Why do human write and read literature?

The challenges and promise of Gen AI and LLM tools in teaching literature prompts us to ask why we read literature in the first place?

When ChatGPT can readily generate an answer to an essay question or other assessment question, and now the question of which work is by the student and which is from an online tool, we are now pausing to ask how do we ensure the student has created this work, and how do we measure the genuine knowledge and progress of the student?

Your school is no doubt making a lot of progress on these questions. You will find many approaches on the Austi Classics website here, here and here.

These are significant improvements that can benefit all students. The advent of AI tools also pulls us to return to basics in the purpose of teaching English. One purpose is how to communicate in the language, of course. Most works of literature teach the use of language subliminally. The student needs to refer to a dictionary as they read to understand and thereby learn new words that the writer uses. The student experiences the literary techniques that the writer adopts, and the themes that the writer introduces and weaves into the story, description and dialogue. These are the language and technique elements of the craft of writing. By understanding these, students are able to use these techniques themselves, recognise them more readily, understand when someone is using these techniques "on" them, and generally the student becomes a more sophisticated communicator as a result.

Typically the writer's purpose is not to teach language or language techniques, but to use them to tell a story, share an experience, change the reader, entertain the reader, sell books - or some or all of these. To what extent was the student engaged by the story, did the student relate to the experience, was the student changed by the book, how was the student entertained, and would the student have bought the book and read it themselves if it wasn't part of the curriculum?

Using these questions as the basis for discussion, essays and assessments encourages students to turn their attention to themselves and the text, and where LLMs such as ChatGPT add value only in helping the student refine their expression. The more refinement done by the chat agent, the farther away the response is from the student's own experience. What we as teachers reward in students has always mattered, and now matters even more. A highly refined expression is not to be rewarded as much as personal and genuine one. When ChatGPT can make the grammar, sentence structure and even line of argument perfectly-formed, these are no longer most important when we want to grasp and rewards the student's own effort and contribution. What matters is whether the student genuinely related the text to their own mind, thoughts, experience, family, friends, life.

This experiential engagement. There are short essay questions that encourage and help students take this approach to English Literature at this page. It can be hard work but "work" in the "inner work" sense, not necessarily the older "slaving away at writing" kind of work. The former lives on, while the latter is less important because chat agents do it for us. Hence we now encourage more inner work with the student primarily aided by the writer of the text, and we may get better citizens when our students graduate as a result. "Better" could mean more self-aware, equipped to look inward, with the habit of considering before reacting, and who act in a constructive way and without hesitation when required.

Here are examples of what this kind of development might look like.

What did Jane Eyre do to me? Which hard questions, uncomfortable questions, does it pose to me? When Jane had left Rochester's home and slept in the bracken, the sky was her roof and the grassy vegetation her bed, and she had nothing what did that state of aloneness and her willingness to do that say about her priorities? What should it say about my own priorities and what's important? The way Jane assessed Mr Rochester in her own mind, considered his qualities, compared him with St. John Rivers - what did that do to how I consider the qualities of others? Previously I may have put the more handsome or beautiful on a pedestal but Charlotte Bronte's character Jane taught to me to look deeper, and I chided myself for being superficial. As a result I became more mature, and wanted to develop those more abiding and human inner qualities myself, and not only be looking for those qualities in others. I can find examples of how I considered my own parents, friends and acquaintances in view of these changes in my measuring stick. Now I have more respect for my parents for the very same qualities that previously I resented them for because now I better understand where those qualities emanate from in their life experience and current responsibilities.

What do I experience when I immerse myself in the Harry Potter epic over days, and how does it influence how I communicate with friends and family? How is Harry Potter nudging me to re-think my life options and choices? Now I am thinking more about courage than ever before, even though school is all about learning, because while Hermione is smart and diligent with studies, even Hermione recognises the importance of courage, boldness and loyalty and that these are perhaps even more potent than being academically brilliant and diligent.

Student's writings may now take on the tone of journal or diary-like musings, because the student is considering themselves "before" and "after".

A teacher can become a mediator to help the student engage with their mentor which is the writer, whether Charlotte Bronte, J. K. Rowling or someone else.

With this approach, English Literature classes, whether ELA, AP, A-level, IA or otherwise becomes a hotbed of learning, accelerated growth, and fast-track to personal wisdom for your students beyond where they would otherwise be.

AI-enabled activities and AI-proof activities

Go to this page for free English Teaching Resources comprising:

• AI-enabled exercise: Putting text to music
• 3 experiential questions on Shakespeare
• 3 experiential questions on contemporary literature
• Rationale for these experiential questions

Click here for: AI in English Teaching Google Discussion Group