Teaching English As A Second Language With Shakespeare

Teaching pragmatics, that is, language in use, is one of the most difficult and consequently neglected tasks in many English as a Second Language classrooms. This Element aims to address a gap in the scholarly debate about Shakespeare and pedagogy, combining pragmatic considerations about how to approach Shakespeare's language today in ESL classes, and practical applications in the shape of ready-made lesson plans for both university and secondary school students. Its originality consists in both its structure and the methodology adopted. Three main sections cover different aspects of pragmatics: performative speech acts, discourse markers, and (im)politeness strategies. Each section is introduced by an overview of the topic and state of the art, then details are provided about how to approach Shakespeare's plays through a given pragmatic method. Finally, an example of an interactive, ready-made lesson plan is provided.

This is a teacher’s resource book tailor-made for EFL teachers who want to bring Shakespeare into their classes. It includes forty innovative lesson plans with ready-to-use worksheets, hands-on games and student-oriented activities that help EFL learners achieve higher levels of English proficiency and cultural sensitivity. By introducing the plots, characters, and language arts employed in Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, The Taming of the Shrew, and The Merchant of Venice, the book conveys English grammatical rules and aspects like a walk in the garden; complicated rhetorical features such as stress, meter, rhyme, homonymy, irony, simile, metaphor, euphemism, parallelism, unusual word order, etc. are taught through meaning-driven games and exercises. Besides developing EFL learners’ English language skills, it also includes practical extended tasks that enhance higher-order thinking skills, encouraging reflection on the central themes in Shakespeare’s plays.

Outlines an engaging way to instill an understanding and appreciation of Shakespeare's classic works in children, outlining a family-friendly method that incorporates the history of Shakespearean theater and society.

This book offers an opportunity to engage with the debates in English teaching and to explore the viewpoints of writers who have contributed to those debates. It provides invaluable introduction to the complexities of English to Novice English teachers.

An improved, larger-format edition of the Cambridge School Shakespeare plays, extensively rewritten, expanded and produced in an attractive new design.

Shakespeare in Modern English breaks the taboo about Shakespeare’s texts, which have long been regarded as sacred and untouchable while being widely and freely translated into foreign languages. It is designed to make Shakespeare more easily understood in the theatre without dumbing down or simplifying the content. Shakespeare’s ‘As You Like It’, ‘Coriolanus’ and ‘The Tempest’ are presented in Macdonald’s book in modern English. They show that these great plays lose nothing by being acted or read in the language we all use today. Shakespeare’s language is poetic, elaborately rich and memorable, but much of it is very difficult to comprehend in the theatre when we have no notes to explain allusions, obsolete vocabulary and whimsical humour. Foreign translations of Shakespeare are normally into their modern language. So why not ours too? The purpose in rendering Shakespeare into modern English is to enhance the enjoyment and understanding of audiences in the theatre. The translations are not designed for children or dummies, but for those who want to understand Shakespeare better, especially in the theatre. Shakespeare in Modern English will appeal to those who want to understand the rich and poetical language of Shakespeare in a more comprehensible way. It is also a useful tool for older students studying Shakespeare.

Here is a rich variety of approaches to teaching Shakespeare, described by authors who are distinguished teachers and scholars. In setting forth their classroom techniques they otter critical insights as well as stimulating ideas for use by other teachers. Their suggestions range from different pairings of plays, provocative questions for discussion, and ways of reading aloud, to projects for class performances and even possibilities for teaching Shakespeare outside the classroom. The contributors share a concern for developing students' interests and skills beyond strict formal analysis. Contributors: Walter F. Eggers, Jr., Robert B. Heilman, John W. Velz, D. Allen Carroll, Norman Rabkin, Winfried Schleiner, A. C. Hamilton, Albert Wertheim, Paul M. Cubeta, David M. Bergeron, Ray L. Heffner, Jr., Brian Vickers, Jay L. Halio, G. Wilson Knight, Bernard Beckerman. Originally published in 1978. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.