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issue 47 mar / apr 2014

Why Study
Literature?

Big Idea issn 2010-1031

Teaching and Learning with Stories

The number of students studying Literature has been declining since the
1990s. Literature educators in Singapore are working hard to turn things
around, and to show their students that more than ever, we need literature
in our modern life.
“When I look back, I am so impressed again with the life-giving power of literature.
If I were a young person today, trying to gain a sense of myself in the world, I
would do that again by reading, just as I did when I was young.”

― Maya Angelou, American author and poet

How do the youth of today think of literature? Are they convinced of the “life-giving”
power of literature, or are they perhaps asking, “Of what relevance is Shakespeare
to my daily life?”

In 1992, 16,970 students took Full Literature an O-Level subject in school. Now,
the figure is near 3,000. Many reasons have been offered to explain the decline in Literature is important,
the numbers.
but the way it’s taught,
In 2013, Senior Minister of State for Education and Law Ms Indranee Rajah
explained in Parliament that students now have more subjects to choose from than
that’s also very, very
in the past. Also, many think that it is difficult to score well for Literature. important.
Another reason, suggests Dr Loh Chin Ee, an Assistant Professor at NIE, is that - Loh Chin Ee,
students may not see the relevance of Literature in pragmatically oriented English Language and Literature
Singapore. Academic Group
“It’s better to, say, be doing Science or Math where there’re more practical returns.
Literature is not seen as a necessity,” she says.

But is that really the case? Has Literature nothing left to teach our students, digital
An Institute of
natives who are living in a globalized and hyperconnected world?

In this issue

Citizens of the Literature Festival Literature in the 21st

World Turns 10! Century Supported by
 Not true, says Chin Ee and the other Literature educators we spoke to for this issue.
Online Extras!
By exploring the depth and breadth of the human experience through works of literature,
Read about Chin Ee’s teaching teachers can help students understand themselves and others better in a multicultural and
tip for Literature teachers online. interconnected world.

Jerome Bruner talks about two kinds of thinking. The first is of the “scientific” kind that deals
with logic, facts and evidence. It is also the kind our technology-driven society places a
premium on.

“The other way of thinking is through narratives, through stories. We understand the world
we live in through the stories we hear every day, whether from other people, in the news or in
the books we read,” says Chin Ee.

This narrative approach to thinking is natural to us as human beings, which is why we often
find stories more engaging than hard facts. Through stories, Literature encourages us to
better understand and examine the world we live in.

We understand the Thinking Critically about Stories

world we live in But as a subject, Literature is not just about the story. What’s even more important is how we
think about these stories.
through the stories “We could go into the classroom and introduce these stories, and just say, ‘Oh aren’t these
we hear every stories great?’” says Chin Ee. But to her, good Literature teaching entails more―much more.
day, whether from It’s getting students to expand their thinking.

other people, in Good stories “pull” the readers in so that they become emotionally involved. But students
must then take a step back and critically reflect on what they had read.
the news, or in the Teachers need to ask them questions. What are the possible messages of this story? What
books we read. are the conflicting messages? Where do you stand on this, and why? Is it because of your
- Chin Ee on thinking through own history and background?
narratives and stories Chin Ee gives an example from the short story Mid-autumn by Singapore writer Tan Hwee
Hwee, about a mother who put her daughter through medical studies. The daughter eventually
became a doctor and decided to leave her mother to become a missionary in Zambia.

Most readers would empathize with the mother and her loss because the story was written
from her perspective. But this is where the teacher should come in to remind students to also
think from the daughter’s perspective, as somebody who wants to be independent and help
others in need.

The teacher can go even further to get the students to think about how their own individual
experiences may predispose them to “read” the story in a particular way.

When students read such stories of conflicts and dilemmas and are asked to explain their
stance, they get a chance to work out for themselves what their core values and principles are.

They will also begin to understand others who are different from themselves and learn to
empathize while being critical at the same time.

