Why the British/Arabic Obsession with Shakespeare?

William Shakespeare

Much of the Arab World seems to me (an American) to be obsessed with Shakespeare!  Yes, I do think there is a place for Shakespeare in the literature curriculum, but I think it is being entirely overdone.  I think one or (certainly not more than three) Shakespeare plays should be included in the curriculum, but other time should be spent on more interesting and valuable literature.

I spoke with some British friends I have who told me that British children are started on reading Shakespeare at age 11!  When I asked what for, one of them finally told me that knowledge of Shakespeare is used as an adult mainly to impress other adults.  OK, I’m American, and I find much of the language terribly hard to understand.  I really can’t see it being useful to most people to learn much of this sort of antiquidated language.  Yet, throughout the Arab World, so many university programs seem to focus on extensive reading of Shakespeare!

About fifteen years ago, I had a friend from Libya.  He went on and on about how when he was in school, they had performed Shakespeare’s plays in Arabic, using all the correct classical Arabic endings for words (as opposed to using the local dialet of Arabic).   People in my present country have told me similar things.

Where I live now, I often have country nationals who have earned university degrees in English (as a second or third language) talk to me about how they read a lot of Shakespeare in university.  At the same time, their command of ordinary English vocabulary is often lacking.  Some of them cannot write clear English sentences.  Wouldn’t the time spend studying Shakespeare be better spent in English composition classes, and/or reading literature that uses language currently used, particularly when they are subsequently in jobs requiring a good command of English?

Eileen

Explore posts in the same categories: Algeria, Angola, Arab Culture, Argentina, Australia, Australian Education, Barbados, Benin, Bolivia, Books, Brazil, Brazilian Education, Britain, British Education, British Literature, British Muslims, Brunei, California, Canada, Canadian Education, Chile, Chilean Education, China, Colombia, Colorado, Cuba, Culture, Curriculum, Curriculum Content and Issues, Denmark, Dubai, Education Issues, Educational Issues, Egypt, El Salvador, England, English, Ethiopia, Europe, European Education, Falkland Islands, Fiji, France, French Education, Gabon, Gaza, Germany, Gibaraltar, Grade 10, Grade 11, Grade 12, Grade 7, Grade 8, Grade 9, Greece, Greenland, Guatemala, Guinea, Guyana, Hawaii, High School English Curriculum, High School Reading Levels, Hong Kong, Iceland, Ideas, India, Indian Education, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Japanese Education, Jordan, Kenya, Kuwait, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, Macau, Madagasgar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Micronesia, Mongolia, Mozambique, Nepal, Netherlands, New Guinea, New York, New Zealand, New Zealand Education, Nicaragua, Niger, Norway, Oman, Opposition to Shakespeare, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Parenting Issues, Parents, Parents Helping Children with Shakespeare, Peru, Phillipines, Poland, Poor English, Puerto Rico, Russia, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, School Issues, Schools, Scotland, Scottish Education, Secondary Education, Secondary English Literature Curriculum, Secondary Reading Curriculum, Secondary School Issues, Senegal, Shakespeare, Singapore, Somalia, South Africa, South African Education, South America, South American Education, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Syria, Tahiti, Taipei, Taiwan, Tanzania, Teaching About Life, Teaching English, Teaching English Literature, Teaching English as a Second Language, Teaching about Morality, Thailand, Third World, Thoughts, Tibet, Tobago, Trinidad, Truk, Tunisia, Turkey, UAE, Uruguay, Vancouver, Venezuala, Wales, Yugoslavia, Zaire, Zambia, Zanzibar, Zimbabwe, ecuador, education, school, teacher, teachers