LA500 Great Books Course Overview

In this course students will read books typical of American junior high school and high school level required reading. Students will do reading assignments at home and come to class prepared to ask and answer questions about the books. Students will learn critical reading and literary analysis skills, allowing them to better understand and appreciate great literature. Students will also strengthen their discussion skills as they talk about the books in a lively student-led environment. Students will write weekly Reading Journals to share in class, and will submit one short essay per term analysing and expressing their opinion on an aspect of the text(s). Students should be confident in their ability to read English if they are considering this course.

幅広いジャンルの文学作品を読むコース。文学に対するさまざまな解析方法や、使用されている表現技法を学んでそれらの効果について理解を深めながら、文章を論理で読み解く方法やディスカッションのスキルも学ぶ。教材は、アメリカの中学や高校で取り上げる文学作品を扱う。

LA600 Great Books Advanced Course Overview

Tailored to high school students who are interested in reading a wide variety of important works of world literature in a number of different genres and discussing a variety of analytical approaches to literature.
Students will do reading assignments at home and come to class prepared to ask and answer questions about the books. Students will learn critical reading and discussion skills as they talk about the books. The books in this course are at the level of required reading for high school and college-level students. The books are not abridged or simplified in any way, so students should feel comfortable reading in English if they are considering this course.

古典から近現代小説まで幅広く、より本格的な文学作品を読むコース。LA500同様に、文章を論理で読み解くクリティカル・リーディングやディスカッションのスキルを学び、難解な作品の読解力を養う。教材は、シェイクスピアなど、アメリカの高校や大学で取り上げる文学作品を扱う。

From Instructor

Jonathan Ingram

Education: BA in English, Georgetown Univeristy

In Great Books classes, I try to follow the model used in competitive American high schools. Books are drawn from the list of texts considered in Advanced Placement tests as well as lists for international prizes, and students discuss not only the books we read, but also a variety of critical approaches to literature. My goal is for students to feel comfortable and confident with any literature in English that they encounter, either in their studies or in their private lives. Consistent with the culture of elite American schools, classes are taught in a seminar style, with students expected to actively participate in analytical discourse. My role as instructor is to ask questions more than I lecture, and to encourage students to work through issues together in a collaborative and rigorous way.