Two Techniques for Increasing Student Interest and Participation in Literature Classes

Abstract

Quite a few articles about teaching literature have appeared in Die Unterrichtspraxis over the years, including a very useful special issue (1987, Nr. 2) devoted almost entirely to the theory and practice of teaching literature.1 The following article is intended to contribute to the practical body of research on this topic. For almost twenty years I have either attended or taught German literature classes. By traditional I mean a class in which the students read a number of standard works, with the class format consisting of lecture and question/answer type of discussion directed by the instructor. This discussion was invariably dominated by native German speakers and those few unintimidated students who were proficient in German. Often, more than half the class seem frustrated, afraid to participate, and consequently disinterested and poorly prepared.2 I recently tried two new techniques in my literature classes which proved to be most successful in sparking student interest and motivating participation. The first, a quiz for the opening session of class, was intended to stimulate interest in German drama from 1890-1945. This course was conducted primarily in German, and most students had already completed a survey of German literature course. I divided the time period into five categories: Naturalismus, Expressionismus, Impressionismus, Weimarer Republik (neue Sachlichkeit) and Exilliteratur, and wrote these headings in large red letters on pieces of cardboard.3 I then selected about fifty subtopics, including authors' names, important dates, works, political figures and events, general influences, literary concepts, etc., and wrote them in black on separate cardboard cards. The following listing shows the subtopics under Naturalismus, acttally the largest category: