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".
Table of Contents
1. INTRODUCTION
2. CULTURE IN THE EFL CLASSROOM: LANDESKUNDE, CULTURAL STUDIES AND INTERCULTURAL LEARNING
2.1 CULTURE – A DEFINITION
2.2 THE EARLY BEGINNINGS: LANDESKUNDE
2.3 CULTURAL STUDIES AND INTERCULTURAL LEARNING
3. LITERATURE IN THE EFL CLASSROOM
3.1 BASICS
3.2 THE MEANING OF TEACHING LITERATURE
3.2.1 SELECTION
3.2.2 ARGUMENTS FOR TEACHING LITERATURE
3.2.3 HOW TO TEACH LITERATURE IN THE EFL CLASSROOM
3.2.4 TEACHING GOALS: KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ATTITUDES
3.3 LITERATURE AND LANDESKUNDE
3.4 THE GENRE OF NOVELS AND THE LITERARY CANON
3.4.1 NOVELS AND THE LITERARY CANON
3.4.2 POSTCOLONIAL AND ETHNIC MINORITY READINGS
3.5 COMING-OF-AGE: MORE THAN A SUB-GENRE
4. AN ALTERNATIVE CANON OF CONTEMPORARY COMING-OF-AGE-NOVELS
4.1 SANDRA CISNEROS: THE HOUSE ON MANGO STREET
4.1.1 MEXICAN-AMERICAN LITERATURE: AN EXCURSUS
4.1.2 CISNEROS AS A REPRESENTATIVE OF CHICANA FICTION
4.1.3 CONTENT SYNOPSIS AND NARRATIVE STRUCTURE
4.1.4 THE LANGUAGE IN THE NOVEL
4.1.5 TEACHING THE HOUSE ON MANGO STREET
4.2 JUNOT DÍAZ: THE BRIEF WONDROUS LIFE OF OSCAR WAO
4.2.1 JUNOT DÍAZ: A REPRESENTATIVE FOR CARIBBEAN WRITING
4.2.2 CONTENT SYNOPSIS AND NARRATIVE STRUCTURE
4.2.3 LANGUAGE ANALYSIS
4.2.4 TEACHING POSSIBILITIES & INTERCULTURAL UNDERSTANDING
4.3 WITI IHIMAERA: WHALE RIDER
4.3.1 THE MĀORI WRITER WITI IHIMAERA
4.3.2 MĀORI CULTURE AND LITERATURE
4.3.3 THE WHALE RIDER: CONTENT SYNOPSIS
4.3.4 NARRATIVE STRUCTURE & INTERCULTURAL UNDERSTANDING
4.3.5 TEACHING THE WHALE RIDER
4.4 ALTERNATIVE READINGS
5. CONCLUSION
Objectives and Thematic Focus
This thesis aims to explore the role of contemporary ethnic minority coming-of-age novels in the EFL classroom as a means to foster intercultural competence among secondary school students. The research investigates how these literary works can serve as an alternative to the traditional, often Eurocentric, literary canon by providing students with diverse perspectives on identity, migration, and multicultural experiences.
- Integration of postcolonial and minority literature into EFL curricula.
- Application of process-oriented teaching methods for literary analysis.
- Development of intercultural communicative competence through diverse narratives.
- Exploration of the coming-of-age genre within multicultural contexts.
- Practical teaching suggestions for secondary education classrooms.
Excerpt from the Book
4.1.3 CONTENT SYNOPSIS AND NARRATIVE STRUCTURE
The 1984 novel The House on Mango Street is told from the protagonist’s perspective: the thirteen-year-old Esperanza Cordero. Within the novel Esperanza composes little stories (vignettes) that all stand for relevant events in her life and depict the people who surround her. The novel’s 44 vignettes which are approximately of the same length (about 2 pages) can all stand on their own but are in some way related to each other and form a coherent text since several main topics as well as characters reoccur. In general, the novel covers a large number of subjects related to Mexican American literature and depicts the various facets of life in a Hispanic neighborhood in Chicago. The main topics are family, neighborhood, poverty, racism, abuse, repression, identity and writing as well as the protagonist’s consciousness of coming-of-age which is linked to her sexuality and to her position within the Mexican American culture. The reader learns about Esperanza’s preferred free time activities, about her best friends Lucy and Rachel with whom she experiences adventures in the neighborhood as well as about some of the people living on Mango Street and are described in great detail by Esperanza. The first vignette, for example, introduces the readers both to the house of Esperanza’s family as well as to her family itself. It carries the same title as the novel does: The House on Mango Street.
Summary of Chapters
1. INTRODUCTION: Outlines the challenges of contemporary English language teaching and the necessity of expanding the literary canon to include postcolonial and minority voices.
2. CULTURE IN THE EFL CLASSROOM: LANDESKUNDE, CULTURAL STUDIES AND INTERCULTURAL LEARNING: Provides the theoretical foundation by examining cultural concepts and their role in modern intercultural pedagogy.
3. LITERATURE IN THE EFL CLASSROOM: Discusses the didactic value of literature, selection criteria, and the application of learner-centered, process-oriented teaching approaches.
4. AN ALTERNATIVE CANON OF CONTEMPORARY COMING-OF-AGE-NOVELS: Analyzes three specific novels by Sandra Cisneros, Junot Díaz, and Witi Ihimaera, offering concrete teaching activities for each.
5. CONCLUSION: Summarizes the findings and reaffirms the importance of using diverse literary artefacts to promote tolerance and cultural understanding in schools.
Keywords
EFL Classroom, Intercultural Competence, Coming-of-Age Novels, Ethnic Minority Literature, Landeskunde, Cultural Studies, Literary Canon, Sandra Cisneros, Junot Díaz, Witi Ihimaera, Postcolonialism, Mexican-American Culture, Māori Culture, Identity, Secondary Education.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this academic paper?
The paper examines the integration of contemporary coming-of-age novels from ethnic minority authors into the German secondary school EFL curriculum to promote intercultural learning.
What are the primary thematic fields addressed?
The study covers multiculturalism, the definition of culture in language teaching, gender roles, migration, and the evolution of the literary canon.
What is the primary research goal?
The goal is to demonstrate how non-traditional, contemporary literature can bridge the gap between academic requirements and the student's need for identity-relevant, authentic reading materials.
Which pedagogical methodology is applied?
The author advocates for creative, learner-centered, and process-oriented approaches, such as three-phase reading models (pre-, while-, and post-reading) and performance-based tasks.
What content is covered in the main section?
The main section provides detailed literary and didactic analyses of three specific novels: "The House on Mango Street," "The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao," and "The Whale Rider."
Which keywords characterize the work?
Key terms include Intercultural Competence, EFL Classroom, Ethnic Minority Literature, and Contemporary Coming-of-Age Novels.
How does the paper approach the specific case of New Zealand literature?
The paper identifies New Zealand literature as a neglected field in German classrooms and highlights Witi Ihimaera’s "The Whale Rider" as an excellent resource for discussing Māori culture, gender dynamics, and indigenous history.
What role does the "secret canon" play in this research?
The "secret canon" refers to contemporary works, such as those by ethnic minority authors, that have gained recognition among scholars but are not yet fully integrated into standard school curricula.
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- Claudia Haller (Autor:in), 2016, Teaching Ethnic Minority Cultures in the EFL Classroom. A Proposition of a New Focus on Contemporary Coming-of-Age Novels, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/383155
