The television and internet, which enables permanent access to television shows, are two of the most popular media of our millennium and, thus, play a significant part in people´s private life as well as in the occupational area. Thus, a transition of industrial society into an information society has been fulfilled since the end of the 1960s and includes a digitalized and interconnected world for the greatest extend. Those changes affect the whole everyday reality; an increasing number of all ages spend their time in front of monitors inside a virtual reality.
The kind of learning has changed as well. For the young generation – the so called “digital natives” – the constant networking and opportunity of gaining knowledge easily became obvious. The digital learners should not “consume” rehashed knowledge anymore but need to be able to have the ability to use available knowledge and information, screen those usefully and thus, reach efficient learning outcomes. Hence, media literacy becomes a key qualification to participate in the information society.
The combination of both, the television as a part of our lives and new digital learning, enables absorption and participation in foreign cultures, values and perceptions by the digital learners. Especially American lifestyle is influencing us in our everyday life. We see films and series from America and we use American products; but students are not always aware of how they adapt to the American lifestyle through watching American films or series. “The Big Bang Theory” is a good example of how the Americans and foreigners who live in America present themselves and how we get prejudices against other cultures with different cultural background which are presented in episodes of the series.
In the course of lifelong learning and concomitant increasing compulsion to flexibility of learning, series as a form of e-learning can represent an efficient media to realize a new culture of teaching and learning about cultures. By considering the aspects of education and intercultural learning written in the scholastic standards, it is necessary to examine the series “The Big Bang Theory” concerning its features and potentials, possible applications in the English foreign language classroom.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Introduction
- New Media in the English Foreign Language Classroom
- Teaching about Stereotypes
- Using TV Series in the EFLC
- Benefits of Teaching TV-Series
- Intercultural Communicative Competence
- Text- and Media Literacy
- Language Awareness
- Challenges of TV-Series
- Cultural Awareness through TV Series as a Key Competency
- Benefits of Teaching TV-Series
- Teaching with “The Big Bang Theory”
- Didactic Analysis – The Pilot
- Didactic Analysis
- The Maternal Capacitance and The Plimpton Stimulation
- Gendering, Intelligence and Sexuality
- Teaching Unit
- The First Double Lesson
- Second Double Lesson
- Third Double Lesson
- Fourth Double Lesson
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This paper aims to explore the potential of using the TV series "The Big Bang Theory" as a tool for teaching intercultural communication and counter-stereotypes in the English Foreign Language Classroom (EFLC). It argues that the series, with its focus on a group of scientists navigating social situations, offers valuable insights into American culture and its portrayal of characters from diverse backgrounds.
- The role of new media and web 2.0 cultures in the EFLC
- The importance of intercultural communicative competence in the 21st century
- The use of TV series as a tool for developing cultural awareness and challenging stereotypes
- The specific didactic potential of "The Big Bang Theory" for teaching English as a foreign language
- The creation of a practical teaching unit that utilizes the series to address key themes and concepts.
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
The introduction provides context for the study, highlighting the increasing influence of television and the internet in shaping our understanding of foreign cultures. It argues that the digital age demands new approaches to language learning, emphasizing the importance of media literacy and intercultural competence. The chapter further introduces "The Big Bang Theory" as a case study for exploring how American television series can be used to deconstruct stereotypes and promote cultural understanding.
The second chapter delves into the role of new media in the EFLC, highlighting the shift from traditional learning methods to the use of web 2.0 technologies. It discusses the potential of multimedia tools in facilitating language acquisition and intercultural communication. This chapter also emphasizes the importance of digital literacy in navigating the contemporary information landscape.
The third chapter examines the importance of teaching about stereotypes and how media can be used to challenge preconceived notions about different cultures. It discusses the need for critical media literacy to analyze and deconstruct the often-biased representations of foreign cultures in media.
The fourth chapter focuses on the benefits and challenges of using TV series in the EFLC. It explores how TV series can be used to develop intercultural communicative competence, text and media literacy, and language awareness. The chapter also discusses potential challenges associated with using TV series in the classroom, such as the need for careful selection of content and the potential for cultural misunderstandings.
The fifth chapter delves into the specific case of "The Big Bang Theory," providing a didactic analysis of the pilot episode and two other key episodes. It examines how the series can be used to teach English as a foreign language, focusing on themes of gender, intelligence, and sexuality. This chapter also outlines a practical teaching unit that uses the series to address these themes and promote intercultural understanding.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
This study focuses on key concepts such as new media, web 2.0 cultures, intercultural communicative competence, stereotype-breaking, media literacy, and the use of TV series like "The Big Bang Theory" in the EFLC. The primary focus is on exploring the potential of these elements to foster a more inclusive and nuanced understanding of foreign cultures in the 21st century classroom.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Olesja Yaniv (Autor:in), 2016, Teaching "The Big Bang Theory". Countering Stereotypes about Foreign Cultures by Using TV Series as Part of Web 2.0 Cultures in the EFLC, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/341364
