The document provides information about a lesson on the short story "Telephone Conversation" by Nigerian author Wole Soyinka. The lesson outlines learning objectives, standards, and competencies to help students understand literary elements in the story, contextualize it within African literature, examine themes of racial discrimination, and analyze the poet's use of imagery. Students will complete worksheets analyzing the story and exploring issues of discrimination before evaluating what they've learned through a written essay.

1. Julienned Thoughts
Teaching
Demonstration
WORLD LITERATURE

2. INTRODUCTION:
TOPIC LESSON
21ST Century Literature from Africa,
“Telephone Conversation” by Wole
CONTENT STANDARDS
The learner will be able to understand and
appreciate literary texts in various genres
across national literature and cultures.
PERFORMANCE STANDARDS
The learner will be able to demonstrate
understanding and appreciation of 21st
century literature of the world through an
adaptation of a text into other creative forms
using multimedia.

3. LEARNING COMPETENCIES
1.identify representative texts and authors from
2.explain the texts in terms of literary elements,
and traditions
3.Situate the texts in the context of the region,
and the world
7. identify the figures of speech and other literary
techniques and devices in the text
8. explain the biographical, linguistic, and
contexts and discuss how they enhance the text’s
meaning and the reader’s understanding
9. Examine the relationship between text and context
10. Understand literary meanings in context and the
of critical reading strategies
SPECIFIC LEARNING OUTCOMES
At the end of the lesson, the learners will be able to:
1. Identify the imagery in the text the “Telephone
Conversation”;
2. Write a critical paper expressing your opinion on racial
discrimination; and
3. Examine issues faced by man due to racial
discrimination in the present time.
TIME ALLOTMENT
180 minutes

4. LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
Articulating learning objectives
At the end of the topic, learners are:
a.1. expected to be able to retell the text in his own
words;
a.2. able to use phrases written in figures of speech
in a write up; and
a.3. live a life without prejudice to others.

5. “YOUR FACE LOOKS
FAMILIAR!”

12. WOLE SOYINKA
(AKINWANDE OLUWOLE SOYINKA)

13. - A Nigerian poet
- Winner of Nobel Prize in Literature in 1986
- First African to be so honored
- among his works are: Civilian and Soldier, I Think it
Rains, Night, and Telephone Conversation
- Some African contemporary writers:
1. Chinua Achebe (Things Fall Apart, 1958)
2. Ayi Kweih Armah (The Beautiful Ones are Not yet
Born,1968)
3. Nuruddin Farah (From A Crooked Rib, 1970)

14. TELEPHONE
CONVERSATION
By Wole Soyinka

15. Telephone Conversation
Wole Soyinka
The price seemed reasonable, location
Indifferent. The landlady swore she lived
Off premises. Nothing remained
But self-confession. “Madam,” I warned,
“I hate a wasted journey—I am African.”
Silence. Silenced transmission of
Pressurized good-breeding. Voice, when it came,
Lipstick coated, long gold-rolled
Cigarette-holder pipped. Caught I was, foully.

16. “HOW DARK?” . . . I had not misheard . . . “ARE YOU LIGHT
OR VERY DARK?” Button B. Button A. Stench
Of rancid breath of public hide-and-speak.
Red booth. Red pillar-box. Red double-tiered
Omnibus squelching tar. It was real! Shamed
By ill-mannered silence, surrender
Pushed dumbfounded to beg simplification.
Considerate she was, varying the emphasis—

17. “You mean—like plain or milk chocolate?”
Her assent was clinical, crushing in its light
Impersonality. Rapidly, wavelength adjusted,
I chose. “West African sepia”—and as an afterthought,
“Down in my passport.” Silence for spectroscopic
Flight of fancy, till truthfulness clanged her accent
Hard on the mouthpiece. “WHAT’S THAT?” conceding,
“DON’T KNOW WHAT THAT IS.” “Like brunette.”

18. “THAT’S DARK, ISN’T IT?” “Not altogether.
Facially, I am brunette, but madam, you should see
The rest of me. Palm of my hand, soles of my feet
Are a peroxide blonde. Friction, caused—
Foolishly, madam—by sitting down, has turned
My bottom raven black—One moment madam!”—sensing
Her receiver rearing on the thunderclap
About my ears—“Madam,” I pleaded, “wouldn’t you rather
See for yourself?”

19. UNLOCKING OF
DIFFICULTIES

20. PERSONA???
SETTING/SITUATION???
LITERARY ELEMENTS???

21. MOOD
Also known as atmosphere
It is the overall feeling for the audience
an author creates in his writing.

22. TONE
- The general character or attitude of
a place, piece of writing, situation, etc.

23. THEME
- The main subject that is being
discussed or described in a piece of
writing.

24. IMAGERY
Visually descriptive or figurative
language, especially in a literary
work.

25. WORKSHEET #1
DIRECTION: Complete the Literary Elements’ Table below. Write the
answer on the space provided.
CHARACTERS
PERSONA
SETTING
CONFLICT
MOOD
TONE
THEME

26. RACIAL
DISCRIMINATION

27. WORKSHEET #2
DIRECTION: Think of a situation, personal otherwise, where it shows racial
discrimination. Write the answer on the box below.
My Journal;
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________.

