HSY 2601

ASSIGNMENT 2

2023
Question 1
In your own words, explain why story telling – whether in oral or written form – is important to human
beings. (5)

Storytelling can communicate the physical (body and verbal language, voice and intonation), intellectual,
and emotional aspects of a person in the context of their past or present experiences, which enables a
fuller understanding of the individual. Storytelling is a fundamental part of being human. Stories let us
share information in a way that creates an emotional connection. They help us to understand that
information and each other, and it makes the information memorable

Question 2
In your own words, explain the difference between realism and non-fiction. (5)

Realism portrays issues that could be true-life events

It is worthy to note – the fact remains that although a realistic fiction story has
a similitude of truth, it births from the imagination of the writer.
The content of realistic fiction, unlike nonfiction, does not point to any real-life
person or event, as the person around whom the story revolves.
More so, this fact is backed by the disclaimer in filmed realistic movies, that
the story is entirely the literary idea of the writer, that any coincidence as to the
character or person, names, or place in the movies are mere coincidence.
Children’s stories also have elements of contemporary realistic fiction.
Records show that for over a century now, children’s contemporary realistic
fiction moved from an all-perfect world to bear bits of humanity.
These children’s contemporary realistic fictions now wear an honest look of
life, however, imaginary events that could happen. Children’s realistic fiction
stories depict the world of children and the issues that they face.
These issues relate to their challenges, whether at home, at school, around
the neighborhood. Their life also shows some form of happiness mixed with
disappointment or sadness.
Realistic fiction is the outcome of the real situation which happens in one's
life. Historical fiction is the outcome of the story which happened in the past. The
characters in realistic fiction bear resemblance to the people in true life

However, as a genre of literature, realistic fiction is the direct opposite of nonfiction. At

the same time, realistic fiction deals with imaginary stories, facts that aren't true,
and nonfiction deals with authentic facts.

Research the story if you are unsure whether it is realistic fiction

or nonfiction. If the story is nonfiction, every character and event
will really exist or have happened. If a single character or even
a single conversation was invented, the story is realistic fiction.

Question 3
With books that are classified as ‘realism’, teachers must be sensitive to various aspects of the text.
In a paragraph, and in your own words, name five (5) of these aspects and explain why teachers
must be sensitive to these issues.

Realism Distorts Our Priorities

When we think of imitation as an end rather than a means, it impacts

the quality of our writing, our instruction, and our media analysis. Of
course, the most obvious distortion is the way writers are
discouraged from writing fiction, speculative fiction in particular. In
spaces where realism is a mandate, creativity is confined to the
assemblage of words, where it cannot threaten mundane ideas.
Realism Is Antithetical to Fiction

Many students sign up for creative-writing programs expecting that

they’ll spend most of their time on fiction. In contrast, many
professors insist students write only creative nonfiction, retelling real
moments of their lives with a little artistic license.

This is a natural extension of realism. If we say that works are only

valuable when they reflect real life, then we should never write fiction
at all. Instead we should only write accounts of real events. Also, no
more paintings – photos are better at imitating life precisely. And
why should we watch movies when we can watch documentaries? So
while speculative fiction bears the brunt of realism-motivated
derision, that’s only because it’s the most fictional fiction. Under the
values of realism, all fiction is on the chopping block.

Art Doesn’t Exist to Be a Mirror

To break down what’s wrong with realism, let’s start with the basic
premise that art exists to mirror, or imitate, reality. This definition of
art is much older than realism. In particular, Plato defined art as an
imitation. Not at all coincidentally, Plato didn’t like art very much.

