In September 2015, School of International Studies, Zhejiang University offered an original English course “A Study on Shakespeare’s Plays” by William Baker, a knowledgeable and distinguished professor from Northern Illinois University and in American academia, who has been a teacher for over 40 years and has published 20 monographs and more than a hundred academic papers. Prof. Baker has given the course on Shakespeare’s Plays in America for many years, winning universal recognition of students and teachers. He introduced authentic educational ideology of American universities into classes of School of International Studies this semester.
School of International Studies attached great importance to original English course and set up a special course team of “A Study on Shakespeare’s Plays” in summer vacation before this semester. Prof. Gao Fen, course coordinator, had detailed and repeated discussions with Prof. Baker on course schedule, textbooks and assessment and Zhu Zhenyu, teaching assistant, implemented related work. Teachers from the course team and undergraduate section used a public e-mail to upload courseware and to communicate with students and also videotaped the whole course.
The course is designed to guide students to the plays of Shakespeare, the greatest playwright in the history of English literature. The five selected works are Twelfth Night, Henry V, Hamlet, Measure for Measure and The Tempest, each representing Shakespeare’s comedy, historical play, tragedy, problem play and later work. The course, by careful textual analysis and multimedia teaching method (movies of Shakespeare’s plays), is aimed at helping students understand the text based on historical background and to recognize the humanity and social totality showed in Shakespeare’s plays. The course takes up 32 periods in eight weeks, 4 in each week, during which students are expected to complete two book reports, one mid-term examination and one final examination.
Prof. Baker’s rigorousness and academic nature are well reflected in his selection of reference materials which include authoritative internet resources and commentaries on Shakespeare’s plays by trustworthy foreign academic presses. Research literature recommended by Prof. Baker facilitated students not only to comprehend textual details and social background, but to learn contemporary western literary criticism as it involved New Historicism and Feminism. In order to equip students with a quicker perceptual knowledge of Shakespeare’s plays, Prof. Baker meticulously chose Shakespeare plays and movies shot by BBC as extracurricular learning materials.
Prof. Baker is good at giving guidance to students step by step. He encouraged students to find answers and express their ideas of his impromptu questions during lectures. In addition, he emphasized reading texts loud and his affectionate reading made students experience a real classic. After lectures, the teaching assistant gave away comprehensive handouts to students for review via a public e-mail. Prof. Baker also had office hour for students who have questions and interests in Shakespeare’s plays, bridging himself and students. Though he had strict requirement in course assessment, Prof. Baker provided options in the forms—students can choose between a written report and making a drama performance in terms of class report. In the last lecture, several students co-played Scene 3, Act 2 of Twelfth Night, making performers and spectators fully relaxed.
Students in the course were mainly English major juniors of School of International Studies who were taught in small class. Some non-English majors and a few freshmen also took this course, and some teachers from School of International Studies and other schools of Zhejiang University also audited it. All of them enjoyed the course very much, so it has achieved a great success and had a favorable impact on students and teachers as well.
Written by Zhu Zhenyu / Photographed by Xiang Lingling
School of International Studies
Nov. 17, 2015
