El desarrollo de las competencias multiculturales mediante el uso de la literatura en el aula EFL

Resumen

1. introducción o motivación de la tesis Social and cultural complex phenomena have caused, in the last decades, radical changes to European society and modified people’s relationships and their individual ways of living. These changes are due to globalization, internationalization in cultural scientific, financial and economic field, immigration diffusion of mass media and new technologies which allow the knowledge and interaction among different cultures. As for the educational level, there is the need not only to know more than a foreign language but also to understand and grasp diversity and different communicative and cultural situations. Students are exposed to different backgrounds and ways of life different from their own. In the face of these needs, the concept of multicultural competency has grown in importance. Since 1949 the Council of Europe has promoted the Intercultural Dialogue among citizens of the member states. The European Framework, the reference document for those who learn and teach languages, considers Interculture as a fundamental competence that the members of a multicultural society should acquire (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages [CEFR], 2002). And “the Council of Europe’s Authobiography of Intercultural Encounter (AIE) is a tool to develop intercultural competence (IC) in education by encouraging users to reflect upon and learn from momentous intercultural encounters they have experienced face to face” (Méndez, 2016, p. 1). Schools face the presence of foreign students and the multicultural transformation of school community. Today schools are microcosm of global society and what best represents the intercultural element is the teaching of a foreign language. ELT is a highly cultural activity because language is not only an instrument for language improvement but also expression, fulfillment and symbol of a culture (Kramsch, 1998, p. 3). That’s why multicultural education and promoting multicultural competencies is so important. As Bieger says (quoting Rudman, 1984), “Multicultural education is a process-a philosophy- a concept. It is a way of thinking… multicultural education should not focus on one culture to the exclusion of others. Students who are taught to appreciate and understand their own heritage learn to understand the heritage of others in the process” (Bieger, 1995, p. 308). This leads to the acceptance and respect regardless of age, race, gender, economic class, and religion of all people. In my opinion, teaching literature, especially multicultural literature helps students widen their vocabulary and identify with their own culture, exposes them to other cultures and opens the dialogue to diversity within and outside the classroom. Literature a major career of content is a powerful medium for understanding the world. Young children find it easier to assimilate new information when this information is presented within the structure of the story (Wells, 1986). In this regard too, sensitive, appealing and non-biased content showing a variety of cultures should be used to illustrate key concept and principles, to promote integrativeness and multicultural education. Through sharing carefully selected literature, students can learn to understand and to appreciate a literary heritage that comes from many diverse backgrounds (Norton, 1990). The aim of this research is to analyse how, in a didactic context literature and multicultural competencies are closely connected, literature provides new perspectives regarding others, the global society and ourselves we share. I think it is a tool that educators should embrace to allow their students the opportunity to enrich their knowledge, tolerance and understanding of others cultures and differences. 2.contenido de la investigación The objective of this research is to let students understand the importance of literature investigating the benefits of using literature as a way to promote multicultural competencies. I also want to analyse the consequences of using literature to develop communicative competence and a sense of self-worth, to increase their chance to have a successful future and to think from a multicultural perspective. I will focus on how multicultural literature creates a sense of empowerment and helps to become independent learners. Empowerment also helps students take an active role in improving the lives of others (Ford, Harris and Howard, 1999). Besides, I am interested in the change to more participative lessons which should not only include teacher- student interaction, but should also foment student-student interaction through cooperative and collaborative work (Pavόn and Elison, 2013). I want to stress the role of teachers or of “capable peers” who enable students to move from their current level of development to a desired or potential level (Marsh, Pavόn and Frigols-Martin, 2015), and finally in the selection of attractive literary texts which arise curiosity and motivation. In fact, as Katan says “ without interest there can be no motivation, and hence no appreciation of literature” (Katan, 2009, p.80). More specifically, my research will deal with the following research questions: • Can the use of literature help students achieve multicultural competencies? • What strategies techniques and activities are exploited for the promotion of multicultural competencies? • Does the use of literature enhance the students’ linguistic proficiency? In what areas? • Are students significantly motivated with the use of literature? 3.conclusión In order to carry out this research, I propose a qualitative and quantitative approach to my data collection instrument. Subjective data gathered from qualitative research helps to explain and describe elements from reality that are difficult to quantify (Ramos and Pavόn, 2015). The primary data collection instrument I am going to use will be made up of two batteries of questionnaires proposed at the beginning of the research and at the end of the data collection period. Two different groups of students, the experimental group and the control group, will be given the questionnaire. The objectives of this first activity are to check students’ motivation and to test linguistic and multicultural competence. In addition to the survey as a primary data collection source, I also suggest a data collection survey which may include informal observations, discussions, interviews, oral and written reporting, yes/no and multiple choice questions, open questions, oral and written production. 4. bibliografía Barrett, M. 2008. Intercultural competences: Some reflections based on the autobiography of intercultural encounters. Paper presented at the Council of Europe Seminar, Images of the “Other” in History Teaching: The role of History Teaching Institution in the North and Global South,25-26 September 2008, Lisbon, Portugal. Bieger, E. M. 1995/1996. “Promoting multicultural education through a literature-based approach”. The Reading Teacher 49 (4), 308-312. Colby, S., Lyon, A. F. 2004.“Heightening Awareness about the Importance of Using Multicultural Literature”. Multicultural Education, 24-28. Dietrich, D.&Ralph, K. S. 1995. “Crossing borders: Multicultural literature in the classroom. The Journal of Educational Issues of Language Minority Students,15, Winter. Retrieved from http://www.ncela.gwu.edu/miscpubs/jeilms/vol 15 / crossing.htm Gardner, R. C. 2007. “Motivation and Second language Acquisition”. Porta Linguarum, 8: 9-20. Katan, D. 2009. “Translation as Intercultural Communication”. In Munday, J. The Routledge Companion to Translation Studies. 74-92, Oxford: Routledge. Mendéz Garcia, M. C. 2016. “Intercultural reflection through the Autobiography of Intercultural Encounters: students’ accounts of their images of alterity”. Language and Intercultural Communication. Routledge. Méndez, M.C., Pavón, V. 2012. “Investigating the coexistence of the mother tongue and the foreign language through teacher collaboration in CLIL contexts: perceptions and practice of the teachers involved in the plurilingual programme in Andalusia”. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 15 (5): 573-592. Norton, D. E. 1990. “Teaching Multicultural Literature in Reading Curriculum”. The Reading Teacher 44, no. 1. 28-40. Pavlenko, A. 2007. “Autobiographic narratives as data in applied linguistics”. Applied linguistics,28 (2), 163-188. Pavón, V., Ávila, J., Gallego, A., Espejo, R. 2014. “Strategic and organisational considerations in planning CLIL: a study on the coordination between content and language teachers”. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 18(4): 409-425. DOI: 10.1080/13670050.2014.909774. Pérez, A., Lorenzo, F., Pavón, V. 2015. “European bilingual models beyond lingua franca. Key findings from CLIL French programs”. Language Policy (advance access), 1-20. DOI: 10.1007/s10993-015-9386-7. Thurlow, C. 2004. “Reading to our work, accounting for ourselves: The autobiographical imperative in teaching about difference”. Language and Intercultural Communication,4 (4), 209-228.