LIBERLIT MANIFESTO
This society brings together and unites those teachers who firmly believe that literature has an essential place in the university English classroom. By ‘literature’, we mean authentic texts that use language in creative and careful ways to tell stories, convey impressions, express original opinions, pose critical questions and demand more than simplistic, pragmatic responses. Those texts could include poetry, novels, plays, movies, songs, TV series, or thoughtful authentic writings on culture, society, or history. Teaching literature always means teaching much more than just language. LIBERLIT explores, clarifies, and encourages discussion of attitudes and approaches to ‘literary’ texts in English.
We lament the ongoing ‘dumbing down’ and ‘infantilisation’ of English education in Japan and the consequent marginalization of literature in the curriculum at all levels. Our conviction is that literature offers learners access to the kinds of creative, critical, and non-complacent views of the world that Japanese students sorely need and indeed, in many cases, crave. Literature has the power to engage and motivate second-language learners; its potential for multiple interpretations develops the minds of students who often believe that every question has but one answer, and the authenticity of literary texts respects them as intellectually maturing adults. Eye-opening materials and mind-widening methods should be an integral part of the education process at all levels, but are essential at university level before students go forth to live among the complexities of the ‘real’ world.
LIBERLIT asserts that it is unkind and disingenuous to deprive students of the marvelously varied, meaningful, and challenging content that only great works of literature and thoughtful authentic writings on culture can offer. We want to explore techniques, methods, and ways that literary texts can foreground the roots of education, liberate English language into maturely creative uses and instigate a freer, bolder expression of original opinions. With your participation, we hope this organization will open up an active and collaborative community of thought, reflection, inquiry and discussion. LIBERLIT is an ongoing, constantly developing forum in which we can establish how, where, and why literature should rightly figure in Japan’s English curriculum. Join us. You will be welcome.
ANNOUNCEMENT AND CALL FOR PAPERS
ONE-DAY CONFERENCE at MEIJI GAKUIN UNIVERSITY, TOKYO
‘Sending the Text's Message: Why and How We Teach the Texts We Teach’
Venue: Meiji Gakuin University Shirokane Campus
Date and Time: Saturday 26 February, 2011, 10AM – 6PM
The second Liberlit conference, following on 2010’s successful inaugural event, will once again bring together the many teachers who firmly believe that, properly presented, literature plays a vital irreplaceable role in the university English curriculum. The theme of the 2011 conference is
Sending the Text's Message: Why and How We Teach the Texts We Teach
Some questions hopefully to be addressed and discussed include: Which texts and materials work best? Which most motivate and inspire? Why do some texts work where others fail? What value do specific types of text have? What values do they present? How do songs teach practical English? How do films engage learners and stimulate discussion? When is a poem preferable to grammar practice? How might a political speech be used in class? When to adopt, and when to adapt?
We feel strongly that most textbooks prescribed for Japanese students of
English do not begin to tackle learners’ real needs. All too often, standard textbooks fail to elicit latent ability, offer little genuine language and provide even less human interest. Even at beginning levels, the complex, nuanced language of authentic textual forms is necessary to motivate students and draw them into real-world learning contexts.
With the right texts in the right way, students learn much more than just language. We continue to advocate the use of 'literary' materials in the
English curriculum and want to investigate the diversity of why and how teachers accomplish this. This second annual LIBERLIT conference will focus on the criteria involved in selecting and the issues involved in teaching appropriate texts for Japanese learners of English at all levels.
Call for Papers
Proposals are invited from persons wishing to present a paper. Presentations should be 50 minutes long (including 10 to 15 minutes for questions and discussion). Those wishing to present should send a title and abstract of no more than 200 words by e-mail to Paul Hullah at
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Deadline for submissions is midnight on Wednesday 22 December 2010.