Helen Roulston's Teaching

In Humanities, I read aloud some of the assigned foreign-language works in the original languages to help the students to understand better the total concept of the works.

In the film classes, I use my knowledge of languages to help the students with the foreign-language films I show.

In Appreciation of Literature, I have the students write a formal explication de texte, based on a form that I have translated from the French, on an original sonnet composed by another student. Also, when I discuss use of music in some of the movies, I pass out copies of the words in the original and in translation.

I am constantly using my travel experiences in all my classes, something numerous students have praised me for in their evaluations of my teaching. To make points about the writing, literature, and films I teach, I use my knowledge of the landscapes, people, customs and politics of other countries in such a way that the material is revelent to the students. Also, I encourage students to do the same and to travel on their own.

Film Studies Minor

Film-Related Classes

English 213 Film and Literature

English 313 History of the Cinema

English 201 Appreciation of Literature

When I teach this general education course (including novels, plays, short stories, poems), as I have done since the early 1980s, I employ movie and video versions of some of the literary offerings to enhance the students' appreciation and comprehension of the works.

English 201 Spring 2004 Syllabus
English 201 Spring 2004 Schedule
English 201 Spring 2004 Assigned Poems
English 201 Spring 2006 Syllabus
English 201 Spring 2006 Schedule of Works, Films, and Assignments
Schedule of Assigned Poems for English 2006
Explication de Texte for Poems
Film Summaries, Film Casts, Film Makers

English 201 Spring 2007 Syllabus
English 201 Spring 2007 Schedule of Works, Films, and Assignments
Schedule of Assigned Poems for English 2007
Explication de Texte for Poems
Film Summaries, Film Casts, Film Makers

English 213/330 Film and Literature

In this course, which I have offered on a regular basis since 1978, I teach multiple versions of the same basic story--three novels, play adaptations of those novels, and one or two movie versions.

English 213 Fall 2000 Syllabus

English 213 Fall 2001 Syllabus

English 213 Fall 2002 Syllabus

English 213 Spring 2003 Syllabus

English 213 Fall 2003 Syllabus

English 213 Fall 2004 Syllabus

English 213 Spring 2005 Syllabus

English 213 Fall 2005 Syllabus

English 213 Fall 2006 Syllabus

English 213 Fall 2007 Syllabus

English 213 Fall 2008 Syllabus

English 213 Fall 2009 Syllabus

English 213 Fall 2000 Schedule

English 213 Fall 2001 Schedule

English 213 Fall 2002 Schedule

English 213 Spring 2003 Schedule

English 213 Fall 2003 Schedule

English 213 Fall 2004 Schedule

English 213 Spring 2005 Schedule

English 213 Fall 2005 Schedule

English 213 Fall 2006 Schedule

English 213 Fall 2007 Schedule

English 213 Fall 2008 Schedule

English 213 Fall 2009 Schedule

English 213 Fall 2000 Reading Exercises

English 213 Fall 2001 Reading Exercises

English 213 Fall 2002 Reading Exercises

English 213 Spring 2003 Reading Exercises

English 213 Fall 2003 Reading Exercises

English 213 Fall 2004 Reading Exercises

English 213 Spring 2005 Reading Exercises

English 213 Fall 2005 Reading Exercises

English 213 Fall 2006 Reading Exercises

English 213 Fall 2007 Reading Exercises

English 213 Fall 2008 Reading Exercises

English 213 Fall 2009 Reading Exercises

Film Analysis Guidelines

English 313 History of the Cinema In this course, which I have offered since the early 1980s, I present classic international films in a chronological order, giving considerable consideration to representative genres of films in their historical context.

English 313 Spring 2006 Syllabus

English 313 Spring 2006 Schedule of Chapters, Movies, and Assignments

English 313 Spring 2007 Syllabus

English 313 Spring 2007 Schedule of Chapters, Movies, and Assignments

English 313 Spring 2008 Syllabus

English 313 Spring 2008 Schedule of Chapters, Movies, and Assignments

English 313 Spring 2009 Syllabus

English 313 Spring 2009 Schedule of Chapters, Movies, and Assignments

English 315 Global Cinema In this course, which I am offering as a Directed Studies on a limited basis this spring,I present classic international films in a chronological order, giving considerable consideration to representative genres of films in their global context.

English 315 Spring 2007 Syllabus

English 315 Spring 2007 Schedule of Chapters, Movies, and Assignments

English 315 Spring 2008 Syllabus

English 315 Spring 2008 Schedule of Chapters, Movies, and Assignments

English 315 Spring 2009 Syllabus

English 315 Spring 2009 Schedule of Chapters, Movies, and Assignments

Use of Music in Film-Related Classes

History of the Cinema In this course, I play excerpts of appropriate operas. For Citizen Kane, I play a well-sung version of Rossini's "Una Voce Poco Fa," from Barber of Seville, badly sung by the second Mrs. Kane.

Appreciation of Literature In this course, I teach the book and the film The Age of Innocence. In so doing, I play the "Jewel Song" from Gounod's Faust since the book opens with a performance of Faust. I also play the drinking song and Iago's Credo from Verdi's Otello when I teach Shakespeare's play Othello and show the Welles movie.

Use of Student Essay Journals as Texts in Film Classes

In History of the Cinema and Film and Literature classes, I have incorporated the best student essays (and I find that many outstanding students have been attracted to these classes) into journals for the students in subsequent classes.

Celluloid Historian 2006 Essays from History of the Cinema Spring 2006

Celluloid Historian 2007 Essays from History of the Cinema Spring 2007

Celluloid Historian 2008 Essays from History of the Cinema Spring 2008

Celluloid Historian 2009 Essays from History of the Cinema Spring 2009

Film and Literature

Montage

Student Essays from Film and Literature Fall 1996

Montage '97

Student Essays from Film and Literature Spring 1999

Montage '99

Journal of Student Essays from Film and Literature Spring 2000

Montage 2000

Journal of Student Essays from Film and Literature Fall 2000

Montage 2001

Journal of Student Essays from Film and Literature Fall 2001

Montage 2002

Journal of Student Essays from Film and Literature Fall 2002

Montage 2003

Journal of Student Essays from Film and Literature Spring 2003

Montage II 2003

Journal of Student Essays from Film and Literature Fall 2003

Montage 2004

Journal of Student Essays from Film and Literature Fall 2004

Montage 2005

Journal of Student Essays from Film and Literature Spring 2005

Montage II 2005

Journal of Student Essays from Film and Literature Fall 2005

Montage 2006

Journal of Student Essays from Film and Literature Fall 2006

Montage 2007

Journal of Student Essays from Film and Literature Fall 2007

Montage 2008

Montage 2009

"Montage: A Textbook of Student Film-Literature Essays--An Exercise in Multiple Points of View." English in Texas 20 (Spring 1989: 12-17.

Murray State University Department of English & Philosophy

Murray State University Department of English & Philosophy Faculty

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