1 CULTURE-LANGUAGES-MEDIA
Independent Project with Specialization in English
Studies and Education
15 Credits, First Cycle
The benefits of using world literature for
globalizing English in the ESL
classroom
Fördelarna med att använda världslitteratur för att globalisera engelska i
andraspråksundervisning
Arwa Zeino
Aiat Tabiei
Master of Arts in Upper Secondary Education, 300 credits or in Secondary Education, 270 credits English Studies and Education
2020-10-21
Examiner: Chrysogonus Siddha Malilang
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Table of content
1. Introduction... 4
1.1 Theoretical Framework ... 7
2. Aim and research ... 9
3. Method ... 10 3.1 Inclusion Criteria ... 10 3.2 Exclusion Criteria ... 11 4. Results ... 12 5. Discussion ... 19 6. Conclusion ... 22 References ... 24
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Abstract
Although the focus on English as a global language is apparent in the Swedish curriculum today, many educators do not take advantage of world literature and non-native English authors in their ESL classrooms. With the help of empirical research, we investigate the benefits of using such literature for gaining global awareness.
Furthermore, we analyze the activities and teaching approaches used in the empirical studies. Through this essay, we summarize the empirical research used for this essay and synthesize the results to find out what implications were found. It shows that using non-native fiction helps students to learn and explore different cultures, which also expands their global view. Apart from this, teaching methods such as discussions, literature circles, presentations, blogging and collaborative learning deepened students' global view and cultural awareness. The teaching methods that were used while working with world literature showed that students were conscious of their own learning and developed this ability by working in a social environment. This paper concludes with describing the limitations of writing the study, and presents a future research project that involves the field of world literature.
Keywords: fiction, literature, world literature, global English, ESL, expanding circle, culture,
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1. Introduction
Throughout the course of our education in Sweden, we have greatly dealt with many different kinds of English literature. We used textbooks with accompanying exercise books that focused on native English countries, particularly Britain or the United States. We read both classical and modern novels with the same origins. We learned about these cultures and were taught to see their language as the goal or aim for learning English. Even during literature courses in university, we worked mainly with native English writers like Arthur Conan Doyle and J.K. Rowling. What we have not encountered during our education was texts that can be defined as world literature. Today, the aim of English is not only about language development, but about increasing students’ opportunities to be a part of different social and cultural contexts (Skolverket, 2011).
During our VFU-periods, we witnessed that the lessons of English today still have this common theme of using native English literature and cultures. While the students were doing national tests, we got to sit in on their listening comprehension tests. The entire audio tape consisted of native speakers and provided no variety in accents or dialects, which is not representative of the reality of the type of English the students will come in contact with, especially considering non-native speakers of English far outnumber native speakers in the world today. Tajeddin and Pakzadian (2020) maintain that if the main focus of teaching ESL is for successful global communication, the literature used should include world cultures. Choi (2015) asserts that the idealization of native English is unrealistic, and limits bilingual students, making it difficult for them to prove their authentic language competence. In today’s globalized society, it is important to allow students to organically familiarize with and share different cultural expressions. Using world literature helps students to explore national, ethnic, linguistic, social and political topics and feel connected to the rest of the world.
Tajeddin and Pakzadian (2020) proclaim that material for learning English from the inner circle focuses on native varieties of Englishes, where cultures from the expanding circle are not represented. They argue that L2 learners should also be provided literature that represents cultures from Kachru’s expanding circle for an improved global view of English. World literature is, according to Uysal (2016), a crucial tool for global studies
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because they include themes that are important for an improved understanding of globalization. The author asserts that reading world literature gives the reader a view of how cultural habits have been altered when they have crossed through time and space. Bernstein (2013) argues that the use of world literature moves beyond the framework of literature bound to one nation. It prompts students to contextualize the texts into their everyday life and put themselves in relation to authors and books from other parts of the world including different cultures.
Even though education officials seem to support teaching English as an international language, many teachers are stuck in their old ways of using native-English literature and countries as a target culture. Meanwhile, the Swedish curriculum for English does not aim to produce native-like English, but a global language (Skolverket, 2011). Instead, it focuses on communication, clarity and correctness, adapting the language to different situations and purposes and functional approaches. Rather than mentioning any countries as target language, focuses on regions and contexts where English is used.
