Teaching English 8. Literature matters. Nancy Grimm Michael Meyer Laurenz Volkmann

Transcription

1 Teaching English 8. Literature matters Nancy Grimm Michael Meyer Laurenz Volkmann

2 0. Table of contents 1. Functions of literature 1.1 Personal interest 1.2 Institutional interest 2. Approaches to teaching literature 2.1 Analytical approaches: nothing but the text 2.2 Making sense: subjective response and dialog 2.3 Context and culture as conditions of meaning 2.4 Doing literature: task-based and creative work 3. Literature for all levels 4. Recommended reading 5. Acknowledgments Chapter 8: Literature matters 2

3 Discuss your interest in reading: Which was your favorite book of fiction and most rewarding reading (or listening) experience as a child and as an adolescent? What is your favorite text in English now? Why do you read literature, why not? Consider the images or draw a cartoon on dealing with literature at school. Chapter 8: Literature matters 3

4 1.1 Personal interest Entertaining / food for the soul 1. Functions of literature Educational / food for thought Literature 4

5 1.1 Personal interest Adventure Comedy Crime fiction Gender: which topics and genres do boys or girls prefer? Fantasy Which would you select for teaching literature in a mixed class? Science fiction Comics Lyrics Human interest 1. Functions of literature 5

6 1.2 Institutional interest the CEF Bildung? major contribution to the European cultural heritage Cultivation? may develop students aesthetic appreciation of literature CEF/KMK do not specify how these contribute to the multiple Reading educational purposes for of literature, let alone the pleasure of reading transports sociocultural values, beliefs, and attitudes 1. Functions of literature serves educational purposes intellectual, moral and emotional, linguistic and cultural Council of Europe 2001: 56, 144 6

7 1.2 Institutional interest dimensions of literary competence Cognitive understanding & co-creation of meaning: forming mental model, filling gaps, forming hypotheses Linguistic-discursive competence: in reading, follow-up communication, and negotiation of meaning Motivation & orientation: getting involved in a text, finding pleasure in reading, recognizing relevance of literature Subjective response and participation in interpersonal and intercultural perspectives Reflection on and critical judgment of moral values and actions Cognitive-aesthetic understanding and evaluation Creative productionthrough (re-)writing literary texts (narrative, performative, and poetic competence) 1. Functions of literature

8 2. Approaches to teaching literature literature as communication 2. Approaches to teaching literature cf. Meyer 2011: 26, 68, 115

9 2.1 Analytical approaches: nothing but the text Intrinsic analytical approach (e.g., New Criticism) Literary work timeless artefact Close readings to appreciate complex artistic form as a perfect mold of the content Typical task Identify the rhyme scheme and the rhetorical features of the poem. 2. Approaches to teaching literature 9

10 Discuss which competences the teacher-centered and analytical approach promotes. 2. Approaches to teaching literature 10

11 2.1 Analytical approaches: nothing but the text Analytic skills Discussing the method Insight language & art Context Subjective reader response Author 2. Approaches to teaching literature 11

12 2.1 Analytical approaches: authorial communication Intentional fallacy Discussing the question: What did the author want to tell us? Expression of personal experience Imaginative transformation of experience Intertextuality & sociocultural conventions The message vs. personal interpretation 2. Approaches to teaching literature 12

13 2.2 Making sense: subjective response and dialog Reader response and cognitive approaches aesthetic reading efferent reading dynamic interaction 2. Approaches to teaching literature 13

14 2.2 Making sense: subjective response and dialog Dynamic interaction between reader and text sociocultural schemata of text stimulate reader s associations & ideas sharing & coordinating perspectives reader infuses text with subjective mental images & interpretations Minds are like parachutes. They only function when they are open. Sir Dewar (attributed) recognition or critical resistance 2. Approaches to teaching literature 14

15 2.2 Making sense: subjective response and dialog Readers roles and teaching» involved participant» detached spectator» literary critic» subjective response (e.g., reading logs)» open dialog, negotiating meanings» aesthetic appreciation and criticism 2. Approaches to teaching literature 15

16 Discuss which competences approaches to individual reading processes promote and which they neglect. 2. Approaches to teaching literature 16

17 2.3 Context and culture as conditions of meaning literature as imitation of reality Mimesis: the strange mirror no objective representation or a neutral mirror of reality reflection of & on culture 2. Approaches to teaching literature 17

18 2.3 Context and culture as conditions of meaning discourse individuals generations Language use on display genres Characteristics & differences of race, class, gender regions & nations historical periods 2. Approaches to teaching literature 18

19 2.3 Context and culture as conditions of meaning the third space Us Hybrid third space a contact zone; e.g., between the German context and the cultures experienced through American, British, and postcolonial or New English literature Them 2. Approaches to teaching literature cf. Kramsch 1998, Matos 2012:

