• “Language not only conveys; it also transforms.”

  
  SUGGESTED REFLECTION QUESTION
  What is the function of language?

• “Language conveys not only information but also emotion.”

  
  SUGGESTED REFLECTION QUESTION
  

• What is the function of language?

• Language serves as a means of human expression as well as a tool for human
  oppression (Orwell, 1984).

  
  SUGGESTED REFLECTION QUESTION

• What is the function of language?
• How does literature both shape and reflect culture?

• Language can be weaponized to gain power and influence.

• Literature is a lens for society and reflects social issues that we wrestle with. Aside from helping us understand complex social issues, literature also builds empathy for those dealing with these issues.

Text Interpretation

• Literature is both a window to another world and a mirror to the reader’s own world.

  
  SUGGESTED REFLECTION QUESTION

• What is the value of literature?

• We interpret a text based not only on the author’s intention (whether actually known or merely inferred), but also on our own context as readers and most importantly, on the evidence of the text itself.

  
  SUGGESTED REFLECTION QUESTION

• How do we interpret and understand a text?

• Everybody is entitled to an opinion about what a text means, but the text supports some interpretations more than others.
• If it is true that there is more than one way of construing the text, it is not true that all interpretations are equal (Paul Ricoeur).
  
  SUGGESTED REFLECTION QUESTION
• How do texts differ? How should I read different types of texts? Is there such a thing as one correct interpretation of a text?

• Understanding a text’s structure helps a reader better understand its meaning.
  
  SUGGESTED REFLECTION QUESTION
• In what way does the form of the text contribute to communicating its meaning?

Narrative Writing

• Knowing who is telling the story can help me understand the story better.
• The omniscient narrator is a more versatile point of view, while the first person point of view establishes a relationship with the reader.
  
  SUGGESTED REFLECTION QUESTIONS
• Who is telling this story?
• What clues reveal this point of view?
• How does the point of view influence the story and its meaning?

• Vivid details are key to characterization or to painting a picture of a person.

  
  SUGGESTED REFLECTION QUESTIONS

• How do background and experiences influence the development of character?
• How can I tell his/her life story in a way that makes him/her more “real” to the reader?

Poetry

• In poetry, the sound of the words is as important as their sense.
  
  SUGGESTED REFLECTION QUESTION
• What is so special about poetry? How does the language in poems transform the ordinary into the extraordinary?

• To appreciate a poem, one should ought to pay attention not only to the meaning of the words, but also to the images they convey and the sound and rhythm they create.

  
  SUGGESTED REFLECTION QUESTIONS

• How should we read a poem? What is more important in poetry – the words, the images, or their sound? What makes poetry different and special compared to other literary genres?
• Who is talking in this poem, and what is happening to the speaker? The listener? In what way will a change in point of view make a difference?

• Poets use language purposefully, choosing words and arranging them to augment meaning by their sounds and rhythm.
  
  

  SUGGESTED REFLECTION QUESTION

• What can poetry express that prose cannot?

Effective Communication

• Correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation are key to effective communication.

  
  SUGGESTED REFLECTION QUESTION

• Why do we need to learn grammar, spelling, and punctuation? Why follow their rules? How can I become a better communicator?

• One’s audience should shape how and what one communicates, whether in writing or speaking.

  
  SUGGESTED REFLECTION QUESTION

• How important is knowing your audience?

• One should try to transcend the rules and conventions of a language only after one has mastered them and only when one has a valid reason for–and an effective way of–doing so.

  
  SUGGESTED REFLECTION QUESTION

• Are rules for grammar, spelling, and punctuation absolute? When can I make exceptions?

The Writing Process

• The process of writing clarifies our thoughts and feelings.

  
  SUGGESTED REFLECTION QUESTIONS

• Why write? What is the value of writing?

• Writing is less about inspiration than perspiration.
• Write in white heat; edit in cold blood.
• The secret to good writing is revision, revision, revision.
  
  SUGGESTED REFLECTION QUESTIONS
• How can I write better? What is the secret to good writing? How important is revision?

• To write effectively, make sure that every single element in the text serves a purpose.

  
  SUGGESTED REFLECTION QUESTION

• What are some criteria for good writing?

Foreign Languages

• Language connects people, and learning another language will open the door to a new culture. It will also offer both professional and personal opportunities.

• Learning another language is central to understanding other cultures and other diverse points of view.

• SUGGESTED REFLECTION QUESTION

• Why should I learn a second language?

• Knowing the similarities between my native language and a new language in terms of structure and writing systems will help me learn the new language better.

  
  SUGGESTED REFLECTION QUESTION

• What can help me more easily acquire a new language?
• Learning a second language will offer many opportunities both professionally and personally.
• The goal in learning another language is effective communication, not literal or word-for-word translation.

  
  SUGGESTED REFLECTION QUESTIONS

• What are my expectations about learning another language?

• How do I develop proficiency in a second language?
• Learning a language is an ongoing process that requires motivation, perseverance, and practice.
  
  SUGGESTED REFLECTION QUESTIONS
• What is the best way to learn a new language? How do I develop proficiency in another language?