The syllabus for English (2011) explains the subject as a way for participating in a variety of social and cultural contexts, and in global studies. Skolverket (2011)
emphasizes that having knowledge of several languages can provide new perspectives on the outside world, increase one's opportunities for international contacts and a greater understanding of different ways of living. The curriculum highlights four different abilities:
● to express oneself and communicate in English in speech and writing. ● to use different language strategies in different contexts.
● to adapt language to different purposes, recipients and situations.
● to discuss and reflect on living conditions, social issues and cultural features in different contexts and parts of the world where English is used (2011, p. 12) The syllabus states that teaching should encourage students' curiosity in language and culture, and give them the opportunity to develop plurilingualism where skills in different languages interact and support each other, and highlights English as a global language. What Skolverket does not put emphasis on is the use of non-native literature, leading educators to draw the conclusion that “living conditions, social issues and
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cultural features in different parts where English is used” (p. 12) only include the inner
circle or outer circle countries.
Seargeant (2012) asserts that English is used as an international language for many occasions and its primary function is communication. EIL is used globally for
international communication, and locally within multilingual societies like India. Due to its wide international use, Seargeant emphasizes that English is no longer primarily linked to cultures of inner circle countries, and instead English becomes embedded in the culture of the country using it.
Global literature, or world literature, is explained by Hadaway (2010) as a
comprehensive term that includes diversity and literature worldwide highlighting various cultures, races, ethnicities, languages, religions, sexual orientations, social and economic statuses. The author (2010) argues that through world literature there is a possibility for students to broaden their perspectives and learn about social, political, and moral conditions in different cultures.
As our study aims to focus on world literature and culture, we will unpack the definitions of some of the terms used. Kachru (1992) identifies three circles of
Englishes in different cultural contexts. The Inner Circle represents the countries where English is the native language (ENL), and the general language for all domains of the society. These countries are considered “norm-providing”. The Outer Circle illustrates the countries where English is a result of colonization where the language did not replace the indigenous languages, and functions as a second language (ESL). ESL indicates the use of the language has some sort of legal or official status (Seargeant, 2012). Seargeant (2012) describes the Expanding Circle as the countries where English is viewed and taught as a foreign language, which will be emphasized in this essay. This circle model advocates the need to recognize the existence of several Englishes and not view English as a single entity. Kachru emphasizes that we should recognize the different linguistic, cultural, and pragmatic implications of global English because of its fundamental parts and the non-native literature.
Banks (1974) highlights the importance of defining culture because it is the root of multiculturalism. He argues that a multicultural education has helped educators to deal with militant demands, harsh realities and scarce resources. Banks defines multicultural
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education as, “... a type of education which is, in some form or fashion, concerned with all cultural groups within a society” (p. 5).
In a study about culture, Kroeber and Kluckhohn define the term:
Culture consists of patterns, explicit and implicit, of and for behavior acquired and transmitted by symbols, constituting the distinctive achievement of human groups, including their embodiments in artifacts; the essential core of culture consists of traditional ideas and especially their attached values. (1952, p. 357)
1.1 Theoretical Framework
Vygotsky's (1978) sociocultural theory views learning as a social process, where individual progress is deeply rooted in society and culture. Another aspect of the sociocultural theory is The Zone of Proximal Development. This explains when a student is cognitively developed within a certain subject, but is required help and social interaction to progress (Marginson & Dang, 2016). We believe that the use of World Literature creates opportunities for activities where an exchange of students’
perspectives and stories promotes a global view of English. Literature circles is an example of an activity that encourages social interaction. Dietrich and Ralph (1995) explain that literature circles create discussions, demonstrate the significance of reading and prepare students for multicultural contexts through fiction. Klassen (1993) further argues that literature circles ensure participation for group discussions, raises meaningful discussions and helps students to discuss topics including multicultural issues.
