ABSTRACT
Often students are pretty isolated in the communities and worlds in which they live. They tend to believe that there is one perspective of seeing things, of understanding. They do not recognize that there are other perspectives, never mind exploring the implications of other perspectives. One of the challenges of teaching literature through Dialogic Literary Argumentation is having students connect with people they have dismissed or not even recognized existed. One of the things about Dialogic Literary Argumentation is the importance of teaching students how to talk. It may sound strange but teaching students how to talk begins by teaching them how to listen. They need to understand that they are listening for a greater purpose than simply finding the right answer or engaging in competitive arguing and figuring out some counter argument. One of the challenges in teaching literature through Dialogic Literary Argumentation is getting beyond group think.
