By Kimmy Claussen Posted June 9, 2016
English classes today tend to focus on very classic literature such as Shakespeare or Harper Lee. It tends to confuse students at times and possibly even bore them to the point where they have no motivation to read or understand the book. There are many reasons why modern literature should be taught in English classes.
First of all, modern literature means modern language. There is nothing more annoying than reading Shakespeare and basically reading a completely different language. If students don’t even comprehend what is being said in the text, how are they supposed to make real-life connections to the characters and storyline? One of the classics that freshmen at Lowry read is “Romeo and Juliet”. It’s understood that there are many reasons why students should focus on stories like that. It’s a conversation starter, to say the least. But many modern books have the same general concept of Romeo and Juliet and could be easier, yet still academically challenging, for students nowadays to not only understand but thoroughly enjoy. When a student is forced into doing something they don’t want to do, it tends not to be quality work. But if you get the values and general concepts of classic storylines in a way for kids to comprehend more easily, modern literature is the way to go.
Another thing that makes unmodern stories hard to read is the outdated storylines. Kids can’t connect storyline-wise to a book that was made so many years ago. If they don’t make real-life connections to the characters and storyline, they will never really understand what the book is really about. Connecting to the storyline is important for every book anyone reads, whether it’s for school or just simply reading on your own time.
Bringing modern literature into the classroom would be very beneficial to students in many ways. It would give them a chance to have a voice and actually read things they enjoy and connect to and bring a better overall understanding of the books that they must read in English classes.
