Using literature to foster the intercultural dimension and vernacular English in the classroom
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Date
2021
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Abstract
Teaching a language is also teaching culture. This aspect can be often overlooked or simplified to the point where stereotypes are reproduced or the nuance and diversity is lost. This applied linguistics study employed the literary text Betel Nut is Bad Magic for Airplanes (1972) by John Kasaipwalova and the essay African American Writers and the English Language (1962) by Chinua Achebe to explore and foster the intercultural citizenship aspect of English language learning and the standard and non-standard varieties of the language in order to provide an opportunity to interact with other cultures and simultaneously develop skills to approach the differences among these cultures.
This is an action research study based on Mcniff & Whitehead’s (1988) generative transformational evolutionary process model. After the initial observation, an intervention was designed and conducted in two cycles within the context of a one-on-one class. There was an exploratory interview and subsequent conversations about the texts. This uncovered and addressed ideas surrounding the native speaker as an ideal as well as the power relationships established by standard and non-standard usages of the English language.
The study concluded that intercultural communication and striving to provide students with different English varieties is important not only for the understanding of the language but vital in an evermore connected world in which international English is more common than ever. Additionally, the study found that it is necessary to include other varieties and texts that provide a wider view towards culture and power relationships in general. In this context, establishing the classroom as a safe space to have these conversations is of vital importance.
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Tesis (Magíster en Lingüística Aplicada al Inglés como Lengua Extranjera)--Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, 2021