The eNotes Blog Shakespeare Lives! Making the Bard Relevant to Your MillennialStudents

Shakespeare Lives! Making the Bard Relevant to Your MillennialStudents In â€Å"Home-Thoughts, from Abroad,† Victorian poet Robert Browning declares wistfully, â€Å"Oh, to be in England / Now that April’s there  . . .† Well, it’s April again, and this month would be an especially great time to be in England since it’s the four-hundred-year anniversary of William Shakespeare’s death on April 23, 1616. It’s also the month to celebrate his birth. We don’t know exactly when Will was born in 1564, but he arrived one day in April, and the rest is literary history. Considering William Shakespeare’s contributions to world literature, it’s fitting that we should celebrate his birth and observe his passing, but interestingly enough, the writer, who has been dead for four hundred years, is still very much alive. He breathed his last in 1616, but he’s still with us. We read his poetry and watch his plays on stage and film. We quote passages from his work and use the expressions he coined. We make movies about his life and debate whether or not he actually wrote everything attributed to him. The idea that one man could produce such a brilliant, comprehensive, and compelling body of work is more than some critics can accept. How could anyone have been that good? they wonder. Here’s how: literary genius! That, and a complete and abiding understanding of human nature. Shakespeare lives because his work endures, especially his plays. Among them are some of the most remarkable examinations of the human psyche to be found in world literature. Also among them are some of the most entertaining celebrations of human silliness. People can be really ridiculous, he often points out. From being plagued with tragic character flaws to being defined by amusing human foibles, Shakespeare’s characters  reveal the human condition as it has always been and will always be. When students first encounter a play by Shakespeare, their initial reactions are pretty predictable: â€Å"How can we read this since it’s written in a foreign language?† and â€Å"Why should we try?† They throw down the gauntlet, and the challenge must be met! The first order of business is to make Shakespeare relevant to students  by pointing out that human nature doesn’t change. Ever. The feelings and conflicts explored in his plays are timeless and universal. Kids become more open to Shakespeare’s plays when they learn what he actually wrote about: love, death, violence, fear, friendship, betrayal, insecurity, greed, ambition, courage, desire, pride, revenge- and the ever-present conflict between parents and children. What could be more contemporary or more relevant to their lives than all that? Making students understand that their conflicts and feelings are not unique to them or to modern life is an important first step in introducing Shakes peare, and it’s arguably the most important reason for having them read his plays. Another way to make Shakespeare relevant to kids is to bring him out of the seventeenth century and introduce him in a context they understand: Will was a celebrity, a media star! The most popular playwright in London, he entertained commoners,  royalty, and everyone else in town. A Shakespeare play at the Globe was a hot ticket! If the Internet had existed in Shakespeare’s day, he would have been all over it, and who knows how many Twitter followers he would have had. Let students know why Shakespeare wrote his plays (for money) and for whom he wrote them (not English teachers). Let them get to know him as more than a guy with a pointy beard. Also, build an appreciation for Shakespeare as a playwright by pointing out what he had to work with in staging a production, or more precisely, what he didn’t have to work with- no lights, no sound system, and certainly no special effects. He had an essentially bare stage, and words. For kids who haven’t mastered Elizabethan English- and that would be all of them- a Shakespearean play does indeed seem to be written in a foreign language. It’s filled with archaic words and expressions and obscure allusions. The syntax is confusing, and on top of that, the play is written almost entirely in iambic pentameter. No wonder they’re put off by it at first. It is, however, written in English. Most of Shakespeare’s vocabulary consists of standard English words, and much can be done to help students manage the language they don’t understand. Most texts are annotated to explain the allusions and archaic expressions and to define especially challenging vocabulary words. All that is helpful, but the most effective way to make Shakespeare’s language seem less foreign and intimidating to students is to have them listen to the play while following the text, matching what they hear with what they read. An actor’s voice brings the words to life through dramatic interpretation, inflection, and tone. The more kids listen to Shakespeare, the more familiar his language becomes. They begin to catch the rhythm of it, and they soon recognize many of the expressions. After a while, they’re caught up in the drama or the comedy without having to understand every word. Taking students into Shakespeare’s world, and bringing him into theirs, is a challenge, but the rewards are more than worth the effort. His having remained with us for four hundred years surely attests to that. Shakespeare lives, and kids deserve to meet him. They’ll love him! To borrow from Othello (1604), it’s a foregone conclusion! This is a post from Staff Writer, Susan Hurn. Susan is a former high school English teacher and college instructor. She loves writing for and also enjoys good books, creative writing, and all things related to history.  Let us know if you’re interested in  contributing to the   blog.

