Critical discourse analysis and political education in the EFL class - Einzelansicht

First meeting: 08.10.2019

Please note that if you do not come to the first meeting, you run the risk of losing your place.

This Hauptseminar responds to contemporary political debates about e.g. Brexit, Trump, Europe, migration, or climate change, by exploring the contribution the EFL class can make to political education, while, at the same time, supporting learners in developing their language competence. The analytical framework is taken from Fairclough’s discourse analysis and Richardson’s notion of critical discourse analysis, both of which provide us with a theory and a method of analysing journalistic discourse. The students in this class will analyse current newspaper articles, for instance from The Guardian Online, or The New York Times, political speeches and talks to explore the complex relationship between language and culture, and devise teaching ideas and materials appropriate for use with intermediate and advanced EFL learners.

As the dual approach to content and language integrated learning is typical of bilingual instruction, this class also caters for students of the Master of Education course Bilingualer Unterricht with a special emphasis on humanities (History, Sociology, Political Science).

Students will also be encouraged to connect theory with practice, and to design teaching ideas and materials based on political issues of their own choice. In addition, they are given the opportunity to adopt the teacher’s role and teach young adults participating in classes for international learners of English. These lessons can be a part of the project ‘PETE’ (Peer-Teaching and Peer-Coaching) that is conducted in cooperation with the Sprachlehrinstitut (SLI) and an additional tutorial. Students participating in this project are welcome to conduct their research study (Forschungsprojekt PFP, 6 LP) with me. If you would like to participate in the PETE project as Forschungsprojekt to obtain additional credit points, please contact the tutor under ppete@uni-wuppertal.de

Richardson, John E. (2007). Analysing Newspapers. An Approach from Critical Discourse Analysis. Houndmills: Palgrave.

Ministerium für Schule und Weiterbildung des Landes Nordrhein-Westfalen (ed.) (2013). Kernlehrplan für die Sekundarstufe II -Gymnasium/Gesamtschule in Nordrhein-Westfalen - Englisch. www.schulministerium.nrw.de. Heft 4704.

Council of Europe (2001). Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, teaching, assessment. Cambridge: CUP. Chapters One (The CEF in its political and educational context) and Five (The user/learner’s competence).

Council of Europe (2018). Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, teaching, assessment. Companion Volume with New Descriptors

Both available from https://www.coe.int/en/web/common-european-framework-reference-languages

Please register via WUSEL between 19.08.2019 to 01.09.2019.

Registrations before or after this time will not be considered.

BA degree and successful completion of the D module as part of your BA.

2 LP: presentation (pair or group work; incl. a handout)

3 LP: presentation (pair or group work; incl. a handout) plus a written summary critique

6 LP (bilingual): presentation (pair or group work; incl. a handout) plus a written summary critique plus a written assignment (10 pages)

6 LP: tutorial in the PETE programme, lesson in the PETE programme, presentation (incl. a handout) plus written exam based on a text of your own choice and teaching experience

Kombi-BA 2015: ANG-H-D (Komponente c)

Kombi-BA: D, DI

MEd 13 (Bilingualer Unterricht): ENG-D1

MEd 14 Lehramt Gym/Ge, BK: M-ENG 9 b

MEd 14 Lehramt Gym/Ge, BK: M-ENG 9 b und PFP (PETE ‘Forschungsprojekt’ in combination with the tutorial)

MEd 14 Lehramt H, R, Ge: M-ENG 6 b

MEd 14 Lehramt Grundschule: M-ENG 3 b

MEd 14 Lehramt Grundschule: M-ENG 3 b und M-ENG4 (plus optional: PETE ‘Forschungsprojekt’ in combination with the tutorial)

MEd 17 Sonderpädagogik: SP-ANG-DID b