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Dorothy Sayers 3 Stages Of Learning Essay

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Dorothy L. Sayers illustrates the three stages of learning in classical education—grammar, dialectic, and rhetoric. The first stage is grammar. It is also called the poll-parrot age that teaches people to memorize facts. The second stage is dialectic. It is called the pert age that teaches people to express their opinions and reason. The dialectic stage paves the way for the next stage of critical thinking. The last stage is rhetoric that is also called the poetic age. The rhetoric stages teaches people to create their own ways freely. Sayers says, “The whole of the Trivium was, in fact, intended to teach the pupil the proper use of the tools of learning, before he began to apply them to ‘subjects’ at all” (6). She indicates the importance …show more content…

She says, “The pupils should be encouraged to go and forage for proper use of libraries and books of reference, and shown how to tell which sources are authoritative and which are not” (16). Students need to enhance the awareness of things. This quote is consistent with traditional education because students should be trained metaphysically (the truth of the world) and epistemologically (the reality of the world). From the biblical perspective, the Bible addresses the critical thinking. Proverbs 8:33 says, “Hear instruction, and be wise, and refuse it not”. God allows mankind to judge wisely. Therefore, the critical thinking plays an important role in evaluating things for students. Finally, Sayers also points out a false opinion that is against traditional education. She says, “We will, therefore, requiring only of our pupils that they shall be able to read, write, and cipher” (9). Sayers coincides with Montessori’s philosophy that children should not be pressured to learn as they move through natural stages of growth. In other words, Sayers does not pay attention on learning in proper stages.
Application
Sayers emphasizes the importance of traditional education. The public school is influenced by the secular philosophy today. It ignores the basic principles. As a Christian teacher, I know that recitation and critical thinking play an important role in learning. Students have

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