Teaching Contemporary American Literature and Culture

Teaching Contemporary American Literature and Culture

SPRING 2017

Course Description:

This seminar is designed to provide students with an up-to-date view on American culture, society, myths and values as they are reflected (and sometimes challenged) in literature and everyday life. The course is divided into two sections, one focusing on American literature, the other on American civilization. Both parts examine the roots of contemporary American culture and the different responses to the changing cultural, political and social landscape. Another goal of the course is to offer various methods, practical advice and materials for students (high school teachers) for the teaching of American culture and literature in Hungarian high schools.

The final grade for the course will be a cumulative one comprising the results of the civilization and literature sections.

American Literature

The literary content of this multigenre course is designed to study how the American national identity is constructed and (re)conceptualizedas treated in representative works selected from post-World War II American literature extending to the first decade of the 21st century. The course will seek to address factors—both ideological and socio-political such as American myths, immigration, multiculturalism, and transnationalism—that affect, shape, and challenge the ever-changing concept of “Americanness. Accordingly, authors selected for the course include African American, Asian American, Mexican American, and Native American voices.

As regards the methodological content of the course, it will provide theoretical background and practical considerations for the integration of literary works into language teaching. Much emphasis will be placed on developing an awareness of the linguistic and stylistic features of the literary texts in order to encourage students’ individual interpretation through a process of exploration of meaning.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS and EVALUATION CRITERIA

Attendance and active participation in class discussions. 20%

Occasional quizzes: they test your familiarity with the assigned literary works. 10 %

Project work: in teams of 3-4 you are required to present theoretical and/or practical issues pertaining to the integration of literature in language teaching. Details of the project will be discussed during orientation. 30%

In-class endterm paper: it will assess your familiarity with the material—both theoretical and practical—covered during the semester. 40%

American Civilization

In this section of the course, we will discuss various aspects of American life, providing an opportunity for the analysis of American politics, society, ethnicity, regional and national identity and other topical issues (to prepare students for their final exam (szakmai zárószigorlat)). In order to meet the methodological goals of the course, resources and tools for the teaching of American civilization (textbooks, smartboard, movies, internet resources, realia, etc.) will be presented and discussed, alongside possible activities aimed at teaching culture and developing different skills as well (how to set up a debate, presentations, extra-curricular activities, etc.). Each class will be divided into two parts, one devoted to the discussion of teaching methods, resources, and practical issues, while the other will involve the study of various topics in the field of American civilization.

Evaluation: Class participation 30%; Project work 30 %; End-term: 40%;

The details of the assignments will be discussed during orientation.

Schedule of classes and topics

Week 1 (February 24) – Orientation

Week 2 (March3) – AFRICAN AMERICAN IDENTITY

Alice Walker, “Everyday Use” (E) (1973),

Gwendolyn Brooks (1917-2000), “We Real Cool”

Week 3 (March 10) –CHICANO/A IDENTITY

Sandra Cisneros (1954-), The House on Mango Street (1983)

Gary Soto (1952-), “Mexicans Begin Jogging”

Week 4 (March 17) – ASIAN-AMERICAN IDENTITY

Bharati Mukharjee, “A Wife’s Story” (1988)

Cathy Song (1955-), “Picture Bride”

Week 5 (March 24) – NATIVE AMERICAN IDENTITY

Sherman Alexie, “Every Little Hurricane” (E) (1993)

"This Is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona" (1993) (E)

Excerpts from the movie Smoke Signals, dir. Chis Eyre, 1998

Week 6 (March 31) –The American System of Government (Constitution, Political Parties, Elections)

Discussion Point: Print and Online Resources for Teaching American Culture

Week 7 (Apr 7) –– The ethnic composition of the American population

Discussion Point: Extra-Curricular Activities

Week 8 (Apr 10-14) CONSULTATION WEEK – No class

Week 9 (April 21) – Factors contributing to cultural stability (Belief Systems, Myth Structures, Ideologies)

Discussion Point: Media, Sports and Teaching American Culture

Week 10 (April 28) – Hungarian-American Links and Contacts

Discussion Point: Presentations in the Classroom (ppt tips, interactive white board)

Week 11 (May 5) – Project Presentations

Week 12 (May 12) – End-term

Readings

American Civilization:

- Handouts and some of the readings will be provided by the teacher, or will be available online.

Texts to be consulted (all available in the Institute library):

AN352 Course Packet: American Culture and Institutions

Advanced American Civilization Course Reader

Bigsby, Christopher, ed. The Cambridge Companion to Modern American Culture. Cambridge: CUP, 2006.

Fiedler, Eckhard, et al. America in Close-Up. Harlow: Longman, 2001.

Joyce, Davis D. and Tibor Glant. United States History: A Brief History for Hungarian Students. 7th rev. ed. (Debrecen: Debrecen University Press, 2010).

Kearny, E. et al. The American Way. An Introduction to American Culture. London: Prentice-Hall, 1984.

Luedtke, Luther S., ed. Making America: The Society and Culture of the United States. Washington, D.C.: USIA, 1995.

Mauk, David and John Oakland. American Civilization: An Introduction. 5th ed. New York: Routledge, 2009.

American Literature

Required Texts

1. AN 306 Course Packet: American Literature After World War Two and AN 35104 Course Packet: American Poetry from 1945 to the Present ; the poems are also availabe online.
2. Fiction and short fiction are available in the Institute library either in book format or electronically (texts marked with E in the syllabus).
3. Texts for project work are available electronically in the Institute library.