21st Century Literacies

One defining feature of literature is the The definition of basic literacy has the new demands by including literary
rich and intense language that writers changed over the years. In the earlier texts in assessment tasks.
use to weave their tales. “One of the part of the 20th century, you would be
“It’s a nod to how important it is to
things that the Literature subject does considered literate if you could sign
be able to read rich texts and to
is that it exposes students to very rich your name. It’s a different ball game
understand them,” she says. “In that
texts, and how they can dissect the now, says Chin Ee. “Just think about
sense, literature is very relevant and it
text and look at how things are being blogging―you need to be able to write,
ought to take a greater place in the EL
said,” says Chin Ee. and write well.”
classroom.”
This ability to read and understand The English Language (EL)
complex text cannot be underestimated. curriculum is beginning to adapt to

2 RESEARCHwithinREACH
Teaching Literature
The challenge for Literature educators today is to constantly think of ways to connect the
subject to real-life issues for their students, or risk being seen as teaching a subject of
outdated tales.

One thing that they can do is to be more adventurous about the texts they choose for their
class. It is sometimes tempting to stick to the “safe” choices that we’re familiar with.

“We think students should be exposed to certain texts, say, something by Shakespeare or To
Kill a Mockingbird, which was first published in 1960,” says Chin Ee.

“They’re good books. But I think that at particular times of students’ lives, and given
particular students’ profiles, I might prefer to choose a text that engages them and which is
Useful Resource
also sufficiently rich so that they can delve deeply into it.”
Loh, C. E., Yeo, D., & Liew, W. M.
To become more adventurous in choosing texts, teachers would have to read widely, be it (Eds.). (2013). Teaching Literature
canonical works, young adults’ novels or popular fiction. Chin Ee says, “My big emphasis in Singapore secondary schools.
would be on reading. We don’t read enough when we’re teaching. We’re often too tired to Singapore: Pearson.
read!”

Teachers can in turn encourage their students to read outside of the assigned works. Book
clustering, or suggesting books, both fiction and non-fiction, and movies that are related to Loh Chin Ee is the Guest
the Literature text, is one way to encourage students to get students interested in reading. Editor of this issue. She is
an Assistant Professor with
“Literature is not about reading that one text closely in the classroom. It’s about reading
many texts and being able to analyse books, movies, novels, TV shows and even ads,” the English Language and
explains Chin Ee. Literature Academic Group
in NIE. Formerly a teacher,
Some teachers are also using technology, social media and pedagogical approaches such
she has taught at Raffles
as Socratic questioning to change how Literature is being taught in schools.
Girls’ Secondary School,
For example, teachers in Crescent Girls’ School encouraged their students to use interactive Anglo-Chinese School
digital media tools such as online forums and blogs for Literature and other subjects. (Read (Independent) and Yishun
more about strategies that Literature teachers are using in the book Teaching Literature in Town Secondary School.
Singapore Secondary Schools.) Her research interests are
As Chin Ee puts it, “Literature is important, but the way it’s taught, that’s also very, very in Literature curriculum and
important.” And the work that teachers do today will ensure that Literature will continue to instruction, reading and
inspire our students of today and tomorrow to find their place in the world. teacher education.

Research
Citizens of the World
How can Literature education continue to remain relevant in our time? For one
Literature teacher educator, the answer lies in how we can harness it to teach our
students to care about what’s happening in the world today.
Literature students in Singapore are trained to know the studied literary text inside out. Want
to test this out? Randomly pick a passage from the text and show it to them. A good student
would likely be able to tell you what it’s all about and dissect for you the plot, and analyse its
characters and their motivations.
This is because our Literature curriculum encourages students to read “deeply” into a work.
This emphasis on depth is important, says Dr Suzanne Choo from the English Language
and Literature Academic Group in NIE. It is not just about reading a book, but critically
appreciating how it has been constructed.
While Literature education has been very effective in inculcating such skills in students,
perhaps it can offer even more. Through its connection to cosmopolitanism, Literature can
educate students to be responsible citizens of the world.
Cosmopolitanism: Rooted in Responsibility Suzanne believes that Literature
Decades of rapid globalization have led to increased movements of people and goods will always be relevant in
around the world, and there have been concerns about the effects of consumerism and our lives

singte a c h . n i e . e d u . s g 3
 immigration. As Suzanne describes it, interest in cosmopolitanism by
academics may be seen as an ethical response to such effects.

