ENG 499c teaching

English education is not limited to literature. The Commonwealth’s content area standards–specifically those for reading and writing–encompass the “language arts,” and the National Council for Teachers of English (NCTE) clearly defines English educators as literacy experts.

So it stands to reason that English ed students would benefit from grammar exercises and guides for teaching writing (not unlike the compositional advice offered by our very own Dr. Deanna Mascle).

So why is this section focused on teaching literature?

Well, the “English” portion of the English education degree at Morehead State is primarily literature, and this literature focus is what unites the area with the major. Focusing on literature in a capstone that combines students from the area and the major highlights the curricular confluence that all but guarantees a common CIP code. But it is important to note that there is a reason for this confluence. Literature is the common thread in English and English ed because it provides the necessary focal point for the sustained and advanced study of reading and writing.

Reading and writing, of course, are not coterminous with creative texts, but English educators tend to focus on such texts because the texts offer some of the greatest reading challenges (and rewards). True literacy experts don’t just know basic grammar, or how to get students to grasp lower-level works; these experts have to be advanced readers themselves who are able to teach complex texts.

Consider one of the most common reading assignments in high school English classes–a Shakespeare play. Shakespeare isn’t just read because his work is beautiful (although there is that), or because he offers concrete and practical advice for action (even though English teachers can’t resist teaching the seemingly age-appropriate Romeo and Juliet to high school freshmen). He is read because his plays contain a rich vocabulary, elaborate organizational structures (complemented by an intricate style), and a range of implicit and explicit meanings. Students who are able to decode the Bard are able to read and process a wide variety of demanding texts (creative as well as non-creative) and focus on formal elements of writing in a way that should allow them to critically analyze their own work.

Students who are able to really read (and understand) complex texts are better writers because they have the wherewithal (and critical tools) to focus on form and function while they express their chosen content.

This is all no doubt old hat to English ed folks, so why is it here on this 499c page, explained in detail? Because the broad overview highlights the “transferrable skills” that every English graduate will need to demonstrate in his/her job. And the expression of this connection gives non-teaching majors a way to set themselves apart from other applicants who might have fair writing skills. A good English graduate can do far more than produce a passable text, s/he can properly process a complex text, and this advanced reading ability is actually a valuable skill in and of itself.

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So, long justification long, why is every student (area as well as major) reading the complex texts of Euripides and Shakespeare and producing study guides in 499c? Because everyone can benefit from practicing good reading skills, and this specific work will be of practical benefit to our English ed folks.

Admittedly, there are no end of study aids for Shakespeare, and there are a fair range of guides that help modern students understand ancient Greek plays. Most of these materials, though, provide broad overviews of history and a smidgen of genre and then work by “translating” the literature itself. Now we know Euripides has to be translated into English for us (because we don’t read ancient Greek), but there’s no reason English majors need the works of Shakespeare, a gifted author writing in modern English, to be translated for them.

What’s often lost in the (understandable) zeal to get students to “enjoy” older text are the particulars that make those works important–the formal elements that provide such power to the creative expressions. There were plenty of tales of star-crossed lovers that predated Romeo and Juliet (Ovid wrote of Pyramus and Thisbe centuries before Shakespeare penned his play). We focus on Shakespeare’s iteration, though, and use his dramatic title as a shorthand for the story arc, because of his specific language use. If the language is lost, so is the need to highlight this particular iteration of story. Similarly, the dramatic structure of Euripides’ play is essential for understanding the characterization of the “timeless” characters in The Bacchae.

Literary language and structure matter. And your study guides will recognize that importance by prioritizing what truly matters.

And to circle back to the vocational emphasis of this course: if we can comprehend (and explain) the literary complexity of Euripides and Shakespeare, then we will have no problem processing the relatively simple generic categories of cover letters or choosing which resume style best suits our professional needs!