모의재판식 토론을 통해 포의 ｢검은 고양이｣ 가르치기

Abstract

This essay explores the effects of teaching Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Black Cat” through mock trial debate. Based on the assumption that the mock trial debate form can complement the shortcomings of general discussion, the project assigns each student a different role - the accused narrator and his lawyer, the policeman as a witness and prosecutor, judge and court clerk. After preparing for 25 minutes, students start the mock trial under the judge’s moderation. The clerk records the process and presents the final verdict to the whole class. Through this approach, students are expected to improve skills not only for close reading, but also for reading with the grain and against the grain altogether; they are also expected to learn how to support their argument with evidence, persuade others, make a balanced decision, and deliver it neutrally. The mock trial debate was carried out in the fall semesters of 2022 and 2023, and was followed by a survey that asked students whether the experienced improvement in five areas: interest, text comprehension, critical thinking ability, communication skills, and other skills. The students answered most of the questions positively, thereby affirming the effectiveness of mock trial debate in the lesson on “The Black Cat.” The experiment exemplifies how we can develop our expertise as researchers and teachers to maximize the effectiveness of discussion.