Odumodu 1 Chigozie Odumodu Mrs Whitworth English 12 - Period 6 May 2, 2022 Culture Project What exactly are the advantages of only studying British literature apart from improving your vocabulary? The truth is that British literature should not be required because when looking at it from a student's point of view, one wants to sit down for 40 min and learn about “dead old British men”. British literature should not be required. Instead a multicultural curriculum should be put in place, which will allow students to learn about different cultures, improve their overall knowledge and open avenues that otherwise would be closed and can be fun. A multicultural curriculum is beneficial because it will allow students to learn about different cultures. One of the main disadvantages of focusing on British literature is that it only allows students to learn about one culture. For example in British lit classes students often read Le Morte d'Arthur which was a fictional book written by Thomas Malory. In this book…give a 2-3 sentence summary of the book and cite evidence….. one good thing about this book is it allows students to learn more about the historical antipathy between England and France. In spite of this benefit it would be better for students to read a book like War of the Crowns by Christian Jacq, which is a historical fiction book set in Ancient Egypt. In this book a group has taken possession of the whole of Egypt, “Imposing their harsh rule with unimaginable cruelty and only queen Ahhotep has yet to succumb”. Not far from Thebes which is the only city that retains its independence, she establishes a secret military base to train her loyal fighters .This book is better because it exposes students to a culture and historical figures they have heard of but are unfamiliar with like the pharaohs wife Queen Ahhotep. While it is good for students to learn about ancient history, it's also important to learn about its ancient religion. Odumodu 2 It’s important for students to learn about other elements of culture, such as food ,environment and religion because that will allow them to obtain a more comprehensive view of the culture. As an example, in the video “Ancient Egypt”, which is a historically informative video produced by Crash Course, we’re taught a lot about ancient Egyptian gods. However, there’s also a lot of focus on the Egyptian climate and environment, and the ways that ancient Egyptians managed to survive in such harsh circumstances. It also tells us about ancient Egyptian writing, which we know has hieroglyphics, and this writing gives us a greater knowledge of how different structures and landscapes were back then this is important because teaching students about various cultural elements of different societies will allow them to better understand the world around them and find out what is different and similar to what they know. However there are many that think students should continue to study exclusively focus on British literature There are some who claim that a multicultural curriculum is not needed because British literature has a lot of famous works that are both entertaining and educational. Those who make this claim point to books and plays such as Hamlet, Beowulf, Macbeth, Harry Potter and Sherlock Holmes. They say that these books provide everything you need for a good literature education.There might be a large variety of British literature out there but it still doesn't compare to the knowledge and understanding you can obtain with a multicultural curriculum. In order for students to obtain that, they must be exposed to other cultural works that will allow them to gain a more broad understanding of literature. One good way for students to do that is to read a book like Who Was King Tut? which is a biography of King Tut in place of Beowulf. Who Was King Tut? Is a biography of King Tut written by Roberta Edwards. By reading a book like Who Was King Tut, students would learn that unlike in Beowulf’s culture, where the royals and vikings Odumodu 3 were burnt after death, they would discover that students would learn that Ancient Egyptian were preserved and provisioned for the afterlife by being mummified and buried with treasures like gold and brass. This is important for students to learn because it teaches us how different cultures approach subjects like death. There are many other ways that students benefit from reading the literature of other cultures. One way that studying literature from other cultures will benefit students is by making it easier to understand events from history. Every culture has their history full of good and bad decisions. Ancient Egypt is a good example of good and bad history. Ancient Egypt was one of the greatest and most powerful civilizations in the history of the world. Egypt was at its height during the period known as Old Kingdom this was made possible thanks to the Nile River and its bountiful resource like fish and how calm the river was which allowed for easy travel and trading in return made Egypt flourish and the people believed that their pharaohs were gods which made it easy for them to be control but every good things come to and end. During the end of this period there was a series of drought and pharaohs started fighting over who should have power which led to them nearly destroying their kingdom.There is a lot of history out there and various cultures whose history might surprise you. Educating students about various cultures will teach them about various cultural history and the mistakes they made so we won’t one day make the same mistakes. As Francis Bacon once said “knowledge is power”because it’s important for students to read literature that will teach them historical civilizations that might come in handy in life in applying for a job like Reporter or Researcher. Another way that studying literature from other cultures benefits students is by improving vocabulary and introducing them to foreign languages. Learning about other cultures' languages Odumodu 4 can help you gain perspective and open different opportunities for you in life. For example Language skills can be a significant advantage that sets you apart from your monolingual peers. According to leadwithlangiages.org learning languages are among the top eight skills required for all occupations no matter your sector or skill level. Between 2010 and 2015, the number of U.S. job postings specifically geared towards bilingual candidates more than doubled. Some benefits can also include improved memory, problem-solving and critical thinking skills and ability to multitask. Giving students a multicultural