I have discovered a new Literature in English and not only in English thanks to Coursera
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| Not only beaches and great cities, Australia is also a land of contrasts and with a sad past history which everybody should read and learn more because behind these stories and the songs there is the life of men and explorers and the inhabitants from Australia and Tasmania. These words might be the beginning of a book which I could write about these writers and what they have told us. The book doesn't exist but I have collected some pictures that might describe what I have learnt. |
Claire Jones have structured the course into four sections: in each section we are provided with videos, texts and web links. For each section we were given a test and some of us also wrote about the themes presented in the MOOC. I have decided to write about the course to present some interesting ideas which I might use for my CPD and to develop activities for my students when presenting Australia.
Week 1- Literature and country
It was an introduction to the country and the places which I have never visited but are part of the history of this English speaking country.
Week 2- Crime and Punishment
Ned Kelly- a legend in Australia and we should all read about this man who died at a young age because he was an outlaw, a man who had Irish origins and sufferred a lot.
Read this long letter by Kelly where he describes how he became an oulaw and he was forced by circumstances which made him a man after spending years in prison as a child. The letter was never published and it was donated to the State Library of Victoria in 2000.
How a man became an outlaw
Week 3- Explorers, frontier and settlement
- VOSS- 1957 by Patrick White - Australian Nobel Prize
http://www.abc.net.au/arts/white/
http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/features/patrick-white-centenary/
- Kim Scott's novel ‘That Deadman Dance’: is also a novel about the frontier in the 19th century. It was published in 2010.
Week 4 - Home and Away
A.D.HOPE
From his poem AUSTRALIA
" Nation of
trees, drab green and desolate grey
In the field uniform of modern wars,
Darkens her hills, those endless, outstretched paws
Of Sphinx demolished or stone lion worn away.
Darkens her hills, those endless, outstretched paws
Of Sphinx demolished or stone lion worn away.
They call
her a young country, but they lie:
She is the last of lands, the emptiest,
A woman beyond her change of life, a breast
Still tender but within the womb is dry.
She is the last of lands, the emptiest,
A woman beyond her change of life, a breast
Still tender but within the womb is dry.
............................................................................"
For more poems follow this linkhttp://www.poetrylibrary.edu.au/poets/hope-a-d/australia-0146006
Judith Wright
Great writer, poet and environmentalist : she loved her country and was interested in the social issues.
One of her famous poems is " South of my days" which I found also on the youtube with images to be part of the text
Biography about Judith Wright
My personal reflections : learning more and devising activities in my English classes in Italy
I decided to write about this learning experience and I worked on an online presentation, which will continue this year as I hope I will do a second course on line- this is my PERSONAL REFLECTION about this experience on line.
The presentation has been created thanks to thinglink. I have also created an activity on line based on what I have learnt to introduce the topic AUSTRALIA to my students in a vocational school in Italy, the presentation is on line and I have embedded it - it was created thanks to Padlet.
