January 2021 Literature - Short Stories

 

These are Knowledge and Understanding discussions so prior reading and consideration, and the sharing of personal views and experiences is expected. Each work is also available in "Response and Analysis",  Assessment Activities, "Practice and Feeback" and "Methodologies and Planning" support; please ask for details. A C1 or higher level is assumed.

Week One     Monday 4 - Friday 8 January 3.00 - 4.00pm daily
Session One : Edith Wharton "The Moving Finger" A
Session Two :  Edith Wharton "The Moving Finger" B
Session Three : Bernard MacLaverty "Secrets" A
Session Four :  Bernard MacLaverty "Secrets" B
Session Five : Ray Bradbury "There Will Come Soft Rains"

Week Two     Monday 11 - Friday 15 January 3.00 - 4.00pm daily
Session One : Joan McGahern "The Stoat" A
Session Two : Joan McGahern "The Stoat" B
Session Three : Patricia Grace "Journey" A
Session Four : Patricia Grace "Journey" B
Session Five : Alex La Guma "The Lemon Orchard"

Week Three     Monday 18 - Friday 22 January 3.00 - 4.00pm daily
Session One : Katherine Mansfield "Her First Ball" A
Session Two : Katherine Mansfield "Her First Ball" B
Session Three : Ted Hughes "The Rain Horse" A
Session Four : Ted Hughes "The Rain Horse" B
Session Five : Saki "Sredni Vashtar"

Week Four     Monday 25 - Friday 29 January 3.00 - 4.00pm daily
Session One : JG Ballard "Billenium" A
Session Two :  JG Ballard "Billenium"B
Session Three : Patricia Highsmith "Ming's Biggest Prey" A 
Session Four : Patricia Highsmith "Ming's Biggest Prey" B
Session Five : Anita Desai "Games at Twilight"

Sessions consider works chosen from Cambridge's IGCSE English Literature text lists* and so are among the works studied worldwide by students at that level. Longer texts are covered over two sessions : Session A leans more towards the story itself and Session B towards literary elements. Each is stand-alone, although Session B assumes the level of understanding covered in Session A. These sessions provide introductory overviews and are not in-depth analyses nor methodology programmes.

The works are challenging but accessible to those with a C1/C2, and you are reminded that it is "the task and not the text" which matters. The works are suitable for use with Cambridge IGCSE, AS-Level, IBMYP, IBDP and Advanced E2L / EFL classes.

Texts will be sent to participants the day prior to allow for pre-reading. Sessions will consider meaning and response, and possibly some analysis as time allows, and are delivered online via "Meet" so a gmail account is required.

This is a probable scope and sequence; we will let you know of any changes and improvements.

You can register for one session, one programme, five programmes, all 100 sessions or anything in between! Each session has a maximum size so first come, first served.

Presenter Robert Young has a Masters from Oxford, a Bachelors from Auckland, a New Zealand Diploma of Teaching and the RSA DELTA (now Cambridge DELTA). Prior to becoming an international, British, Cambridge and IB school Director, he was a middle and high school English Language and Literature and Journalism teacher in EFL, E2L, E1L, Cambridge International and IB schools.

*Works appear in 2016 - 2022 IGCSE Literature book lists and come from Stories of Ourselves : The University of Cambridge International Examinations Anthology of Short Stories in English (Cambridge University Press).

Some of the links I share may lead to a referral payment, at no cost to you.

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Please contact us with any queries, for fee and registration information or to be placed on any specific interest list(s). 

Ask us about a closed session of any of the above works where you choose who, where and when. 

Ask us about methodology, written / oral / visual activities and examination preparation for any of the above works.

Ask us about Cambridge IGCSE, AS and A-Level and IBMYP, IB Dip Literature, Lang&Lit and Language support.