Literature, one of the fine arts requiring imagination both from the writer and from the reader, can be read for relaxation, for escape, or for its diversionary effect. Literature can be read also for stimulation, for challenge, or as an antidote to boredom and shallow thinking. Teachers of literature must convince three basic groups of the value…

As part of the community service program of a community college, courses in world literature were taught to residents of two nursing homes on a non-credit, tuition-free basis. This paper explains the origin of the project, course organization, types of subjects taught in response to student needs, and types of evaluative instruments completed by…

Considers that if there is one writer who may appear in successive years on the AP (Advanced Placement) literature exam, it is Shakespeare. Sets out to discover something about what the connection between drives for accountability, the growing popularity of the AP English class, and the teaching of Shakespeare means for students at the high school…

BY IDENTIFYING AND STUDYING SECONDARY ENGLISH PROGRAMS WHICH WERE REPORTED TO BE OUTSTANDING, THE INVESTIGATORS SOUGHT TO IDENTIFY CHARACTERISTICS OF SUPERIOR PROGRAMS WHICH MIGHT BE EMULATED IN OTHER SCHOOLS. TO GUIDE STAFF MEMBERS IN PLANNING, 12 HYPOTHESES WERE FORMULATED. THE METHOD USED WAS A SERIES OF CASE STUDIES OF INDIVIDUAL ENGLISH…

Programmed English instruction in small schools was designed to provide a wider spectrum of curricular experiences to enhance the somewhat narrow offerings of the regular English curriculum. The specific course outline and evaluation of the programmed English instruction at Des Moines High School indicated that the project in this New Mexico small…

Two workshops on college English curriculum and instruction, held in England in 1980 and 1981, explored the idea that although literary and associated theory have been advancing recently, in the university the syllabus, teaching methods, method of analysis, modes of written work, and place of creative writing have remained largely unchanged. (MSE)

Racism, the ways in which it is manifested in higher education, and the effectiveness of its manifestations are discussed. The following proposals suggesting how English departments can contribute to the diminution of racism were made: (1) that single academic standards be required for black and white students in freshman English classes, (2) that…

This paper describes procedures that can be used in individual schools to evaluate various aspects of their English programs. The major portion of the paper discusses schools' ability to foster voluntary reading, in the face of the widely reported decline in such reading after grade eight. Specific suggestions are given for bridging the gap…

As drill and practice programs in computer assisted instruction (CAI) in English give students a chance to test their understanding and free the teacher from test grading, they seem a legitimate if unexciting use of the computer; but what seems less defensible is that, according to some estimates, 90% of available CAI software is of this drill and…

The evaluations of five 1-week NDEA Institutes for State Supervisors of English and Reading, held during 1968-69, are contained in this report. The individual institutes discussed are (1) "New Content in English Programs" at Urbana, Illinois, (2) "Literature and School Programs" at Tallahassee, Florida, (3) "Language and…

Noting the recent massive effort on the part of the State University System in Florida to improve instruction in English and the Classics, this document reviews that system's Letters Program. Following a brief introduction, the first section offers information on how the report was compiled, and summarizes findings on the following: (1) the…

A STUDY OF 168 AMERICAN HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAMS WHICH ACHIEVE IMPORTANT RESULTS IN ENGLISH WAS CONDUCTED BY FACULTY MEMBERS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS ENGLISH AND EDUCATION DEPARTMENTS THROUGH QUESTIONNAIRES, INTERVIEWS, AND OBSERVATIONS. THIS PRELIMINARY REPORT CONSIDERS FINDINGS OF THE STUDY RELEVANT TO (1) THE LEADERSHIP AND STAFFING OF ENGLISH…

The first segment of a long-term educational assessment plan, for which this three-part report was compiled, called for a study that would survey the status of English language arts programs in the province of British Columbia and serve as a pilot for future assessment programs. This portion of the study deals with the initial phase of the…

The first segment of a long-term educational assessment plan, for which this three-part report was compiled, called for a study that would survey the status of English language arts programs in the province of British Columbia and serve as a pilot for future assessment programs. This portion of the study presents the results of the second phase of…

This Practice Guide is the first in a series of the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) guides in education that are developed by a panel of experts. The guides are intended to bring the best available evidence and expertise to bear on the types of systemic challenges that cannot currently be addressed by single intervention or programs. This…