I’ll be honest. I had
to look up most of the words on that pre-test to refresh my memory. Whatever words I didn’t have to re-introduce
to my brain were ones that it had never been acquainted with in the first
place.
So. This semester I
want to be familiar with the eras, the terms, and the genres. Why?
Because I want to teach English someday, and high school students can
see right through a flimsy understanding of the subject.
Also, I need to expand my book choices. I’m constantly reading the self-help books
that make you feel like highlighting every-other sentence, and writing in the margins. But then you don’t apply anything you learn,
and you’ve only kept your vocabulary static and boring. I do enjoy a good Malcolm Gladwell book, but I read it, it blows my mind, and then I forget nearly everything I've learned. My favorite book, I always say, is Jane Eyre. Because it's romantic. It's beautifully written, and it's exciting. It has a moral. It's enjoyable.
This semester I want to rekindle that love of enjoying books, not just reading and tediously analyzing them. Someone trying to describe a chocolate soufflé while it's in their mouth...while it's running down their throat and melting on their tongue...is missing half the flavor, and probably spitting bits of it in someone else's face. I doubt those bits are even slightly enjoyable--not to the consumer or the listener.
I want to enjoy my soufflés this semester. Then talk about them.
Jane Eyre is one of my favorite books as well, Jamie. I love reading great books, but have found myself reading the self-help books that don't have any creative substance. So, let us get on with some great literature! Your plan will help you make your goal to teach English.
ReplyDeleteRight?! Thanks for the encouraging response!
DeleteI not only need to expand my book choices but I need to make time for those choices. I love to read yet too often something else takes precedence and I find myself leaving the books on the shelf. I'll have to say though that one set of books I always find time to read are the scriptures. They are my favorite self-help books (I have given up on all the others). I underline every other sentence and write in the margins and optimistically strive to apply what I am learning:).
ReplyDeleteI read Jane Eyre for the first time this past year. I was captivated by Charlotte Bronte's writing style. Her command of the language and her beautiful, descriptive imagery kept me spellbound. I would love to be able to write with such descriptiveness.
To be able to describe something such as "tediously analyzing" with the delightful imagery you used, is a goal of mine. The chocolate souffle (how do you do the accent above the e in souffle-I don't see that on my keyboard)depiction was brilliant! Thank you for sharing your enjoyable post.
Kimara. I am so stoked to see women like you and Dawn in action. Thank you for your response.
DeleteIf you have a MacBook (perhaps it works with other computers), you can simply hold down a letter, and an option box will pop-up above it. Then you hit whatever number corresponds with the letter you want. Voila! You have an accented latin character.
OR you can go the more tedious route: Edit, Special Characters....Latin. Find it, insert it.
It depends on what software/computer you have, but I'm sure Google knows how! ;)