Describes the way one English teacher used a variety of stories to introduce students to the conventions of narrative fiction, with specific attention paid to the problem of the unreliable narrator. Claims that teaching the truth of fiction depends upon a clear appraisal of the story's narrator. (HB)

Postcolonial African, Indian, and West Indian literature, written in varieties of English that reflect individual cultures, is a rich source of material for teaching about diversity in college courses. Careful selection of texts and attention to their placement in the course are important to their successful use. (MSE)

Suggests that, in countries where a particular nonnative variety of English is spoken, literary works used in English language teaching should be of this variety. It is argued that the integrative goal in language teaching, involving enhancement of sociocultural awareness, self-identity, and local community communicative competence, is more easily…

Issues related to teaching for communicative competence in a second language are discussed: the implications of accepting a nonnative "accommodation" variety of English as a model for teaching and learning; important shifts in thinking among second language speakers; the effects of nationalism and national language development on second…

The structure of English departments in Nigerian universities is outlined, the English curricula of seven institutions are examined, and problems associated with English instruction in Nigeria are discussed. Nigeria is in a crisis in English teaching, with a shortage of professional language teachers, phonologists, and phoneticians, inadequate…

Rebecca Caudill, born in 1899 in Poor Fork (now Cumberland), Kentucky, lived until 1985 and devoted a major portion of her life to writing young adult and children's literature. With one exception, Caudill's books, numbering 17, are all set in Appalachia, each one portraying something of the life, the milieu, and the richness of the mountain…

Quotations from a variety of literature are used to illustrate the perspective that English instruction, as part of the humanities curriculum, has an essential place in the college curriculum and is indeed relevant to modern higher education. (MSE)

A teacher of Black American literature may be overwhelmed by the amount of material that should be covered. Black American literature has origins in African, European, American Indian, and Black American features. Students should be able to read works of Black American literature that show how other people feel. A complete course can give students…

The multitext approach to the teaching of English allows for more teacher control over course content, greater variety in subject matter, easier provision for individual differences, and less financial expenditure. (DD)

The English spoken in India is too close to standard English to be characterized as a separate variety. Although phonological variations give English in India some regional flavors, they do not have any structural or semantic base and do not constitute a new language. Cultural differences have not caused English-language literature written in…

Describes the way one teacher utilizes a variety of language games by which the power of language is analyzed and fostered among students of English. Describes methods for engaging students in language games. Argues that games, to be effective, must give students a chance at success. (HB)

The current national focus on critical thinking is unnecessarily narrow in its scope, and this mitigates against essential changes being made in the thinking and reasoning activities experienced by students. Two shortcomings, however, restrict the possibilities for change: the first results from taking a generic (versus discipline-based) view of…

Discusses a fundamental desire of many literature teachers: "teaching out," meaning the hope of imparting to students the fact that words and forms and images have a peculiar power to explain and move. Describes a variety of possible ways by which English teachers might succeed at "teaching out," including community education…

High school students in vocational education programs can be challenged in their English classes with more than a basic diet of programmed instruction, worksheets, and tests. In between the drill and the practice required to strengthen communication skills there should be activities designed to motivate and encourage students to think beyond their…

This book challenges current paradigms of literature instruction by making a strong case for teaching critical theory in high school literature classrooms. The book urges teachers to expand their theoretical repertoires. It argues for the importance of multiple perspectives in enabling students to better read and interpret literature, as well as…