PROSE

A Paper
Completed to Fulfill the Requirement of the Task of Literature in Language
Teaching

Presented by:

Elany Agnescia (2323042022)

Dwi Rahmadianti (2323042024)
Ade Nurul Fadillah (2323042025)

MASTER OF ENGLISH EDUCATION PROGRAM

ARTS AND LANGUAGE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT
TEACHER TRAINING AND EDUCATION
LAMPUNG UNIVERSITY
2024
I. INTRODUCTION
Studying literature helps us understand ourselves and others better, unravel the
mysteries of life, find order in chaos, and bond with others. It also brings joy in
appreciating human creativity, excitement in facing intellectual puzzles, and a
feeling of being part of something bigger. Prose is one of literary genres and it has
undergone a long history from its coming into being to its present development.

By studying prose literature in English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) classes,

students not only gain a better understanding of their vocabulary, but also gain a
better understanding of the social and cultural norms of a society. One of the best
ways to improve English students' comprehension and language skills is to use
this method. Therefore, this paper will discuss the meaning, characteristics, types,
and examples of prose, as well as its relationship to TEFL learning.
 II. LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1. Definition of Prose

The word prose’ is taken from the Latin ‘prosus’ which means direct’ or
‘straight’. Broadly speaking, prose is direct or straightforward writing. In ordinary
prose, the aim is to communicate one’s thoughts and feelings. What is important
then is (a) what one wants to say, and (b) how one chooses to say it. What is said,
is the topic or subject of the composition. How it is said, is the style or manner in
which the topic is expressed. The style of course greatly depends upon who we
are writing for and what sort of personality we have. There are different topics
and different styles. Whatever the number of topics, they all come under one or
another variety of prose and each variety may have a distinct style of its own.

Prose is the written equivalent of the spoken language. It is written in words,

phrases, sentences, paragraphs and chapters. It utilizes punctuation, grammar and
vocabulary to develop its message. Prose is made up of fiction and nonfiction.
Prose is the way you speak everyday. If someone followed you around and
reported on your actions and conversations, the result would be prose.

2.2. Types of Prose

Prose includes both fictional and nonfictional writing. There are four defined
types of prose. They are:

1. Fiction
As its name implies, prose fiction is prose that tells a story. Fictional prose
contains the five features of fiction: mood, point of view, character,
setting, and plot. Examples include:
1) Novels
2) Mystery
3) Detective
4) Romance
 5) Short stories
6) Historical fiction

2. Nonfiction
Nonfictional prose is prose that tells a true story or otherwise
communicates factual information. The language used in nonfictional
prose can vary widely, from the formal language of academic papers to the
more subjective writing found in opinion pieces. The uniting characteristic
of nonfictional prose is that these pieces of writing do not tell fictional
stories. Examples include:
1) Essays
2) Autobiographies
3) Speeches
4) Journals
5) Articles

2.3. Characteristic Features of Prose

There is a certain degree of universality regarding definitions of terms when

analyzing literature. For clarity and understanding, you should be aware of the
following terms.

1. Plot
The plot is a series of episodes in a narrative carried out by the characters.
Here are the primary terms related to plot. You should be familiar with all
of them. Obviously, each work manipulates these concepts in its own
unique way. For example:
1) Initial incident: the event that puts the story in gear.
2) Rising action: the series of complications in the narrative.
3) Climax: the highest point of interest, action or tension. More
subtly, it is a turning point in the protagonist’s behavior or
thoughts.
 4) Falling action: the series of events occurring after the climax.
5) Denouement: the resolution that ties up the loose ends of the plot.

2. Setting
Traditionally, setting is the time and place of a work, but it is also so much
more. Setting is not accidental. It is a vital part of the narrative and it can
serve many functions. You should consider setting in light of the
following:
1) General: to underscore the universality of the work (―The Open
Boat‖)
2) Specific: to create a definitive ambiance that impacts on the work’s
possibilities (Gone with the Wind)
3) Character or foil: in relation to the protagonist (The Perfect Story.
4) Limiting factor: to allow the plot, character and theme to develop
(The Lord of the Flies)
5) To reveal style (The Secret Sharer)
6) To reveal character (Hedda Gabler)
7) To reveal theme (Heart of Darkness)
3. Character
Character development can be both simple and complex. The author has a
variety of methods from which to choose. Here’s a mnemonic device that
may help you analyze character: Use the word STAR. S – what the
character says; T – what the character thinks; A – how the character acts
and interacts; R – how the characterreacts.

