Authors

Leonore Hoffman

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

Spring 1979

Abstract

The project "Teaching Women's Literature from a Regional Perspective" was developed in 1976 by the Modern Language Association Commission on the Status of Women in the Profession and has been supported by the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education. The major goal of the project is to improve the teaching of literature through involving students directly in conducting research on the letters, diaries, journals, oral testimonies, and "lost" published literature of the women of their region. Courses have been developed in a number of colleges and universities throughout the country in which students have explored local archives in public libraries and historical societies or have interviewed local women. Although each student had an individual project, classes met as a whole to learn research skills, to analyze findings, and generally to offer mutual support and encouragement. Finally, each student presented her or his findings to an audience outside the classroom. Some went into the community with dramatic readings from diaries and letters; some prepared slide-tape shows; others invited faculty, community people, and family to "celebrations" at which they read excerpts from their research; still others published their work in booklets funded by the project or in local journals.

Share

COinS
 
 

To view the content in your browser, please download Adobe Reader or, alternately,
you may Download the file to your hard drive.

NOTE: The latest versions of Adobe Reader do not support viewing PDF files within Firefox on Mac OS and if you are using a modern (Intel) Mac, there is no official plugin for viewing PDF files within the browser window.