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DOCUMENT RESUME HE 000 346 ED 025 224 24 By-Robertson, Robert T. Literature for AmericanCollege Students.Final Report. A Planned Survey Course inBritish Commonwealth Virginia Polytechnic Inst.,Blacksburg. Washington, D.C. Bureau ofResearch. Spons Agency-Office ofEducation (DHEW), Report No-CRP-S-471 Bureau No- BR-5-8302 Pub Date Mar 68 Contract- OEC-6- 10- 195 Note- 53p. HC-$2.75 EDRS Price MF-$0.25 Literature, *LiteraturePrograms, *LiteratureReviews, Descriptors-*English Literature,*Higher Education, Poetry, Short Stories,Student Participation,Surveys, *Teaching Identifiers-*British CommonwealthLiterature teaching of BritishCommonwealth literatureto American To encourage the designed in whichthe material university students, abroad ranging survey coursewas of literature fromthe 13 countries was wasthematically organized.A great body for an select 147 representativepoemsand short stories scrutinized in order to for students toparticipate inthe anthology. An effectivemethod was devised anthology: a of the literature.In addition tothe new selection and evaluation countries wascompiled and "Handbook" ofbackground materials onthe authors and incorporated into a newpublished college text onWorld both works willbe largely research concentratedmainly Literature in English.The course thatemerged from this countries--Canada, Australia,New Zealand,South Africa--and on theliteratures of 4 literature but a coursein the tended to become_not asurvey coursein British Although the projectcould have been more comparative studyof those literatures. body of writing inEnglish complete. much waslearned about thislarge but neglected teachingtool--thethematicanthologywas and aneffectivestudent-tested anthology selection, The appendicesinclude a preliminary developed and used. outlines, and classthemes, proposed thematicorganization, coursebook lists and tests and exams.(JS) f*- cA10..5'4111 0E-(312 FINAL REPORT Project No. S-471 Contract No. OE-6-10495 A PLANNED SURVEY COURSE IN BRITISHCOMMONWEALTH LITERATURE FOR AMERICAN COLLEGESTUDENTS £0025224 March 1968 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, EDUCATION &WELFARE OFFICE OF EDUCATION THIS DOCUMENT HAS BEEN REPRODUCED EXACTLYAS RECEIVED FROM THE PERSON OR ORGANIZATION ORIGINATING IT.POINTS OF VIEW OR OPINIONS STATED DO NOT NECESSARILY REPRESENT OFFICIAL OFFICEOF EDUCATION POSITION OR POLICY. U. S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, EDUCATION, AND WELFARE Office of Education Bureau of Research Final Report Project No. S-471 Contract No. 0E-6-10-195 A PLANNED SURVEY COURSE INBRITISH COMMONWEALTH LITERATURE FOR AMERICAN COLLEGESTUDENTS Robert T. Robertson Virginia Polytechnic Institute Blacksburg, Virginia March 1968 The research reported hevein was performedpursuant to a contract with the Office of Education, U.S. Departmentof Health, Education, and Welfare. Contractors undertaking such projectsunder Govern- ment sponsorship are encouraged to expressfreely their professional judgment in the conduct of the project. Points of view or opinions stated do not, therefore, necessarilyrepresent official Office of Education position or policy. U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, EDUCATION, AND WELFARE Office of Education Bureau of Research PREFACE in British Common- Planning, teaching andevaluating a survey course of that subject. wealth Literature is of particularinterest to teachers and fewer abroad,but At present these are few innumber in this country contract), they.are increasing (as describedin Appendix A tothe project courses are now especially in secondary schoolswhere the World Literature the Humanities. strongly affected by developmentsin English that stress English Literatures This interest is being promotedby the Conference on teaching of worldliterature of the World (CELW) which exists topromote the about this in English in Americanschools; the membershipof CELW knows research project and has assisted inevaluating itsconclusions. teachers of Although the project is of primeinterest to college school British Commonwealth Literatureand in a modifiedform to secondary teachers of the teachers, it is also interesting toscholars and college The individual literatures which make upBritish CommonwealthLiterature. have encouraged strong interest expressed byCanadians, for instance, may in Canadian univer- the planning and teaching of"Commonwealth Lit." courses known to the sities. When the project began, onlythree such courses were Director; since then seven moresuch courses have beenregularly established the project on theintroduc- in Canadian universities. Since the impact of universities will notbe tion of these courses can nevtrbe estimated those meetings in 1965, named here. But it should be pointed outthat the national Written in English, 1966, and 