EN-135 1 Engelsk litteratur, kulturkunnskap og didaktikk 1 ( 1.-7. trinn )
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EN-135 1 Engelsk litteratur, kulturkunnskap og didaktikk 1 ( 1.-7. trinn )
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EN-135
EN-135
25.11.2015 09:00
25.11.2015 13:00
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Kandidat-ID: 2015
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1 OPPGAVE
EN-135 25/11-2015
FACULTY OF HUMANITIES AND EDUCATION
E XAM
Course code: EN-135
Course name: Litteratur, kulturkunnskap og didaktikk/Literature, Culture and Didactics
Date: 25.11.15
Duration: 0900-1300
Resources allowed:
Engelsk-engelsk ordbok
Fagplan for engelsk i LK06
English-English Dictionary
English Subject Curriculum LK2006
Notes:
Kandidaten skal besvare 1 av oppgavene. /
The candidate must answer 1 of the questions.
----------------------------Sometimes professors ask for exam answers that can be used for teaching purposes, but in order
for this to take place, the university needs your consent.
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EN-135 1 Engelsk litteratur, kulturkunnskap og didaktikk 1 ( 1.-7. trinn )
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2 OPPGAVE
EN-135 25/11-2015 exam questions
Answer ONE of the following questions.
1.
Both Skellig and Bridge to Terabithia are coming of age novels. Compare and contrast the way
Michael and Jesse develop and grow in these two novels. Then discuss how you would use Skellig
in primary school. Finally suggest teaching approaches to the intertextual references in the book.
2.
Christopher Milne, the author’s son, once said: “My father’s most deeply felt emotion was nostalgia
for his own happy childhood.” Discuss to what extent you find a happy childhood reflected in
Winnie-The-Pooh. Then account for the popularity of the book by referring to what kind of
audience or address A. A. Milne seems to imply in Winnie-The-Pooh? Finally explain how you
would use Winnie-The-Pooh in the classroom.
3.
Discuss the concept of equality and opportunity within British and/or American society
today. Focus on one or more of the following aspects of society: class, race/ethnicity,
religion, gender. In the process, you should put your focus areas into a historical context and base
your arguments on factual knowledge and specific examples.
Write your answer here
BESVARELSE
Using "coming of age" novels in the classroom:
Skellig and The Bridge to Terabithia
Jessica Margaret Waller.
Coming of age stories are perhaps one of the most relatable types of novels availible to young readers.
The often deal with complex issues that young readers may or have already encountered in their lives and as
such offer a sense of comfort to some. Skellig and The Bridge to Terabithia are two such novels which
explore gender role issues, peer pressure, conformability to social norms and the challenges which result as
such, among others. I will discuss the similarities and differences in these two books, propose how i would
use Skellig in a primary school classroom and finally some approaches to the intertextual references in the
book.
Gender roles are a huge aspect of both Skellig and The Bridge to Terbithia (TBT) , especially since both
the protagonists are male. It is common in most modern societies for males to be expected to conform to
masculine roles, leaving emotional expression and understanding at a severe lack. Both Michael and Jesse,
from Skellig and TBT respectively, are naturally artistically gifted, however, they both feel the pressure from
their peers to conform to the norm of society at the time. TBT is set in the late seventies in rural Virginia, at
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which time it was still important for men to be the so-called breadwinners of the family. It is apparent that the
environment that Jesse grew up in follows this norm as his father is the one who works, while his mother
stays at home as a housewife. As such, Jesse is subject to this pressure to a higher degree than Michael as
it not only comes from his peers, but from his family as well. He is expected to perform numerous chores
while it appears that his sisters get away with doing next to nothing. The extent of this pressure is clear when
we are introduced to Jesse in the beginning of TBT where he wakes up in the early hours of the morning and
immediately puts himself through a rigorous workout in order to become better at running, and more
specifically, to be manly and to be the best.
Michael is exposed to the same pressure, though to a slightly different extent. At the beginning of the
story, Michael is preoocupied with football, being the best and scoring the most goals, much like Jesse is with
his running. Due to the circumstances of the family when we first encounter them, namely Michaels sister
being ill and presumably financial issues forcing the family to move to a run down house, we see that the
father is either unemployed, or choosing not to work in order to make the new house more family friendly. It is
evident that Michael feels the pressure his father feels to some extent when he begins to stay home to help
his father rather than go to school.
Throughout both novels, the protagonists find reprieve in female friends, who not only challenge them to
relinquish themselves to their creative tendancies and challenge the roles which have been pushed upon
them, but fully encourage them to do so. Where Michael is concerned, Mira challenges Michael's view on
school, as she is homeschooled herself and considered a bit strange by most, as well as this, she opens his
eyes to nature and ideas which may be considered way beyond his maturity level. This works to get Michael
to be more accepting of people with differing opinions and less accepting of teasing.
