Level 4: Contemporary Serious Literature.

This level includes the heavier and more "serious" works of current interest published in English, as well as films, newspapers, and literary and philosophical magazines. The approach will at first be "narrow," focusing on the work of one author or genre, e.g. the works of Kurt Vonnegut, plays by Neil Simon. As before, SSR can include lighter reading. Only after students have experienced several authors or genres in depth will the "survey" be done.

This level, and the next, can be repeated several times, focusing on different authors and genres.

At this stage, language acquisition theory can be done in some detail, reading original works in English.

Level 5: The Classics

Students are now ready for "the classics," literature written in very different eras. To help ensure comprehensibility, the approach will be "narrow," with a focus on one author or one genre, eg the romance, the historical novel of a certain period (eg World War I, the Depression). Background readings in English and in the first language will also help increase comprehensibility. As before, the "survey" will only be done after students have experienced several authors or genres in depth.

Level 6: Comparative Literature

Comparative literature emphasizes universals: universal themes, universal plots, universal characters, universals of morality and ethics.

A Necessary Condition

Such a program will work, of course, only if a large supply of interesting reading is available, a super-library filled with books, comics, magazines, films and tapes. This is not an impossible dream. In fact, it would cost a lot less than we currently invest in computers, computers of dubious value and that become obsolete within a year or two.

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