SFEG511110 English: Culture Studies spring semester (5-10) (Spring 2011)

The course is connected to the following study programs

Compulsory for students enrolled on the study programme English 1 for grades 5-10.

Lecture Semester

Spring

The student's learning outcomes after completing the course

KNOWLEDGE:
After completing the course module the students are to:

- have gained knowledge about the society, history and cultural expressions of an English-speaking country

- have gained knowledge about English literature, with an emphasis on literature for children and young adults

- have gained knowledge about English as a global language and the development  of English as a lingua-franca for people from different countries and cultures and about the importance of English with regard to internationalization, education and work life

- have gained knowledge about different genres and their conventions, as well as about the conventions of academic writing, responsible use of sources and laws pertaining to copyright/the right to privacy

SKILLS:
After completing the course module the students are to:

- be able to use the target language confidently and appropriately both orally and in writing in different situations and genres with precision, fluency and coherence  and be able to function as good language models for their pupils

- be able to use their knowledge of the subject didactically and reflectively in connection with the current National curriculum for primary and secondary education and be able to critically evaluate their own teaching

- be able to facilitate the pupils' learning and research on society, history and cultural expressions in an English-speaking country

- be able to analyze, select and adapt work with English texts for children and young adults, and be able to use  precise, suitable  terminology in work with these texts

GENERAL COMPETENCE:
After completing the course module the students are to:

- be able to teach relevant subject matter and communicate in English in a manner that is suited to the target group

- be able to reflect on their own learning and practice in relation to ethical values and the responsibility of the school for children and young people's personal growth in a historical perspective

- be able to work independently and with others in order to solve identified problems connected to the pupils' learning and development within the subject of English

- be able to function as active contributors in a disciplinary community and be prepared to use new knowledge and research within the field of English

Content

The following themes will be covered:

- The main subject areas of The Knowledge Promotion: culture, society and literature  in English for middle school and lower-secondary pupils

- American history, society and politics from the 1600s up to today, with an emphasis on the twentieth century

- American literature: a selection of novels, short stories, plays and poetry, with an emphasis on texts for children and young adults

-  Literature and culture teaching methodology and theory from the point of departure of the competence areas culture, society and literature in English for middle school and lower-secondary pupils

Forms of teaching and learning

Instruction will be given in lectures, seminars and groups. An Internet-based learning platform will be used to exchange information, hand in assignments and give feedback.

Practical training/internship

Work placement is an integrated part of the course and is carried out in close cooperation with the student, the teaching mentor and the course teachers. The students are to have a 10-15 day placement in school (depending on how much practice they have had / will be having during the course of their study program).

Coursework requirements - conditions for taking the exam

- An essay (minimum five standard pages, 11.500 signs) is to be handed in before an agreed deadline

- A reflective assignment covering aspects of the work placement (or an alternative assignment for those who are not placed) is to be handed in before an agreed deadline

- Obligatory attendance in all didactics classes (minimum 80% attendance). Students who are unable to fulfill this requirement must apply for an exemption and document due cause.

Examination

Students are examined individually. The examination consists of two components: a term paper (counts 50%) and a written examination (counts 50%).

1. Term paper: a paper on a theme from culture studies (minimum 5 standard pages, 11.000 signs) is to be handed in before an agreed deadline. Students must use secondary sources in their paper and document these sources in a bibliography and in footnotes. 
2. A three hour written examination in literature. Students are allowed to use an approved English-English dictionary (must be handed in for approval before the examination). Both the content and the language of the examination paper count.

The student must pass both the term paper and the written examination in order to pass the course module. Grades are given on a scale from A-F where A is the best grade, E is the lowest passing grade and F is a failing grade.

Literature

The Norton Anthology of American Literature Shorter Seventh Ed. (New York: Norton, 2007). Literature marked with a star (*) is in the anthology.

S. Ro, Literary America: An Introduction to the Literature of the United States (Oslo: 1997)

R. Mikkelsen, Kompendium: Culture Studies 2 (Available in the college bookshop)

Literature for children and young adults:

(Students choose a selection of children's rhymes, poetry and picture books and in addition read one classic and one modern book from the following list or choose other books in cooperation with their teacher)

Classic

Alcott, L.M. Little Women

Baum, L.F. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

Burnett, F.H. The Secret Garden

Estes, E. The Hundred Dresses

Forbes, E. Johnny Tremaine

Harris, J.C. The Complete Tales of Uncle Remus

Montgomery, L.M. Anne of Green Gables

Rawls, W. Where the Red Fern Grows

White, E.B. Charlotte's Web or Stuart Little

Zindel, Paul The Pigman

 

Modern

Almond, D. The Fire-eaters /The Savage / Skellig

Balliett, B. Chasing Vermeer

Card, O. Ender's Game

Crew, L. Children of the River

Doctorow, C. Little Brother

Erdrich, L. The Birchbark House

Hinton, S. The Outsiders

Keene, C. Password to Larkspur Lane (or another Nancy Drew book)

Lowry, L. The Giver

Sendak, M. Where the Wild Things Are

Strickland, B. The Whistle, the Grave and the Ghost

Suess, Dr. The Cat in the Hat  (or another Suess title)

Meyer, S. Twilight

In addition, students read a selection of the following fictional texts (an updated literature list will be published at the beginning of each semester): 

Novels: 

Twain, M. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

Fitzgerald, F.S. The Great Gatsby

Walker, A. The Color Purple

Foer, J.S. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

Plays:

O'Neill, The Hairy Ape

Miller, A. The Crucible

- A selection of poetry and short stories (see The Norton Anthology of American Literature)

   
CULTURAL STUDIES

• D. Mauk & J. Oakland, American Civilization,  Fourth Edition (Routledge 2002)
• B. Oœallaghan, An Illustrated History of the USA (Longman 1996)
• Fra Norton: Introduksjons- og oversiktsavsnittene

In addition students are expected to read a number of English newspapers and magazines regularly.  

DIDACTICS 

• Bøhn, H. m.fl. (2010). Kompendium: Fagdidaktikk. (Available in the college bookshop) 
• Drew, I. & Sørheim, B. (2009). English Teaching Strategies: Methods for English Teachers of 10 to 16-year-olds.
• Kunnskapsløftet (2006): Læreplaner for gjennomgående fag i grunnskolen og videregående opplæring, Utdannings- og forskningsdepartementet. 

All materials handed out in connection with classes and/or published on the Internet learning platform Fronter are considered to be part of the syllabus. All students must in addition have access to an English-English dictionary, for example Collins Cobuild Dictionary, Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary or another dictionary aimed at users who are not native speakers of English (Learner's dictionaries).  


For reference and supplementary reading:

• Fremmedspråksenteret (2008). IKT i språk %3 en veiledning for lærere.   http://www.fremmedspraksenteret.no/ikt-veiledning
• Harmer, J. (2007). How to Teach English. Pearson English Language Teaching
• Harmer, J. (2007). The Practice of English Language Learning. Pearson English Language Teaching.
• Jones, D. (2006). English Pronouncing Dictionary. (16^th ed.). Cambridge UP
• Pinter, A. (2006): Teaching Young Language Learners. Oxford UP.