28. IMAGERY

29. WORKSHEET #3
DIRECTION: Below is a complete copy of the person. Encircle lines and phrase that shows imagery and
explain its literal meaning. Write the answer on the space available.
The price seemed reasonable, location
Indifferent. The landlady swore she lived
Off premises. Nothing remained
But self-confession. “Madam,” I warned,
“I hate a wasted journey—I am African.”
Silence. Silenced transmission of
Pressurized good-breeding. Voice, when it came,
Lipstick coated, long gold-rolled
Cigarette-holder pipped. Caught I was, foully.
“HOW DARK?” . . . I had not misheard . . . “ARE YOU LIGHT
OR VERY DARK?” Button B. Button A. Stench
Of rancid breath of public hide-and-speak.
Red booth. Red pillar-box. Red double-tiered
Omnibus squelching tar. It was real! Shamed
By ill-mannered silence, surrender
Pushed dumbfounded to beg simplification.
Considerate she was, varying the emphasis—
“ARE YOU DARK? OR VERY LIGHT?” Revelation came.
“You mean—like plain or milk chocolate?”
Her assent was clinical, crushing in its light
Impersonality. Rapidly, wavelength adjusted,
I chose. “West African sepia”—and as an afterthought,
“Down in my passport.” Silence for spectroscopic
Flight of fancy, till truthfulness clanged her accent
Hard on the mouthpiece. “WHAT’S THAT?” conceding,
“DON’T KNOW WHAT THAT IS.” “Like brunette.”
“THAT’S DARK, ISN’T IT?” “Not altogether.
Facially, I am brunette, but madam, you should see
The rest of me. Palm of my hand, soles of my feet
Are a peroxide blonde. Friction, caused—
Foolishly, madam—by sitting down, has turned
My bottom raven black—One moment madam!”—sensing
Her receiver rearing on the thunderclap
About my ears—“Madam,” I pleaded, “wouldn’t you rather
See for yourself?”

30. WORKSHEET #4
DIRECTION: Pick lines from the poem that show racial discrimination
then give its possible implications in real life situations.
LINES FROM THE POEM IMPLICATIONS

31. WORKSHEET #5
DIRECTION: Answer the question below. Write the answer on the box
provided.
QUESTION: If you are the African guy, how will you react on the
landlady’s action?
___________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
___.

32. WORKSHEET #6
DIRECTION: Write a possible continuation of the poem “Telephone
Conversation”. Put your answer on the space provided.
Telephone Conversation (Part 2)
____________________________
______________________________
_______________________________
______________________________
_______________________________
_________________________________
__________________________________
__________________________________
________________________________
_______________________________
________________________________
______________________________

33. ENRICHMENT
In school forum: A Pakistani, British and a
Nigerian will be invited to class to share their
experiences in house hunting in the locality.
Learners will be tasked to interact and
interview invited guest speakers after their
anecdotes.

34. EVALUATION
Each learner is tasked to write a
critical essay focusing on the theme
Racial Discrimination

35. 5 4 3 2
INTRODUCTION and
CONCLUSION
(Background History/Thesis
Statement)
There is a well-developed
introduction with an
attention grabber that
grabs the reader’s interest
and continues to engage
the reader up until the
thesis statement. The
thesis statement should
clearly state the
experience or event that
will be described as well as
the effect on the writer.
Conclusion should
effectively wraps up and re
stresses the importance of
the thesis.
Introduction creates
interest. Thesis states
the position. Conclusion
effectively summarizes
the topic.
Introduction adequately
explains the
background, but may
lack detail. Thesis states
the topic, but key
elements are missing
Background details are
a random, unclear
collection of
information. Thesis is
vague and unclear.
Conclusion is not
effective and does not
summarize main points.
MAIN POINTS
(Body Paragraphs)
Well developed main
points/topic sentences
that relate directly to the
thesis. Supporting
examples are concrete and
detailed. The analysis is
developed with an
effective point of view.
Three or more main
points relate to the
thesis, but some may
lack details. The analysis
shows events from the
author’s point of view,
but could use more
descriptive language.
Three or more main
points are present, but
lack details in describing
the event. Little
descriptive language is
used.
Less than three
ideas/main points are
explained and/or they
are poorly developed.
The story tells; it
doesn’t show
ORGANIZATION
(Structure and Transitions)
Logical Progression of
ideas with a clear structure
that enhances the thesis.
Transitions are effective
and vary throughout the
paragraph, not just in the
topic sentences.
Logical progression of
ideas. Transitions are
present throughout the
essay, but lacks variety.
Organization is clear.
Transitions are present
at times, but there is
very little variety.
Writing is not
organized. The
transitions between
ideas are unclear or non
existent.
STYLE
(Sentence Flow, Variety,
Diction)
Writing is smooth, skillful,
and coherent. Sentences
are strong and expressive
with varied structure.
Diction is consistent and
words are well chosen.
Writing is clear and
sentences have varied
structure, Diction is
consistent.
Writing is clear, but
could use a little more
sentence variety to
make the writing more
interesting.
Writing is confusing and
hard to follow. Contains
fragments and/or runon
sentences.
MECHANICS
(Spelling, Punctuation,
Capitalization)
Punctuation, spelling, and
capitalization are all
correct. No errors.
Punctuation, spelling,
and capitalization are
generally correct with
There are only a few (3-
4) errors in punctuation,
spelling, and
Distracting errors in
punctuation, spelling,
and capitalization.