Students who have a cosmopolitan outlook may more readily empathize

with others, even those who are physically or culturally distant. They may
feel a greater sense of shared responsibility towards what is happening to
their fellow global citizens.

As consumers, when shopping for a smartphone, for example, students

may pause and consider how much factory workers in a developing
country are being paid to produce such phones, and whether they are
being treated fairly.

When students read in the news about a bombing that has taken place in
a neighbouring country, they may be concerned about how lives are lost
or affected through such acts of violence.

The Internet has made it possible for students to know in an instant what
is going on in the world today, but Literature has the potential to make
them care.

Empathy for Others

What is it about Literature that lends itself to cultivating a sense of
empathy in students?

The literary text “Empathy requires you to look at things from someone else’s perspective. Literature often
zooms in on individual lives as opposed to examining abstract ideas or information,” explains
should be seen as Suzanne. Literature cultivates a concern about the lives and experiences of other people.

an entry point to Also, a good work of Literature doesn’t tell the reader what to think. “It invites you to watch

the world. and listen to the ways lives unfold in particular cultural contexts,” describes Suzanne.

- Suzanne Choo, “At the same time, the literary text does not tell you how to judge the other. Rather, it
presents room for interpretation to allow the reader to participate in its world.”
English Language and
Literature Academic Group The “openess” of literary language leaves room for students to interpret, dialogue among
themselves and construct meaning from the text.

Making Interconnections
Something Literature teachers can do is to help students make connections between the
literary text they are studying and other texts. This will help students see how the key
concepts and ideas they learn in the Literature classroom play out in other cultures and
contexts.

As Suzanne explains, “The literary text should be seen as an entry point to the world.”
Teachers can highlight to students particular moments in their Literature text that can be
complemented and disrupted by texts from different cultures. These can include non-fiction
texts such as documentaries, memoirs and news articles.

Teachers can encourage students to:

• read against the text by critically evaluating its aesthetic construction and the ideological
values tied to this;
• read across texts by thinking about how a text connects to networks of literary texts in the
world; and
• read around the text by tracing how its ideas connect historically with other literary and
non-literary sources.

Rethinking Literature Education

The number of students taking up Literature as a subject at the upper secondary level has
declined in recent years. Some see it as a cause for concern. But to Suzanne, it is also an
opportunity for educators to rethink the Literature curriculum.
Online Extras! She thinks that literary texts currently taught in Singapore classrooms often deal with themes
such as colonialism, apartheid and American race relations.
Read about examples of
Suzanne often challenges her teachers to think about this: How can our Literature curriculum
cosmopolitan pedagogies online.
connect more closely to what is happening in our world today? For example, what do the

4 RESEARCHwithinREACH
literary texts have to say about terrorism, immigration, human rights, human trafficking,
global warming and the effects of transnational corporations? Suzanne Choo is Assistant
Professor with the English
A cosmopolitan Literature curriculum that emphasizes deeper empathetic understanding Language and Literature
of other cultures will help to foster “hospitable imagination”, in which one responds out of
Academic Group in NIE.
ethical responsibility towards others different from oneself.
She is interested in issues
A hospitable imagination is becoming increasingly important in Singapore, says Suzanne, related to education for
because we need to learn how to work, live and study alongside immigrants and foreigners. global and cosmopolitan
“If I’m communicating with someone from another culture, I cannot just communicate citizenship, particularly
intellectually. I need to have particular dispositions, such as openness to learn from and not in relation to Literature
just tolerate someone from a different race or culture, as well as the capacity to negotiate education. Recently, she
and appreciate ambiguity,” she points out. published the book Reading
Literature education plays a vital role in preparing our students for the globalized world. It
the World, Globe, and the
opens up space in the classroom for our students to think deeply about not just the stories Cosmos: Approaches to
they read, but also essential questions about what it means to be a human being and to Teaching Literature for the
relate to the others in our interconnected age. Twenty-first Century.

