Friends from a World Unseen: Reflections on Teaching Premodern Languages and L

February 14, 12:00pm - 1:00pm
Mānoa Campus, Kuykendall 106 Events Room

鈥淭he 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.鈥 So wrote the lay priest Kenk艒 (1283?鈥1358?) in chapter 13 of his Essays in Idleness, one of the most influential and enduring pieces of literature from medieval Japan. Texts鈥攁nd classics in particular鈥攊nfluence 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鈥檚 presentist climate, how can we get our students engaged in the study of the past and in the humanities? Are 鈥渢he classics鈥 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 惭腻苍辞补, 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!


Event Sponsor
OFDAS Center for Teaching Excellence (CTE), Mānoa Campus

More Information
Pier-Carlo Tommasi, 925-259-2157, tommasi@hawaii.edu ,

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