Teaching English Language through Short Story

Abstract

Literature has a number of interesting genres. The short story is one of them. We know that language items including grammatical items must not be taught to students out of context. They should be taught to them effectively only when they are presented in context. A short story is very rich in language items. There language items are : Verb Patterns, synonyms, connotative and denotative meanings, the use of Prepositions, articles, type of sentences : Simple, Complex, Compound, Assertive, Interrogative, Imperative, Optative, Exclamatory, different types of phrases and clauses and their function, Negative sentences, voice change, narrative change, phrasal verb, idioms & idiomatic expression, collocation, hyponyms, meronyms, transformations. Literature plays an important role in teaching four basic language skills like listening skill, speaking skill, reading skill and Writing skill. However, when teaching language using literature in the classroom, skills should be taught in an integrated way. The short story is no doubt, a very fascinating and mindboggling genres. We read a short story for pleasure and entertainment and for comprehension. A short story consists of a variety of important components e.g. theme, plot structure, plot, climax, epiphany, humour, irony, figure of speech or tropes, stylistic devices, flashback, point of view, etc. The student must have a good knowledge about those ingredients of a short story. There is a wide potpourri of activities which students have to master in order to appreciate a short story. They must know the setting and background of a short story. The setting determines the tone of a short story. The tone may be happy, sad or the tone may reflect a blend of joy and sorrow. The setting refers to the time and place of the short story. There is no short story without a conflict. Conflict may be external or internal. External conflict is between man and man, man and nature, whereas internal conflict remains in a character. A character exhibits internal conflict when she or he remains in a dilemma. Character portrayal is an important aspect of a short story. A character can be dynamic or flat. A dynamic character is one who undergoes a change whereas a flat character does not undergo a change. Imagery is another significant part of a short story. There are various types of images - tactile, gustatory, visual, aural, olfactory, concrete, abstract, natural. These images are of wide significant as through them the message, tone and mood of a short story are conveyed meaningfully. Teaching short story can be done through the integrated approach (integration of reading, speaking, writing) as far as the teaching methodology is concerned. Appropriate and relevant tasks are set to teach the students the ingredients of short story. They are writing the gist of a short story, the traits of characters, prediction, activities, process, question, questions of inference, question of evaluation etc. In this way a short story is taught in classroom and students will acquire a good knowledge of the language.