20 2.3 Context and culture as conditions of meaning language is socio-culturally situated no neutral use of language in a society marked by inequality of the distribution of wealth and power Dominant ideologies critical literacy approach suppressive ideology = a falsifying collectively held system of ideas and beliefs that interpret the world [ ] in the interests of those who are in power, covers up contradictions and conflicts in society Meyer 2011: maintaining / legitimizing the status quo resistant reader needs to reflect on implicit preconceptions and functions of language use 2. Approaches to teaching literature 20

21 2.3 Context and culture as conditions of meaning Culture as text postmodern perspectives less concerned about ideology culture is textual: in the sense of being culturally significant and readable texts are cultural: texts have real conditions and effects Example: violent responses to the cartoons of Charlie Hebdo in Approaches to teaching literature 21

22 2.3 Context and culture as conditions of meaning individual = an intersection of discourses + an actantwho constructs meaning in new texts by selecting and combining discourses orientation, selection, and (re)construction of meaning Intertextuality / intermediality representative texts intertextual nodes around core symbols negotiating the values and functions of myths students explore the circulation and interplay of meanings and create new webs of significance in dialog with the texts and each other 2. Approaches to teaching literature Hallet 2002: 60-61, 46-48, 64-65, 39-45,

23 2.3 Context and culture as conditions of meaning dynamic model of reading Reading as experience and interactive information processing in combination with the social negotiation of meaning in an institutional framework 2. Approaches to teaching literature cf. Meyer 2012, adapted from Reichl 2009:

24 2.4 Doing literature: task based and creative work reading phases (1) feel like reading (2) get into the text (3) live through the text (4) realize some preliminary meaning (5) reviewing experience & preliminary grasps (6) modifying and expanding understanding 2. Approaches to teaching literature cf. Delanoy 2007: , Hesse 2009: 89, Nünning& Surkamp 2006: 71-80, Thaler 2008:

25 2.4 Doing literature: Task-based and creative work The post-reading phase Creative activities motivate learners to work on palpable products encourage aesthetic transformation of subjective responses 2. Approaches to teaching literature creative response to Woolf s short story The New Dress by Miriam Aufermann 25

26 2.4 Doing literature functions of learner texts Motivation through identification, individual expression, and autonomy Recognition of others perspectives, supporting empathy and tolerance Meaningful communication addressed to peers (and the teacher) Challenging but playful experiment with language and culture Object of mutual reflection and trigger of linguistic and cultural awareness Holistic learning that combines affect, cognitive insight, and imagination Opportunity to give feedback; for appreciation, assessment, and evaluation 2. Approaches to teaching literature

27 Approaches to teaching literature finding the right balance 2. Approaches to teaching literature 27

28 3. Literature for all levels criteria of selection Texts should. We shouldn t teach great books; we should teach a love of reading. B.F. Skinner be manageable (length, difficulty of vocabulary, topic, structure, etc.) be interesting and engaging be comparable to learners lives and cultures offer insights into other cultures motivate active and creative work 3. Literature for all levels 28

29 3. Literature for all levels early language learning principles (recap) Metalinguistic knowledge Motivation Comprehensible input Positive atmospheres Creative Interlanguage Accurate pronunciation Principles Principles Addressingprior knowledge Qualifying L2 communication only if necessary Rich input Authentic speech production Alternating proceedings Tolerating structural errors 3. Literature for all levels 29

30 3. Literature for all levels Pleasure in rhythm, rhyming, harmony, nonsense, stories, physical activity and singing (Total Physical Response) Beginners playful repetition & performance vivid story-telling with the help of Big Books holistic response lexical, narrative, and visual understanding describing and talking about pictures and stories, re-enacting scenes 3. Literature for all levels 30

31 Search for classical fairy tales in English and discuss which of these would be of particular interest to beginners. 3. Literature for all levels 31

32 3. Literature for all levels transition (recap) 3. Literature for all levels 32

33 3. Literature for all levels Intermediate learners Example: raising awareness of face-toface interaction in real life and narrative communication in comics A Relationship in Eight Pages (Hoover 2007) Pre-reading: What s in a title and in a picture on the cover page? Reading/viewing: Spell out what the characters feel and think in addition to what they say. Post-reading:Compare the interplay of body language and verbal communication to real life interaction. Discuss intercultural similarities and differences. Re-create the ending. 3. Literature for all levels 33

34 3. Literature for all levels Upper-intermediate learners [G]reeningof the EFL classroom (Volkmann 2012: 397) an open discussion of culture and nature raising ecological awareness in a more directive way to change the learners attitude and practical behavior Pressing questions: Who can claim to have the truth about nature? Who controls which discourses about nature and the environment (politics, multinational corporations, science, the media)? How could ecological insight translate into social and political action? cf. Hollm& Uebel2006: Literature for all levels 34

35 Search the Internet for prizes for young adult literature, and discuss which of the award-winning texts from last or this year would be suited for intermediate learners (major booksellers offer the first few pages online as a preview). 3. Literature for all levels 35

