Your Students Should Love Shakespeare!
Violence, Romance, Humor ... Something For Everyone
No modern movie has anything on Shakespeare. Whether your students like to watch crazy violence, heart-wrenching romance, or prefer documentaries or comedies, Shakespeare has it all. The problem is the language barrier. That which makes Shakespeare one of the greatest writers ever (the way he writes) is the very thing that stands in the way of most high school students' enjoyment of his works (which is truly unfortunate but true). Here are some ways to overcome the language barrier to increase your students' enjoyment of Shakespeare's works.
#1 Start With A Good, Short, Modern Translation Or Summary
If students start reading Shakespeare without any idea of who the characters are or what the plot is, they often get lost just in remembering the unfamiliar characters' names, nevermind the twists and turns in the plot written essentially in a foreign language.
Give them the basics before they tackle the original text. Whether you use a low-level, modern translation or a summary of the story, employing this strategy will familiarize your students with the characters and plot.
#2 Try Opening With A Digital Graphic Novel
If you have very low level students or students who would get a kick out of a graphic novel, try starting with that. Get a digital copy of a graphic novel and read it together with your students on your screen. This helps visual learners, conveys the essentials of the story in small, easily digestible chunks, and is a format most students are familiar with.
Don't let it crush your soul to introduce Shakespeare with a graphic novel. It is a stepping stone to students' enjoyment of the real thing. It is a way to spark interest and encourage participation--to give students the feeling that they CAN "get" Shakespeare...and that it isn't so bad.
#3 Pre-Reading Exercises
After you do #1 or #2 above, do some exercises with the information students have been exposed to. Play some games in which students have to say characters' names or identify the characters. Play a "what happens next" kind of a game where students are told a scenario from the story and then have to say what happens next. Use true and false statements to check students' understanding. This doesn't have to be done as a true/false worksheet; you can play a game with teams. Make statements about the plot or characters and have teams of students say whether the thing you said happened or not, or is true or not, or is real or fake...whatever suits your style. The point is to get students actively working with the characters and plot--and to demonstrate their understanding of the same.
#4 Introduce An Elizabethan Language Cheat-Sheet
Before students read the original text, spend some time examining the language of Shakespeare's time--and the language Shakespeare uses, which is poetic.
View some passages together on your screen.
"Translate" them to modern English. Discuss "old" spellings. Explain that in order to read Shakespeare, you have to be able to translate these old spellings into the modern words you're used to seeing. Share with them some common words that they'll often need to mentally translate ("doth," for example). These words look like a foreign language to many students. A simple explanation with a little practice prior to reading really helps.
Look at the poetic structure and explain what that is. Why does Shakespeare sometimes say things in a different word or phrase order than we're used to hearing? Part of the reason is because sentence structure was a little different way back then, but it's mostly because saying things his way helps him fit the words into his poetic form. A short poetry unit prior to reading Shakespeare is also helpful.
Point out specific imagery, word choices, and other elements that give Shakespeare's work depth and passion. Show students the nitty-gritty of all that is the genius of Shakespeare and why, beyond the great characters and plots, his works endure for centuries.
Give students a single-page "cheat-sheet" to understanding Shakespeare on which you place translations of common words, brief explanations of some of the more common philosophical elements of Shakespeare's time (views on humors or astrology, for example), and brief explanations of elements your students may have difficulty understanding that are particular to the play you're reading.
#5 Act It Out
Shakespeare's plays are meant to be seen, not just read. Let your students pick their favorite scenes from the play you're reading and get together in small groups to act out their favorite scenes. They don't have to be whole, long scenes; they can be shorter character interactions within an officially marked scene. Give them time to rehearse their lines, to practice speaking in Shakespeare's language. By experiencing the language, actually using it, students become more fluent in it--which also helps their reading of the rest of the play (or other plays).
Even very low-level students can read prose summaries and then create their own scene scripts using their own modern English, without ever looking at the original text. You might give students a few of the most famous quotes from the original text and discuss them, as well. By doing this lower-level students become educated about the play and can discuss it with higher level students who have read the original text. It elevates their general education, gives them the ability to understand allusions they might find in other places, and gives them the ability to participate in conversations that would otherwise be out of their ability.
Doing the activities noted above doesn't have to take a very long time. Spending just a few days on the pre-reading suggestions will empower your students to do much better with the original text and will empower them to better understand and enjoy the play. They will feel like they CAN "get" Shakespeare and will understand that Shakespeare's texts are as action-packed and full of passion as any of their favorite modern movies.