Classroom
Literature Festival Turns 10!
The teacher organizers share with us stories of how their students both learned and
had fun at the festival that celebrates all things Literature.
Students from Chestnut Drive Secondary School
attended the Literature Festival for the first time
last year. And it certainly won’t be their last.

“They didn’t know Literature could be so fun!”

shares their teacher Ms Michelle Lim. “And
they’ve been asking me when they can start
preparing for this year’s festival.”

A record number of 82 schools took part in the

festival held at Dunman High School last year,
compared to just 30 when it first started in 2005.

In the face of a decline in the number of

students taking N- and O-Level Literature, the
festival organizers find such enthusiasm very
promising, because their “mission statement”
has always been to keep the flame alive for
Literature.

“It’s always been about enthusing students in

what Literature is and is about,” says the festival
founder, Dr Suzanne Choo from NIE. Suzanne Choo (far right) and the team of teachers
Learning Beyond the Classroom organizing the Literature Festival

Mrs Rupa Beng Choo, a Literature teacher at Crescent Girls’ School, explains that the
Literature Festival aims to bring learning beyond the classroom. Every activity is an
opportunity for students to apply what they have learned during their lessons.

“It’s like bringing what they learned in class alive,” she notes. “It’s one way of making
learning of Literature exciting!”

For example, students from different schools pitted their knowledge of a literary text against
each other in the set-text debate. They not only had to argue for their own stance, but also
question their opponents in the rebuttal rounds.

“It gives the students the ability to not only criticize each other but summarize and reiterate
for themselves what they have learned,” notes Ms Chong See Hwei from Paya Lebar
Methodist Girls’ School (Secondary).

singte a c h . n i e . e d u . s g 5
 The same goes for the book parade, where students promoted the texts they were studying
to their peers from other schools. “It’s another avenue to allow students to express what they
know about the text in whatever way they want to put it, be it a poster, using Information
Technology or other artefacts. They can even come dressed up as the characters,” Beng
Choo explains.

Michelle shares how her students were very worried that they would embarrass themselves
because they didn’t spend much on props for the parade. “But they did well!” she says.
“Upon reflecting, they realized, ‘Literature is like that―we don’t need the fancy stuff!’ It’s
about what you interpret from the text.”

Learning from One Another

Students who took part in the festival gained a deeper appreciation of Literature. But even
more valuable is their experience of interacting and competing with peers from other schools.

The students of Ms Maria Vanderstraaten from River Valley High School first attended a 3-hour
workshop on how to write a poem, and then presented their own compositions at the festival.

“We had students who performed in front of total strangers for the very first time in their
whole lives,” shares Maria. “At first, they felt very jittery but in the end, they emerged more
confident than I had ever seen them.”

Beng Choo agrees and recalls how students from Queenstown Secondary School debated
against her students last year and won. “You should’ve seen their thrill and excitement! I
think they did a wonderful job. So if you ask me, that kind of encouragement is sometimes
better than getting 80 marks in a test.”
Useful Resource For those students who did not win, all is not lost. Ms Grace Kanai from Greenridge Secondary
More information about the School shares that her students lost a debate last year, but not their spirit of learning.
Literature Festival can be found at
“They were still enthusiastic, and said they knew why they lost,” she recalls. “They said
http://nationalschoolslitfest
it wasn’t because they didn’t have the content knowledge. It was because they were not
.wikispaces.com
articulate in presenting their arguments, but they would work on it. They were really taken
away by the insights of the opposing team.”

