Browsing by Author "Lansakara, L.H.M.D.S."

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The symbolic impact of natural imagery used in the poem “Der Erlkönig” by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
(Faculty of Humanities, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2016) Lansakara, L.H.M.D.S.
The images of nature work as a recurring motif in Goethe’s poem “Der Erlkönig”, where it becomes a characteristic feature of Romanticism as well. Similar to most romantic poets, Goethe also appreciated the beautiful aspects of nature as well as nature’s hazardous countenance. This poem’s plot develops as a conversation between the father, child and the Elf king, where the child hallucinates the darker features of nature and he fantasizes them to be the Elf king and his daughters: presence of the supernatural creatures, which is a feature associated with Romanticism. Hence, the objective of this paper is to find the symbolic impact in the use of images of nature on the development of the poem’s main plot and the implication of the thematic aspects. By engaging in a textual analysis of the original German poem “Der Erlkönig”, it was found that the imagery of nature has been employed to develop the dramatic plot and that the particular imagery are also connected allegorically to the major theme: destruction of innocence by the cruelty of the human world. The analysis shows that Goethe has employed images of nature to characterize the ominous behavior and sinister traits of the Elf King in contradiction to the innocence of the child and the maturity of his father. The conflict begins with the intrusions of the Elf king which make the child afraid while on the other hand, they are realistically explained by the father by connecting them with natural elements. The findings of this research illustrate the presence of Romanticism within the poem and encourage the academics to study the depiction of nature in German poetry.
The Symbolical Impact of the Inclusion of the Ring Parable in The Drama “Nathan Der Weise” By Gotthold Ephraim Lessing
(Faculty of Humanities, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2016) Lansakara, L.H.M.D.S.
Using Sinhalese in Teaching German as a Foreign Language for the Undergraduates of the University of Kelaniya
(Department of Linguistics, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2016) Lansakara, L.H.M.D.S.
The study focuses on the controversy, revolving around the teachers‟ use of the mother tongue (MT) in foreign language (FL) teaching. Specifically, this report concentrates on the examination of German teachers‟ and learners‟ attitudes and methods of employing Sinhalese in teaching German language. Theoretical studies highlight that the MT should be fused by teachers in FL classrooms in resulting a productivity in acquiring a second language or a foreign language. The current study was conducted among the German language teachers and thirty randomly selected students who follow German language as a main subject, representing the three specific course levels of BA degree program conducted by the University of Kelaniya. The research tools were two particular questionnaires designed specifically for the purpose of the study, aiming the German teachers and the students selected. Additionally, the efficiency and the productivity of using Sinhalese in teaching German in the classrooms were examined through keen observations of the students‟ level of understanding and progress in acquiring the language as required. Hence, it becomes a qualitative data analysis. The findings reveal that the teachers‟ as well as the students‟ overall attitude towards the use of Sinhalese in German language classrooms is positive, however with limits; the teachers report that they use Sinhalese for teaching as well as for the classroom management while the students convey that the explanations in Sinhalese support them in understanding the German grammar and language facts better. This understanding will be followed by a comparison between the two particular languages (MT and FL) as well. The findings of this study will be useful in enhancing the quality of the acquisition of foreign languages with a base of using mother tongue and it will open up to approach the theories of applied linguistics in second language acquisition.