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This presentation will bring together,
rather eclectically, theoretical components that lend themselves to
a conception of transcultural learning approach in the English language
classroom, and suggest principles and activities to put such an approach
into practice.The theoretical component of my abstract title, "doing
identity", has been coined in the context of transdifference studies,
and fits in well with notions of culture in the classroom as advanced
by Claire Kramsch, the phenomenon of transculturality as suggested by
Wolfgang Welsch, and several brands of intercultural learning as developed
by the Gießen-group or by Michael Byram). I will also bring principles
of reading to the discussion, such as pattern recognition and the construction
of meaning, in order to show how culture and identity can be constructed,
can be understood, in reading.
"Doing identity" is such a useful concept because it makes identity, which replaces the rather hazy notion of "culture" in this suggestion, understandable as something changing, instable, and always in flux. Because it is based on a constructivist notion of identity, it fits in well with cognitive views of reading, both challenging monolithic and essentialist notions of meaning, identity, and culture. This gives students more agency to engage actively in exploring issues of identity, and provides plenty of opportunities for the action- and production-oriented language learning activities that are so much in demand now. In my examples, I will mainly be referring to literature for young readers that focusses on issues of ethnic or cultural identity, and demonstrate how, by constructing meanings from literature, students can "do identity" in the language classroom, while at the same time "doing language". Examples will be taken from the work of Malorie Blackman, Benjamin Zephaniah, Beverley Naidoo, Sherman Alexie, and others. |
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PD Dr Susanne Reichl teaches and researches
literature, cultural studies, and teaching methodology at the University
of Vienna. Her research areas are children's and young adult literature,
postcolonial studies, the teaching of reading strategies, tales of time
travel, British cultural studies, and contemporary fiction in English.
Cognitive principles, critical practice: Reading literature at university
is just about to be published with Vienna University Press (September
2009). |