The concept of metacognition is explained by Flavell (1979) as cognitive monitoring, which refers to one’s knowledge about one’s thinking process. Metacognition entails the need for critical awareness of one’s thinking and learning, and also of oneself as a thinker and learner. Being aware of metacognition is described by Flavell as a key to successful learning. It is therefore important for teachers to be aware of both their own, and their students’ metacognition. For example, teachers need to be aware of their process in selecting world literature. When choosing world literature, some of the things that should be considered by the teacher are texts with a non-Western setting and texts written by non-Western writers. They should also include texts that present students with a new perspective. Metacognition should also be considered when planning student activities surrounding the literature, for example by giving students the chance to
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critically reflect on their learning experience and progress. An example of an activity is for students to keep journals while reading, so they can go back and reflect over their learning and reading process.
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2. Aim and research questions
We want to find out to what extent using world literature can promote a more global view of English in EFL classrooms. Through empirical research, we will discover how encouraging students to read world literature will help them to discover, understand, and connect with different cultures, that is, cultures within the outer and expanding circle. The aim is to find out how world literature can be used. We will therefore explore the different approaches and methods relevant to teaching world literature, including different classroom activities.
Our specific research questions are the following:
● How can world literature promote global awareness in EFL classrooms? ● What teaching approaches are useful for achieving global awareness?
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3. Method
When conducting this research essay, we used different databases from the Malmö University library to collect research that supports our research questions. We mainly used ERIC by EBSCO where we found many articles and research papers. Initially, when reading the articles, we used the key terms provided by the authors to have a better overview of what we need to read and search for. This helped get us familiarized with using the databases and conducting research. Our main problem with finding primary sources has been that many of the articles linked had faulty links or demanded payment. Eventually, we still managed to collect a stack of research to go through. The other database we used frequently was Google Scholar where one finds both original work and can search for places it has been cited in to get another interpretation of the source. We also went through old lectures and previous course literature to help form our ideas and find out what exactly to search for.
When we started exploring the articles available in the databases, we mainly looked for peer-reviewed articles including search words that are most relevant to our research question, such as “World Literature”, “fiction” and “global English” or “international English” with the goal of unpackaging and defining these words. We then went on to find further research by expanding our search using terms like “globalization”,
“multiculturalism”, “culture” and “ESL/EFL classrooms”. We were also familiar with some names we knew had worked with our specific subject, such as “Banks” and “Kachru”, and used those as search terms.
3.1 Inclusion Criteria
For this essay we included peer reviewed research that investigated the effects of using world literature with the aim of spreading awareness of different cultures and promoting a globalized view. Although the main focus of our essay is to investigate the
implications of globalization in EFL classrooms, we decided to include two studies where the participants included native English speakers because the results of global awareness were achieved through world literature. We decided to not limit the inclusion based on age group.
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When searching for peer reviewed research, we did not want to limit ourselves to modern or new articles, since world literature has been a subject discussed since before Goethe came up with the term in the 1800s. We also were familiar with some of the previously mentioned names and knew they had conducted their research many years ago.
3.2 Exclusion Criteria
We chose to exclude many studies we found that either used non-fiction world literature or other media, such as movies or songs. We also excluded studies that only had one or two participants and lacked interaction with the literature beyond the reading of it. Finally, we excluded primary sources that studied the curriculum itself rather than investigating the teaching approaches that can be used in a classroom.
Area of Interest Total number of references Number of references used
Globalization 13 3
World literature 9 4
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4.
Results
In this section we will present our findings regarding our two research questions. The results section starts off with seven research summaries that are then synthesized according to each research question. Firstly, about using world literature for global awareness in L2 teaching. Secondly, about the teaching strategies for promoting global English.
