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I found it interesting to read the portion of your post where you discussed the lack of meaningful and creative activities in your English classes. Although not as extreme, my experience in my AP Spanish class in high school is somewhat similar to your experience. The teacher was determinted to stick to the AP curriculum, and would not stray from the book assignments (which were usually dull and repetitive). We always asked if we could do skits, group discussions, or art projects, and she consistently turned our ideas down. I believe this approach to second language learning (as well as your English teacher's lecture-based approach) is problematic, because it prevents the students from actively engaging with the language in a more practical and relevant manner. Of course there are grammatical trends and patterns in languages that can sometimes only be taught in a repetitive way; however, students need oral and creative means to utilize and practice the language. Literacy involves more than simply being able to recognize and repeat the specific letters and symbols on paper. True understanding that leads one to literacy comes from a proactive approach to learning the language.