Traditionally, characters carry out the plot and it is around the characters
that the plot revolves and the theme is developed. There can be many types
of characters in a given work:
1) Protagonist: the main character who is the central focus of the story.
For example, Hamlet is the eponymous protagonist.
 2) Antagonist: the opposing force. It does not always have to be a
person. For example, the sea or the fish in The Old Man in the Sea.
3) Major: the character or characters who play a significant role in the
work
4) Minor: the characters who are utilized for a specific purpose, such as
moving the plot along or contrasting with a major character
5) Dynamic: refers to characters who undergo major changes, such as
Jane Eyre
6) Static: generally, refers to characters who remain the same throughout
the story. For instance, Brutus in Julius Caesar always considers
himself to be an “honorable man”.
7) Stereotype: a character who is used to represent a class or a group
8) Foil: a character who provides the opportunity for comparison and
contrast. For example, in Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, Brutus and
Cassius are foils for each other.

4. Theme
Theme is the main idea, the moving force, what it’s all about, the “why”
behind the “what” the universal concept or comment, the big picture, the
major insight, the raison d’etre. But theme is much more than a simple
checklist. The enlightened, complex mind questions, ponders, responds. A
literary work evolves and can be validly interpreted in so many ways that
it would be a disservice to limit it to any single, exclusive theme. Keeping
an open mind, understand that the following is an overview of ways of
assessing themes. All elements of a literary work point toward the
development of the theme.

5. Point of View
Point of view is the method the author utilizes to tell the story. It is the
vantage point from which the narrative is told.
1) First person: the narrator is the story’s protagonist. (I went to the
store.) It is easy to recognize because it uses the pronoun “I” in the
narrative (not dialogue). The first person makes for an intensely
personal narrative, revealing much about the person.
2) Second person: the narrator speaks using the pronoun “you”. It is the
least common of voices. Some recent modern novels have been quite
successful with it. The second person is often used to create a special
relationship between the reader and the work. By using “you”, the
author, in effect, makes the reader a character in the book, rather than
just an observer.
3) Third-person objective: the narrator is an onlooker reporting the story.
(She went to the store.) Here the narrator speaks using the third person
pronouns “him”, “her”, “he”, “she”, “them” and “they”. Third person
narration allows the writer to maintain a distance from the characters.
Sometimes this allows the writer to judge, or cast a critical eye on the
proceedings. Sometimes the writer remains objective. In prose
analysis, you may be asked to identify what the effect of a certain
word or description has on the character. You may need to identify
what the author’s intent is, if he or she is objective or subjective in
tone.
4) Third-person omniscient: the narrator reports the story and provides
information unknown to the character(s). (She went to the store
unaware that in 3 minutes she would meet her long-lost mother selling
apples on the corner.)
5) Stream of consciousness: this is a narrative technique that places the
reader in the mind and thought processes of the narrator, no matter
how random and spontaneous that may be (e.g., James Joyce’s
Ulysses).
6) Chorus: ancient Greek plays employed a chorus as a narrative device.
The chorus, as needed, could be a character, an assembly, the
playwright’s voice, the audience, an omniscient forecaster.
 7) Stage manager: this technique utilizes a character who comments
omnisciently (e.g., Our Town, The Glass Menagerie).
8) Interior monologue: this technique reflects the inner thoughts of the
character

2.4. Implementation Prose in Language Teaching

The use of literature as a technique for teaching both basic language skills
(i.e. reading, writing, listening and speaking) and language areas (i.e.
vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation) is very popular within the field of
foreign language learning and teaching nowadays. Moreover, in translation
courses, many language teachers make their students translate literary texts
like drama, poetry and short stories into the mother tongue. Since translation
gives students the chance to practice the lexical, syntactic, semantic,
pragmatic and stylistic knowledge they have acquired in other courses,
translation both as an application area covering four basic skills and as the
fifth skill is emphasized in language teaching.