Pitts (2017) explored the different pedagogical approaches to globalizing English through using world literature and fiction written by non-western authors. The aim of the study was to find out how world literature affects cultural learning when students were exposed to a world which they are unfamiliar with. The study included 18 students from Pitts’ two university courses: World Literature I and English Composition 102. In an attempt to step away from the Eurocentric approach to understanding World
Literature, the author began the course with three Afrocentric fictional texts, in addition to poems and other multimedia for his students to read, watch, research and discuss. The students also had to formulate a series of in-class presentations, two short essays, and a final paper. For each of these assignments, the students had to take the historical, social, and cultural context into consideration when analyzing any given text. Pitts found that the students became more aware of the different expectations of gender and
leadership in other countries. Moreover, the students learned how places like Hawaii and Antigua faced many postcolonial, sociocultural, and political issues. Pitts found that her students became agents in their own learning and became more insightful about their own cultures through the use of world literature. The study allowed the author to reflect on the development of her own pedagogical approaches.
Through his case study, Wang (2020) investigated how English learners learned language and culture through world literature, and cultural interactions about that literature. The author used the definition of world literature as books set in a global context beyond the reader’s own culture or location. Even though Wangs definition of world literature in this case entails inner circle countries, the students’ hightened global awareness and critical thinking in this study prove the point.
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Wang argued that reading world literature helps students’ intercultural understanding and prepares them to become global citizens. The research site for this study was a Chinese university with 35 students on a mandatory intensive reading course. The students had a reading list of 15 articles and picture books with variating genres written by international authors. Wang observed that through reading world literature, the Chinese students developed their critical thinking and reflected on their own and other cultures. They were made more aware about stereotypes that other people had about China and realized they might have misconceptions about other cultures. As the students developed a more global view of the world, they wanted to become more involved in it through volunteering, donating money and fighting for equal rights. With the students’ developed interest came language learning and acquisition through
interactions with world literature. The results showed that Chinese students learned about different cultures, developed global awareness, and showed more respect and empathy for cultural differences by reading and exploring world literature. Wang
encourages teachers of all grades to base language learning in a sociocultural context and to help students to understand that reading in another language creates meaning. The author suggests that students should interact with peers from different cultures by having virtual reading workshops, global book clubs, and authentic literacy interactions.
Yoon and Yol (2019) argued that inserting critical global practices would broaden English language learners’ (ELL) multicultural and global perspectives. The authors highlighted how to introduce world literacies in English and how English language learners responded to critical global practices in pull-out settings during four lessons. The study was based at a middle school in upstate New York, where three sixth grade students participated. The participants engaged in reading non-native English fiction and discussion activities to enrich their global and multicultural awareness. The four lessons provided several activities that required the students to read, speak, listen and write were planned and adjusted according to the ESL curriculum for language learners. For instance, in their last lesson the students were taught how to write a petition letter to the principal. In the first lesson, the students were pre-taught vocabulary that was relevant to the topic, and promoted the use of vocabulary and keywords in the discussion of water access. Yoon and Yol found that the students were engaged
participants, developed socially and politically as global citizens while responding to the practices of critical world literacies through their identities. This study also revealed that
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the students were responsive to the global and local issues that they came across, and discussed solutions they can practice in their lives without the explicit help from the teacher.
Chappel (2018) investigated how four teachers (Deedee, Tom, Ka’imi, Peter) actualized globalization, and focused on cosmopolitanism, an ancient theory about the ability to appreciate cultures and nations different from our own, in their World Literature classes by connecting fictional literature and activities to students' experiences through a local and culturally relevant curriculum. Deedee’s students worked as volunteers, which initiated a discussion of cultural relativism. The volunteering would inspire the students to describe a character of one of the people they met, and present the organization's purpose, impact, and audience. The activity gained the students’ awareness of their own place and purpose. Tom’s class read Bhagavad Gita, a historical Hindu text. This resulted in the students taking a critical stance of the text, while preserving “loyalty to the known” (p. 813), which contributed a globalized feature while holding on to their local values. Tom unintentionally exposed students to a sociocultural context, and engaged in a culturally relevant reading by letting the participants reflect on various worldviews, which allowed the students to formulate their opinions of the characters. Ka’imi introduced native Hawaiian texts to her Hawaiian students which resulted in her students leveraging local understandings by including her students’ religious, ethnic and regional identities. Ka’imi’s found that utilizing her students’ ethnicity provoked a globalized view of the world. According to her curriculum, the students were asked to consider texts that included relationships to their country, genealogy, spirituality, omens, morality, and following one’s instinct. Peter’s students read Epic of Gilgamesh, an ancient poem from Babylon. The ancient text helped students engage in discussions of cultural and historical contexts in which they related to, and is a form of globalization where students identify aspects of a culture as if it was their own. To conclude, Chappel found that the teachers successfully implemented a cosmopolitan approach to the reading and activities through a local, and culturally relevant curriculum.
