Modern foreign language education aims at developing an intercultural ability to act because our world today is more international than ever before. As defined at the beginning of this paper, ICC mainly consists of three features: the ability to communicate successfully with people from different cultures, to be able to shift perspectives and to be capable of behaving appropriately in intercultural situations. So ICC functions as connector between people from different cultures because it enables and improves intercultural communication, understanding, tolerance and open-mindedness.
In this paper, I have concluded that the film East is East is suitable for teaching ICC because the pupils get an insight into two cultures which both differ from their own cultural background. The film gives the opportunity to compare those cultures and thereby change their own perspective and attitude towards other, foreign cultures. In general, films can be used for teaching ICC without hesitation if they have a suitable content because they foster emotional reactions, personal statements and the need for discussion. Although I have argued in this paper that films do never represent reality, they can be described as an embodiment of culture which function as orientation system for intercultural learning.
In this paper I presented how a possible teaching unit on the topic Multicultural Britain could look like and outlined a possible lesson plan with regard to the film East is East. Teach-ing the topic Multicultural Britain gives the opportunity to show pupils how intercultural con-flicts may be solved and how different cultures can deal with each other respectfully. The outlined lesson plan underlined that the film East is East is suitable for teaching ICC because the pupils have the chance to learn more about other cultures and are able to identify with characters from foreign countries. The methods used during the lesson and the representation of other cultures in the movie encourage the pupils’ empathy, tolerance and respect and prob-ably even capture their attention and curiosity for different cultures and languages.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Intercultural Competence and Its Importance in School
3. East is East: A Summary of the Plot
3.1 The Suitability of the Film East is East for the Teaching ICC
4. A Possible Teaching Unit on the Topic Multicultural Britain
5. A Lesson Plan based on the Film East is East
6. Conclusion
Objectives and Topics
This paper explores the integration of film into the EFL classroom to foster intercultural competence, with a specific focus on the British comedy-drama "East is East". The primary research objective is to demonstrate how the film’s depiction of multicultural family conflicts serves as a valuable tool for teaching students about diverse cultural values and perspectives.
- The theoretical foundations of Intercultural Competence (ICC) in foreign language education.
- An analysis of the film "East is East" as an educational instrument.
- The development of a "Multicultural Britain" teaching unit for senior students.
- Practical application through a detailed lesson plan focusing on cultural clashes.
- Encouraging empathy, perspective-taking, and critical reflection on stereotypes.
Excerpt from the Book
3.1 The Suitability of the Film East is East for the Teaching ICC
There are several reasons why the film East is East is suitable for teaching ICC. Generally, films are mainly used in the EFL classroom in order to encourage intercultural communicative competences (Henseler et al. 8). Films foster emotional reactions and personal statements so that the pupils are more likely to have a need for communication afterwards (ibid. 9). Furthermore films give an insight into different countries, cultures, values and ways of thinking so that they can be described as an embodiment of culture (ibid. 10). Although films never represent reality, they have a strong interrelationship to it and therefore can be used as ‘orientation systems’ for intercultural learning (ibid. 10f.).
One of the reasons the film East is East is suitable for teaching ICC is that it depicts two different cultures with its wide spectrum of attitudes, values and behaviour. On the one side there is the traditional Islamic culture whose main representative is George Khan. And on the other side there is the British culture whose main representatives are Ella and the neighbour Mr. Moorhouse. The children of the Khans are somewhere in-between those cultures because they still try to find their own cultural identity. The pupils get an insight into both of the cultures so that they can compare and put them in relation to each other (Kestermann 27). Furthermore it offers the opportunity of understanding foreign cultures. The pupils are challenged to be more conscious about their own personal and cultural perspective and at the same time more open-minded towards different cultures (ibid.).
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: This chapter introduces the increasing importance of film in the EFL classroom and presents the film "East is East" as the central subject of the paper.
2. Intercultural Competence and Its Importance in School: This section defines ICC, explores its theoretical necessity in modern foreign language curricula, and highlights its role in fostering empathy and communication.
3. East is East: A Summary of the Plot: This chapter provides a plot synopsis of the film and establishes why the movie is pedagogically suitable for teaching intercultural topics.
3.1 The Suitability of the Film East is East for the Teaching ICC: This subsection elaborates on how the film’s depiction of clashing cultural identities serves as a practical tool for students to explore diverse values and perspectives.
4. A Possible Teaching Unit on the Topic Multicultural Britain: This chapter outlines a twelve-lesson unit plan that addresses multiculturalism through film, short stories, and historical speeches.
5. A Lesson Plan based on the Film East is East: This section presents a detailed 45-minute lesson plan based on the pre-while-post viewing approach to analyze cultural conflicts within the Khan family.
6. Conclusion: The final chapter summarizes the findings, confirming that "East is East" effectively promotes intercultural understanding and tolerance in the classroom.
Keywords
Intercultural Competence, ICC, EFL Classroom, East is East, Multicultural Britain, Film Pedagogy, Cultural Identity, Arranged Marriage, Stereotypes, Language Learning, Empathy, Tolerance, Teaching Unit, Lesson Plan, Cultural Conflict.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research paper?
The paper focuses on the pedagogical value of using the film "East is East" to teach intercultural competence (ICC) within the English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classroom.
What are the central themes discussed in the work?
The work examines multiculturalism in Britain, the collision of Islamic and Western cultural values, identity formation among youth, and the effectiveness of film as an educational medium.
What is the primary educational goal of the paper?
The aim is to demonstrate how teaching materials can help students develop intercultural competence by encouraging perspective-taking and the critical reflection of their own and foreign cultural norms.
Which scientific methodology is applied in the study?
The author combines theoretical definitions of ICC from academic literature with practical educational design, specifically using a "pre-while-post" viewing approach for lesson planning.
What does the main part of the paper cover?
The main part covers the theoretical definition of ICC, a summary and justification for using "East is East," a comprehensive unit plan on "Multicultural Britain," and a specific, step-by-step lesson plan.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
Key terms include Intercultural Competence (ICC), EFL classroom, East is East, multiculturalism, cultural identity, film pedagogy, and student empathy.
How does the film specifically address cultural conflicts?
The film highlights conflicts within the Khan family, such as arranged marriages and generational gaps, allowing students to witness the friction between traditional Pakistani values and modern British life.
Why is the "round table/round robin" method used in the lesson plan?
This cooperative learning method is used to ensure that every student actively contributes to the analysis of the film, promoting teamwork and ensuring all worksheet questions are addressed in detail.
- Quote paper
- Katharina Zeiger (Author), 2015, The Film "East is East" in the EFL Classroom. A Lesson Plan for Senior Classes, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/458188
