What should a reading heritage be for pupils in 2015?

"The literary heritage

Ideas about English change over time, but two themes endure. One of these is about a ‘heritage’ of literary texts that no pupil should leave school without reading. We want to consider what ‘heritage’ means in our multi-ethnic, multicultural society and in a context where the boundaries between literary and non-literary texts are increasingly blurred in both print and electronic media. What should a reading heritage be for pupils in 2015?"

Any thoughts on the last question in that paragraph?

The same as now?

The first rookie teacher made the mistake of giving the class a choice of whatever novel they wanted. That did not work for a number of reasons. I eventually chose: The No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith.

The replacement teacher virtually accused me of cheating. When he looked up book review, the review was very similar to what I had written.

I had noticed during the first teacher’s class, when people in the class were asked about their comprehension of a piece of literature, that, often people’s comprehension was very similar, or wildly different depending on whether they understood it or not. So I was not surprised that the book review was similar to what I had written. I took it as a complement. However, the teacher seemed to suspect foul play.

The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera (film) was considered pornographic!

NOT POLITICALLY CORRECT!

Determining what is considered literature and what is considered merely fiction is not black and white. The more popular a work is, the more awards that work receives, the higher the praise from Oprah, the more likely it will end up in the literature shelving.

If you want a definitive list, here is one I found: http://als.lib.wi.us/Collegebound.html. Does not necessarily list every piece of literature, but is fairly extensive.

<The same as now?>

Are they enough in a multi-ethnic, multicultural society?

Did you mean? http://als.lib.wi.us/Collegebound.html

(Without the full stop - period)


World Literature

Golding, William
Lord of the Flies
English schoolboys marooned on an uninhabited island test the values of civilization when they attempt to set up a society of their own.

Grass, Gunter
The Tin Drum
Oskar describes the amoral conditions through which he has lived in Germany, both during and after the Hitler regime.

Hardy, Thomas
Tess of the D'Urbervilles
The happiness of Tess and her husband is destroyed when she confesses that she bore a child as the result of a forced sexual relationship with her employer's son.

Biography/History

Cooke, Alistair
Alistair Cooke's America
A history of the continent, with anecdotes and insight into what makes America work.


TOO MUCH INFORMATION!

What have you read recently that has made an impression on you?

Do you think it could be a literary classic in 2015?

We studied "The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie" Penguin Modern Classics
by Muriel Spark, which is an impressive novel and was made into a film.

The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie Trailer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmNQVo1qpD8




The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie. Maggie Smith. PART 1.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ksetfly1pZs

The Tin Drum

by Gunter Grass

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eW03z829Jhg&feature=related



You will never eat jellied eels again!

<<
Are they enough in a multi-ethnic, multicultural society? >>


What is this multicultural nonsense? Are you talking about the USA or what? The USA has always been multicultural, so why would you change things now? Are you from Europe? Europe has always been multicultural so why change things now?

Yes, thanks, Robin Michael. It should not have added the period to the web link.

<What is this multicultural nonsense? Are you talking about the USA or what? >

What is the general reading list in an American secondary school literature class?

You can only read so much at school, so clearly you are going to pick English language cannon and influential writers in the history of the country you're in.

<<you are going to pick English language cannon and influential writers in the history of the country you're in. >>

Sorry but who is the "you" you speak of there?

If you open this link

http://als.lib.wi.us/Collegebound.html

you will find a "College Reading List".

"College Bound": for students going on to college from school.



The reading list is divided into several sections. The first section is American Literature. The second section; World Literature includes famous British authors as well as authors from other countries. So, my guess is, this list was draw up by an American organisation.

If you start reading the list without first noticing the headings, the lists do seem rather extraordinary.

Multiculturalism

A good example of multicultural Britain is:

"Brick Lane" by Monica Ali

www.guardian.co.uk/books/2003/jun/14/featuresreviews.guardianreview20 - 96k -

Which is not on this list drawn up by an American organisation.

When I was in London over Easter, we visited Brick Lane, ate a curry and we were given Betel or Paan to eat after the meal. You will be pleased to hear that your intrepid hero did not partake.

Another aspect of multiculturalism is cultural misunderstanding and conflict. "A passage to India", which was made into a film, is a good example.


Forster, E.M.
A Passage to India
A young English woman in British-ruled India accuses an Indian doctor of sexual assault.

I should add at this point a classic example of 'history' that was made into a film by Hollywood: U-571


The hit Hollywood film U-571 has been condemned by the prime minister for its rewriting of history.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/781858.stm

a "little galling".

They noted: "(That British sailors) risked their lives to board the stricken submarine, facing the danger that it might sink at any time.

Enigma codebreaker at Bletchley Park Wartime Intelligence Centre
Enigma: Helped change the course of the war

That members of the boarding party were decorated for their heroism in retrieving the encoding device and that King George VI described their actions as perhaps the most important single event in the war at sea.

<<Sorry but who is the "you" you speak of there? >>

"you" as in a "generalised/arbitrary person"

<"you" as in a "generalised/arbitrary person" >

Do you really think such people have any say/any choice about what they read at school?