Bae (2012) explored second language learner’s intercultural sensitivity of late elementary and middle school students in Korea. The author further explored the significant effect of world literature on students’ intercultural sensitivity. A total of 262 year 5-8 grade English learners participated in the study. Participants in the treatment group read and studied 15 picture books with short stories in English about several cultures. They read
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one fiction book for each week and had 39 sessions over 15 weeks. The author used questionnaires to explore the participants' attitudes and intercultural sensitivity regarding interactions with people from different cultures. The researcher used the questionnaire twice in a pre and post-test to explore students’ intercultural sensitivity before and after reading world literature. The results of the post-test revealed that the participants became more interculturally sensitive after reading world literature. The results provided support for reading world literature as a useful and powerful tool to improve English language learner’s intercultural sensitivity. The study suggests teachers in an EFL context to choose a proper selection of world literature to fit the curriculum standards and learner’s competence levels. To conclude, Bae suggests that intercultural
terminology can be used as a tool for allowing teachers to understand the importance of intercultural sensitivity and apply it to their teaching.
Choo (2015) conducted a cross-comparative study of six World Literature high school teachers in three cities - New York, Perth, and Singapore. This study sought to
distinguish cosmopolitan practices in curriculums that contributed to the growth of imagination in the world literature classroom. The author interviewed each teacher four times, observed lessons and collected their curriculum and assessment documents for seeking global values in their teaching. The participating teachers used a number of activities. Teacher 1 taught literature to grade 11 students and interrupted his teaching of Shakespeare’s play Taming of the Shrew with World literature to hybridize his teaching. To promote intertextuality, he incorporated Shakespeare’s play by including world literary texts written by Chinese, Jamaican, and Japanese authors. The aim of implementing an intertextual approach developed the students’ critical and creative thinking in different contexts, and their ability to think outside the box. Teacher 2 used literature classes in the humanity program to engage students with morals in a global sense. She described her curriculum as a research of world literature because her students’ read Asian American and Singapore literature. Furthermore, her curriculum included extraterritorial involvements that propose a global sense with disciplines of philosophy and religion. The teachers all used a global approach in their teaching to different extents, and what they all had in common was they all gave their students the opportunity to create dialogic spaces in the classroom and to expand their perspectives through different classroom activities like Socratic questioning, role-playing, and real-world problem solving. Choo concludes by stating that in order to be successful in
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globalizing any curriculum, we need to work on tolerance and adopt a hospitable imagination, a hospitable way of imagining the other people and cultures.
In her study, Seloni (2012) emphasized the importance of using multiethnic literature (i.e. world literature) in building the identity of non-native English speaking teachers. Through this case Seloni integrated world literature into an American college classroom with the goal of establishing students’ cultural links and making the unfamiliar familiar when reading non-western fictional texts written by multilingual authors. It also aims to expand students’ understanding of world literature, specifically literature of the Middle East and South Asia, and to help them develop positive attitudes toward non-Western communities. The participants of the study were 45 university students from different programs and included several international students. The students were given various texts written by multilingual authors that focused on non-Anglo contexts and reflected social and political complexities from other countries and cultures. To analyze students’ engagement, Seloni focused on data collected from five representative students. Over the course of a semester, data was collected from a wide range of sources, including examples of students’ blog responses to class readings, their multigenre projects, and the researcher’s own pedagogical reflections. The study showcased the students’ lacking knowledge and familiarity with non-native or multilingual authors. When analyzing students’ newfound engagement with world literature, Seloni found that they had made ties between events from their own reality and political surroundings to make the unfamiliar text familiar. The author also observed that by the end of this case study, students had become more creative in their writing and more often engaged in political discussions and raised social issues that they perceived in the texts. The research suggests three pedagogical implications for this study. Firstly, students were able to enter a global community with actual political and cultural complexities rather than keeping the dialogic space revolving around the western world. Secondly, instead of seeing the limitations of non-native English speaking teachers, one can view them as multicultural educators. Lastly, world literature can be used to promote creative learning and develop students’ worldviews.