According to Collie and Slater (1990:3), there are four main reasons which
lead a language teacher to use literature in the classroom. These are valuable
authentic material, cultural enrichment, language enrichment and personal
involvement. In addition to these four main reasons, universality, non-
triviality, personal relevance, variety, interest, economy and suggestive power
and ambiguity are some other factors requiring the use of literature as a
powerful resource in the classroom context.

Literature plays an important role in teaching four basic language skills

like reading, writing, listening and speaking. However, when using literature
in the language classroom, skills should never be taught in isolation but in an
integrated way. Teachers should try to teach basic language skills as an
integral part of oral and written language use, as part of the means for
 creating both referential and interactional meaning, not merely as an aspect of
the oral and written production of words, phrases and sentences. One of the
examples of literary works is prose. There are many kinds of prose, one of
them is short story.

A short story is a work of prose fiction that can be read in one sitting—
usually between 20 minutes to an hour. There is no maximum length, but the
average short story is 1,000 to 7,500 words, with some outliers reaching
10,000 or 15,000 words. Short fiction is a supreme resource for observing not
only language but life itself. In short fiction, characters act out all the real and
symbolic acts people carry out in daily lives, and do so in a variety of
registers and tones. The world of short fiction both mirrors and illuminates
human lives (Sage 1987:43). Teaching English using short story can be
implemented as follow:

1. Reading
ESL / EFL teachers should adopt a dynamic, student-centered approach
toward comprehension of a literary work. In reading lesson, discussion begins
at the literal level with direct questions of fact regarding setting, characters,
and plot which can be answered by specific reference to the text. When
students master literal understanding, they move to the inferential level,
where they must make speculations and interpretations concerning the
characters, setting, and theme, and where they produce the author’s point of
view. After comprehending a literary selection at the literal and inferential
levels, students are ready to do a collaborative work. That is to state that they
share their evaluations of the work and their personal reactions to it - to its
characters, its theme(s), and the author’s point of view. This is also the
suitable time for them to share their reactions to the work’s natural cultural
issues and themes. The third level, the personal / evaluative level stimulates
students to think imaginatively about the work and provokes their problem-
 solving abilities. Discussion deriving from such questions can be the
foundation for oral and written activities (Stern 1991:332).

2. Writing
Literature can be a powerful and motivating source for writing in ESL / EFL,
both as a model and as subject matter. Literature as a model occurs when
student writing becomes closely similar to the original work or clearly
imitates its content, theme, organization, and /or style. However, when
student writing exhibits original thinking like interpretation or analysis, or
when it emerges from, or is creatively stimulated by, the reading, literature
serves as subject matter. Literature houses in immense variety of themes to
write on in terms of guided, free, controlled and other types of writing.

3. Speaking and Listening

The study of literature in a language class, though being mainly associated
with reading and writing, can play an equally meaningful role in teaching
both speaking and listening. Oral reading, dramatization, improvisation, role-
playing, pandomiming, reenactment, discussion, and group activities may
center on a work of literature.

2.5 Designing Lesson Plan

There are many types of prose encountered in learning, and one of them is
narrative text: legend. It is important to note that legend is one of the material
taught in 9th-grade. To assist educators in developing lessons, we have attached a
lesson plan design suitable for teaching legends to 9th-grade students.

Class 11th Grade of Senior High School

Curriculum K-13
Basic Competence 3.7 Memahami fungsi sosial, struktur teks, dan
unsur kebahasaan dari teks naratif berbentuk cerita
rakyat, sesuai dengan konteks penggunaannya.
4.7 Menangkap makna teks naratif, lisan dan tulis,
berbentuk cerita rakyat, pendek dan
Learning Objectives LO1. SWBAT identifies the definition, function,
types, structure of narrative text. (legend)
 LO2. SWBAT identifies language features of
narrative text. (past tense and sequence words)
LO3. SWBAT identify explicit and implicit
information from narrative text
Material:
Definition
Narrative text is an imaginative story or a modified real-life story through a
sequence of events that happened in the past.
Purpose
The purpose of a narrative text is to entertain the readers.
Structure
The structure of a narrative is as follows:
● Orientation: The characters, setting, and background problems are introduced. ●
Complication: The conflict of the story.
It can be sequentially broken down into:
○ Rising action: The conflict escalates.
○ Climax: The conflict reaches its peak and the story turns over.
○ Falling action: The conflict cools down.
● Resolution: The story gets its own closure.
● Coda: The characters’ final form after development and sometimes moral value.
This part is optional.

