LET Review Pointers - English Major Comprehensive Study Guide

Philippine and Afro-Asian Literature

  • "The Mats" by Francisco Arcellana: A classic Philippine short story dealing with family memory, emotional ties, and the grief associated with loss.
  • The Butcher, The Baker, and The Candlestick Maker: Authored by Gilda Cordero-Fernando.
  • Gilda Cordero-Fernando as a Cultural Icon: Recognized as a seminal Philippine cultural icon, author, and publisher.
  • Maria Clara: Archetypal Philippine literary character characterized as meek and submissive.
  • Itim Asu: Authored by Virginia R. Moreno.
  • How My Brother Leon Brought Home a Wife: Authored by Manuel E. Arguilla.
  • Colonial Critique in Philippine Literature: Exemplified in literary works such as My Brother's Peculiar Chicken.
  • Translation of "KIKAY KIT": Translates directly to "Make-up kit".
  • Common Theme in African and Philippine Myths: Centers around cultural values, creation narratives, and origin stories.
  • Afro-Asian Literature Studies: Broad literary domain covering African and Asian traditions.
  • Role of Elders in Afro-Asian Literature: Portrayed as bearers of wisdom and protectors of cultural traditions.
  • Trickster God in African Mythology: Anansi the spider god.
  • Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe: A foundational novel depicting traditional Igbo society and its transformation during colonial encounter.
  • Nationality of Chinua Achebe: Nigerian.
  • The Spider's Thread: Written by the Japanese author Ryūnosuke Akutagawa.
  • The Wise Old Man: A Japanese tale illustrating and placing high value on intergenerational wisdom.
  • The Soul of the Great Bell: A work of Afro-Asian literature highlighting a core moral lesson on humility.

World, Western, and Classical Literature

  • "If" by Rudyard Kipling: An inspirational poem focused on self-discipline, resilience, and perseverance.
  • Nationalities of Writers: Edgar Allan Poe is an American writer, NOT an English (British) writer.
  • Introducing American Romanticism: The Fall of the House of Usher by Edgar Allan Poe is the most effective text for introducing American Romanticism to Grade 10 students.
  • Inspiration for The Lion King: Inspired by William Shakespeare's tragedy Hamlet.
  • The Masque of the Red Death: Focuses on the core themes of living for the moment and the inevitability of death.
  • The Big Umbrella: A story centered on the core concept and value of kindness.
  • The Joy Luck Club: Focuses on the central theme of knowing one's mother and cultural roots.
  • The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien: Driven by the central theme of "Death and the Hope for Deathlessness".
  • The Hobbit: Features Bilbo (Bilbo Baggins) as the central protagonist.
  • War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy: Set against the backdrop of the Napoleonic Wars.
  • John Keats's Literary Inspiration: The works of John Keats are inspired by his deep love for Beauty.
  • An Essay on Man by Alexander Pope: A major philosophical poem examining human nature, ethics, and the universe.
  • Story of Paul Bunyan: Serves as a classic example of a tall tale.
  • The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn* and *The Adventures of Tom Sawyer: Narratives centered around a boy's adventure.
  • British Humor and Wit: Oscar Wilde's short story The Canterville Ghost is ideal for classroom discussions on British humor and wit.
  • To Kill a Mockingbird: Characterized as a timeless and relevant literary work addressing social justice.
  • "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost: Explores themes of decision-making and life choices.
  • The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald: Explores the theme of the American Dream and its broader implications.
  • Ode to the West Wind by Percy Bysshe Shelley: An English literary work discussing the permanence and transformative power of nature.
  • Classical Mythology Traditions: Encompasses Egyptian, Greek age, and Roman age traditions, forming classical mythology and ancient literary traditions.
  • Hercules: The classical mythological hero who slew both the Nemean Lion and the Lernaean Hydra.
  • Rodgers and Hammerstein: The musical theatre writing team responsible for landmark works including The Sound of Music and The King and I.

Literary Theory, Genres, Devices, and Terminology

  • Dystopian Literature: A subgenre of speculative fiction depicting oppressive, authoritarian, or totalitarian societies.
  • Metafiction: A form of fiction that self-consciously addresses the devices, conventions, and techniques of fiction writing.
  • Impact of Coming-of-Age Novels: Supports personal identity formation and emotional maturation during the adolescent developmental stage.
  • Marxist Literary Criticism: Analyzes literature through socioeconomic class, economic structures, and power dynamics (such as when students analyze the social status of characters in a narrative).
  • Point of View in Autobiography: Written from the First Person perspective.
  • Symbolism in The Little Prince: The rose in the story symbolizes love and femininity.
  • Contemporary Literature Period: Periodization begins in the year 1945.
  • Nursery Rhyme Devices: Rhyme is the primary literary device commonly used in nursery rhymes.

Linguistics, Grammar, Phonetics, and Vocabulary

  • Syntax: The branch of linguistics dealing with how words combine to form phrases, clauses, and sentences.
  • Syntactic Atom: Recognized as the basic structural unit of syntax.
  • Word Formation (Clipping): The word "UNLI" is a clipped word, serving as a shortened form of "unlimited".
  • Cline: A pedagogical tool used to teach the continuum or range of meaning between opposite words.
  • Stylistics Category: Stylistics is a specialized branch of Linguistics.
  • Glottal Stop: Phonetically present in the pronunciation of the word "Open".
  • Voiceless Stop Position in "PACK": In the word "PACK", the voiceless stop consonant (/p/) occurs in the Initial position.
  • Vocabulary Synonym for "Indisposed":