Despite the vast difference in participants’ demographics, most of the researchers agree that using world literature and exploring different cultures through non-native fiction raises students’ awareness, and helps them in becoming global citizens. Some of the studies included native-English speaking students, but the results demonstrated were
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relevant to our standpoint of globalizing students through world literature and fiction written by non-native English speakers.
Pitts (2017) emphasized how the different approaches used in her study enabled students to examine the sociocultural and historical contexts for understanding gender in other parts of the world. Through the use of world literature, her students had meaningful and informative discussion about the various cultures and countries they encountered. Pitts observed that her students also developed a deeper understanding of their own cultures and how it was viewed by the world. Likewise, Wang (2020)
witnessed similar results, claiming the participants in his study showed intercultural understanding, and developed new attitudes and awareness. While using the global picture books, Wang took notice of how his students developed an ability to think critically about themselves and others. They became more aware of the stereotypes that some people may have about China, for example that girls are not allowed to go to school, and discussed those intensely. Wang observed how those discussions led the students to realize that they might hold some unrealistic stereotypes about other cultures. Similar results were demonstrated in Chappel’s (2018) study that included students from a diversity of school settings including: a Christian parochial school, a Buddhist/international school, a private school for Hawaiians and a charter school. Despite the differences in school types, similar implications were observed in all participants. The teachers participating in Chappel’s study worked to highlight cultural similarities by finding connections between the students and the cultures they were reading about. Chappel claims that by reading world literature and using it in activities, students engaged in self-reflection, intercultural dialogues, and shifts and exchanges of perspectives. Seloni’s (2012) use of fiction literature written by non-western authors for globalizing her curriculum proved successful by her students’ response to engaging with world literature. They gained intertextual links between historical events they read about and events from their own countries. Seloni managed to create a dialogue between her students about multiethnic texts and provided them with a multicultural experience by getting them involved in a global community with cultural complexities.
These researchers all agree that using world literature and fiction written by non-native or non-western authors raises students' global and cultural awareness, makes them
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critical and analytical of their own cultures, and opens up for political and cultural discussions, in the effort of making them global citizens.
Although different activities were used in the several studies presented, the results show that teaching approaches including reading, discussions, writing, and collaborative learning based on world literature amplified students’ global awareness. Chappel (2018) described how teaching approaches such as discussions and readings created an
opportunity for the students to engage in a global dialogue and develop their self-reflexivity. For instance, in one Hawaiian teachers’ class where discussions of Bhagavad
Vita broadened the students’ worldview and offered an opportunity to discuss ethical
dilemmas, or in another classroom where the students engaged in a discussion of culture and historical sense that contributed a transaction of different views and perspectives where students identified and discussed the aspect of a culture as if it was their own. Pitts’ (2017) study also showed similar results, where the students were handed
questions for a better understanding. Resulting in students thinking critically and finding out how a literary text emphasized dominant traditions, perspectives of globalization and cross-cultural perspectives. The activities used in Pitts' study included: several in-class presentations where students chose a text and introduced the in-class to the people, culture, society, and history from which the text emerged with the help of visual aids. Two essays which Pitts deemed as a good exercise of critical thinking and cultural competencies. And a final paper which provided a historical, social and cultural context for the literature intended to be analyzed. Similarly, Wang’s (2019) study included activities such as free writing and discussions in small and large groups. The students engaged in activities which required the students to create different media such as power points, videoclips, and e-books. The teachers that were involved in this study chose picture books representing global cultures, and the genres in the picture books were short stories, fairy tales, essays, or letters about humanity. Using a different approach, Seloni (2012) gave her students a questionnaire to gain a deeper understanding of the students’ previous awareness of non-western literature. The results of this questionnaire showed that her students had little experience of reading literature written by non-native speaking English authors. Seloni had to expand the students’ interest by telling her own story of immigration because of the students limited exposure to world literature. The course requirements included blog presentations of sections from readings, and a multigenre project as a response to their readings. In this study, there were other course activities involved such quizzes, research about the authors, and in-class presentations.
