By: NAILA RASHID Department of English DCW – Phase VIII

WHY TEACH CRITICAL APPRECIATION?

WHAT SHOULD THE STUDENTS KNOW BEFORE ATTEMPTING CA?

THE COMPONENTS OF CA  TYPES OF POEM  TA (Text Analysis) & PARAPHRASING  LITERARY DEVICES / FIGURES OF SPEECH  HOW TO ACTUALLY PLAN AND DRAFT A CA

TYPES OF POEM  Students should be introduced to the types of poems as most of them would not have heard of some or all of the types.  They should have a clear understanding of these types and should be able to identify them independently.  A good anthology can be used to look up various poems as example of the type being discusses/taught.

TEXT ANALYSIS & PARAPHRASING  Advanced English students usually know how to analyze a text at elementary level as well as have an understanding of paraphrasing, but English Elective students should be taught this skill formally.  Practice drills on poems selected from the English Normal and Advanced courses can be easy and useful.

LITERARY DEVICES/ FIGURES OF SPEECH  A clear understanding of the key figures of speech and literary devices must be established.  Dictionary of Literary Terms and Theories may be used as the bible for the Literature class.  Students should be made to understand that all the literary devices & figures of speech need not be mastered. They should not feel overwhelmed with this new knowledge, rather they should learn to see it as the Science of Art.

HOW TO ACTUALLY PLAN AND DRAFT A CA  Once the students clearly grasp all above concepts, they should be taught the drafting of a CA as a piece of writing.  Clarity of concepts and command over the technical aspects would be the key.  The students should be given lots of writing practice with regular feedback about their approach of writing.  A checklist of sorts may also be made for initial ease of reference, until it is internalized and becomes natural.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME & PATIENCE