Teaching literature, learning Shaw

As a subject, English Literature has never been a popular choice for candidates sitting for their O-Level examinations, let alone their advanced levels. Even though nearly all of us have been taught from childhood to read story books, few of us later still hold the earnest passion to scurry into the library at every free period and burrow their noses into a book. However, that is precisely what we need English Literature classes for, don’t we? So that our language skills and writings can become improved, our limited vocabulary more enriched and our desire to read books no longer remains embedded. The sad, underlying truth, however, is that English Literature classes often don’t help. Because most of them are taught in the wrong way if you’ll blatantly admit; the consequences accumulate to half the students fearing the subject and the other half remaining aloof and indifferent.