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Cross Cultural Communication Through Literature: an Analysis Of DOCUMENT RESUME ED 127 794 FL 007 886 AUTHOR Jameson, Gloria TITLE Cross Cultural Communication through Literature: An Analysis of the Response of Foreign Students to "An Introduction to English Literature," a University General Education Course. CATESOL Occasional Papers, No. 1. INSTITUTION California Association of Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages. PUB DATE 74 NOTE 16p.; For related documents, see FL 007 882-888 EDRS PRICE MF-$0.83 HC-$1.67 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS College Curriculum; *Course Evaluation; *Cultural Awareness; Cultural Education; *English (Second Language) ; Foreign Students; Higher Education; *Language Instruction; Language Skills; Literature; *Literature Appreciation; Modern Language Curriculum; Poetry; Reading Materials; Second Language Learning; Short Stories; Teaching Methods ABSTRACT This paper describes the use of literature in an English as a second language course, and the response of foreign students to such a procedure. The responses of 113 students from 20 different countries, speaking twenty-four languages, vere compared with those of thirty-five American students having English as their first language. The course consisted of readings in poetry, drama, and short stories, accompanied by discussion and written analyses. Reading selections were from the recent past, so that they would be modern in language and content and related to current life, and yet far enough removed to be seen as a pattern and examined as such. Both multiple choice tests and essays vere used for evaluation purposes. Tapes and films vere also used to supplement instruction. It vas found that students enjoyed the course and felt stimulated to read more. Students suggested having more discussion and student participation in the choice of test materials. Test scores indicated that reasoning and writing in English were the most difficult tasks encountered by non-native speakers. Scores also pointed to the relative importance of a given literary form in a given culture. (CLK) *********************************************************************** Documents acquired by ERIC include many informal unpublished * materials not available from other sources. ERIC makes every effort * * I"' obtain the best copy available. Nevertheless, items of marginal * * -e Toducibility are often encountered and this affects the quality * * 'the microfiche and hardcopy reproductions ERIC makes available * * via the ERIC Document Reproduction Service (EDRS). EDRS is not * responsible for the quality of the original document. Reproductions * * supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original. *********************************************************************** U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH. EDUCATION & WELFARE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION THIS DOCUMENT HAS BEEN REPRO- DUCED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED FROM THE PERSON OR ORGANIZATION ORIGIN- C7N -53 ATING IT POINTS OF VIEW OR OPINIONS STATED DO NOT NECESSARILY REPRE- SENT OFFICIAL NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION POSITION OR POLICY C\JI r-4 CROSS CULTURAL COMMUNICATION THROUGH LITERATURE An Analysis of the Response of Foreign Students to "An Introduction to English Literature," a University General 11-1 Education Course Gloria Jameson California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo In his essay "Literature in LanguageTeaching,"1 Archibald Hill examines the tradition which gives the study of literature animportant place in the language classroom and discusses ways of implementing this study in our rapidly changing world. He presents the content of literature as that part of the culture which its people wish to preserve. What language says is termed an anthropoligical descri2tion. How the language is used, the way in which literature sets it off from ordinarytalk--its form--is termed a linguistic description. The foreign student response analyzed in this paper reflects both areas. The study used an introductory course in American and English literature to evaluate the response of 113foreign students, repre- senting twenty countries and speaking twenty-fourlanguages, and compare it with the response of 35 American students whospoke English 3S their first language.2The tests measured both specific informationand the understand- (\ ing of concepts, following the presentationof poetry, drama, and two groups of short stories. An ESL/EFL section of this generaleducation ceurse has been taught by the author for six years. The course is listed as a degree requirement in general education by a numberof departments in the University. Classes meet three hours a week for a quarterof 12 weeks. Student enroll- ment averages 25-25i in this section. A few American students choose this - section, and some foreign students selectsections planned for native English LL_ speakers. The four classroom tests were used as partof a continuing effort to improve class presentations andthe students' learning experience. For many people "literature is aboveall a source of pleasure, of indi- vidual hope, and therefore newenergy."3 Pleasure, hope and energy are greatly needed by the foreign studentstruggling to acquire information and understanding that the majority of hisassociates seem to possess inately "sense of fact" and use to their advantage. This source of energy and the that T. S. Eliot viewed as the essenceof criticism,4 can be madeavailable only when real to those studying literaturein a second or third language for some stu- communication takes place. When this happens, as it seems to the dents each quarter, the instructorfacilitating the experience shares feeling of delight and renewal. renewal, of The attempt to facilitate thiscommunication of pleasure, of using the the "sense of fact" has been madein a state polytechnic university short session, twenty-five lec- quarter system. It provides an introductory The dominant language back- ture and four testing periodsof fifty minutes. Chinese grounds of the foreign studentselecting the ESL/EFL sectiun are (Iran). (Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore), Urdu(West Pakistan), and Farsi 2 An average of 25 students,usually men between the ages of 20-35, com- few pleted the literature class each quarter.One or two young women and a European students were enrolled each year.Most students entered the sophomore level. class as seniors, although it islisted in the catalog at the because they Many postpone taking the courseuntil their graduating quarter literature feel unable to maintain anacceptable grade point average in a trans- course in a second or thirdlanguage. A large number of students are col- fers who completed their firGt two yearsof work in a community junior These students had usually taken noEnglish on campus (where special lege. composition sections of freshman ccimpositionand technical writing/advanced fields for the previous are offered), nor any coursesout of their technical of freshman English islisted as a two years. Two quarters or one semester prerequisite for studentsenrolling in the literature course. of English skill, Because of the Offeringlanguage backgrounds and levels in English during the the instructor usuallyadministered a test for fluency The university admissionpolicy accepts an entering first class period. English as a Foreign foreign student whose scoreis 500 on TOEFL (Test of Test of English LanguageProficiency.6Class Language) or 85 on the Michigan produced a number administration of the shortMichigan Test, Form A, however, of scores below 85. and achieve in Students in the class feltthe need to communicate compete for grades with English since they were requiredto live, work, and communicate in English success- American students. For many the ability to advancement. In the first fully would continue toparallel their vocational of English literature totheir life and voca- class periods the relationship Yet, since under- tional goals seemed remote tothe majority of students. English were importantfor the achievement of standing and communicating in personal freedom, cultural these goals, they were ready toquestion ideas of racism, political systems,War, poverty, affluence, heritage, national goals, their reading materials. and the individual's needs asthese were reflected in in super markets anddrug Pocket books similar tothose easily available texts, with a paperbackguide to literarystudy.7 stores were selected as had a wide range used copies werepurchased, the student For $5, or less if Additional poems and American and Englishliterature. of reading material in In pre- four tests, wereduplicated for class use. other information, and the the values, the students theinstructor emphasized senting the material to since the time of life the westernEuropeans had developed ideas, and ways of the dominant settlers, ancient Greece and h..:,nded onin the United States as drama, and short storiesreflected this cultural and the way English poetry, in studied were taken fromthe recent past--modern heritage. The selections life--yet far enoughremoved to language and content andrelated to current be seen as a patternand examined. since it was theoral language The course began withpoetry in 1970-1971, rhythm, in order to beremembered and and culture of apeople given pattern, comments,8 Archibald MacLeish's'Ars Poetica,'9 handed on. Richard Eberhart's 'Poetry,'10 were used in the firstdiscussion; later, and Marianne Moore's Kilmer's 'Trees'll was used as a Hill's analysis of thepopularity of Joyce 3 -55- reflection of American cultural and moral values. Four of the five sections of Niebling's A Journey of Poems, and some class experimentation
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