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Birth of James Britton
James Nimmo Britton was born in Scarborough, Yorkshire. -
Teacher at Harold Weld County Grammar School
Teacher at Harold Weld County Grammar School -
Editor
Educational Editor from 1938 - 1953 -
Britton Marries
Britton marries Muriel Robertson. Two children from this union. -
Words and Imagination
Poetry is where words find deepest expression, and the poet is able to use his imagination to reconstruct those words and give experiences new meaning. -
London University
Britton took on the role as Senior Lecturer & Head of the English Department -
Reading and Writing Poetry
We should allow our emotions to go free when in poetry and not allow our response of poetry get bogged down in prescriptors. -
Poetry and Our Pattern of Culture
Our conduct (i.e., snap decisions) is determined by our intuition and feeling; we pick and choose behaviors. Poetry allows us to experience inappropriate behaviors through words, organize them--take power over them--and purge them from our minds without harming reputations or culture. -
Director
Britton was the Director for the Schools Council Project on Writing for 6 years -
The Speaker
Language serves a dual purpose; to interpret our experiences and to regulate our actions. As we begin to talk and think, the four activities develop into a shared situation: talk...think...interpret...regulate-->EXPERIENCE! The teacher's role is to help student learn to organize/interpret experience. -
Response to Literature
Language...a running commentary upon experience! While the response to a literary piece may not be what we want it to be, does that make it wrong? No, these "bad currencies" are responses that we can use to shape (i.e., refine and develop) the reader. If we feed students interpretations, we "short circuit" the system of responding. -
A Note on Teaching, Research and "Development"
Teachers should use reseach and current ideas to aid the art of teaching. These ideas from the outside do not need to be taken halfcocked but used as "starting points" to finding more about a type of learner or instructional strategy. -
Reading Committee
Britton was on the Committee of Inquiry into Reading and the Use of English for 2 years. -
Published Language and Learning
Published work. -
Writing to Learn and Learning to Write
This essay was born from a study of 500 youth (11-18) and their varied writings. Britton categorizes writing types that are still used today: (1) expressive, language that is close to the self...your vents; informative, performing some transaction; and expository, abstract and theoretical. The teacher should read these writings for content and not go overboard with grammar/mechanics. -
Take It From--Where?
Britton's response to what students need and what teachers should be doing. The principle roles of a teacher is to (1) Provide diverse RESOURCES to please ALL learners and (2) Serve as a LISTENER (audience), act as a listener that the students care for and act as a listener who cares for the students. -
Talking
Asking and telling should be in schools, Through talk, the talker reshapes his meaning as it goes out to the listener, who interprets the information and makes it his own. Talk helps us arrive cooperatively or our our own to an experience. -
Shaping at the Point of Utterance
Speaking is a stage on a purposeful journey. We launch into a sentence and hope to reach closure. If you think about it, speech is spontaneous and inventive-you sometimes never know what will come out of one um or ah! -
Spectator Role and the Beginning of Writing
There is a dichotomy: On one end is the focus of a message JUST for the sake of the message; on the other end there is the focus of something OUTSIDE the message...from actuality to fiction. Sounds like Rosenblatt! -
Published Prospect and Retrospect
Published work. -
English Teaching: Retrospect and Prospect
Britton offers his vision for English Teaching. It recognizes the importance of the teacher and what he/she can do by opening up the world for the student and showing him/how to organize it through using diverse teaching methods. Teaching is an interactive process filled with hope for tomorrow and transformations. -
Published Literature in its Place
Published Work. -
James Britton Dies
James Britton died in London.
