(IJCRSEE) International Journal of Cognitive Research in Science, Engineering and Education Vol. 3, No.2, 2015. REALISATION OF AESTHETIC-COGNITIVE FUNCTION OF THE READINGS IN MACEDONIAN LANGUAGE TEACHING FROM FIRST TO THIRD GRADE MSc Vesna Horvatovikj, Bureau for Development of Education, Republic of Macedonia E-mail: [email protected] Received: October, 22.2015. Revised: December, 01.2015. Accepted: December, 10.2015. Studies and articles UDK 371.3::821.163.3 Abstract. Literary-artistic compositions, first of fun. In the period of the Enlightenment, the all, have an aesthetic function but when the same are term ‘lecture’ was limited to works with a used in the teaching they as well fulfill the cognitive didactic purpose which were used in regular function. The best “angle of view” of one literary-artis- school classes. The works in this period were tic composition in the teaching is through the balanced even written with a purpose, in order to teach, relation of “dolce” and “utile”. The instructiveness of however, the literary criticism relativizes their literary-artistic compositions in the teaching is not ulti- aesthetic value. From today’s perspective, the mate and should not be considered as a task that is to be literary works that are being used as school performed. For the purpose of realization of these basic readings are a selection of “masterpieces” from functions of literary-artistic compositions envisaged in the world literature, which is justified from the the teaching, the main precondition is their appropriate critical and pedagogical point of view. selection pursuant to the age of the reading audience There are different attitudes in regard (the students). to the compulsory study of literary works in Keywords: literary-artistic work, aesthetic and school – such claiming that literature should cognitive function of the literary-artistic work, children’s be solely in the function of didactics, to such literature, developmental psychology. claiming that it is impossible to teach without literature because its nature requires its “lib- 1. INTRODUCTION eration” from the barriers of the school sys- tem. Eichenwald claims that it is impossible, and unnecessary to teach literature at school, “There is a judgment that can be reached because “literature, same as other arts, is not with an emotion, and there is a judgment that mandatory. It is a game and a flourishing of can be reached by reasoning and drawing con- the spirit… Is it good to learn Tatyana’s love clusions. They are not necessarily contradic- for Onegin in a form of lesson, or that Lermon- tory: emotionality can hardly acquire great tov found it boring, sad and impossible to love critical power if it is not subjected to the com- forever?”. These views have been overcome mon, theoretical expression of a larger dimen- from today’s perspective, because they deny sion, and the disaggregated judgment, when it the study of literature by means of an adop- comes to literature, cannot be formed differ- tion of a system of concepts, categories, and ently than on the basis of some emotion, im- generalizations, and reduce literature to “pure mediate or derived” (Velek, Voren, 1985). personal experience”. In the history of literature, the term read- Literary works are a symbiosis of the ing has been interpreted differently depending individual and the general; the aesthetic and on the specific historical-sociological and cul- the cognitive, or as Katica Kjulavkova says tural-artistic context. The word ‘lecture’ origi- in her work “Longing For a System” “every- nates from the French language and it denotes thing cognitive in literature is aesthetically a reading. Primarily it denoted everything that shaped and everything that has shape is cog- included printed materials (books, newspa- nitive. When these two things could be sepa- pers, journals) intended for reading and for rated, then one would not speak of literature” Corresponding Author (Ќулавкова, 1989). MSc Vesna Horvatovikj, Bureau for Development of Children’s literature is in many ways Education, Republic of Macedonia more specific than “literature for adults” be- E-mail: [email protected] cause it is intended for a specific readership www.ijcrsee.com 91 (IJCRSEE) International Journal of Cognitive Research in Science, Engineering and Education Vol. 3, No.2, 2015. to which art and game are psychologically re- by the students for an independent reading lated, so, for this reason, Lev Vygotsky in his and writing, enriching of the vocabulary with work “Art and Life” says that “children can new words, introduction to rules of written apply the right attitude, strange to reality, one and oral expression and speech, as well as the that a fairytale requires, and in this manner articulation of the verbal speech. Educational they can get deep in thought of someone else’s functions are gradually realized by elabora- feats… in the realistic stage of their develop- tion of the literary works offered as readings ment, children lose this ability and it returns from an early school age of the