Reading Classic Literature

Lesson #119: Teatime Literary Reflections (and the Power of Good Storytelling) (Part 1)

/

Teatime! A light dinner eaten in the late afternoon or evening that is still popular in Britain and Ireland.  I’m at home alone this evening, so I decided to serve my tea and scone on my Grandmother’s china, an heirloom passed down through the years. However, teatime is traditionally a time for the family (and […]

Lesson #119: Teatime Literary Reflections (and the Power of Good Storytelling) (Part 1) Read More »

Lesson #117: More Vocabulary to Help with Reading Hardy’s ‘Under the Greenwood Tree’ (and Other Books!) (Part 2)

/

As mentioned in the previous post, where I quoted from Thomas Hardy’s Under the Greenwood Tree (1872), here is a short list of vocabulary to help with understanding the same passage. 🍃A quick question: how did you find the text? Was it challenging in terms of vocabulary? Did you understand most of it? ✨Did you enjoy his

Lesson #117: More Vocabulary to Help with Reading Hardy’s ‘Under the Greenwood Tree’ (and Other Books!) (Part 2) Read More »

Lesson #117: Starting to Read English Classics? (Part 1)

/

In my previous post, I offered a few pointers to help English students get started with classic literature. Can I recommend some good classics to start with? Of course! When I conducted a bookshelf search, I immediately came across Under the Greenwood Tree (1872), one of Thomas Hardy’s early works and a good choice for most

Lesson #117: Starting to Read English Classics? (Part 1) Read More »

Lesson #116: ‘Passion for Dead Leaves’: Tips on How to Read (and Enjoy) Old Classics as an English Language Student

/

After admiring these acer tree leaves today, I was reminded of a memorable conversation among the Dashwood sisters in Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility (1811): “Dear, dear Norland,” said Elinor, “probably looks much as it always does at this time of the year. The woods and walks [are] thickly covered with dead leaves.” “Oh,” cried Marianne, “with

Lesson #116: ‘Passion for Dead Leaves’: Tips on How to Read (and Enjoy) Old Classics as an English Language Student Read More »

Lesson #114: Mini-lesson Monday (Part 2): Charles Dickens and How Vocabulary ‘Groups’ Create a Strong Atmosphere in Your Writing

/

Mini-lesson Monday, Part 2: 2) While having the definitions of difficult vocabulary does help us to understand the passage, the most important thing when reading this paragraph from the opening pages of Bleak House ( as seen in the previous post) is to focus on the repetitive word ‘FOG’ particularly in the context of London’s setting, establishes

Lesson #114: Mini-lesson Monday (Part 2): Charles Dickens and How Vocabulary ‘Groups’ Create a Strong Atmosphere in Your Writing Read More »

Lesson #114: Mini-lesson Monday (Part 1): Charles Dickens and How Vocabulary ‘Groups’ Create a Strong Atmosphere in Your Writing

/

Another Monday, another mini-lesson (in 2 posts; this is part 1): My inspiration today comes from Charles Dickens, one of the most popular authors in the English language. Bleak House (1853) is a favourite of mine, a long, two-volume novel that interweaves two narrative voices in an intriguing story. I will quote from its opening pages:

Lesson #114: Mini-lesson Monday (Part 1): Charles Dickens and How Vocabulary ‘Groups’ Create a Strong Atmosphere in Your Writing Read More »

Lesson #111: Finding a Reading Partner (or Buddy) can Improve Your English

/

Have you ever heard the advice: ‘You should READ MORE to improve your English’? When I try to get better at something, like French, I always hear the same thing. Additionally, I agree with the advice that reading increases your vocabulary and helps you become aware of the language’s natural turn of phrase. I’ll be

Lesson #111: Finding a Reading Partner (or Buddy) can Improve Your English Read More »

Lesson #109: Steps for Enriching Your Writing with the Right Vocabulary

/

INTERMEDIATE LEVEL Seeing this rose in my garden reminds me of the process of learning and improving our competence in any language. We learn one language word by word, step by step, layer by layer, just like these rose petals overlay each other. Another point of similarity: as these petals are relatively small, the slow

Lesson #109: Steps for Enriching Your Writing with the Right Vocabulary Read More »

Lesson #108: Why Reading Classic Poetry is Important: Blake’s ‘The Sick Rose’

/

INTERMEDIATE LEVEL Sharing a short poem that I memorised in my childhood: O Rose thou art sick.  The invisible worm,  That flies in the night  In the howling storm: Has found out thy bed Of crimson joy: And his dark secret love Does thy life destroy. – William Blake, ‘The Sick Rose’ (1794) Have you

Lesson #108: Why Reading Classic Poetry is Important: Blake’s ‘The Sick Rose’ Read More »

Lesson #107: Creating Drama with Description: A Look at Austen’s ‘Sense and Sensibility’ (Part 2)

/

ADVANCED LEVEL For this post, I will focus on the second half of the long sentence found in Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility, Chapter 9: 📘 ‘…and towards one of these hills did Marianne and Margaret one memorable morning direct their steps, attracted by the partial sunshine of a showery sky, and unable longer to

Lesson #107: Creating Drama with Description: A Look at Austen’s ‘Sense and Sensibility’ (Part 2) Read More »

Lesson #107: Creating Drama with Description: A Look at Austen’s ‘Sense and Sensibility’ (Part 1)

/

ADVANCED LEVEL When you live in the countryside, you have a tendency to pay attention to the weather. Your mood and plans for the day can be affected by it. Today, my morning walk was put on hold (suspended) because of the sporadic (sudden, unpredictable) showers. A passage in Jane Austen’s first published novel, Sense

Lesson #107: Creating Drama with Description: A Look at Austen’s ‘Sense and Sensibility’ (Part 1) Read More »

Learn English Through Literature

Lesson #106: Mini-lesson Monday (Part 2): Comprehending ‘The Fawn’

/

INTERMEDIATE LEVEL Mini-lesson Monday continued (part 2): This is a demonstration of how I approached the opening line of Edna St Vincent Millay’s ‘The Fawn’ in one of my English language lessons. I took a few simple steps to help with text comprehension, and it only took a few minutes. I’m going to tell you

Lesson #106: Mini-lesson Monday (Part 2): Comprehending ‘The Fawn’ Read More »