Republic of the Philippines TEACHER EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

CAVITE STATE UNIVERSITY

Don Severino de las Alas Campus
Indang, Cavite
UNIT II. Contextualizing Literacy Lessons for Filipino
Learners (Week 5)
COLLEGE OF EDUCATION After the completion of the chapter, students will be able to:

1. Discuss the importance of contextualization in teaching

2. Choose a wide array of classical and contemporary literary pieces written in the local setting
appropriate for a specific grade level

A. The Literary Experience and The Literary Tradition

Two of the very things we ought to ask before reading literature or a selection are “What
is literature?” and “How should we read literature?” Cognizant that literature is different from the
other kinds of texts, we should, therefore, recognize that our approach to it should be different
as well. Formalists analyzed communication and purported that there is no such thing as a
message completely meaningful all by itself. In other words, a text becomes meaningful
because of the context in which it is embedded.
So how does one go about interpreting a text? To interpret is not simply to state one's
impression of a text. To ensure the fullness of one's experience in reading a text, it would be
practical to break it down.

 Author or writer refers to the person who wrote the text or piece. The piece is more
often than not a reflection of the author's beliefs, values, and style. As one gains
understanding of who the author is, one can gain a better grasp of the connection
between the authors intention and the piece that was written.
 Text refers to the work that is at hand. A text is to be analyzed at different levels.
Analysis enables a reader to make sense of "how' the text is written. Hence, describing
(and later on, evaluating) how a message is said is as important as knowing what the
message is. Performing an analysis, therefore, entails that you have a grasp of the
genres, conventions, elements, and devices used in certain texts. For example, knowing
that the genre is poetry. you ought to ask 1) Who is the persona? 2) Who is the
addressee? 3) What is the situation? Then you can proceed to having a closer look at
the technique in the work-the devices.
 Reader refers to "'you." The totality of a reader's experiences affects how he/she reads.
As some writers would put it, "you don't simply see other people as they are, you see
them as you are!" So bringing in your personal on experiences and admitting how they
color your interpretation is definitely fine; but remember that you need to distinguish
between purely personal raw prejudice and sound judgment. Interpretation entails that
you also describe how you are affected as a reader by the text that you read (Culler,
2011).
 Literary tradition refers basically to the body of work done in the past. It showcases
the history in which a work belongs (Bayot, 20O10). Literary tradition also refers to the
tradition and culture of authors under a given genre. For example, during the Romantic
period, poetry usually revolved around strong and intense emotions. For the
 metaphysical poets, the challenge is to tease out a certain truth about life from the
presentation of mundane objects. For the imagists, the job of the poet is to simply paint
a picture with fidelity so the message will come out of it. A text is made meaningful in
relation to other texts, meaning, one can only identify a particular text as a special or
common if it is compared with other works.
Intertextuality is the principle that texts give life to each other. Dictionary online defines
intertextuality as “the interrelationship between texts, especially works of literature; the way the
similar or related texts influence, reflect, or differ from each other.” Examples of intertextuality
are Jose Rizal’s novel El Filibusterismo and Alexander Dumas’ The Count of Monte Cristo.
Their resemblance is found in their theme, which is revenge, and plot development, particularly
on how revenge was executed by each main character using buried treasure.
A.1 Literary Practice: Read Jose Garcia Villa’s The Emperor’s New Sonnet
Literary History is the branch of literary study concerned with getting an overview of
literary pieces and how they contribute to the bigger literary landscape.
Bienvenido Lumbera and Cirilio Bautista are both acclaimed as National Artists of the
Philippines in Literature. The work of Dr. Lumbera is considered by many literature teachers as
a starting point for the study of the post-colonialism in the Philippines. His works clearly depict
how the Philippines was conditioned into embracing the colonizing cultures. We should not
forget, however, that he also highlights that it is in knowing one’s history and own literature that
the Philippines can regain its own sense of identity.
Dr. Bautista, on some occasions, would probably assert that poetry is the crown of all
literary genres because it is the genre that resembles music the most, which is the crown of all
art forms. For Bautista, there are always two poems—the actualized poem (the poem on the
parchment) and the poem in the mind which he calls the Rubber Tower (Gripaldo, 2008). The
role of the skilled poet is to produce a poem that would resemble the Rubber Tower with fidelity.
Once the poem is written, is it no longer of the poet; it detaches itself and its survival will depend
on how well the poet has prepared it for the testing of the real world.

A.2 Literary Practice: Read the following poems. Be ready to conduct a practical and
appreciative analysis of the poems.
Pedagogic
Cirilio Bautista
I walked towards the falling woods
to teach the trees all that I could

of time and birth, the language of men,

the virtues of hate and loving.

They stood with their fingers flaming,

Listened to me with a serious mien:

I knew the footnotes, all the text,

my words were precise and correct—

I was sure that they were learning—

till one tree spoke, speaking in dolor,
to ask why I never changed color.

