The seminar provides an overview of postcolonial storytelling and the concept of multiculturalism followed by an analysis of a variety of literary products ranging from the early 90s to the present. Questions of national identity will be covered as well as cultural, political and religious issues. Excerpts from novels but also chapters from textbooks, e.g. Year 7 will be analysed.
London as a hub of the British multicultural experience will be explored in greater detail. Excerpts from selected texts comprise works.
Each text will be analysed and assessed with regard to its suitability for classroom use. Excerpts from textbook units along with the accompanying tasks and media will be critically examined. Additional material from a variety of sources will be collected, presented and prepared for classroom use. Task design will be practiced by providing motivating challenges for young adult readers and learners of English. London as a topic for younger learners exploring the postcolonial heritage will also be examined using current textbook chapters and abridged literary texts.
Recent discussions on Britains colonial past and the "black-lives-matter" discussion will also be taken into account. Relevant reading in this field comprises e.g.
-Akala, Natives. Race & Class in the Ruins of the Empire (2018)
-Eddo-Lodge, R. Why I`m No Longer Talking to White People About Race (2018)
-Hirsch, A., British. On Race, Identity and Belonging (2018)
-Shukla, N. (Ed.) The Good Immigrant (2016)
A special focus will be put on the experience of displacement and seeking refuge from the perspective of children (picture book “My Name is not Refugee”) respectively teenagers (“Refugee Boy”).
Please note that details on the structure and focus of each class can be found at files.
-On successful completion of this module, students should
be familiar with the British Empire and the literature emerging from the post-colonial experience
-know about London`s significance for contemporary multicultural life-be able to explain the role of English in post-colonial storytelling
-be able to analyse narrative texts reflecting the multicultural experience
-be familiar with the content and interpretation of the texts dealt with in class
-be able to assess the viability of select texts for classroom use
-be aware of the rules and regulations the Core Curriculum in Lower Saxony stipulates for the topic
-be able to critically assess literary products for teaching purposes and, if necessary, modify and edit them
- provide tasks accompanying literary texts reflecting the multicultural experience
Participants are expected to:
provide commentaries on topics discussed in class (“Aktive Teilnahme”)
-submit samples of work (“Aktive Teilnahme”)-pass a test at the end of term.