curriculum can give them a better chance to pursue their goals. There are those who claim that it’s not necessary for students to study world literature, as there are plenty of books from British literature that are set in foreign countries. Those who make this claim cite books such as Burmese Days, Death on the Nile, and Heart of Darkness. Books like these provide information about different cultures which doesn’t make you have to pursue a multicultural curriculum on its own because the books touch on various cultures, so you don’t have to pursue several cultures, you could just read books and still technically be learning multicultural. Still these cannot compete with the various benefits of multicultural background. British literature does have a vast genre but it still doesn’t dig into the culture because they tend to be more focused on the characters than the setting, but by reading about other cultures and the life you can better understand them than just listening to whispers about how people think they were. A good way to see how this helps you is by reading The Greenlanders by Jane Smiley which is a historical fiction which focuses more on 14th and 15th centuries vikings than beowulf which focuses more on beowulf hunting a fictional character and just follows one man. Learning about them will help us understand their travels and their traditions.By expanding on this you can Odumodu 5 find out just how much this can benefit you in the work field, depending on your career choice you might need to learn history like a Librarian or Museum archivist. A multicultural curriculum will get you an edge when looking for a job because like previously stated there are jobs that may require it. When people are hiring they normally only look at the people who peak their interest and look for people with skills that will benefit them.What makes a multicultural curriculum in the work field a big deal is the fact that it would mean global companies and those companies tend to pay more money and you will also get the chances to be sent out to countries and explore those cultures first hand. Jobs like a consultant, travel industry careers or even helping spread your language by teaching English abroad. In other words, learning foreign languages can also be a source of fun and pleasure for you. Some people learn new languages because they hope to go there one day. Learning new languages can also be a source of fun or adventure. Learning a new language is often just a means to an end, usually because they find the language enjoyable or require it for a job application. According to ef.com some people learn languages to make new friends, others learn in order to to understand movies without subtitles and also boost your confidence. Allowing students to learn words and vocabulary from other cultures can help them like and appreciate the subject, and inspire them to try out other cultures. At some point we have seen a film or tv show in other languages that we wish we could just understand. However, a large number of Americans can only speak english. Odumodu 6 Most people think learning a new language is a waste of time and that you don’t need to learn a new language to have a good time outside the U.S. Those who make this claim often end up using people like Jeff Bezos and other celebrities that can only speak English but still travel the world. You might still have fun but not as much as you would have had if you knew the language but that still can’t stand the benefits of learning a new language. After learning a language you often gain more confidence even with basic language skills you can travel and experience the adventure of a lifetime. A good example is for those who happen to like anime. Anime first originated in Japan as a result most anime like Naruto and One Piece are in japanese so you have to read the subtitles or wait for a dub to be released which is often inferior to the original. By learning Japanese it could feel like a whole new world of entertainment has opened for them.This is important because it will gain a whole new perspective than before . People who watch anime know that watching in the original language it was produced is better . Taking a multicultural curriculum is worth the effort. In conclusion, multicultural classes will allow us to explore brand new cultures and extend knowledge and perspective and expand our options in life. British literature class is not worth as much as a multicultural class because when weighed together a multicultural curriculum provides the best options for everyone. The advantages of a multicultural curriculum outweigh the effort and all in all in the best options possible. Odumodu 7 Work Cited Page Hinds, Gareth. Beowulf. Illustrated, Candlewick, 2007. Alicia. “6 Benefits of Learning a Foreign Language for Career Growth.” Bilingua, 12 Nov. 2017, bilingua.io/benefits-learning-a-foreign-language-career. Raoul Meyer. “Ancient Egypt: Crash Course World History #4.” YouTube, 16 Feb. 2012, www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3Wvw6BivVI. Ducksters. "World History: Ancient Egypt for Kids." Ducksters, Technological Solutions, Inc. (TSI), www.ducksters.com/history/ancient_egypt.php Fleming, Esther. “What Percentage of Egypt Is Sand?” SidmartinBio Wide base of knowledge : . SidemartinBio, 27 April 2021, www.sidmartinbio.org/what-percentage-of-egypt-is-sand. Odumodu 8 History.com Editors. “Tutankhamun.” HISTORY, 20 July 2020, www.history.com/topics/ancient-history/tutankhamen#section_5. Morgan, Thad. “How Did The Vikings Honor Their Dead?” HISTORY, 28 November 2018, www.history.com/news/how-did-the-vikings-honor-their-dead#:%7E:text=Cremation%20 (often%20upon%20a%20funeral,buried%2C%20usually%20in%20an%20urn. Let Us Go Then: The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock. Obvious State, 2018. Staff, Science. “Nurture Has Greater Effect than Nature, Says Study.” Physorg, 28 May 2009, phys.org/news/2009-05-nurture-greater-effect-nature.html. “10 Benefits of Learning a Second Language.” Lead with Languages, 16 Jan. 2020, www.leadwithlanguages.org/why-learn-languages/top-ten-reasons-to-learn-languages. Karsten, Matthew. “40 Best Travel Jobs To Make Money Traveling The World.” Expert Vagabond, 19 Jan. 2022, expertvagabond.com/best-travel-jobs. Odumodu 9 Jacq, Christian. “War of the Crowns.” Book by Christian Jacq | Official Publisher Page | Simon & Schuster, www.simonandschuster.com/books/War-of-the-Crowns/Christian-Jacq/Queen-of-Freedo m-Trilogy/9780743480499#:%7E:text=About%20The%20Book&text=The%20barbaric %20Hyksos%20have%20taken,to%20train%20her%20loyal%20fighters.