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The students summarized the plot, understood unfamiliar events, read in between the lines to find new information, and presented relevant questions for a discussion.
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5. Discussion
As teachers, we have the opportunity to make our students critical thinkers that are aware of the world they live in and produce global citizens. In doing so, we need to carefully choose literature that promotes a global view and offers a new perspective. Metacognition is an important component when teachers are choosing literature and what teaching approaches and activities to use for working with the literature. When teachers are aware of the strengths and weaknesses of their class, they are able to choose a learning strategy that suits the task. Through trial, teachers can learn what kind of world literature students respond well to and what practices provoke the most discussions.
Many of the activities used in the studies presented used metacognition and made students more aware of their own thinking process. Some of the researchers, such as Bae (2012) and Seloni (2012), used questionnaires in the beginning of their studies to identify the level of familiarity their participants already possessed before being introduced to world literature. Those served to showcase, both to the researchers and the students themselves, the process of learning about new cultures and becoming critical thinkers. Pitts (2017) used a different approach to make her students aware of this process while writing their two-page paper with an extended definition of terrorism. They began by objectively defining the term and were then given questions to help organize and present their ideas clearly, then developed their paper to support their claims with evidence. Some of the questions given to the students were: “What major points should the definition include? Are there different categories of terrorism? What are some examples?” (Pitts, 2017, p. 129). Pitts witnessed that by using world literature as the grounds for activities such as this, her students became more engaged in
discussion of culture and politics internationally and more aware of how limited their knowledge previously was. Although she used discussions rather than essays, Wang (2020) observed similar results in his study of Chinese students. By the end of his study, after discussing and comparing different cultures and stereotypes, Wang emphasized that the students' reflective skills and critical thinking was approved when they realized how their perspectives had shifted. Seloni’s (2012) modern approach of using blog pages as journals is another way to make students aware of their metacognition. The students were guided by questions about a particular aspect of the novels and created a
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blog post per chapter they read. The goal with these posts was to provide some specific discussion points that not only called for summaries of the chapters, but also required the students to draw intertextual links between the text and their own cultural and generational context. Seloni observed that the blog discussions engaged the students actively to construct their own views by comparing unfamiliar events to familiar ones. Yool and Yon’s (2019) study used a different approach, but gained similar results of metacognition. During the first lesson, the students brainstormed a list of global issues, watched videos relevant to the topic, and discussed them together. During the second lesson the teacher brought chocolate for the students to analyze the ingredients and answer questions, they watched a documentary that led to a steered discussion of critical questions. For the third lesson, the teacher read My Name is Yoon and asked questions that created an opportunity for the students to share their feelings. The students also analyzed the viewpoints of the text, which resulted in the students viewing the issue through a global and cross-cultural perspective. The last lesson involved the students to collaboratively write a petition letter among the 11 global issues they brainstormed in the first lesson, and send it to the principal. This helped the students reflect on their own views and think critically about global issues, showcasing the metacognition involved in the learning process.
The studies presented in this paper have included several teaching methods that encourage social interaction, which can be related to Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory. Teaching methods such as discussions, in-class presentations, or collaborative writing contributed to social interaction, and revealed that the participants developed and enhanced their global awareness. Pitts (2017) highlighted that her students’ oral
presentations of a chosen text allowed them to introduce the class to a culture, society, and history the text emerged from. The presentations helped the students to learn from each other's readings, which was rooted in both societal and cultural settings. Pitts provided discussions that resulted in her students’ understanding of several backgrounds, their different world views, and the participants' benefactions to humanity. In the same way Pitts experienced her students’ development of a global understanding through activities that originated from Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory, Chappel (2018) admits that the teachers involved in her study engaged the students through a culturally relevant curriculum including activities such as discussions and literature circles. Chappel witnessed that the discussions of literary texts assimilated the students global view, and gained a deeper understanding of globalization. All of the
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studies that included discussions were steered by teachers, which can be associated with Vygotsky's Zone of Proximal Development. The teachers based a topic or several questions that allowed the students to express themselves, so the students could develop an independence of their learning. This can also be seen in Yoon and Yol’s (2019) and Wang’s (2020) research. Although the studies used different teaching materials, the results show that activities originated from a social environment, where discussions and collaborative writing developed the students’ global awareness. Yoon and Yol (2019) pointed out that the dialogues between the students for writing the petition letter revealed that the students showed awareness about their surroundings. Similar to Yoon and Yol’s results, Wang (2020) witnessed that the discussions
encouraged students to obtain a responsibility as readers, and promoted a considerate thinking for living in a global community.
