Studies In African Oral Literature

1. Define and classify genres of African oral literature
2. Analyze aesthetic elements in oral narratives
3. Evaluate the functions of oral literature in African societies
4. Discuss the impact of modernity on oral traditions
5. Apply literary theories to interpret oral texts

13 weeks, about 56 hours in total. Yours will differ.

1. Week 1Module 1: ORATURE ACROSS CULTURES

   • Unit 1: Tradition of Oral Literature as Universal Continuum · 4 hours

     Define oral literature.. Explain the universal nature of oral literature.. Discuss creation myths from different cultures.. State themes in world fables.. Compare myths about world creation..

2. Week 2Module 1: ORATURE ACROSS CULTURES

   • Unit 2: Origin and Nature of Oral African Literature · 4 hours

     Describe the oral artist.. Discuss the origin of oral literature of your people.. Explain the nature of oral African literature.. Describe training of the oral literary artist.. Identify delivery system of oral literature..

3. Week 3Module 1: ORATURE ACROSS CULTURES

   • Unit 3: "Architecture and Building Blocks" of Oral African Literature · 4 hours

     Define 'architecture' and 'building blocks' in oral literature.. Identify materials constituting the 'building block'.. Present a genre of orature and identify its 'building block'.. State what makes three of the patterned 'building blocks' more aesthetic..

4. Week 4Module 1: ORATURE ACROSS CULTURES

   • Unit 4: Factors that Hinder the Growth and Development of Oral African Literature (I) · 4 hours

     Explain the present state of oral literature.. Use examples to explain weaknesses from an economic perspective.. Discuss the negative influences of the modern African novel.. Assess how translation is problematic to the growth of oral literature..

5. Week 5Module 1: ORATURE ACROSS CULTURES

   • Unit 5: Factors that Hinder the Growth and Development of Oral African Literature (II) · 4 hours

     Explain the concept of orature and culture-specific.. Juxtapose oral cultural heritage with science and technology.. Use instances to argue that orature distorts history.. Differentiate between the cumbersome nature of orature and the treatment of women as underdog..

6. Week 6Module 2: NATIVE VOICES AS AFRICAN ORATURE

   • Unit 1: Oral African Literature as the Source of Written Literature · 4 hours

     Recreate the orature of your village.. Get familiar with the oral literature of your people.. Discuss traditional African poems written in English.. Assess African poems written to redeem the battered African image.. Create a poem from the oral African poem..

7. Week 7Module 2: NATIVE VOICES AS AFRICAN ORATURE

   • Unit 2: "Incursion, Code-modifications" and Transitions in Oral African Literature · 4 hours

     Apply what you have learned to the practical expression of oral literature.. Admit the ever-presence of incursions in oral literature.. Explain the concept of 'code-modification'.. Identify 'code-modification' in the oral poetry of your people.. Discuss 'code-modification' in the oral prose..

8. Week 8Module 2: NATIVE VOICES AS AFRICAN ORATURE

   • Unit 3: Poetry in Oral African Literature · 4 hours

     Discuss the oral poetry of your people.. Identify the oral poetry of your community.. Outline themes in ballads.. Assess the style of praise poetry.. Attempt a discussion of the oral lyric..

9. Week 9Module 2: NATIVE VOICES AS AFRICAN ORATURE

   • Unit 4: Drama in Oral African Literature · 4 hours

     Identify and relate the oral drama of your people.. Discuss the Adimu Orisa play.. Outline the merits of any oral drama of your people.. List elements of oral African drama.. Relate the oral drama of your people with specific reference to setting, dramatic personae, language, plot structure, and stage..

10. Week 10Module 2: NATIVE VOICES AS AFRICAN ORATURE

    • Unit 5: Prose in Oral African Literature · 4 hours

      Discuss the indigenous prose fiction of your community.. List and explain the elements in any prose genre selected from the pool of oral tradition.. Itemize the moral lessons in any oral prose fiction..

11. Week 11Module 3: DESIGNS AND FOCUS IN AFRICAN ORATURE

    • Unit 1: "Chremasticism" and "Design" in Oral African Literature · 4 hours

      Discuss the concept of 'chremasticism' and 'design' in oral literature.. State the oral rules identifiable with the oral literary of some parts of Africa.. Familiarize yourself with the design of the orature of your people.. Explain the conditions under which certain oral literary rules may be applied..

12. Week 12Module 3: DESIGNS AND FOCUS IN AFRICAN ORATURE

    • Unit 2: Functions of Oral African Literature (I) · 4 hours

      Discuss orature as a historical document.. Explain oral literature as a cultural theatre.. Attempt a discussion of orature as autobiographical in nature.. Get familiar with the ability of oral literature to preserve religious and moral experiences.. Explain how orature is a tool of African philosophy..

13. Week 13Module 3: DESIGNS AND FOCUS IN AFRICAN ORATURE

    • Unit 3: Functions of Oral African Literature (II) · 4 hours

      Demonstrate your awareness of the functions of oral literature.. Identify some of the functions during practical oral performance of your people.. Show a mastery of the knowledge of the culture of your people.. Explain the social functions of oral literature.. Identify the functions of oral literature to specific aspects of your oral culture and education..

    • Unit 4: Functions of Oral African Literature (III) · 4 hours

      Discuss oral literature as Africa's diary of events.. Explain how oral literature serves as a weapon of warfare.. Identify oral literature as an avenue for praises.. Familiarize yourself with the 'songstar' nature of oral literature.. Assess the rich cultural proverbs of oral literature..