Texts for Project work:

Brumfit, Christopher, “English Literature and English Language.” Brumfit and Carter 3-14.

Brumfit, Christopher. “English Literature and English Language.” Brumfit and Carter 14-21.

Maley, Alan. “That’s For your Poetry Book!” Carter and McRae, 101-114.

McRae, John. “Representational Language Learning:From Language Awareness to Text Awareness.” Carter and McRae, 16-40.

Kramsch, Claire. “Teaching Poetry.” 156-76.

Long, Michael N., “A Feeling for Language: The Multiple Values of Teaching Literature.” Brumfit and Carter, 42-58.

A Selection of Readings on Integrating Literature into the Language Classroom

Brumfit, C.J. and Ronald Carter, eds. Literature and Language Teaching. Oxford: Oxford UP, 1986.

Carter, Ronald adn John McRae, eds. Language, Literature& the Learner: Creative Classroom Practice. London: Longman, 1996.

Collie, Joanne and Stephen Slater. Literature in the Language Classroom. Cambridge: CUP, 1987.

Kramsch, Claire. Context and Culture in Language Teaching. Oxford: OUP, 1993.

Lazar, Gillian. Literature and Language Teaching: A Guide for Teachers and Trainers. Cambridge: CUP, 1993.

Maley, Alan and Alan Duff. Drama Techniques: A Resource Book of Communication Activities for Language Teachers. Cambridge: CUP, 2005.

Widdowson, H. G. Practical Stylistics. Oxford: OUP, 1992.

Books Recommended

Abádi-Nagy Zoltán. Válság és komikum: A hatvanas évek amerikai regénye. Budapest:

Magvető, 1982.

---. Mai amerikai regénykalauz, 1970-1990. Budapest: Intera, 1995.

Anzaldúa, Gloria. La Frontera/Borderlands: The New Mestiza. San Francisco: Aunt Lute P, 1987.

Bercovitch, Sacvan, ed. The Cambridge History of American Literature. Vol. 7: Prose

Writing, 1940-1990 and vol. 8. Poetry and Criticism, 1940-1995. Ed. Cyrus R. K.

Patell. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1996.

Bloom, Harold, ed. Contemporary Poets. New York: Chelsea House, 1986.

Bollobás, Enikő. Az amerikai irodalom története. Budapest: Osiris, 2005.

Brumfit, C.J. and Ronald Carter, eds. Literature and Language Teaching. Oxford: Oxford UP, 1986.

Bradbury, Malcolm, and Richard Ruland. From Puritanism to Postmodernism: A History

of American Literature. New York: Penguin, 1991.

Carter, Ronald and John McRae, eds. Language, Literature & the Learner: Creative Classroom Practice. London: Longman, 1996.

Elliott, Emory, gen. ed. Columbia Literary History of the United States. New York:

Columbia UP, 1988.

---. Columbia History of the American Novel. New York: Columbia UP, 1991.

Huerta, Jorge. Chicano Drama: Performance, Society and Myth. Cambridge Studies

in American Theatre and Drama 12. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 2000.

Fisher, Dexter, ed. The Third Woman: Minority Women Writers of the United States. Boston: Houghton, 1980.

Kramsch, Claire. Context and Culture in Language Teaching. Oxford: OUP, 1993.

López-Lozano, Miguel. Utopian Dreams, Apocalyptic Nightmares: Globalization in Recent Mexican and Chicano Narrative. West Lafayette, IN: Purdue UP, 2008.

Manzanas, Ana Maria, ed. Border Transits: Literature and Culture Across the Line. CriticalApproaches to Ethnic American Literature,. Amsterdam, Rodopi, 2007.

Országh, László és Virágos Zsolt. Az amerikai irodalom története. Budapest, Eötvös József, 1997.

Virágos, Zsolt. A négerség és az amerikai irodalom. Budapest: Akadémiai, 1975.

Weaver, Gordon, ed. The American Short Story, 1945-1980: A Critical History. Hall:

Twayne, 1983.

A Selection of Scholarly Studies Recommended for Consultation

Carbonell, Ana María. “From Llorona to Gritona: Coatlicue in Feminist Tales by Viramontes and Cisneros.” MELUS 24.2.(1999):19-29.

Davies, G. Roco. “Have Come. Are Here: Reading Filipino/a American Literature.” MELUS 29.1 (2004): 5-18.

Doyle, Jacquelyn. “More Room of her Own: Sandra Cisneros’s The House on Mango Street.” MELUS 19.4 (1994): 5-35.

Ellis, Trey. “The New Black Aesthetic.” Callalo 38 (1989): 233-43.

Ganz, Robin. “Sandra Cisneros: Border Crossings and Beyond.” MELUS 19.1 (1994):19-29.

Nubla, Gladys. “Filipino American Literature.” MELUS 29.1 (2004):199-218.

WEBSITES

Lim, Shirley, “Asian American Literature: Leaving the Mosaic.” Electric Journal of the Department of State, 5.1. 2000.

Lowe, John, “Multicultural Literature in the United States: Advent and Process.” Electric Journal of the Department of State, 5.1, 2000.

Vertovec, Steve, “Conceiving and Researching Transnationalism.” Ethnic and Racial Studies, 22.2, 1999.

transcomm.ox.ac.uk/working%20papers/conceiving.PDF

Modern American Poetry

Borderlands e-journal