Suzanne Choo is an A Literature Identity

Assistant Professor with Ms Junaidah Abdul Wahab from Nan Hua High School agrees, and thinks it is because the
the English Language and festival provides a safe, informal environment for them, away from grades and pressures.
Literature Academic Group
“Even if they lose, they’ll feel bitter for an hour, and then they’re OK because it’s fun.” she
at NIE. Grace Kanai is
explains. “Also, they made friends with other students from other schools and teased them: ‘I
a teacher at Greenridge have lesson notes that you don’t have!’”
Secondary School. She
has been teaching for 2 And through such friendships and interactions, some students start to feel a sense of belonging.
years. Rupa Beng Choo Junaidah notes that there are very few Literature classes in her school. Because of that, her
is a teacher at Crescent students feel like they are a minority group in the school.
Girls’ School. She has
“When they went to the festival and realized they were not alone, some of them told me,
been teaching for 30 years. ‘Teacher, we finally see people like us!’” she says.
Junaidah Abdul Wahab
is a teacher at Nan Hua “The best part is when they come back to school and instead of feeling different, they feel
High School. She has been proud of themselves. They announced to their peers that they had fun learning. They now
have a Literature identity.”
teaching for 12 years.
Michelle Lim is a teacher at Keeping the Flame Alive
Chestnut Drive Secondary This year will see the Literature Festival celebrating its 10th anniversary, and the organizing
School. She has been committee hopes more teachers will join their ranks.
teaching for 2 years. Maria
Vanderstraaten is a teacher “The festival is purely teacher-run and dependent on volunteers,” says Suzanne. “Every year,
we’ve more enthusiastic teachers who volunteer to serve out of passion. It’s very encouraging!”
at River Valley High. She
has been teaching for 12 However, she notes that they are always looking out for more schools to offer to host the
years. Chong See Hwei festival, and for more Literature teachers to serve as judges.
is a teacher at Paya Lebar Suzanne’s wish is for all Literature educators in Singapore to see the Literature Festival as
Methodist Girls’ School their “project”. In the meantime, this group of committed educators continues to keep the
(Secondary). She has been flame alive by working together to make the festival bigger and better. And if they had their
teaching for 3 years. way, Literature will never become a “sunset subject” in Singapore schools.

6 RESEARCHwithinREACH
People
Literature in the 21st Century
Why do we study Literature? Educators and past and present students of Literature
tell us what the subject means to them and how it can continue to enrich the lives of
students in the 21st century.
Literature seems to be a subject that both befuddles and captivates students. There
are usually no “right” or “best” answers. But at the same time, some students credit it
for inspiring them and opening up their minds to new worlds and perspectives.

We ask several educators and students of Literature, including Professor Tommy Koh,
Singapore’s Ambassador-At-Large, to share with us their personal experiences with
Literature and why it remains relevant to students to this day.

Q: What do you think is the value of Literature and Literature education in the
21st century?
Professor Tommy Koh, Singapore’s Ambassador-At-Large at the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs, Rector of Tembusu College, Special Adviser of the Institute
of Policy Studies, and Chairman of the Centre for International Law,
National University of Singapore. Reading is a
One of the subjects I studied for my O-Level examinations in 1955 was English Literature. joyful, educational
Fifty-nine years later, I consider the study of Literature one of the best investments I have
made. Why?
and liberating
First, through Literature, I acquired a love of books and the joy of reading. Reading is a
experience.
joyful, educational and liberating experience. You are transported from your circumstances - Professor Tommy Koh,
into another world, another time and another civilization. Reading is the key that unlocks the Ambassador-At-Large,
door to the treasury of the world. Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Second, reading literature helps you to think clearly, write clearly and speak
clearly. Clarity of thought and expression is a virtue which should be cultivated.