students, be- in some children in subsequent years. For tween 7 and 9 years of age. this particular reason, reading the same work The educational functions of the read- twice, in different periods of time, may have ings in the curricula for the Macedonian lan- significant differences both in emotional and guage in primary school are not separated in cognitive experience. from the other integrative functions. The Hence, when it comes to school reading, study of literary works offered as reading in it is extremely important to make the proper our schools and in other countries, the curri- selection of literary works for the appropri- cula and the programs, as well as the experi- ate age of students (Bognar, Matijević, 1993; ence in teaching, all show that depending on Bognar, Matijević, 2002; Wortham, 2012; E. the theme, the language and the style of the A. C. E. A. Eurydice, and Eurostat, 2014). readings, as well as the motivation of the stu- Inevitably a question arises: whether and dents and the teacher, other teaching integra- to what extent the offered readings in primary tive functions can also be achieved, such as: school in the Republic of Macedonia evoke - to arouse curiosity in students, as well interest among students, to read them and to as emotional experience and thinking about realize the general objective: acquisition of the themes and the motives of the literary competencies for an independent reading and works offered as reading; perception of literary works? - students become familiar with the Therefrom, our subject of interest will genre diversity of the literary creation; be the perception of the appropriateness/inap- - students adopt literary theoretical con- propriateness of the selection of literary works cepts; offered as reading in terms of the aesthetic/ - the attention and the interest in literary- cognitive function and the age of the reader- aesthetic values of literary works are aroused ship, as well as the relatedness with the basic in students; concepts and objectives defined in the curricu- - a foundation is created, and the inter- lum for the Macedonian language. ests in artistic expression and creation are de- Entirely aware that we enter in a field veloped; where the intersection between literature and - reading culture is developed; pedagogy is positioned, our basic objective is - the vocabulary of students is enriched; to consider how we can reach a balance be- - rules for oral and written expression tween the two, in order to encourage the de- are adopted. velopment of knowledge, skills and abilities in However, experience shows that the in- students, which they will apply in their studies dicated functions can be realized if the liter- and lives (Miller, 2008; OECD, 2008; Rich- ary works offered as reading corresponds to ards, 2001). the age and the developmental characteristics of the students. For these reasons, we decided to make an overview of the type of literary 2. MACEDONIAN LANGUAGE works offered as reading in the curricula for FOR PRIMARY SCHOOL AND the Macedonian language in the first period THE TEACHING EXPERIENCE (from first to third grade), as well as an analy- sis of the themes, the style and the language On the basis of the study of the curri- of the literary works offered as readings. The cula for the Macedonian language for primary contributions of this analysis are directed to- school and the teaching experience, the find- wards consideration of the correlations be- ings have been confirmed, that literary works tween the specific objectives, concepts, and offered as reading have been planned in the contents from the curriculum with the literary curricula. These contents not only have an im- works offered as school readings, as well as portant educational function, but also an im- the themes, the style and the language of the portant teaching function. Educational func- literary works with the teaching and other in- tions refer to the acquisition of competencies tegrative functions. Our findings are system- www.ijcrsee.com 92 (IJCRSEE) International Journal of Cognitive Research in Science, Engineering and Education Vol. 3, No.2, 2015. atized and presented according to the age of During the elaboration of these types of prose students in the nine-year primary education and poetry works, the students learn and ini- (first developmental period: from first to third tially master the reading skill, and then they grade). also understand the contents they read, there- by they become literate in regard to the basic determinants of each written text: time, space, 3. MACEDONIAN LANGUAGE character, event, the sequence of events. IN THE FIRST In accordance with what is indicated DEVELOPMENTAL PERIOD above, and pursuant to the curriculum for the subject Macedonian language, in addition to The subject Macedonian language in the adoption of these contents and mastering the first developmental period of the nine- of the mentioned objectives, an elaboration year primary education is being taught in 5 of three, that is, four readings has been stip- lectures per week.