NSW Country Areas Program
Technology Support Consultant
colin@cap.nsw.edu.au
mobile: 070458370
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----- Original Message -----
From DarkRaivyn
To:Sent: Wednesday, October 10, 2001 1:06 AM
Subject: Re: Studying Indian language and literature
Hi Roslyn,
Thank you for your email. I think what you're doing to increase cultural awareness is absolutely essential. I browsed through your site although I haven't had the time to look in detail, but i will certainly add it to the list of references for my site. Just so you know, I teach commercial writing (in English) for Indians living in America.
India as it stands today is a very different place from the perceptions that people tend to have. While it is vital to understand the foundations of Indian culture through historical literature and arts, I believe your students will gain significantly if you add a modern day component to your curriculum - ie including newspapers like Times of India and modern authors like Jhumpa Lahiri and Vikram Seth.
To prepare your students to function well in and among Indians, it is very important that they learn the politics and economics of modern India too - for a little dramatic reading on the Hindu-Muslim conflict, try Taslima Nasreen's book, Shame and there's a book by Shashi Tharoor called India - from Midnight to the Millenium, which covers the political and economic development of India from independence forward in quite an easy to read format.
At any rate, to make a long story not so short, the subject you are teaching is obviously close to my heart and any assistance I can provide you with, is yours for the asking.
Good Luck
Ipsita
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----- Original Message -----
From: Ramya
To: Roslyn TeirneySent: Wednesday, October 10, 2001 3:18 PM
Subject: Re: Studying India
Dear Roslyn,
Thank you for your mail. It was heartening to know about Sunitra and your students' enthusiasm in knowing more about India. I did go through the Unit syllabus and found it pretty comprehensive. Yes, it is a fair representation of our culture. :-) Good going...
But the book section showed books that are mostly prescribed for the graduate level over here. Your students might prefer some light and fun reading like R K Narayan, Ruskin Bond, Sarojini Naidu and so on. They are fun and at the same time very rich in Indian imagery.
You might also want to introduce a section on mythology, because Indian culture is replete with heroes, gods and tales of valour- I can confidently say these tales are unrivalled in their approach to human nature.
Good luck!!
-Meenakshi
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----- Original Message -----
From: radhika lakshmi
To: rteirney@tassie.net.au
Sent: Saturday, October 13, 2001 12:58 PM
Subject: Re: English online unit introducing INDIA
Hello,
Some of our favourite writers here are
- R.K.Narayanan-his Swamy and friends (short stories), English Teacher(novel), Mr. Sampath, The Guide etc
- Arundathi Rai-God of Small Things
- Salman Rushdie- Midnight's Children,Satanic Verses, ...
- Jayantha Mahapathra's poetry
You will also enjoy reading British poet Brian Patten's poetry
for adult readers.
Some of his works are
"Love Poems" , "Armada", "Little Johnny's Confession", "Vanishing Trick", "Irrelevant Song", "Storm Damage", "Grave Gossip" and so on.
Hope this list appeals to you.
Thank you
Radhika
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----- Original Message -----
From:
bharti kaushik
To: Ralph and Roslyn Teirney
Sent: Tuesday, October 16, 2001 2:32 AM
Subject: Re: Studying INDIA
Hi!
- The home page Sunitra's India, has the photograph of LORD KRISHNA, a deity largely worshipped in INDIA, by people of all religion, caste and creed.
The flag proudly waving and inviting everybody to come and find more about my country.:) - Now I am visiting the unit outline.
I need to get some more information about the child sponsorship. How you found about the needy child etc? > - In the reading and viewing for understanding section you have mentioned,"FolkTale: The Elephant and the Six Blind Men of Indostan." The word INDOSTAN should be "hindustan". The fable is a good choice.
- I am not able to read the article on "GANESH" , the dns error was there.
- I feel you should have included about Lord Krishna also. I am having trouble in opening other links.
- I liked the list of books given. I will suggest you look for a series of books called Amar Chitra Katha,and Panchatantra and also for Kathopnaishad.
The above books may be available in any book store on the net. - The basic thing about my country which was nowhere to be found is---
- the diversity in language,
- living style,
- the rich cultural heritage,
- the caste system,
- the unity in diversity,
- the celebration of festival.
- The collection of proverbs is good.
