Online Task 1

Ok now let us start with our first topic Extensive reading of literary works from tradition literature: folktales, fables, myths and legends.

Questions that I want you to respond to will be in bold and you will think about it individually and respond by copying and pasting the questions and answers on your blog with the title heading On-line Task 1.

I’m sure you have read all the texts for this topic.

Folktale

The Son of the Turtle Spirit is a Chinese folktale.

List some of the well-known folktales from Malaysia .

List some of the possible issues found in The Son of the Turtle Spirit

Are those issues universal in nature or are they only relevant in the Chinese culture?

Fables

Aesop fables are well-known. You should be able to find information about Aesop on the internet.

A fable is a short story that often involves speaking animals with easily grasped moral (p.401, Barnett and Cain). Everything in the story leads to teaching moral especially to children. The animals that could act and talk in the story are great entertainment to children. The length of the story is short to keep the children interested and at the end learn some moral values from it.

The morals, sayings and proverbs featured in Aesop fables have become common expressions used today:

e.g. Slow and steady wins the race (from The Hare and the Tortoise)

What are the other morals that can be gotten from the other fables by Aesop? List at least two

Myths

In the module, you are given a myth by Ovid entitled Pyramus and Thisbe . Ovid’s works have become an inspiration many artists and writers throughout the century. You can find more on Ovid on the internet.

One well-known literary figure from the Elizabethan age used Ovid’s Pyramus and Thisbe as a model to one of his famous plays. Who is he and what is the play?

The on-campus group also did another piece by Ovid called Daedalus and Icarus. For the in-class task they were required to work in groups and:

Simplify the language used in the story Daedalus and Icarus

OR

Turn Pyramus and Thisbe into dialogue form

They presented it to the class and handed in to me the written version of their task.

This is some of the possible activities that that you could try with your students in the future, using myths.


Legends

List some of the popular legends we have in Malaysia

The legend provided in the module is that of King Arthur taken from Book 1of Le Mort d’Arthur (The Death of Arthur) by Sir Thomas Malory who was an expert in Arthurian Literature. The module suggests that you think of how you could adapt the text for students as it is written in an archaic language.

Look at the questions below. Answers can be found on internet sources. This will help you get a basic understanding of what Le Mort d’Arthur is about.

1. Who is Thomas Malory?

2. When was Le Mort d’Arthur written?

3. How many books/ parts are there in LMDA?

4. What is book 8 about?

5. Who were the two people who had an affair?

6. Book 6 has a strong connection to a popular modern fiction which is now a movie. What is the title of the popular modern fiction?

7. State three well-known facts about King Arthur/ his time as a King



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Think of 2 ways in which you can use folktales/fables/myths or legends in the classroom. Explain briefly.




On-line Task 2 will be put up soon.