Chinese Language and Literature: An Introduction to the Study of Western and American Literature

Author: Tang Jianqing
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-04-15
Features: This book is a selected collection of literary criticism and research papers on Western and Eastern literature, featuring over thirty essays by scholars from China and abroad. It can serve as a reference for teachers to organize instruction, as well as for students to further study and research, and to write papers. However, it can also be used as an attempt and new approach to reforming teaching methods and innovating textbooks, actively participating in classroom teaching. The book adopts a "historical approach," organizing chapters according to the development of Western and Eastern literature, selecting texts based on the literary spirit of different stages, while also considering the feasibility of classroom teaching. The book is divided into two parts, with a total of ten chapters. It respects the phased development of literature while emphasizing the literary spirit and cultural connotations of different eras. The selection criteria for the texts, in addition to helping to grasp the intrinsic spirit and formal changes of literature in a given era, also take into account their usefulness for classroom teaching and organizing discussions. Due to space constraints, most of the articles are excerpts. The fundamental approach of the book is centered on works, emphasizing the reading, discussion, and research of texts. It transforms monolithic, teaching into pluralistic, teaching, shifting passive learning to active learning, and cultivating students' abilities to speak (discuss) and act (research). It advocates for an open, dialogical, and process-oriented teaching philosophy.