- Rest of the links must also be equally good. Sorry couldn't do the detailed analysis of them.
bye
bharti
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----- Original Message -----
From: leela gandhi
To: Roslyn Teirney
Sent: Thursday, October 25, 2001 10:40 AM
Subject: High School English unit introducing INDIA
Dear Roslyn Teirney
Thank you for your email. I have visited your website and think it works very well indeed. The course should prove to be very informative and entertaining for your students.
I'm afraid you have caught me in the middle of marking and examiners meetings so I am not able to devote much time to making suggestions on the website itself. However, two books which would speak to a younger audience are:
- Salman Rushdie, Haroun and the Sea of Stories
- Amitav Ghosh, The Calcutta Chromosome (an Indian science-fiction adventure)
I wish you all the best for the course as for the website.
Leela Gandhi
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From: pamela.stewart@eddept.wa.edu.au
Date: Wed, 14 Nov 2001 12:51:09 +0800
Reply-to: indiaticfa2002@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [indiaticfa2002] India through fiction
Hi everyone
This is just the beginning. More to come next week. Where do you buy them? Austral Ed, 2 Downer Ave, Belair, SA 5052 p) 08 8278 1688 f) 08 8278 1033. Books are also very cheap in India but you have to remember weight and although you can post them back, they tend to take quite some time to get to Australia.
Happy reading
Pamela Stewart
-----Original Message-----
From:
Roslyn,
You might consider for some readers
Useful website with interesting titles
Would you consider adding Attenborough's film on Gandhi? Or the film of EM
Forster's A Passage to India?
We hope this, which was done very quickly - probably too quickly -, helps.
We do like your site. (I[Hugo] would like to see more maps and ways of
placing oneself in the sub-continent but then I like maps and diagrams of
all kinds for helping people place themselves.)
Ida and Hugo
PS I should have mentioned the only Indian authored book to win the Newbery Medal - The US Award - Dhan Gopal Mukerji The Story of a Pigeon (1927,) which tells the story of a carrier pigeon during WW1. The story takes place in the Himalayan Mountains and in France during the war. I have not read it but it sounds like something a bright student might enjoy reading because it makes quite interesting connections, don't you think?
Cheers,
Hugo McCann
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From: buceus
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I hope that would suffice.
Do exchange notes on this. My e-mail: busues@sify.com
Anonymous
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How about Heart of India by Mark Tully or No Full Stops in India by Mark Tully? Also anything by Tagore. His short stories are quite superb. Train to Pakistan...Kuswant Singh. If you know anyone going to India the book shops are goood and very cheap, so you could ask them to bring you a selection back. Good luck.
GWorthington
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<
II did post a response on your web site about my own historical novel. Since your question was apparently raised mainly on behalf of high school students wanting to learn about and publicize information on Indian culture, the book seems especially appropriate. For more details or information, most of it much less biased, read the reviews on www.Amazon.com; or look at the publisher web site at www.TimeBridgesPublishers.com.
You have a fascinating and worthwhile project--good luck with it! (My wife has been a high school literature teacher and has done projects related to India for several years, also).
Gary Worthington
Author, India Treasures: An Epic Novel of Rajasthan and Northern India through the Ages (2001)
THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR FEEDBACK
I am an avid reader of novels, both fact and fiction so I thought you might like a list of children and adult books that will give some insights into the psyche of the Indian people and the diversity of India. Roslyn, I thoroughly enjoyed looking at your website exploring India through English.
State Advisor
Asia Education Foundation (WA)
E-mail: Pamela.Stewart@eddept.wa.edu.au
Hugo McCann
To: teirney.r@ogilvie.tased.edu.au
Subject: Fwd: Re: Novels and Poems of INDIA
Sent: 30/11/01 11:28
Subject: Re: Novels and Poems of INDIA
http://falcon.jmu.edu/~ramseyil/muindia.htm and there are many others.
[Sat 15 Dec, 02:02]
1. Indian fiction
For of the most representative works in Indian fiction you may turn to works of :
[Sat 15 Dec, 03:58]
2. Books
[Sat 15 Dec, 09:33]
3. India Treasures
This site was developed in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Teacher In-Country Fellowships to Asia program of the Asia Education Foundation. Email Tasmanian State Advisor: Jan.Kiernan@education.tas.gov.au
Site construction begun: 20 September 2001 Last updated: 6 January 2004
