Theoretical Views Underlying the
Selection of Classroom Activities:
Paying Attention to the Classroom of
English Literature in EFL Context
Yazid Basthomi
This
essay reviews literature on the theoretical views underlying the selection of
activities for classrooms of English literature teaching in EFL context. The
review includes: (1) literary criticism, (2) constructivism, and (3) research
on students’ perceptions of classroom activities. One literary criticism,
reader-response, is beheld to pose a similar spirit to that of the
constructivist mode of teaching. Both reader-response and constructivist
teaching perspectives require the teaching of English literature to focus on
the students. This requires giving attention to the students’ ideology, horizon
of expectation, and “ma’lumat sabiqoh” (background knowledge) in order to situate the
students to actively generate their own meanings, understanding, or knowledge
of given literary works offered as class materials. Since the students’
personal ideology, horizon of expectation, and ma’lumat sabiqoh
are influenced or the socio-culture undergirding every student, the teaching of
English literature needs to take into account such socio-cultural properties.
Another point reviewed is the students’ perceptions of classroom activities.
Consideration of combining the top-down mode of thinking, as offered by the
reader-response and constructivism, and bottom-up mode of thinking, as offered
by research on students’ perceptions of classroom activities, constitute the ending
part of this essay.
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Basthomi, Y. (2003). Theoretical views underlying the selection
of classroom activities: Paying attention to the classroom of English
literature in EFL context. TEFLIN Journal, 14(2), 279-291.
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