The Swedish curriculum (2011) for teaching English encourages teachers to provoke their students’ curiosity in learning languages and familiarizing with different cultures, something that is commonly witnessed in the empirical studies used for this essay. Wang (2020) claimed that many of the Chinese students participating in his study became more interested in global issues and wanted to start volunteering and doing something more significant, both for their local community and for the world. The four abilities, that we previously mentioned in the introduction, highlighted by Skolverket (2011) were all accounted for in the teaching approaches used for the studies. All the researchers made sure to give the students an opportunity to express themselves and communicate in English in speech and writing, and prompted the students to use different language strategies in different contexts. Participants of these studies were prompted to adapt their language use to different purposes, recipients and situations with the help of various activities such as presentations, essays and letters to students or discussions with foreigners. The main point of the syllabus that we chose to focus on was adequately met since all the research presented in this study revolved around world literature and fiction written by non-native English authors, prompting students to discuss and reflect on living conditions, social issues and cultural features in different contexts and parts of the world where English is used.
Bernstein (2013) describes a few challenges in using world literature. Firstly, it can be hard to identify what should be used when speaking of world literature. The author raises questions about which regions, countries or people to include when selecting
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literature. Secondly, the author describes a problem in the unequal distribution of translated literary works and explains how more than half of all books translated in the world are originally written in English, while only 6% of foreign language books are translated into English. Thirdly, Bernstein discusses the limited historical and cross-cultural knowledge and exposure that lies with students, meaning that this makes it hard for them as readers to understand texts from other parts of the world. The author acknowledges the difficulty in locating and evaluating world literatures and points out that teachers should not be afraid to look outside the idea of literature as printed books. Instead, Bernstein encourages teachers to consider online and independent publications and literary magazines among other media.
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6. Conclusion
Through this essay we have concluded that the use of world literature and fiction written by non-native or non-western authors lead to students becoming more familiar with different cultures from other parts of the world. The sociocultural teaching approaches analyzed in this essay resulted in students’ heightened global awareness and ability to critically discuss social and global issues such as terrorism, work conditions and stereotypes. Furthermore, we have presented several strategies and activities that can be used by educators when working with world literature. In this essay, we have also concluded that students gained a reflective ability and became more aware of their metacognition, resulting in them becoming advocates for their own learning and prompting them to become critical thinkers. While engaging in reading fiction in their second language, students built on their existing knowledge and experience, which caused them to draw intertextual links between the text and their own cultural and geographical context.
The general limitation of using empirical research and field studies as the bases for this essay is that the results of them could vary, and cannot be generalized since participation is limited. The use of world literature for achieving global awareness is also limited by educators and what methods and texts they choose to use in their ESL classrooms. It is also important to remember that students do not only learn in school, but gain some of their views and perspectives from family and social contacts. Another limitation is that world literature could contain values and norms that are unlike the local understandings, which could restrict the students in the discussions of world literature.
Malmö university prides itself in working with global issues such as the idea of identity, yet we have not had enough education in global literature, nor used it in the classroom as assignments. We think that the university should work towards achieving that, especially since they teach us to teach English as a global language.
The next logical step for developing this degree project on global awareness would be to perform a field study of our own, to investigate what the results would be in a local context. For example, by carrying out a study in a secondary school in Malmö to find out what implications can be gained by Swedish ESL students when using world
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literature. We would then be able to find out how and if doing so facilitates global awareness.
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