36 3. Literature for all levels Advanced learners Advanced learners should be able to cope with and enjoy literature from young adult fiction to selected classics Slumdog Millionaire (2006) media literacy inter-, trans-, and intracultural similarities and differences critical reflection on values and actions modern adaptions of Shakespeare s Hamlet (manga or movie) in comparison to selected scenes from the original 3. Literature for all levels 36

37 3. Literature for all levels Beginners: pleasure, enjoying reading Intermediate: expand ICC, cognitive understanding, discursive skills, aesthetic appreciation, creative potential Advanced: increase ICC and all dimensions of literary competence 3. Literature for all levels 37

38 Inform yourself about mandatory texts in the curriculum of your state, and compare these to the literary texts which you have read so far and find suitable for use in the EFL classroom. Check which of your favorite movies are book adaptions and discuss which of these would be attractive to students. What would be your teaching goals and preferred activities with the texts and movies of your choice? 3. Literature for all levels 38

39 Recommended reading Delanoy, Werner; Maria Eisenmann& Frauke Matz, eds. (2015). Learning with Literature in the EFL Classroom. Frankfurt a. M. et al.: Lang. Hallet, Wolfgang & Ansgar Nünning, eds. (2007). Neue Ansätze und Konzepte der Literatur- und Kulturdidaktik. Trier: WVT. Nünning, Ansgar& Carola Surkamp(2006). Englische Literatur unterrichten: Grundlagen und Methoden. Seelze-Velber: Klett/Kallmeyer. Surkamp, Carola & AnsgarNünning(2009). Englische Literatur unterrichten: Unterrichtsmodelle und Materialien. Seelze-Velber: Klett/Kallmeyer. Thaler, Engelbert(2008). Teaching English Literature. Paderborn et al.: Schöningh. Chapter 8: Literature matters 39

40 Acknowledgments Council of Europe (2001). Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Delanoy, Werner (2007). Literaturdidaktik als Zusammenspiel von Rezeptionsästhetik und Task- BasedLearning. In: Wolfgang Hallet & Ansgar Nünning, eds. Neue Ansätze und Konzepte der Literatur- und Kulturdidaktik. Trier: WVT, Hallet, Wolfgang (2002). Fremdsprachenunterricht als Spiel der Texte und Kulturen: Intertextualität als Paradigma einer kulturwissenschaftlichen Didaktik. Trier: WVT. Hesse, Mechthild(2009). Teenage Fiction in the Active English Classroom. Stuttgart: Klett. Hollm, Jan & Anke Uebel(2006). Utopias for our Time: Teaching Ecotopian and Ecodystopian Writing. In: Sylvia Mayer & Graham Wilson, eds. Ecodidactic Perspectives on English Language, Literatures and Cultures. Trier: WVT, Hoover, Jim (2007). A Relationship in Eight Pages. In: Ariel Schrag, ed. Stuck in the Middle: Seventeen Comics from an Unpleasant Age. New York: Viking, Kramsch, Claire (1998). Language and Culture. Oxford et al.: Oxford University Press. Chapter 8: Literature matters 40

41 Acknowledgments Matos, Ana Gonçalves(2012). Literary Texts and Intercultural Learning: Exploring New Directions. Oxford et al.: Lang. Meyer, Michael (2011). English and American Literatures. 4 th ed. Tuebingenet al.: Francke. Meyer, Michael (2012). Notes towards a Comprehensive Model of Reading. Unpublished. Nünning, Ansgar& Carola Surkamp(2006). Englische Literatur unterrichten: Grundlagen und Methoden. Seelze-Velber: Klett/Kallmeyer. Reichl, Susanne (2009). Cognitive Principles, Critical Practice: Reading Literature at University. Goettingen et al.: Vandenhoeck& Ruprecht. Thaler, Engelbert(2008). Teaching English Literature. Paderborn et al.: Schöningh. Volkmann, Laurenz (2012). EcodidacticsalsAntwortauf die planetarebedrohung? ZumEinsatzvon ecopoetryimenglischunterricht. In: Julia Hammer; Maria Eisenmann& RüdigerAhrens, eds. Anglophone Literaturdidaktik: Zukunftsperspektiven für den Englischunterricht. Heidelberg: Winter, Chapter 8: Literature matters 41

42 Acknowledgments The cartoons at the beginning of each pptwere designed by FrolleinMotte, If not otherwise indicated, the copyright of the figures lies with the authors. The complete titles of the sources can be found in the references to the units unless given below. All of the websites were checked on 10 September Slide 4: Slide 6: Slide 13: Individual use of literature, designed by Frollein Motte, 2014 Slides 15 & 28: Slide 17: Slide 21: Slide 22: UnveilingTheStatueofLiberty1886Large.jpg Slide 23: Dynamic model of reading, based on Reichl2009: 214 Slide 25: creative responses to Woolf s short story The New Dress by Miriam Aufermann Slide 33: Slide 34: Slide 36: Chapter 8: Literature matters 42