Indian Law School to Offer Course on Harry Potter

Category: Education/Family

Listening

Unlocking Word Meanings

Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.

  1. elective / ɪˈlɛktɪv / (n) – an optional subject or course to be studied
    Example:

    The course in world literature is only an elective for accounting students.


  2. breather / ˈbriːðɚ / (n) – a break
    Example:

    I think I need a breather after two weeks of studying hard for the exam.


  3. nurture / ˈnɚtʃɚ / (v) – to help develop or improve something
    Example:

    Teachers can help students nurture their skills by providing good training and enough support.


  4. alien / ˈeɪlijən / (adj) – new or unfamiliar
    Example:

    I was shocked by the alien environment when I studied abroad.


  5. tackle / ˈtækəl / (v) – to make an effort to deal with something
    Example:

    We tackled difficult societal issues during the debate.


Article

Read the text below.

A law school in India will offer a course on the fictional series Harry Potter.


The National University of Juridical Sciences in India will offer the Harry Potter elective in the winter semester. According to the faculty member who designed the course, this experimental elective will be a breather from the traditional law curriculum, which involves reading long legal texts and cases. The class can also encourage students to nurture their creative thinking and apply their knowledge in an alien setting. Furthermore, it can help them adapt to the societal changes that their country experiences.


The course is based on a series by renowned writer J.K. Rowling. The Harry Potter series centers on a boy who goes to a school for wizards.


Based on its description, the elective will tackle issues from the book, such as discrimination against magical creatures and house elf enslavement. The course will also discuss legal traditions, crimes, punishments, and the governing body of the wizarding world. Through these topics, students can compare Harry Potter’s social and political issues with real-life situations from a legal perspective.


This is not the first time that a university has offered a course on Harry Potter. Durham University in the United Kingdom also offers a course on Harry Potter and its social, educational, and cultural relevance. Some of its course objectives include understanding the popularity of the series and considering its significance to modern education. Likewise, Yale University students can take a course on Harry Potter and Christian theology or the study of religion. Themes like sin and evil are discussed in the course.


Viewpoint Discussion

Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.

Discussion A

• Do you think courses based on fictional worlds, like the Harry Potter course, will be appealing to students in your country? Why or why not?
• If you were to take a class about a popular series, what series would it be and why?

Discussion B

• Should universities invest in experimental courses like the Harry Potter course? Why or why not?
• If you were to create an experimental course, what would it be? Discuss the benefits of the course for students.