Teaching Ethnic Minority Cultures in the EFL Classroom. A Proposition of a New Focus on Contemporary Coming-of-Age Novels

Examination Thesis , 2016 , 72 Pages , Grade: 2,0

Didactics for the subject English - Pedagogy, Literature Studies

21st century teachers are faced with a huge amount of various challenges in their classrooms concerning the teaching of the English language in a contemporary manner. And it is the little adjective "contemporary" that is crucial in this context.

This thesis takes a closer look at the importance of post-colonial and minority literature in the EFL classroom as minorities within a culture become more and more omnipresent in a 21st century society.

For many decades, teaching the works of William Shakespeare has been one of the core elements within the literary education in the EFL classroom. And, to be more precise, Shakespeare and his oeuvre are part of the so-called literary canon which is a collection of works that have been considered as highly valuable and of particular significance during a certain period of time. It includes primarily the works of dead white European male (DWEM) as well as white Anglo-Saxon protestants (WASP) authors. Noteworthy are the writings of Arthur Miller, F. Scott Fitzgerald, William Golding and many others that are still part of the literary canon discussed at (German) schools. It is recognized that the works of the preceding authors are definitely not contemporary writers in the sense of “having published anything since 2005”. However, it is not the aim of this paper to criticize the works of the common literary canon since all of them offer manifold approaches to classic and valuable English literature and represent high cultural artefacts of Anglophone culture(s). Instead, an alternative canon of contemporary coming-of-age-novels is presented, including such works as Sandra Cisnero's "The House on Mango Street" and Junot Diáz' "The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao".

Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)

• INTRODUCTION
• CULTURE IN THE EFL CLASSROOM: LANDESKUNDE, CULTURAL STUDIES AND INTERCULTURAL LEARNING
• CULTURE – A DEFINITION
• THE EARLY BEGINNINGS: LANDESKUNDE
• CULTURAL STUDIES AND INTERCULTURAL LEARNING
• LITERATURE IN THE EFL CLASSROOM
• BASICS
• THE MEANING OF TEACHING LITERATURE
• SELECTION
• ARGUMENTS FOR TEACHING LITERATURE
• HOW TO TEACH LITERATURE IN THE EFL CLASSROOM
• TEACHING GOALS: KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ATTITUDES
• LITERATURE AND LANDESKUNDE
• THE GENRE OF NOVELS AND THE LITERARY CANON
• NOVELS AND THE LITERARY CANON
• POSTCOLONIAL AND ETHNIC MINORITY READINGS
• COMING-OF-AGE: MORE THAN A SUB-GENRE
• AN ALTERNATIVE CANON OF CONTEMPORARY COMING-OF-AGE-NOVELS
• SANDRA CISNEROS: THE HOUSE ON MANGO STREET
• MEXICAN-AMERICAN LITERATURE: AN EXCURSUS
• CISNEROS AS A REPRESENTATIVE OF CHICANA FICTION
• CONTENT SYNOPSIS AND NARRATIVE STRUCTURE
• THE LANGUAGE IN THE NOVEL
• TEACHING THE HOUSE ON MANGO STREET
• JUNOT DÍAZ: THE BRIEF WONDROUS LIFE OF OSCAR WAO
• JUNOT DÍAZ: A REPRESENTATIVE FOR CARIBBEAN WRITING
• CONTENT SYNOPSIS AND NARRATIVE STRUCTURE
• LANGUAGE ANALYSIS
• TEACHING POSSIBILITIES & INTERCULTURAL UNDERSTANDING
• WITI IHIimaera: WHALE RIDER
• THE MĀORI WRITER WITI IHIMAERA
• MĀORI CULTURE AND LITERATURE
• THE WHALE RIDER: CONTENT SYNOPSIS
• NARRATIVE STRUCTURE & INTERCULTURAL UNDERSTANDING
• TEACHING THE WHALE RIDER
• ALTERNATIVE READINGS

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)

This thesis explores the significance of post-colonial and minority literature in the EFL classroom, recognizing the increasing presence of diverse minorities in 21st-century society. It argues that teaching foreign languages and literature should promote an open-minded, non-stereotypic communication, fostering tolerance and understanding of foreign cultures.

• The role of contemporary coming-of-age novels in fostering intercultural learning.
• The importance of including minority voices in the EFL curriculum.
• The challenges and opportunities of teaching an alternative literary canon.
• The relationship between language, culture, and identity in coming-of-age narratives.
• The use of literary analysis to promote intercultural understanding.

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)

• Chapter 2: Culture in the EFL Classroom: This chapter introduces the concepts of Landeskunde, Cultural Studies, and Intercultural Learning, establishing the theoretical framework for understanding cultural perspectives in the EFL classroom.
• Chapter 3: Literature in the EFL Classroom: This chapter examines the role of literature in the EFL classroom, discussing its teaching goals, and exploring the genre of novels and the literary canon. It highlights the significance of postcolonial and ethnic minority readings in expanding the scope of literary education.
• Chapter 4: An Alternative Canon of Contemporary Coming-of-Age-Novels: This chapter presents a collection of contemporary coming-of-age novels that showcase ethnic minority cultures, aiming to provide a more diverse and relevant alternative to the traditional literary canon. The chapter analyzes three specific novels: The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Díaz, and Whale Rider by Witi Ihimaera, highlighting their literary features, cultural context, and teaching potential.

Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)

This thesis focuses on the intersection of intercultural learning, ethnic minority cultures, and contemporary coming-of-age novels. Key concepts include Landeskunde, Cultural Studies, Intercultural Learning, literary canon, postcolonial literature, minority literature, and the use of literary analysis to promote intercultural understanding. The selected novels showcase diverse cultures such as Mexican-American, Dominican, and Māori, illustrating the importance of representing a wider range of voices and perspectives in the EFL classroom.

• College: http://www.uni-jena.de/ (Anglistik)
• Grade: 2,0
• Author: Claudia Haller (Author)
• Publication Year: 2016
• Pages: 72
• Catalog Number: V383155
• ISBN (eBook): 9783668586482
• ISBN (Book): 9783668586499
• Language: English
• Tags: Minority Literature, Chicana Literature, Dominican Litertaure, Maori Literature, Coming-ofAge