Qatari students embrace literary classics
April, 2013
Students and their teachers with some of the novels that were reviewed.
The three best book reviews written by foundation students were announced at the culmination of WCMC-Q’s Foundation Extensive Reading Program.
Participating students, all of whom are Qatari nationals, gathered in the university’s DeLib Reading Room on April 10 to see Shaikha Al Thani, Hamad Al Muhannadi and Hanof Ahmed awarded certificates in recognition of the quality of their reviews.
Dr. Rachid Bendriss, visiting lecturer of English as a second language, introduced the winners and explained the purpose of the program.
He said: “The quality of the book reviews has been very impressive and it was extremely difficult to choose the top three, so Shaikha, Hamad and Hanof truly deserve our congratulations. The aim of the program is not only to help foundation students improve their English language skills but also to encourage them to develop a love for literature and reading.
"From the insights you have given in your reviews it is clear that many of you have done just that."
Shaikha, who reviewed As I Lay Dying by Nobel and Pulitzer Prize-winning author William Faulkner, said: "At the beginning I found Faulkner’s writing style difficult and the story hard to follow because it jumps between characters and scenes a great deal. But once I acclimatized to his style I loved the book and found it had incredible depth and subtlety."
Hamad reviewed J.D. Salinger’s A Catcher in the Rye. He said: "The book really makes you identify with Holden Caulfield and I just couldn’t put it down. I’m really encouraged to read more and I notice in class that my English skills have improved dramatically."
In Fall 2012, Dr. Bendriss launched the Foundation Extensive Reading Program. Foundation students chose three books to read and gave their thoughts on them to their peers in class presentations, weekly reading circles and by contributing to writingmajlis.com, an online blog. The final stage of the course saw students write reviews of their third book for publication on the official WCMC-Q Distributed eLibrary website.
Dr. Bendriss explained the approach: “Studies have proven that extensive reading is one of the most effective methods of language acquisition,” he said.
"Students see marked improvements in their vocabulary, grammar and the way they structure sentences, and the ideas they put forward become more sophisticated."
"These are clearly skills that will help them to study the complex material of the premedical and medical courses more effectively."
Reviews written by students for the Foundation Extensive Reading Program can be accessed via here
