourage learners to explore and experiment with the language. For advanced-level students, learners not merely understand linguistic rules, they are starting to create innovative words with these rules. Shakespeare is an inventor of language: he creates new words, gives new meanings to existing words, and writes many puns. Since language undergoes constant change, English learners can also join the development of languages.

Teaching Shakespearean will incorporate drama approaches, which have psychological benefits for language learners. Language anxiety has long been a hindrance in language acquisition: learners are anxious to speak and afraid of making mistakes. However, Kao and O’Neill’s research suggests learners show heightened motivation and self-esteem, more confidence, reduced anxiety in public speaking, and potential in communicative strategies.

Language learning and culture are so closely related that cultural knowledge will benefit English proficiency in learners. Bakhtin posits that language is laden with its innate ideologies but is open to multiple possibilities for speakers. Shakespeare provides authentic material that will liberate students from rote memorization that is monotonous and out of context. Instead, his texts have abundant potential for learners to access the cultural knowledge that English speaking communities share, because Shakespeare is not merely canonical work that is studied by English professors and students but has inspired popular culture and shaped English itself.

Other than cultural importance, Shakespearean dramas can make classroom fun, due to the playful elements in them. Cook proposes that language play is important on three interweaving levels: the formal, the semantic, and the pragmatic. On the formal level are rhythm and repetition of the playful language that exists from our childhood throughout human life, in the form of verses, prayers, and songs. On the semantic level it refers to our inclination to use language in fictions and fantasies creating, rather than opaque uses. On the pragmatic level, using language playfully creates solidarity among a community and fosters intimate interaction. Therefore, learning playful language aligns with human’s inclination to creativity and helps learners better interact with the community.

Shakespeare has so much potential and benefits for English learners that educators have endeavored to develop effective strategies to remedy some of the challenges that might occur. Astrid Cheng and Joe Winston adopts Cicely Berry’s methods, who is a voice director at the Royal Shakespeare Company. Cheng and Winston’s approach uses gestures to make the Shakespeare text more accessible to learners. Since gesturing makes words come alive, learners would understand the text when it comes with action. With this pedagogy, students imagine they are in a character’s head. While one group is reading the text aloud, the other group watches them act. Students are recognized as resourceful language users and are encouraged to use their creativity in approaching new knowledge. In the process of acting, watching, and discussing, students will grasp the text.

Ai Chun Yen’s research has shown the effectiveness of pedagogical tools such as thinking tools, concept maps, mind maps, and intertextuality, when Yen taught Shakespeare in an ESL class. Concept Map shows students the connections between characters, visualize the plots, and help them organize their ideas while reading. Mind Map is a visually oriented knowledge management technique, which encourages learners to use key words and images in note-taking, thus boosting their memory, because memory is associative rather than linear. By “Intertextuality” Yen means learners of Shakespeare have their rights to decode the meanings through the text itself as well as other sources. Yen encourages students to draw on personal experiences and extra-linguistic knowledge to understand Shakespeare.  Yen’s classes incorporate elements of actor training, so as to help students understand the lines through thinking and feeling. Students read the texts aloud to dive into the emotions between the lines. Assessment of students’ learning styles and feedback suggest that Yen’s pedagogical model managed to reduce fears and doubts about Shakespeare.

Ellen Marie Kvaale started a three-year Shakespeare project in a primary school ESL classroom, which proved to be highly successful. It focused on performance and collaborative writing to not only improve learners’ comprehensive language skills, but more importantly, spark their interests in English culture and literature. The instructor had students collaboratively rewrite some scenes and produce their own theater performance. The process throughout emphasized the importance of collaboration. Students would read their texts aloud, get feedback from their classmates and revise their articles. They also worked closely with group members to write playscripts and create their performances. Kvaale believed that it is through performance and play that the sounds of poetry and dramatic dialogues were delivered to the students.

These are just some of the successful experiences among many others. While Shakespeare has posted challenges for educators: the complex syntax, the deep thoughts, and the distance from modern readers, these challenges can be combated by effective pedagogical designs. To dismantle the complex syntax, teachers can do exercises of rewording the original texts or abridge the original texts. To better understand the text, teachers can draw on extralinguistic knowledge. While Shakespeare is an author from 400 years ago, his works deal with universal themes such as love, loyalty, sexuality, that are still relevant to us. Overall, the benefits of using Shakespeare outweigh the possible drawbacks of this approach.

Synthesizing theories and previous successful practices, I have developed my course. Compared to existing print books and online resources, my course provides a complete module: from introduction of texts, close reading, to the final task of performance. While many drama approaches focus more on scripted dramas and impromptus dramas, my course explores the possibility of semi-controlled drama, an activity where participants create a performance with the assigned roles and scenarios. This form of drama I believe is proper for advanced language learners. My course also incorporates actor training elements and collaborative writing strategies. Overall, my attempt is to translate the theories to practice and synthesize the best practices in my lesson plans.

On my “lesson plans” page are the syllabus and the main plans. I hope that they will give you inspirations when you are exploring ways to teach Shakespeare or other difficult authors in your classroom. In the “archive” page are pedagogical resources for teaching Shakespeare. I also want to make this website a collaborative space where everyone can contribute their own ideas. So I encourage you to use the “create your own module” webpage and share your thoughts!

Enjoy your journey 🙂

Rebecca

Author