A Eulogy of Roaches
Bienvenido Lumbera

Blessed are the The roaches do not spin, his opportunities

cockroaches. and neither do they pile up where garbage
weave. grows.
In this country they are But note the russet coat
the citizens who last. the sluggards wear: Dying is brief and cheap
They need no police clothed and thus cannot affright.
to promulgate their peace at birth, roaches require A whiff of toxic mist,
because they tolerate no roachy charity. an agile heel, a stick
each other's smell or -- the swift descent of pain
greed. They settle where they is also final death.
wish
Friends to dark and filth, and have no rent to pay. Their annals may be short,
they do not choose their Eviction is a word but when the simple poor
meat. quite meaningless to them have starved to simple
Although they neither sow who do not have to own death,
nor reap, a daily feast their dingy crack of wall. roaches still circulate
is laid for them in rooms in cupboards of the rich,
and kitchens of their pick. Not knowing dearth or
taxes, the strong, the wise, the
they increase and multiply. dead.
Survival is assured
even the jobless roach;
B. The Tagalog Literature

People from the various regions of the Philippines have unique differences. These are
mirrored in the literatures that are given life by the writers who lived and experienced these
diversities.
 The Tagalog dialect is widely used in the provinces of Luzon and in the National Capital
Region (NCR), and this is a primary reason for the success of the development of Tagalog
literature. Although there are portions of Luzon that are not Tagalog-speaking, like Bicol and
Pampanga, the number of Provinces speaking the dialect is enough sources of the rich heritage
of Tagalog literature.
Astounding gems in Tagalog literature are found on the list below.
Writer Famous Work Birthplace
Francisco Balagtas Florante at Laura Bigaa (Balagtas), Bulacan
Jose Rizal Noli Me Tangere, El Filibusterismo Calamba, Laguna
Andres Bonifacio Tapunan ng Lingap Tondo, Manila
Apolinario Mabini La Revolucion Filipina Tanauan, Batangas
Emilio Jacinto Kartilya ng Katipunan, Sa Mga Trozo, Manila
Kababayan, A la Patria
Marcelo H. Del Pilar Dasalan at Tocsohan San Nicolas, Bulacan
Claro M. Recto La Rute De Demasco Tayabas, Quezon
Amado V. Hernandez Isang Dipang Langit Hagonoy, Bulacan
Lope K. Santos Balarila ng Wikang Pambansa Pasig City
Lazaro Franciso Sa Paanan ng Krus Orani, Batangas
Faustino Aguilar Busabos ng Palad Malate, Manila
Jose Corazon de Ang Posporo ng Diyos Sta. Cruz, Manila
Jesus
Alejandro Abanilla Ako ang Daigdig Salinas, Rosario, Cavite
Modesto De Castro Pagsusulatan ng Magkapatid na si Binan, Laguna
Urbana at si Feliza

We are all characterized by our cultural norms and we are challenged to think how we
can enrich this culture for the next generation. Scarred by distinct features and significant
historical past, Tagalog, as one of the primary dialects in the region of Luzon, continues to
evolve and unleash the Filipino people’s cultural beliefs through written literary genres.
Some of the contemporary writers of the region are Carlos Bulosan, F.Sionil Jose,
Gregorio taer Affiano, Clemente Alejandria, Santiago B. Villafana, Paul B. Zarafalla, Jose A.
Bragado, Reynaldo Duque, Onefrecia Ipac Ibarra, and Abdon Balde Jr. (Lumbera, 2011)

C. Contextualizing Literacy through Literature

Multiliteracies (multi literacy practices) recognize that there are many kinds of literacy
at work within our society. These include traditional literacy practices using texts as well as new
literacy practices using texts of popular culture such as films. Social literacy encompasses how
we communicate and exchange meaning in our society while professional literacy links with the
notion of literacy for school of the workplace (The K to 12 Curriculum Guide in English)

Through multi-literacy skills, learners will be able to appreciate and be sensitive to

sociocultural diversity and understand that the meaning of any form of communication depends
on context, purpose and audience.

Contextualization means that learning tasks and activities will be designed for learners
to acquire the language in authentic and meaningful contexts of use. For example, lessons will
be planned around learning outcomes, a theme, or a type of text to help learners use related
language skills, grammatical items/structures and vocabulary appropriately in spoken and
written language to suit the purpose, audience, context and culture. Learning points will be
reinforced through explicit instruction and related follow-up practice.

To this test, literature has an important role to play. The more contextualized the literary
texts used in the classroom—one that suits the sociocultural formation of the learners and their
developmental level-- the more teaching literacy becomes effective and meaningful. The literary
experience becomes relatable to the learners as the texts become a reflection of their selves,
their experiences, and their respective places.

ACTIVITY #3:

1. Research on how the people living in the Luzon regions (Southern Luzon, Metro Manila,
Northern Luzon) cope with the differences surrounding them. Research also on the literary
themes and the common literary forms from these areas.

Pananaliksik tungkol sa kung paano makayanan ng mga taong naninirahan sa mga rehiyon ng
Luzon (Timog Luzon, Metro Manila, Hilagang Luzon) ang mga pagkakaiba-iba sa paligid nila.
Magsaliksik din sa mga pampanitikang tema at mga karaniwang pormularyong pampanitikan
mula sa mga lugar na ito.

2. Choose 1 literary piece (riddles, proverbs, fables, short stories, poems) from any of the
regions in Luzon. Provide reasons why you selected this particular text and describe briefly how
are you going to teach literacy using this text? Take note of the learning competencies area
as prescribed in the K12 Curriculum Guide for English (Oral language, phonological awareness,
listening comprehension, vocabulary development, writing composition, etc), the year level
appropriate for teaching the text, and the Key competency code assigned to it.