(LA203ENG-1 1)
Cultural Competence 2 focuses on making the student able to see the value of literature and on preparing the student for using her/his knowledge of literature and civilization in the English classroom. This unit is built on Cultural Competence 1 and the literature and civilization components of the unit are closely integrated in order to have the mutual benefit of the two aspects. Together with Didactic Competence 2 and Language Competence 2 this unit is designed to develop the student's holistic approach to teaching English as a foreign language and to becoming a good tutor for her/his future pupils in their language development process. In all these three units much emphasis is given to developing the student's oral and written proficiency so that s/he can become a confident language user and thus be a good model in the English classroom.
The unit comprises the following main components:
- Literary analysis
- The history of American literature with a focus on the 19th and 20th centuries
- American literature, including children's literature
- American history and geography
Cultural Competence 2 is offered in the spring term (January-June) and can be taken separately or together with Didactic Competence 2 and/or Language Competence 2. It is organized partly as lectures, partly as seminars. A set of tasks is compulsory, e.g. producing texts in different genres for a portfolio. An e-education platform is used and active participation in the virtual classroom is required. The compulsory tasks must be acknowledged before the student can sit for the exam. The exam is an oral exam organised in groups covering both American literature and civilization.
Reading list:
D. Mauk & J. Oakland, American Civilization, Third Edition (Routledge 2002)
B. O'Callaghan, An Illustrated History of the USA (Longman 1996)
The Norton Anthology of American Literature Shorter Fifth Ed. (New York: Norton, 1999)
S. Ro, Literary America: An Introduction to the Literature of the United States (Oslo: 1997)
J. Hawthorn, Studying the Novel
K. Griffith, Jr., Writing Essays about Literature: A Guide and Style Sheet, 2nd. Ed.
Plays and novels:
M. Twain, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
F.S. Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby
A. Walker, The Color Purple
A. Miller, Death of a Salesman
Prose and short stories:
N. Hawthorne, 'Young Goodman Brown'
C.P. Gilman, 'The Yellow Wallpaper'
L. Silko, 'The Man to Send Rainclouds'
+ a selection of poems
+ 2 children's books