Watching the film of the book in an English lesson

[swee'pea99]

to this day, many decades on, I have never read either of the 2 books we studied for English O Level.

I think you missed the little ears off 'studied'.

 

[steveindenmark]

I think reading the book and then watching differt versions of the film is a good idea. Then you are not just getting one persons interpretation. I remember visual cues much better than the written word.

 

[smutchin]

I've emailed this morning and had a reply to say she, the teacher, believes watching the film is consolidating their understanding of the plot. But I would disagree, and I think it will cause confusion between the author's portrayal of a character and their on screen persona, which is often very far from the original.

I think there's some truth in what you say, but I also think that watching an adaptation can help to clarify plot points that may not have been obvious from the reading. This is perhaps more true of plays than novels but the same principle applies generally.

When I was at uni, I directed a student theatre group production of a play I'd studied at A-level, and I learned far more about the play in the four weeks of rehearsals than I learned from reading it over and over for two years. I know that watching a film adaptation isn't quite the same as the hands-on experience of directing, but it can still be beneficial.

However...

Lazy teaching is the way I would describe it.

I suspect the teacher is taking a lowest common denominator approach, keeping it all at the level of the less able/motivated students, but it sounds like your daughter is switched on and engaged enough to make up for any shortcomings in the content of her lessons. That being the case, why not encourage her to do more of her own reading - try some other Dickens works for comparison, perhaps? (I'd recommend Our Mutual Friend.) Or maybe some other contemporary novels (eg Middlemarch) or history books about the period for extra context (London Labour and the London Poor by Henry Mayhew would be worth looking at). Basically, she shouldn't allow herself to be limited by what happens at school.

 

[Sandra6]

I think there's some truth in what you say, but I also think that watching an adaptation can help to clarify plot points that may not have been obvious from the reading. This is perhaps more true of plays than novels but the same principle applies generally.

When I was at uni, I directed a student theatre group production of a play I'd studied at A-level, and I learned far more about the play in the four weeks of rehearsals than I learned from reading it over and over for two years. I know that watching a film adaptation isn't quite the same as the hands-on experience of directing, but it can still be beneficial.

However...



I suspect the teacher is taking a lowest common denominator approach, keeping it all at the level of the less able/motivated students, but it sounds like your daughter is switched on and engaged enough to make up for any shortcomings in the content of her lessons. That being the case, why not encourage her to do more of her own reading - try some other Dickens works for comparison, perhaps? (I'd recommend Our Mutual Friend.) Or maybe some other contemporary novels (eg Middlemarch) or history books about the period for extra context (London Labour and the London Poor by Henry Mayhew would be worth looking at). Basically, she shouldn't allow herself to be limited by what happens at school.

Watching one film adaptation, I would agree, could be beneficial, but I see no point in watching four in succession.
My daughter does read, and enjoy books, she isn't enjoying Great Expectations - either the book or the film versions - I wish schools would move on from outdated course material, but that's a whole other rant!

 

[smutchin]

Watching one film adaptation, I would agree, could be beneficial, but I see no point in watching four in succession.

Agreed, that is stretching it a bit!

My daughter does read, and enjoy books, she isn't enjoying Great Expectations - either the book or the film versions - I wish schools would move on from outdated course material, but that's a whole other rant!

It's a shame she isn't enjoying Great Expectations because it's a great book, but I sympathise entirely - GCSE courses are hopelessly out of touch in that respect. Yes, there is some merit in studying 'Classics' but it's surely counter-productive if the students aren't engaged. I didn't get the opportunity to study properly up-to-date novels until I got to uni.

 

[swee'pea99]

Watching one film adaptation, I would agree, could be beneficial, but I see no point in watching four in succession.
My daughter does read, and enjoy books, she isn't enjoying Great Expectations - either the book or the film versions - I wish schools would move on from outdated course material, but that's a whole other rant!

I do hope you're not suggesting that Great Expectations is 'outdated course material'.

 

[smutchin]

I do hope you're not suggesting that Great Expectations is 'outdated course material'.

Yeah, ridiculous notion - it's soooo relevant to the life experience of a 15-year-old girl in the 21st century.

 

[swee'pea99]

Yeah, ridiculous notion - it's soooo relevant to the life experience of a 15-year-old girl in the 21st century.

Indeed, what could a powerful and compelling story about friendship and betrayal and snobbery and loyalty and dedication and misunderstanding and trust and passion and frustration and misery and thwarted ambition and triumph and disaster and hope and disappointment and love possibly have to say to a 15 year old today?

 

[smutchin]

Indeed, what could a powerful and compelling story about friendship and betrayal and snobbery and loyalty and dedication and misunderstanding and trust and passion and frustration and misery and thwarted ambition and triumph and disaster and hope and disappointment and love possibly have to say to a 15 year old today?

I don't for a second disagree that Great Expectations has universal themes that are genuinely timeless, but the 19th century setting and prose will have a distancing effect that makes it harder for modern students to relate to it. This was certainly true for me when I studied it for GCSE 30 years ago, and it will be just as true now.

There are plenty of more recent works that can offer students an equally rich study experience while also being more accessible.

 

[LonesomeWanderer]

I can see some value in watching the David Lean version 4 times. The other versions seem like a waste of time though. :-)

I remember once in English class we watched the Buddy Holly Story. I'm not sure exactly why....

Of course, the danger of picking the film is it might be different than the book, e.g. Breakfast and Tiffanys has a very different ending.

When it comes to Shakespeare I think it's best performed though, it doesn't quite work when read quietly.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

I have never attended school in the UK, indeed English is my third language:
always wondered why nobody seems to be able to spell.
Now I know, if this is the way you "read books" at school!

 

[Floating Bombus]

We studied The Woodlanders for O Level. It put me off Hardy, in fact all 19th century literature, for the next quarter of a century.

 

[Electric_Andy]

We did this in my day; with Romeo and Juliet, and Lord of the Flies. We read the book and analysed it first, then watched the films. For me it was helpful, as some of the themes were a tad confusing in the script but the film produced some lightbulb moments. Sometimes you just need a different take on it for things to click.

I ended up getting a B for literature so it must have worked for me, as I wasn't the most studious individual.

 

[Shut Up Legs]

I never got to watch films in class when I was in high school. But then I did graduate from high school in 1984.

Yes, we had TV back then. It just wasn't a high priority in schools.

 

[TVC]

In my Eng Lit O level we watched the film To Kill a Mockingbird and saw Richard III on stage. Both helped because you get the scope of the book in one piece. Reading and disecting it in class ruins the flow of the story and sucks any pleasure it of it, so I'm all for seeing adaptations.