Friends from a World Unseen: Reflections on Teaching Premodern Languages and Literatures in the 21st Century
Tuesday, February 14, 2023
12:00 pm–1:00 pm
Kuykendall 106 Events Room
“The pleasantest of all diversions is to sit alone under the lamp, a book spread out before you, and to make friends with people of a distant past you have never known.” So wrote the lay priest Kenkō (1283?–1358?) in chapter 13 of his Essays in Idleness, one of the most influential and enduring pieces of literature from medieval Japan. Texts—and classics in particular—influence our lives more than we are willing to admit in the ways they contribute to shaping our self-perception and sense of belonging.
In today’s presentist climate, how can we get our students engaged in the study of the past and in the humanities? Are “the classics” still relevant to our contemporary concerns? If so, how?
In this workshop, Professor Pier Carlo Tommasi will share his experience in teaching classical Japanese language and literature at UH Mānoa, showcasing the strategies that helped engage students in learning about a non-Western, non-modern society. Join this workshop to discover recent experiments in (premodern) language and literature pedagogy!
Presenter
Pier-Carlo Tommasi
East Asian Languages and Literatures
This event is cosponsored by the Center for Japanese Studies (CJS), East Asian Languages & Literatures, and the OFDAS Center for Teaching Excellence (CTE).