Similarly, Jesse's views are challenged in the form of gender roles, when Leslie beats him at running. He
is shown that one doesn't necessarily have to conform to societal norms in order to be happy, depsite what
popular opinion might dictate. As such, he allows himself to be lead by Leslie into exploring the kind of
person he wants to be. When Leslie dies, he is set back, beleiving that he one again must conform to society
without her at his side. This launches him into a depression but luckily he realises that in order to keep his
friend's memory alive, he has to embrace everything she taught him. It is at this point where Jesse truely
accepts who he is.
Another theme which both novels share in common is the protagonist's relationship with their sisters,
though the relationships themselves are slightly different. Michael (Skellig) is constantly faced with the
possibility of his sister dying of an unexplained affliction throughout the entire novel, as a result he feels a
very close bond with her to the extent where he believes he feels her heart beat next to his own. In
contrast, Jesse, who's sister is perfectly healthy, is reluctant to accept what would eventually become a close
relationship with her and only does so when his best friend, Leslie, dies. For Jesse, this may tie in with the
previously discussed theme of gender roles, and his reluctance to be perceived as weak or unmasculine.
Finally, both protagonists have a natural sense of curiosity and adventure. In Michael's case, his curiosity
is first peaked when he discovers Skellig in the run-down garage in his back garden, he develops a strange
relationship with this creature and is determined to help nurse him back to health. This new obsession brings
late nights, and explorations in abandonned buildings. all of which encouraged by Mira. This curiosity and
adventure is perhaps a way to fill the void that is left by feeling helpless when it comes to being unable to
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help his baby sister. This determination is also evident through how much work Michael puts in to help get the
house ready for the baby to return home.
Jesse in constrast, uses his sense of adventure to create a world for himself in which he can be more free
and to allow himself to be the person he wants to be with Leslie as his companion and the instigator of
Jesse's change. As well as this, Jesse uses the land of Terabithia as an escape from bullying, school and
everyday family life.
When approaching an authentic novel in the classroom, especially one as complex as Skellig, with it's
myriad of themes and dynamic relationships, it can be difficult to find a way to integrate it into a foreign
language classroom, especially one in primary school due to the fact that the maturity of the students at this
age can vary to a huge extent, and as such finding an approch to a complex novel which suits all the
students is a daunting task. However, as the novel explores a variety of issues, such as gender roles and
peer pressure but through such a young protagonist, the students may find this far more relatable and
therefore easier to understand. According to the Englsh Subject Curriculum for Norway, students are
expected to: "Express own thoughts and opinions in the encounter with English-language literature and child
culture" and "create own texts inspired by English-language literature and child culture" by the end of year
four. In order to accomplish this, Skellig would provide an excellent opportunity to practice these aims through
discussion, activity and creative writing. So as to not intimidate the students, they would not be expected to
read the entire novel, but rather one or two selected excerpts which highlight the main themes of the story,
while also giving ample information for the students to base their opinions on. An example of which is when
Michael meets Skellig for the first time. After having read the excerpt, a discussion would be opened where
the students would be able to voice their opinions of the characters explored and the themes encountered.
Following this, it is often effective to do an activity based on the discussion mentioned above, as the students
now have previous knowledge to base their work on. Activities such as, but not limited to, pendulum writing,
drawing the characters based on their descriptions in the novel and dramatisation of the excerpts are all
useful in order to ensure understanding of the text and to encourage the students to be more creative in the
lesson.
As it is important for the students to have something to show for their work in classes, the last activity
would be the students re-writing and re-imagining the excerpt they had been given. This may be as simple as
changing the genders of the characters and their perspectives as such, or as complex as completely reimagining how the story would end had an integral event not happened. These finished texts may then be
displayed on the wall or in a portfolio.
In Skellig, we see Michael's friend, Mira, quoting the poet William Blake on numerous occasions, at
essential parts of the plot and as such we find that the poems usually highlight as specific aspect of what
has happened. This could pose as a challenge for foreign-language learners as poems are usually filled with
metaphors, symbols and imagery which as the primary school age may be previously unexplored. This new
territory, however daunting, is an excellent opportunity for a new learning experience. In order for the
students to understand the poems, it is essential for the teacher to go through the new vocabulary and
phrases which appear, as well as finding the equivalent of those phrases in the student's mother-tongue. A
discussion may then be opened for the students to explore what these phrases mean and more importantly,
what their relevance to the book is and why the author may have chosen this particular poem. One could also
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explore how else it could be phrased. Additionally, in complience with the competence aims, the students
might even explore if the poems are relevant to any of their own experiences and opinions.
In conclusion, there are many similarities between the books Skellig and TBT, but just as many
contrasts, but the importance of the issues explored in both are equal. In addition to this, there are numerous
ways to approach such books in the classroom, but it is always best to access the students and chose the
route which is best suited.
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