An Analysis of Adolescent Problems in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet and Its Application to English Teaching

• Main Authors: Lu Hsin-jung, 呂欣蓉
• Other Authors: Chang Shui-mu
• Format: Others
• Language: en_US
• Published: 2004
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/54077111686620081213

碩士 === 國立彰化師範大學 === 英語學系 === 92 === Abstract The thesis aims to make students have access to literary works and testify the appropriateness of simplified English drama as teaching material in junior high school by the empirical application. Literature brings the reader pleasure as well as knowledge. It can increase language skills as well as learning motivation. However, junior high school students in Taiwan seldom have chances to appreciate the beauty of English classical literary works. In order to provide students with multiple learning environment and strategies due to their multiple intelligences, the researcher in the experimental class adopts a play which is a useful way of learning conversational language owing to its richness in dialogue. Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is selected as the teaching material because the problems explored in the play students still confront every day, such as suicide, love and generation gap. The play is relevant to students’ life because students can share some of the same life experiences with these characters. Besides, students can learn how to deal with such situations in order to accomplish the aim of self-growth. Additionally, it makes the class full of variety and liveliness. Meanwhile, the pre-instructional and post-instructional questionnaires are used to understand students’ acceptance of simplified English drama as tools facilitating English learning. This thesis consists of six chapters. Chapter one is the description of researcher’s motivations along with the purposes and significance of the study. The importance and function of drama as teaching material as well as the introduction of Multiple Intelligences and the relationship between family members are also explored in Chapter two. Chapter three explores the adolescent problems in Romeo and Juliet with a view to proving the appropriateness of the play. Chapter four discusses the crucial factors leading to the tragedy. Chapter five puts emphasis on the application of Romeo and Juliet to the EFL junior high school in Taiwan with the intention of not only investigating the practicability of the drama as teaching material but also understanding students’ difficulties in learning simplified English drama. Chapter six presents the findings and discusses the results of the study. Some pedagogical implications and limitations of the study as well as the suggestions for further studies are all included in the chapter.