Presenting art as mimicry isn’t giving art enough credit, because

imitations inherently fall short of what we wish them to be. For
instance, if we created an imitation of a priceless historical artifact,
of course we would swap it for the real thing if that were feasible. If
an imitation’s value ever surpasses what it is imitating, it becomes
celebrated in its own right and ceases to be an imitation.
Equating Dark Content With Realistic Content

Because of the history of realism, we tend to think of dark content as

somehow being more realistic. The problem is that these are
completely separate factors. Life isn’t just suffering; we have good
moments too! By equating dark stories with realistic stories, we’ve
created a situation where storytellers add graphic violence that
doesn’t serve the story, and they defend it by saying it’s “rea

The Real-World Fallacy

Mythcreants uses this term to refer to any logical fallacy that treats
fiction as though it is reality. Generally, someone employing the real-
world fallacy presumes that mirroring reality is the goal of
storytelling. As an extension of this, they’ll ignore the manufactured
origin of fictional worlds, defending storyteller choices as though
those choices are natural occurrence

Question 4
In your study guide, we discuss the things a teacher must consider when choosing a book for their
learners. Write a paragraph, in your own words, in which you briefly discuss eight (8) things a
teacher must think about when they are choosing a book for their learners. Then explain why each
of these is important to the process of choosing a book. (15)

When teachers choose children’s literature they must decide what books and stories to share with their
students. They must give consideration to their context and learners. There are many factors to
consider which include their reading levels, interests, backgrounds, previous experiences
with reading, aspirations and even fears. Nowadays, diversity and its representation in children’s
literature, is an increasing factor in the classroom. This is where multicultural literature plays an important
role. Multicultural literature as a choice factor Children’s literature that is multicultural includes stories
that reflect diverse cultures and places and help to tell the truth about people and their lives (Finazzo
1998: 133). The authenticity and appearance of culturally diverse themes and characters are also very
critical in contemporary education, and they foster the continuation of multicultural historical perspectives
in our schools (Finazzo 1998: 138)

The other factor is the Text, If the writer presents a traditional tale it should be checked with the original
version. Much multicultural literature is in the form of traditional literature such as folk stories, fables and
legends. If possible, the story can be compared to the original to find its defects. Very often writers adapt
and undermine original tales. The Author, The author’s research efforts should be checked, especially if
they are unfamiliar with the culture. The Characters , Characters and their culture should be portrayed
realistically and positively. They should not be depicted as stereotypical cultural figures. These reflect the
fixed, prejudiced perceptions about culture. It is unacceptable to influence children with these perceptions.
Text should present culturally diverse groups and individuals in active as well as passive roles.

Question 5
In your study guide, we say that ‘poetry in motion’ is taking ‘the poem’ OFF the page when you
teach it. In a paragraph, and in your own words, discuss why this is a good way to approach
teaching poetry to younger English FAL learners. (5)

This is a good way to approach teaching poetry to younger English FAL learners because poetry must not
be left on the page but brought to life. The printed text should not be the only source of meaning. We can
also make meaning through visuals, movement, sound effects or just speaking. In other words, poetry
should be extended into multimodal experiences.

Question 6
In a paragraph and in your own words, discuss two multimodal strategies you could use to teach
one of the following poems. (10)
Question 7
Explain the difference between a ‘literal’ interpretation of poetry and a ‘figurative’ interpretation
of poetry.

Literal interpretation means exactly what it says, while figurative

interpretation uses similes, metaphors, hyperbole, and
personification to describe something often through comparison
with something different. For the examples below.
literal’ Descriptions Figurative Descriptions
Grass looks green The grass looks like spiky green hair. (simile)
Sand feels rough. Sand is solid water. (metaphor)
The flower smells sweet The flower has the sweetest smelling petals in the
world. (hyperbole)
Grasshoppers make a high pitched noise Grasshoppers are fiddlers who play their legs.
(personification)

SECTION B

Question 1
In a short paragraph, and in your own words, explain how poetry is different from the other genres
you will encounter in this module.

