Articulating Literature: Concerns and Considerations

Abstract

When language professionals think of articulation they often envision a sequence of grammar, vocabulary, and structural models and give consideration to communicative strategies, cultural benchmarks and community traditions. All too often, relatively little attention is paid to a progression of information relative to literature even though literary works are at the heart of the humanities and are a vital part of Hispanic heritage. This pattern, and the absence of literary works as a focal point in articulation, is particularly conspicuous in the K-12 sequence. This is true in part because early start, sequenced programs of foreign language study are not widespread, in part because proficiency in literature is not usually a primary goal in the teacher preparation programs which train teachers for K-12 instruction, and in part because it may be difficult to construct a consensus about which literary works or traditions should be emphasized. A number of worthy efforts have sought to address the issue of literary sequencing beginning in the elementary grades. There have been courses on children's literature in the Spanish speaking world, National Endowment for the Humanities-sponsored institutes on authentic literature and culture for FLES* teachers, programs offered by the Education Office of the Embassy of Spain and conference sessions on the topic. Yet much remains to be done. Many practitioners in the elementary school programs in Spanish keenly feel a need for more basic subject knowledge about appropriate literature for children and many 6-12 teachers would like to know if there is a literary base from the K-5 programs on which they might build. As a director of numerous immersion and culture and conversation workshops in North Carolina-a state with many elementary school programs in Spanish, a K-12 certification process, and a long tradition of interest in articulation-I can attest to the very real and continuing need for instruction and information about literature. Teachers in the workshops in Spanish have seemed particularly eager to have teachable units of songs, poetry, folktales, and children's stories from Spanish-speaking countries, and have expressed interest in knowing how such material can be articulated so that the K-5 instruction in Spanish prepares students for middle school study and the courses offered in high school and college. The experience of these North Carolina teachers suggests a challenge for the profession at large: how to make literature a meaningful part of an articulated study of Spanish from the elementary grades onward. The sequencing of literature as a part of the study of Spanish raises many questions. What literary elements would be introduced in FLES* programs? What components are important for middle school teaching? What pieces of literature are typically part of the high school curriculum and in college courses and what specific background should students bring to each level? It is not the intent of this article to answer these questions but rather to emphasize their importance and to highlight the need for carefully crafted articulation. A look at two examples in literature, one from Spain and one from Spanish America will provide departure points for a discussion of the larger concerns and will illustrate some of the issues and problematics for articulation in Spanish. These examples are meant to suggest consideration about works which are often read at various levels but whose sequential study may leave s mething to be desired. The first example is Don Quijote, a work often introduced to students at an early stage of their study but whose imaginative impact may be hard to grasp in a truncated and/or highly simplified excerpt. The second example is the selection of verses from Jos6 Marti's Versos