SHAKESPEARE SEEKING AN AMERICAN

MARKETISER: TOWARDS A YOUTUBISATION OF

LITERATUREPRESENTED BY

KASSIM B. SAFIRUNIVERSITY OF MASCARA.

ANKARA, TURKEY 7-9, 2012

Problematics :1. Notion of change

Pre-millennial culture vs. Post-millennial one2. Conformism vs. Rebellion

Traditional pedagogy vs. Modern one3. Struggle over power in the classroom

Teacher authority vs. Learner autonomy4. Conceptualisation

Definition of literature Definition of « good taste »

5. Perceptions Shakespearisation of literature vs. De-

shakespearisation

10 reasons why post-millennial do not like to read literature

ONE

The irrational reluctance of literature teachers to UNLEARN the pre-millennial dogmas based on ageism, academicism, intellectualism, and sexism.

TWO

The teachers perpetual quest to

eternalise the SHAKESPEARISED

traditional LITERARY ORDER based on the myth of « GOOD TASTE ».

« Read, read, read. Read

everything – trash, classics, good, bad, and

see how they do it »

William Faulkner

THREE

The HIC and NUNC reader (adolescent) attitude based on a seemingly irrational quest of INSTANT GRATIFICATION.

FOUR

Post-millennial students are no longer READERS but «  SCREENERS » for reading is considered a

« thick accent » (Marc Prensky, 2001) I.e.: Screen –orientedness.

FIVE Youtube literary content is usually post-

millennials (user) friendly. De-grammatised. Lyricalised /Musicalised. Concise. Oralised. Dramatised. Picture oriented

In one word : « YOUTUBISED »

SIX

The PIXEL as a serious competitor

of the PHONEME . Teachers being « phoneme- oriented » vs « pixel–oriented » or screeners.

SEVEN The obsoletness of the

« readability formulas »

Speech is easier to understand than text. “Youtubised” literary content is by far much understandable than speech and text.

EIGHT Reading books including

literature is often perceived by over-masculinised boys as a FEMININE ATTITUDE.

Boys are more communication

/digital/athleticism- oriented. *Reading being non-athletic activity.

NINE Big Data problematic.

I.e.: Overwhelmedness of data in humanities is as dangerous as its scarceness.

TEN

« ADOLISH » being a foreign

language for adults, And « ADULISH » being a

foreign language for adolescents.

So what ? Should Readers conform to the traditional

Shakespearised literary order?

Or should teachers listen to the yelling of change and de-Shakespearise literature?

Who should teach the the other?

Is there any solution?

Solution ? To find a « SAFETY ZONE » where neither the

teacher nor the reader would « LOSE FACE ».

A compromise between the two generations is possible.

Books and e-Books, classics and trash can co-exist in post-millennial classrooms.

Literature is dead, long live literature.

« Jobs, Hurley, Zuckerburg, thank you… »

W. Shakespeare.

Author :

Kassim B .SAFIRUniversity of Mascara, Algeria.

safireading@yahoo.com