Spinning a Tale: Intertextuality and Intertextual Aptitude

Abstract

Literature teaching aims at providing the tools for meaningful reading. This relies on active reading which, in turn, is based on background knowledge of language, culture, and literature and on thinking habits and dispositions. Intertextuality expands the scope of text interpretation beyond the reader, carrying it to the meeting place of texts. The term intertextuality disrupts notions of meaning. Using in-depth, synoptic reading of ' 'Sigi & Threads'' (Zarch, 1995), this study presents intertext in children's literature. The complex challenge of developing intertextual aptitudes in learners has conceptual, curricular, and methodological perspectives. In addition to constructing knowledge of literature and culture, the instructional processes should include repeated modeling of thinking in the act of intertextual reading, accompanied by coaching in metacognitive processes. Furthermore, instruction should foster thinking development, the use of broad lateral thinking, associative thinking, focusing, and critical thinking. The challenge is to arrive at a state of mindfulness, using intertextual aptitudes frequently and spontaneously until such use becomes a habit of mind.

“Above all, there’s our humanity”: Teachers’ intertextual responses to reading an ancient Hebrew text

“…As opposed to the focus of literary scholars on the author, the anxiety of influence (Bloom, 1973), or the text as an object of poetic and hermeneutic study, as experts on teacher training, we seek to restore intertextuality to its theoretical origins in Bakhtin (1981). This approach focuses on the dialogue between readers, following their reading, and the dialogue between readers and texts, which represents their social identities, cultural worlds and memories (Elkad-Lehman, 2005, 2011.…”

“…The meaning of a text will be constructed by the work of each reader who positions the texts next to each other, and weave them into a personal meaning. Reading is a dynamic process in which readers are called upon to make an intellectual, cultural and emotional effort (Elkad-Lehman, 2005;Elkad-Lehman & Greensfeld, 2011).…”

“…Thus, they both agree on the basic idea, but use different terms consistent with their worldviews. Clearly, their different experience in studying Jewish sources leads them to use different terminologies, since, as suggested in the Introduction, each reader relies on their own knowledge world, culture and emotions (Elkad-Lehman, 2005;Elkad-Lehman & Greensfeld, 2011).…”

“…In response to the second research question, regarding the role of intertextual connections suggested by the teachers in the learning process, most of them brought the text closer to the participants, created interest and contributed to the processing of the text (Elkad-Lehman, 2005).…”