Tempest III: Summary And Analysis

As a new teacher working with lower performing ELLs, I was looking for that one particular tip or strategy that would improve their fluency levels in reading. My students were borderline students and were constantly exposed to failure. Many of these students had poor reading strategies and some were too intimidated to read beyond the first few sentences. I started with the most logical starting point - the text. Many textbooks often have more texts than are needed or texts which may not be suitable in one way or another. Often, the teacher feels that it is necessary to use additional readings as supplements. When presented with a reading text, many of my students became passive. I gave them simplified exercises, easier language input, a choice …show more content…
What is the true cause of this misunderstanding and confusion? I, myself, venture to the theater hoping for some great awareness to come falling down upon me, yet I leave oblivious to the meanings of the play, meanings that go further then the famous, "To be, or not to be" of Hamlet. McWhorter confronts these issues in Word on the Street, explaining a number of different reasons as to why people explain why modern Americans cannot understand or fully appreciate Shakespeare. One argument brought forth is that Americans just don't perform Shakespearean plays like a British actor can. It is believed that English with a British accent is just simply better and more intelligible because it is in a higher standard of English. McWhorter believes, however, "that this idea stems more from the American delight in the British accent, and the lingering inferiority complex we have in relation to Europe" (91). It is quite true that Americans today view those with an English accent as the 'top-notch' of