Reported by:
Ng Yi Phin JR2Z(2)
As most of us know, Kuen Cheng High School Library has recently organised the first-ever “Literature Afternoon Tea” event, with Mr. Joshua Tan Chong Hui from the English Department sharing William Shakespeare’s classic rom-com, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”. I had the lucky chance to interview Mr. Joshua Tan on his thoughts on the activity. Let’s take a look!
What was the main goal of this activity?
One of the main goals of this was so that students may consider reading classical literature, and maybe other teachers could do the same thing too! Students may also start reading books regardless of language (e.g: They might read ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ in their own mother tongue or a simplified version, instead of the original work from Shakespeare). They might also reconsider their approach towards reading, since it can be an interactive experience, too.
Note by reporter: Some famous classical English literature include works by Frenchman Victor Hugo (‘Les Misérables’ and ‘The Hunchback of Notre Dame’), Brit Charles Dickens (‘Great Expectations’ and ‘A Christmas Carol’), and last but not least, another famous British playwright, William Shakespeare (‘Romeo and Juliet’ and ‘Macbeth’). Of course, there are other excellent works and you may check them out yourself!
‘The Hunchback of Notre Dame’ has been made into a Disney Movie, introducing this renowned work to young audiences around the world. |
Who could forget the tragic love story of two teenagers, ‘Romeo and Juliet’? |
What are your thoughts on this activity?
What an honour it is to be able to share a renowned classical literature with students who love books! I am also pleasantly surprised by the number of students who attended the sharing session, seeing that the interest in classical literature among teenagers has been dwindling in recent years. Nonetheless, I think it’s safe to say that not only did we have fun, but also got to engage with A Midsummer Night’s Dream from a more intimate perspective, of which I am thankful. I am hopeful that the attendees of this event will at least get to know a very famous play in A Midsummer’s Night Dream. Some might even borrow a few of Shakespeare’s works to read, which could be the beginning of their journey towards reading and appreciating classical literature (regardless of languages).
A lively presentation of the Shakespeare classic by Mr. Joshua Tan and Mr. Pang Chung Seong. |
A great chance to mingle with other book-lovers! |
Initially, I was told to expect a quieter session. It was assumed that most students who signed up for the sharing session are more introverted, and by extension, more contemplative. However, our interaction turned out to be livelier, much to our delight. (I think I can speak for Mr Pang, who had been instrumental in delivering an entertaining yet informative sharing session by showing the illustrations of various key characters).
To be frank, there are rooms for improvement on my part. We did make a couple of errors throughout the session, such as showing the students the wrong characters during the session. I also thought that my closing remark could be more pronounced.
Regardless, I just hope that by successfully delivering the sharing session, more teachers will be utilising the library to conduct similar sharing sessions for the students. Perhaps the bibliophiles in the School would then have a space to mingle with one another while professing their common love towards book reading through these sessions.
How do you think this activity can help students in any way?
Good books transcend the artificial boundary of languages. Through a sharing session like this, students will get to know another classical literature. If they are interested in any of Shakespeare’s work or beyond, they could always search for any versions that tailor to their interests. Who knows! Some of them might even start devouring these amazing books and become an expert in studying Shakespearean work (or other amazing authors like Jane Austen, H.G. Wells)!
Jane Austen has written ‘Emma’, ‘Pride and Prejudice’, ‘Mansfield Park’ and many other great works. |
Some of the works by H.G. Wells include ‘The Invisible Man’ and ‘The War Of The World’. |
It might also, to a certain extent, allow students to perceive a second language from a different angle. More often than not students have perceived language subjects like Malay, English and Mandarin to be extremely rigid and inflexible, leaving no room for imagination (like grammar and vocabulary, for without which we can’t convey our meaning effectively and accurately).
However, a light-hearted session like this enables the students to rediscover the fun and exciting part of language – storytelling. Perhaps, some might even develop a new perspective in reading, since the entire sharing session is more like an interactive session between the participants, Mr Pang and I, much like how reading is supposed to be – a two-way process, an interactive experience between the reader and the writer. And probably after finishing their reading, they could even reflect upon the content too, making it a wholesome reading experience.
Lastly, thank you Ms Ong Lay Fong, Admin Head of the Library and her Assistant, Ms Jane Chan Mei-Qi, who made all of this possible, and to Mr Pang for helping me out! I really enjoyed the event – it was a privilege to be able to share ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ with 30 odd students despite my personal shortcomings.
Note by reporter: Lots of thanks to you too, Mr. Joshua Tan! We from the Kuen Cheng Newsletter Club are grateful to you for taking time to answer these questions.
Say cheese!
(Most photos provided by KCHS Library)