Kinds of Narrative text

1. Fairy tale (dongeng) A fictional story that involves magical events and
imaginary creatures. Example: Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast
2. Mystery A story that people usually solve some cases or problems. Example:
Sherlock Holmes
3. Horror A story related to ghosts or something scary Example: Kuntilanak
4. Science Fiction A story related to advanced technology that is beyond reality
Example: Frankenstein
5. Romance Love story Example: Romeo and Juliet
6. Adventure Related to adventures Example: Petualangan Sherina
7. Fable A story where animals are the characters Example : The Hare and the
Tortoise
8. Folklore (Cerita Rakyat)
a. Folktale a traditional story that people of a particular region or group repeat
among themselves Example: Timun Mas
b. Legend (legenda) A traditional story sometimes popularly regarded as historical
but unauthenticated Example The legend of tangkuban perahu, and the legend of
king Arthur
c. Myth (cerita takhayul/mitos) Stories that are based on traditions, especially
explaining the early history of a group of people, or about natural events, or fact.
Example: Jaka Tarub
9. Fantasy A story that is set in a magical world, often involving traditional myths,
and magical creatures and sometimes ideas or events in the real world, especially
from the medieval period of history.

Language features of a Narrative Text

A. Simple Past Tense Simple Past Tense is used to talk about completed
actions in the specific time in the past.
Patterns of Simple Past Tense (Verbal)
+ Subject + Verb 2 (past form)
- Subject + did + not + verb 1 (base form)
? Did + Subject + Verb + Complement + ?
Example : Once upon a time, Cinderella washed her mother’s clothes.

Patterns of Simple Past Tense (Nominal)

+ Subject + was/were + Complement
- Subject + was/were + not + Complement
? Was/were + Subject + Complement + ?
WH Question + was/were + Subject + Complement + ?
Example : She was a beautiful girl.

B. Prepositions of time
Prepositions of time is used to show time or when the action happened in
the sentence. It could be a time or period.

Preposition Usage Examples

of Time
In Used for years / months / I went to Borobudur
seasons temple in 2009/ in June
2021/ In summertime.
Used for morning/ afternoon/ I went for a run in the
evening morning/
afternoon/evening
Period of time This is my first
chocolate in the last
three years.
On Days/ period I will go shopping on
the weekend I will go
for a haircut on
Monday
At Night The moon shines at
 night
At an exact time of the day We go to the sea coast
every day to watch the
sunrise at 5.30 am.
By At or before (like within), not He will be back by 7
after o’clock
Since Range of time from a specific Before that
time to a specific time (could be tournament, Spain
still present hadn’t won the soccer
match since 1998
Ago Back in time with reference to
the present The dodo birds
went extinct 5
centuries ago.
Last To show how far something I went to the beach last
happened week
Till/Until Up to the mentioned time Last week, it rained
till/until December
From The beginning time of It’s been raining from
something specific the last 3 decades
To To tell exact time It’s quarter to ten
Used to denote before a time, We play tennis from 6
while giving a period p.m to 7 p.m daily
Past Used whine telling the time It’s quarter past 10
Before A time earlier than I always reach the bus
top before 9 o’clock
For A certain amount of time I was in Bandung for
20 years old
Note: Ago and last are prepositions of time that are usually used in a
narrative text
Source: https://www.toppr.com/guides/english/prepositions/prepositions
 III. CONCLUSION

In conclusion, the study of literature, particularly prose, not only enriches our
understanding of language but also provides valuable insights into the human
experience. Through prose, we can explore different cultures, perspectives, and
ideas, enhancing our empathy and understanding of others. Prose literature
serves as a medium for language learning in TEFL classes, offering students a
means to improve their vocabulary, comprehension, and language skills. By
analyzing the meaning, characteristics, types, and examples of prose, students
can develop a deeper appreciation for the nuances of language and storytelling.
The implementation of prose in language teaching, through activities such as
reading, writing, speaking, and listening exercises, can further enhance students'
language acquisition and cultural awareness. Therefore, incorporating prose
literature into TEFL classes can be a powerful tool for both language learning
and personal growth.