4.1 Introduction
4.2 Guidelines literature
4.3 Tasks for literature
4.4 Three poems
4.5 The Little Prince
4.6 Malamud's Black
4.7 Guidelines for films
4.8 Tasks for films
4.9 Guidelines songs
4.10 Stranger than you
4.11 Bibliography

4.1 Introduction

Intercultural competence through literature, films and songs

Veronika Rot Gabrovec

"You may not have lived much under the
sea /" ("I haven't," said Alice) / "and
perhaps you were never even introduced
to a lobster-" (Alice began to say "I once
tasted -" but checked herself hastily, and
said "No, never") "- so you can have no
idea what a delightful thing a
Lobster-Quadrille is!"
(Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland)

It is a truth universally acknowledged that all texts are culturally loaded, and are influenced by the social context; the same as language and nonverbal communication are charged with the social and cultural values of a society. In literature, different concepts of time and space can be shown very clearly, conversational strategies, ways of socialising and thinking are discussed and described, various social systems are presented. In short: artefacts are mentioned and described, mentifacts and sociofacts are discussed and presented "in action".

Why not then - at least occasionally / benefit from this biggest possible "bugging" system that enables one to peek into other cultures, to listen to gossip about other people, to eavesdrop on and observe other people without being accused of being a Peeping Tom / you might actually get praised for doing it as often as you can! / to enter an authentic system that allows you to travel through space and time, a system that is by its very nature intercultural, interdisciplinary, interpersonal and intrapersonal? Why not use literature / the texts that talk to and about you and me, texts that can bring plausible diversity and emotional involvement straight to your classroom?

Why not? Because, we have heard teachers say, students find literature too difficult. Their students are not interested in literature and are not proficient enough to tackle literary topics. Indeed, their linguistic skills might prevent them from understanding and enjoying literature even in their mother tongue, let alone in foreign languages. However, haven't we changed literature into an altarpiece / to be polished and cherished and kept safe somewhere above our heads? It has been long since literature and linguistics have met and joined hands, studies have already been written about cultural studies and literature / isn't it high time indeed for cultural and intercultural studies to be joined with the rest of the group, and to start to bloom quadruple blossoms? Why not bring intercultural communication into language teaching as well?

Fortunately, teachers seem to have fewer qualms when it comes to films and music, possibly because we are all aware of the need for student-centred approaches. If carefully chosen, the music will bring the dulce et utile effect into any classroom. The students will enjoy themselves (and, hopefully, the teacher too) / and they will learn a lot about other cultures at the same time.

As far as films are concerned, no explanation and justification is needed at this time of predominantly visual culture, of increasingly visual texts, of the 'visual generations' we encounter at schools and everywhere else. When using a film as teaching material, we don't just bridge the media gap that might exist between the generation of the teacher and the students, we also enable the audience to see the places they have been reading and hearing about, to decode the body language of the characters, to listen to various languages, accents, intonation patterns. The students can become omnipresent observers - in short, they can fully encounter other cultures with their customs and social practices without actually stepping out of their classroom. If we bear in mind that the impact of the reality shown in visually supported materials is as powerful as it can be, but at the same time very subjectively selective (just as any other personal report on any event), we can successfully use these materials as valuable springboards for discussions, writing activities, or role play. Indeed, they offer possibilities for a plethora of activities that enable everybody involved (teachers and students) to learn and to enjoy themselves at the same time.

The authors of these materials, all active teachers and teacher trainers themselves,  are very well aware of the fact that teachers are usually very good at collecting various materials, adapting and using them in their own classroom. Few things we find are tailor-made for our students / we usually have to add a stitch here and a stitch there to make the materials fit our needs. Therefore it has been the aim of the authors to offer the teachers (and students) such materials that are easily adaptable for their own needs. 

   On the CD-Rom you will therefore find 

• general guidelines offering some tips on how to focus on the intercultural dimension when dealing with literary texts (fiction, poetry, short stories, travel novels), 
• general guidelines offering some tips on how to focus on cultural issues when dealing with visually  supported materials (advertisements & commercials and films),
• general guidelines offering some tips on how to focus on intercultural learning when dealing with audio materials (songs)

These can be used with any text, any film, any song. Even more, you will probably discover that some of the ideas presented in the "film section" can be made use of when discussing a novel, and some of the tips on literary genres can be applied to songs and films. The guidelines are designed to be expanded, selected, or swapped.

To make the guidelines even more relevant, the authors have included some chapters where the general guidelines are applied to specific poems, stories, novels, films and songs. Among others you'll find suggestions or even lesson plans for sessions on Liz Lochhead's poetry, a short story by Bernard Malamud, Joe Jackson's and Willy Schwarz's songs, tips on how to work with the film Real Women Have Curves (Las mujeres de verdad tienen curvas) and many other materials.

The last section of this chapter (4.11) is an annotated bibliography with long lists of recommended novels and stories, films and songs in several languages that the authors of this chapter found particularly suitable for developing trainees' or students' intercultural competence. The list is of course a 'never-ending story' / printed materials, songs and films that offer refreshingly new and original insight into intercultural topics appear daily. Still, the authors hope to have designed such a bibliography that will encourage any user to start exploring the field and adding to the list their own entries.

Just a few words to conclude: if we teach language in the appropriate cultural context, then the learners are simultaneously sensitized to language (grammar, syntax, vocabulary) and to culture / Culture. Students develop the necessary communicative competence, their ability to overcome the difficulties of cultural adjustment increases, and (hopefully) there's also the resulting motivation to find out more about themselves and the construction of the Other. Our students will suddenly not only listen to and read about the quadrille, they'll also hum the music and know the figures of the dance. They might even start reading yet another book ...

next chapter: 4.2 Guidelines for using literature