Poetry is typically reserved for expressing something special in

an artistic way. The language of poetry tends to be more
expressive or decorated, with comparisons, rhyme, and rhythm
contributing to a different sound and feel. Ideas are contained in
lines that may or may not be sentences. Lines are arranged in
stanzas. The shape of poetry can vary depending on line length and the intent of the poet.
Traditionally, the first letter of every line is capitalized, but many modern poets choose not to follow this
rule strictly. Poetry uses line breaks for various reasons—to follow a formatted rhythm or to emphasize an
idea. Lines can run extremely long or be as short as one word or letter.

Question 2
The poet has chosen to discard some conventions of English language. As an English FAL teacher,
you must point this out to your students. In a short paragraph, and in your own words, identify the
language conventions that have been discarded. Then explain why these rules are normally
important, and why a poet is allowed to ignore the rules of grammar.

The language conventions that have been discarded are punctuation and capitalization .
Punctuation and Capitalization helps to make message meaningful and clear. They tell the reader
how to read sentences. Punctuation fills our writing with silent intonation. We pause, stop,
emphasize, or question using a comma, a period, an exclamation point or a question mark.
Correct punctuation adds clarity and precision to writing; it allows the writer to stop, pause, or
give emphasis to certain parts of the sentence. A poet is allowed to ignore the rules of grammar
to enhance the effects of their poetry and convey a specific message or take the reader along at a
particular pace. Traditional poetry has far more rigid requirements structurally and grammatically
than most modern forms of poetry, which are free-form, and often benefit from breaking

grammatical conventions. Contemporary forms of poetry are more open to

interpretation and creative license when it comes to structuring. They
include poems with no punctuation, no capitalization, and spelling mistakes.
The non-traditional elements add to the effect of the poem.

Question 3
As an English FAL teacher, you need to identify vocabulary that you might need to explain to your
learners. Identify 5 difficult words in this poem then tell us how you would explain the word so your
young, English FAL intermediate (Grade 4-6) learners in South Africa would understand them
5 difficult words in this poem
1. Spout is a tube or lip projecting from a container, through which liquid can
be poured for example a teapot had a chipped spout. African pot does not have a
spout
2. Diagonals are lines that connects two vertices of a polygon or a solid, whose
vertices are not on the same edge. African pot had lots of diagonals
3. Zigzagging is one of a series of short sharp turns, angles, or changes in a
course.
4. Echoes is the repetition of a sound caused by reflection of sound waves.
5. Steered is a guided or control the movement of (a vehicle, vessel, or aircraft), for
example by turning a wheel or operating a rudder. "he steered the boat slowly
towards the busy quay”

Question 4
The African pot makes the poet think of various scenes from everyday life in Africa. Name 5 of
these and explain why the poet makes the poet think of them specifically.

River poet think about the water which was fetching from the river with young women

Maize Field/ Farm poet think about harvest time of golden corn

Beerhall poet think about men drinking homebrewed beer

Battlefield poet think about warriors going to the war

Rural Area- the poet thinks about the rural place where lots of African pots are found

Question 5
The African pot reminds the poet of scenes from rural life, or the past, rather than modern, urban
African life. In a short paragraph, and in your own words, tell us whether you think that this makes
the poem, The African Pot, irrelevant to today’s learners?

No, this doesn’t makes the poem, The African Pot, irrelevant to today’s learners because the learners had
to learn about their African culture. They need to know their background. Learners need to know and
understand the rural lifestyle. This is important for heritage. Learners need to understand the past so that
they can initiate and predict the future .

Question 6
In a short paragraph, and in your own words, tell us why YOU THINK people find poetry difficult.

People find poetry difficult because people have ingrained tendency to be very
literal in communication. We often speak and write in extremely literal
terms, because we want to make sure we are understood. So when
communication is incoming, we look at it the same way and try to extract
its literal meaning.Great poetry is not literal, almost by definition. As art, it
shows us a higher truth that is expressed in a nonliteral, nonlinear way, a
way that is completely original to the artist who has composed it. yourself
up.
MAKE SURE YOU EDIT TO PREVENT PLAGARISING. GOOGLE PARAGHASER AND
PASTE YOUR WORK.