Research-Based Ways to Live Through Finals

Research-Based Ways to Live Through Finals The finals are obviously stressful. Either youve got a lot to catch up with or simply prove your diligence once again – the pressure is enormous. Fortunately, one doesnt have to struggle alone. Not only your friends and family are always ready to come to the rescue. The whole world of science works to make your life if not awesome, then at least bearable. Dont believe it? Check out our top picks and use them to ace your exams one by one! Move Around Preparing for final exams you may get that â€Å"groundhog day† feeling. Sitting at the same library desk on a daily basis, doodling on its dusty surface, thinking that theres no end to all of that. Not only its a bit frustrating, but it also makes you less sharp at learning and remembering new things. The study has shown, that switching studying locations has a positive impact onto recognition memory. Having placed yourself into a different context, you force your brain to activate and build new, vivid associative connections. That results in better understanding and memorizing the material. So grab that cup of coffee and go to the park to study! Theres never been better excuse for that. Test Yourself Theres no need to whine: we know, youre going to have plenty of those soon. However, forewarned is forearmed. Plus, the research has proven memory tests improve long-term retention. Making yourself go through tests of various forms makes you engage your brain to the greatest extent and think of the material youve got to learn from different sides. Usually, the things you struggle to remember during the preparatory tests will leave deep imprints on your brain. In addition, youll reduce the levels of anxiety when the actual test-day comes. Squeeze Anxiety and finals go hand in hand. No matter, either its pre- or post-exam, it never is a pleasant experience. Theres a remedy, that might help you loosen up and perform better as a result. Thats a progressive muscle relaxation. The process is quite simple: youve got to tighten your muscles group by group, and then let go. Start with the toes and move to the shoulders. Youll feel significantly better, as your muscles will relieve pressure, theyve been holding in for a while. Plus, youre likely to distract from â€Å"I cant do this† thoughts and enter the exam hall with the boost of confidence you need. Take Deep Breaths Aromatherapy demonstrated a beneficial effect onto the students, dealing with pre-exam anxiety. The study concentrated on the impact of lavender and rosemary, however you may feel free to experiment. What sets the perfect mood for getting the grade you need? Is it a zingy orange? Or, possibly, a cool mint? Choose the smell that makes you feel both inspired and calm. Take deep breaths and go for those great results stress-free! C is for Cardio Different research projects keep demonstrating that aerobic exercise is awesome for your brain. Your memory improves, you get less worried. In addition, your cognitive abilities improve: the subjects of the research have completed a certain test before and after a 20-minute bike ride. They coped with the after-ride test a lot faster, maintaining the same level of precision. And you get a leaner body, just as a bonus. Seems pretty cool, doesnt it? Teachem Why do you think your professors are so good at the subjects they teach? Because they repeat pretty much the same stuff over and over again! According to the study, reciting is a highly efficient memorizing tool. Why dont you use it? Retell the material youve been cramming to your friends or family. If these guys dont want to listen to you – teach a bunch of stuffed animals, for instance. (The end justifies the means, right?) The humans are a bit better here, though: they may ask questions, youll have to answer! This helps you look at the topic from different angles, thus, carving it onto your brain. Build a Schedule When it comes to preparation to finals, time-management is essential. Not just when you need to fit a little nap into your tight revision schedule, but also in terms of letting your brain have some rest between studying sessions. This way information will soak in far more effectively. Pomodoro Technique may be of a great help. Youll divide your time into cycles of work and relaxing, lasting for 25 and 5 minutes respectively. The rhythm will keep your brain alert during the active intervals and will help you really cherish those 5 minutes of rest. The length of periods may differ: you could also try the 50/10 principle. Intermittent manner will help you memorize things better, for longer periods of time. Nighty-Night The study has once again demonstrated that sleep deprivation is extremely harmful for ones cognitive functions. You get distracted much easier, things you seem to have memorized forever just leave your head, that buzzes with serene, untouched emptiness. Thus, if you dont want this to happen – dont push your way through the all-nighter. Get the maximum amount of peaceful slumber the last night before the big test. Find out how to study for a test the night before so that it wont be harmful for your health! Sleep On It Your brain strengthens memories in your sleep. The research has shown, that learning new information before going to bed helps you remember it much better next morning. Dont just go over and over the stuff youve known already. Concentrate on new things. Make sure to leave at least an hour of a gap between studying and dozing off: bringing your textbooks and notes to bed may result in deteriorating your quiet sleep. Well, now you know what to do. Get that lavender oil, go for a jog and then study before sleeping! Just kidding. Use the tips you like and brace yourselves. And remember: its going to be just fine! image credit: wikimedia.org