Revitalizing the Canon of Memory in English Language Arts Classrooms Through Memory-based Learning

摘要

The five canons of rhetoric, invention, arrangement, style, memory, and delivery, were for a long time the center of academic studies. While the canon of memory is still valued in other societies and cultures around the world, it has fallen from its revered position in western academia. My research explores how memory is being applied to English Language Arts studies in secondary education both in the United States and internationally. Through my analysis, I have found that many modern educators have created a false dichotomy separating the concepts of memorization and knowledge. Research and observations of international education systems from cultures outside the Western Greco-Roman tradition demonstrate how modern literacy, oral traditions, and memorization can coexist. I argue that strong memorization skills are vital to success in all academic areas, including ELA. It is necessary for ELA teachers to continuously build on students' memorization skills by smoothly integrating memory-based tasks within the curriculum. Through analysis of the rhetorical canon of memory in ancient societies and research of modern applications of memory-based learning in classrooms throughout the world, teachers can create memory-based assignments to improve students' writing, reading comprehension, vocabulary, grammar, and study skills.