This term paper provides the concept of a teaching unit concerning the short story Everyday Use by Alice Walker. Apart from the different analyses there should also be given an overview of recommendations and possibilities that could be used for creating a teaching unit.
Everyday Use was published in 1973 and is basically about a black mother and her two daughters. Whereas one daughter, Dee, had the possibility to go to school and visit college, Maggie, the younger daughter, still lives with her mother and did not enjoy higher education. One day, Dee, who is accompanied by her boyfriend, visits her mother and her sister at her old home. As the story continues it becomes clear that obvious differences have developed between the opinions of Dee and her mother alternatively her sister.
Table of Contents
Introduction
1. Summarisation of the content
2. Technical analysis/literary analysis
3. Didactical analysis
4. Methodical analysis
4.1 Pre-reading phase
4.2 While-reading phase
4.3 Post-reading phase
5. Conclusion
Research Objectives and Themes
This academic paper explores the development of a teaching unit based on Alice Walker's short story "Everyday Use" for the EFL (English as a Foreign Language) classroom, specifically tailored for students in the 11th and 12th grades.
- Literary analysis of the central conflicts and characters in "Everyday Use".
- Exploration of African-American cultural heritage and identity within the story.
- Integration of intercultural learning goals and didactic principles into the curriculum.
- Application of a three-phase methodological approach: pre-reading, while-reading, and post-reading.
- The role of technology and media in enhancing literary and intercultural understanding.
Excerpt from the Book
2. Technical analysis / literary analysis
Superficially “Everyday Use” is only about a mother and a conflict between her two daughters who argue about the future disposition of some furniture. Having a closer look on the text and also on the social and time context it becomes obvious that Alice Walker deals in her short story actually with the cultural heritage of Afro-Americans. As already mentioned, Everyday Use was published in 1973 and this is also the time when the story is supposed to take place. Due to the success of the civil rights movement and leaders like Martin Luther King or Malcolm X the Afro-Americans “were struggling to define their personal identities in cultural terms” at that time (White 2001). Moreover, black people started to concentrate the reclaimed self-confidence in organisations like Black Power or Black Pride to express their solidarity. As a part of this movement Afro-Americans also started do rediscover their former origins and mostly wanted to forget about the American heritage that seemed to be foisted on their lives. According to White, Walker claims that this separation is on the one hand not completely possible and on the other hand not advisable, because this would be a denial of the history of blacks in America and therefore detrimental to the individual, too (cf. White 2001).
Summary of Chapters
Introduction: Provides a brief overview of the paper's scope, aiming to offer practical teaching recommendations and literary analysis for the short story "Everyday Use".
1. Summarisation of the content: Outlines the basic plot, introducing the mother and her two daughters, Dee and Maggie, and the fundamental conflicts that arise during a family visit.
2. Technical analysis/literary analysis: Examines the deeper social and cultural context, focusing on the African-American heritage, character symbolism, and the conflict surrounding material versus cultural value.
3. Didactical analysis: Discusses the educational significance of teaching intercultural competence through literary texts, aligning the curriculum with the requirements for 11th and 12th-grade students.
4. Methodical analysis: Details the practical implementation of the teaching unit, divided into structured phases to guide the learning process.
4.1 Pre-reading phase: Focuses on activating prior knowledge, arousing student interest, and building essential background knowledge regarding historical contexts.
4.2 While-reading phase: Presents various activities, such as hypothesis testing and vocabulary work, to encourage active engagement with the text during the reading process.
4.3 Post-reading phase: Suggests creative and analytical follow-up tasks, including discussions, artistic interpretations, and the use of the internet for intercultural exchanges.
5. Conclusion: Reflects on the holistic importance of intercultural learning and the teacher's role in fostering tolerance and a nuanced self-concept in students.
Keywords
Everyday Use, Alice Walker, African-American heritage, intercultural competence, EFL classroom, didactics, literary analysis, Black Power, cultural identity, reading process, pre-reading phase, while-reading phase, post-reading phase, teaching unit, multiculturalism.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this academic paper?
The paper provides a conceptual framework for a teaching unit centered on Alice Walker's short story "Everyday Use," specifically for upper-level secondary school students in an English as a Foreign Language (EFL) setting.
What are the primary thematic fields addressed?
The core themes include cultural heritage, identity formation, the historical context of the African-American experience during the 1970s, and the development of intercultural competence.
What is the main pedagogical goal of the work?
The primary goal is to demonstrate how literature can be used to foster an open-minded understanding of diverse cultures and to move students beyond mere stereotyping.
Which scientific methods are employed for analysis?
The author uses a literary-critical approach to analyze the text and combines this with didactic and methodological reflections based on curriculum requirements and educational theories (e.g., Nünning & Surkamp).
What does the main body of the text cover?
The main body is divided into a literary analysis of characters and symbols, a didactic justification for using the text in the classroom, and a detailed methodological breakdown of the teaching process.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
Key terms include "Everyday Use," "Intercultural Competence," "African-American Heritage," "EFL Classroom," and "Didactics."
How does the author characterize the conflict between Dee and her mother?
The conflict is portrayed not just as an argument over furniture, but as a fundamental disagreement about the meaning of tradition, heritage, and the authentic preservation of history versus mere aesthetic appreciation.
Why does the author advocate for a three-phase reading model?
The author argues that separating the reading process into pre-, while-, and post-reading phases helps students connect text information with their own experiences, thereby making reading a more active and systematic process.
What role does the internet play in the suggested teaching methodology?
The internet is viewed as a vital tool for research and, more importantly, for facilitating direct intercultural communication between students from different countries to enhance their global perspective.
- Quote paper
- Martin Eder (Author), 2011, Alice Walker's Short Story "Everyday Use", Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/281357