Third, reading literature gives one a better understanding of human nature and
the complexity of the human condition. It makes one less judgemental and more
sympathetic. Literature can also be more insightful than non-fiction. For example,
I find Aravind Adiga’s novel, The White Tiger, very informative about the dark
side of contemporary India. In the same way, I find the Chinese novelist Yu Hua’s
book, China in Ten Words, a brilliant commentary on contemporary China.

Mr Jeffrey Low, Principal, Bedok View Secondary School

Whenever I teach Literature to a new class, I usually start by asking them why
we study Literature. The answers from students can range from the comically
obvious to the vaguely profound: from “because it is on the timetable” to “it
teaches us about the human condition”.
To me, above all
Often, there are the utilitarian values placed on Literature. It helps develop students’ critical
thinking skills in the quest for the ubiquitous 21st century competencies. Linguistically, it that, Literature
gives students the opportunity to analyse and appreciate good language use by highly education is
regarded wordsmiths. It helps students gain a better understanding of the societies which
produce the literature to foster greater empathy for others. about teaching
To me, above all that, Literature education is about teaching young people to appreciate young people to
what it means to be human. It is about what it means to care for someone or something and appreciate what
what it means if we lose it. It is asking what is important to us as a person as we relate to the
world around us. Through the novel, the poem, the short story, the dramatic text, we explore
it means to be
with students different contexts which all deal with what it means to live and to live well. human.
Davyd Tan, a Secondary 4 student who is studying O-Level Literature as a private - Jeffrey Low,
candidate Bedok View Secondary School
Many students who struggle with Literature often ask these questions: “Why do we need to
study Literature? How is it important for us?”

singte a c h . n i e . e d u . s g 7
Literature teaches Has literature finally fallen out of favour since the dawn of the 21st century? After millennia
of growing, thriving and adapting, will it finally die out, succumbing to the new interests of the
us humanity― current generation?

to be sensitive When I was first introduced to Literature in Secondary 1, I had problems engaging with the

and empathetic subject. My grades were either borderline passes or fails. But as time went by, I learned
to appreciate what I read and respond appropriately to different works. My interest in the
towards others. subject has grown so much that I am now taking Literature as an O-Level subject on my own.
- Davyd Tan, Although many people today may not have as much interest in reading literature, preferring
Secondary 4 student to engage in new forms of entertainment such as computer games, I believe that literature
remains relevant to all of us. It teaches us about life by exposing us to the lives of different
people through their stories, and from these vicarious experiences, we learn important
lessons and values.

Literature teaches us humanity―to be sensitive and empathetic towards others. It also

provides us an outlet for our thoughts and emotions and imagination. All these can help
address the problems that our world is facing now, such as increasing intolerance and stress
in life. Above all, Literature teaches us language and the power of communication, a skill we
cannot do without in the 21st century.

To me, Literature is Mrs Deborah Tan, Davyd’s mother

about good writing. To me, Literature is about good writing. Literature education teaches one to appreciate
various forms of writing and hopefully, trains one to write well. In the 21st century, forms of
- Deborah Tan, communication have multiplied, making the written word all the more important. After all, we
Davyd’s mother all message, email, blog, post on social media in our daily lives. Hence, the ability to write
well and also to appreciate good writing by others can only enhance our experiences.

My father was a journalist and this has probably shaped my attitude towards the art of
writing. Naturally, I am very happy to see that my son enjoys reading and writing from a
young age.

He is studying Literature on his own as the school timetable was unable to accommodate the
subject combination that he wanted, but he could approach the Literature teacher outside of
curriculum time for notes and assignments, and sit for the school examinations.

I am glad that he has the chance to read Literature as I believe that it is a subject that opens
the mind and the heart, which is so relevant to the global society of today.

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SingTeach is an e-magazine of the National Institute of Education,
Nanyang Technological University, Singapore

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