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In the ever-evolving landscape of literary and cultural studies, one intellectual movement has left an indelible mark by challenging conventional approaches and reshaping our understanding of meaning and interpretation. This movement is none other than Structuralism, a paradigm-shifting school of thought that emerged in the mid-20th century. Rooted in linguistics and anthropological theory, Structuralism offered a groundbreaking perspective on how we perceive and analyze texts, myths, and cultural artifacts.   Foundations of Structuralism At its core, Structuralism is a framework that scrutinizes the intricate interplay between elements within a system. It seeks to uncover the hidden structures that underpin human language, behaviour, and cultural expression. Structuralism rose to prominence as a response to New Criticism, challenging established practices in literary analysis. It introduced a novel way of examining texts by delving into their underlying structures, deconstructin

Summary         "The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Runner" is a poignant short story by Alan Sillitoe, first published in 1959 as part of a collection of short stories bearing the same title. The story revolves around the life of Colin Smith, a 17-year-old working-class teenager living in the gritty city of Nottingham. Colin's life is marked by poverty, despair, and a sense of hopelessness. He lives in a dreary home in a downtrodden neighborhood, with little to aspire to in life. However, Colin's life takes a dramatic turn when he commits a petty crime – stealing a sum of one hundred and fifty pounds from a local baker's shop. His criminal act lands him in a Borstal, a type of reform school or young offenders' institution, a place where society sends young delinquents to be reformed.           Inside the Borstal, Colin's character begins to take shape. He discovers a passion for long-distance running, which becomes both a physical and emotional esca

  The Audio-Lingual Method (ALM) stands as a significant chapter in the history of language teaching. Rooted in oral-based language acquisition, ALM diverged from traditional approaches by prioritizing the mastery of grammatical sentence patterns over vocabulary acquisition in contextual settings. Unlike the Direct Method, ALM boasts a robust theoretical foundation in both linguistics and psychology. Charles Fries, a linguist at the University of Michigan, played a pivotal role in shaping the method, earning it the moniker 'Michigan Method.' Over time, it incorporated principles from behavioural psychology, particularly B.F. Skinner's work in 1957. The core idea was that conditioning, achieved through stimuli-response reinforcement, could enable learners to transcend their native language habits and acquire the habits necessary for proficient target language use.   Objectives of the ALM        The primary aim of instructors employing ALM is to equip their students wit