1967 of what is nowEnglish 12:World Literature Association of America,have been kept a formal Groupin the Modern Language attended by Canadian informed of the progress of theproject, and have been scholar-teachers. scholars and teachersthe To a third and muchlarger group of English raising three large methods and progress of the project maybe of interest in questions: which we depend What principles organizethe teaching anthologies on 1. classes? so much forthe actual daily organizationof our survey (used in the 2. Can we extend the thematicprinciple of organization popularity anthology devised in thisproject) beyond its present anthologies in freshman rhetoric andintroduction-to-literature What are to the survey coursesin English andAmerican literature? the themes of thoseliteratures? and prove to Can we actually test oneanthology against another 3. If we another's satisfaction that oneis superior in theclassroom? commitOes we should could, how many fruitlessdebates in curriculum be able to dodge! is directed to Chap- The attention of scholarsinterested in these questions where it is shown how thethree ter 2, "Methods Used In The Project," psychology, and responsibility greater areas of personaltaste, educational original problem andeffected a to the body ofliterature impinged on the shift in the methodology anddirection of the project. Technical Note: by the shift The project has been alteredfrom its original direction 1966 to March, referred to above and by extendingthe time limit from June, justified in the 1968. These alterations aredescribed and to some extent June, 1967, but Technical Report, February, 1966,and the Interim Report, portions of those since this report surveys thewhole project the relevant is made to the pre- Reports are included in this,and no further reference liminary reports. still continuing Since the project, thoughofficially terminated, is Commonwealth," at VirginiaPoly- in English 309, "Literatureof the British be expected; the technic Institute, further resultsand publications may existence of this Report assistance of the Office ofEducation grant and the will be acknowledged in thosepublications. Acknowledgements: the completion of the pro- The following have bothhelped and hindered suggestions which inlarge ject by taking a livelyinterest in and offering since their suggestions and small detail havecontributed to its success; whole subject of teach- often occurred in informalconversation about the is made to recognizeall ing British CommonwealthLiterature, no attempt that those suggestions individual contributions, butthey may rest assured publication of theanthology not yet used willbe utilised in contemplated to in Chapter4, and the curriculum unit forsecondary schools referred "The Future of World LiteratureCourses." Dr. Wystan Curnow, Universityof Rochester South Wales, Sydney, Dr. Harry Payne Heseltine,University of New Australia Dr. Joseph Jones, Universityof Texas and ComparativeStudies, Dr. John P. Matthews,Institute of Commonwealth Queen's University, Canada Dr. Blair Rouse, Universityof Arkansas Dr. Bruce Sutherland,Pennsylvania StateUniversity Dr. R. E. Watters, RoyalMilitary College, Canada who took English 309in I am especially grateful tothe sixty-two students enthusiasm supported the the Spring Quarters of 1966and 1967, whose in Commonwealth director in his experiment, andwhose continuing interest I especially literature after the classesended has been mostuseful. Terra Incognita thank Miss Linda Staiger, whoundertook to help revise of Books, Strings for trade publication, and Ht.Richard Walters, manager additional texts forthe and Things, who has helped inthe selection of course in 1967 and1968. Robert T. Robertson, March 31, 1968 CONTENTS Preface Summary 1 Chapter One: THE NATURE OF THE PROBLEM 2 Chapter Two: METHODS USED IN THE PROJECT 7 Chapter Three:RESULTS OF THE PROJECT 15 Chapter Four: THE FUTURE OF WORLDLITERATURE COURSES 17 Appendices --- Appendix A Preliminary Anthology Selection 20 Proposed Thematic Organization 23 Consultants' Addenda 31 Appendix B Initial Press Release 33 Dr. Htseltine's Visit 34 NCTE Presentation 35 Appendix C Course book lists,outlines: 1963-5 36 1966 37 1967 38 1968 39 Appendix D Class Themes, Tests, Exams: 1966 40 1967 44 Appendix E Terra Incognita (not bound in the Report) Appendix F Handbook (not bound inthe Report) (iv) SUMMARY significantly the The problem wa8 to presentadequately, equably, and Literature" to a college body of literature known as"British Commonwealth Comparable sophomore class in a one-quarter(ten-week) survey course. for twenty universities have beenoffered in this country courses et reputable and its years but the organizationof the material hasbeen highly selective by country. The presentation piecemeal andgeographical --- i.e. country selected from the problem was resolved by