1. OVERVIEW
During the high school years (ages 12 – 18), students immerse themselves in their mother tongue through the study of Literature. Building upon the foundation laid in primary school through Vietnamese Language, Literature serves to refine students’ language skills, facilitating the gradual realization of their full linguistic potential.
Firstly, Literature empowers students to actively, appropriately, and effectively utilize their native language in all communication activities, making Vietnamese an effective bridge for absorbing external perspectives and expressing their ideas and feelings, thereby establishing their identity.
Secondly, Literature focuses on fostering students’ critical thinking abilities, enabling them to engage in both analytical reading and selective listening, as well as writing and speaking. In the face of the diverse information sources of the new era, students become proactive recipients capable of logically and rationally categorizing and organizing data, and building appropriate language for each communication context.
Beyond skill acquisition, Literature broadens students’ perspectives by exposing them to a diverse range of texts from various genres, authors, and historical periods. By critically approaching this extensive reservoir of information, students not only hone their reading comprehension skills but also empathize with authors’ viewpoints, confront challenges, and relate issues to their own experiences. This process allows them to create works infused with their personal nuances, express their reflections on life, and establish their distinctive identity, thereby paving the way for their future endeavors.
Secondary and High School Literature, as such, assumes a pivotal role as the linchpin for the holistic development of students’ communication skills, critical insight, and creativity. These elements are crucial prerequisites for students to nurture personal growth, foster intercultural thinking, and cultivate responsible citizenship.
In pursuit of the outlined objectives, each Literature lesson is meticulously designed to adopt a positive pedagogical approach, fostering an open and challenging linguistic environment. This approach encourages students to actively engage with and holistically practice a spectrum of skills, including reading, writing, speaking, listening, and language application. As students advance through high school, a heightened emphasis is placed on their initiative, as they cultivate the practice of independent reading and research beyond the classroom. This transforms class time into meaningful interactive sessions that not only deepen and broaden their knowledge but also refine their skills simultaneously. This self-study process is sustained and gradually improved throughout the academic years, associated with a self-research regimen involving meticulous procedures and extensive exploration of information sources to make discoveries that reflect one’s unique perspective.
2. COURSE OBJECTIVES
- Honing students’ reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills, fostering fluency in their native language and preparing them for higher education and life beyond academia.
A distinctive feature of the Literature curriculum is its emphasis on intensive reading, enabling students to comprehend the content, artistic elements, cultural values, and profound ideas of each literary work. Students are also required to draw conclusions based on evidence, thereby developing their ideas and effectively expressing themselves. Furthermore, students are exposed to a diverse range of topics, literature genres, and a wide range of information, providing opportunities for them to cultivate a broad spectrum of language skills.
- Cultivate critical and creative thinking to form a strong foundation for all language activities.
Thinking is the cornerstone for language proficiency, enabling students to delve into texts, craft coherent pieces of writing, and persuasively articulate their thoughts. The Literature curriculum challenges students to approach texts like detectives and write like journalists, fostering competencies such as reading for details, drawing evidence-based conclusions, and avoiding clichés to enhance content richness. Additionally, students are required to practice creating persuasive arguments and refine their skills as they advance through grade levels. This progression enables them to utilize language for effective communication and problem-solving in real-life scenarios while concurrently expressing their unique perspectives.
- Instill a research mindset, proactive spirit, and a passion for continuous learning to enrich students’ native language skills.
Rather than dictating knowledge, the focus of the Literature curriculum is on the dynamic processes of reading, writing, speaking, and listening, encouraging students to be proactive in various situations. The Literature learning process increases students’ autonomy, enabling them to comprehend complex works, acquire diverse information in their daily life, and utilize language for various communicative purposes. Embedded within the program is a specialized competency group dedicated to research, fostering a profound understanding of knowledge through questioning, self-exploration, and the evaluation of diverse information sources. This approach aims to promote students’ comprehensive mastery of their mother tongue.
- Teaching students about humane values and empathy, contributing to forming their characters.
Literature seeks to instill humanistic values, empathy, and positive qualities through exposure to works rich in humanity from diverse perspectives and cultures. The process involves self-study, reflection, and connection, encouraging students to appreciate different cultures and perspectives through the interpretation of various literary works.
