1. Applied Linguistics (Language Teaching and Learning)
Elham Sarvandy; Jane Ekstam
Abstract
AbstractThe last thirty five years have created a challenging situation for Iran and its people: on the one hand, the discriminatory British and American policies towards the country have given rise to considerable bitterness; on the other, we continue to teach both British and American English. If Iranian ...
Read More
AbstractThe last thirty five years have created a challenging situation for Iran and its people: on the one hand, the discriminatory British and American policies towards the country have given rise to considerable bitterness; on the other, we continue to teach both British and American English. If Iranian people wish to play a more active role internationally, it is time to review our English language teaching policy, practices and pedagogy. This paper focuses on one particularly effective approach, namely English as a Lingua Franca (ELF). It addresses six important principles of ELF and their potential in relation to the present cultural and teaching situation in Iran, focusing on the position of the native speaker and the importance of mutual intelligibility, intercultural competence, the importance of training local multilinguals, the value of lingua franca contexts as learning environments, the difference between spoken and written English, and the adaptation to the Iranian context of assessment procedures. Our paper ends with a brief discussion of the implications for pedagogical practice of the use of the Internet, including the use of blogs in the ELF classroom.Keywords: ELF, ELF principles, Elf in Iranian context, the Internet
3. Applied Literature
Jane Ekstam
Abstract
It is widely acknowledged that emotion is deeply embedded in literary criticism. Even when we aspire to scientific analysis and objectivity, we assume that we share a love of literature. Loving Literature is a deep and fascinating exploration of this important assumption. Literary critics and professors ...
Read More
It is widely acknowledged that emotion is deeply embedded in literary criticism. Even when we aspire to scientific analysis and objectivity, we assume that we share a love of literature. Loving Literature is a deep and fascinating exploration of this important assumption. Literary critics and professors of literature are expected not only to know but also to love their work. In the case of professors, they are also required to transmit this love to their students. Lynch’s study investigates the historical origins of such expectations, and discusses their implications for readers, students and professors. Lynch does not assume that love is necessarily a healthy emotion: it can also be painful. Readers and literary critics forget this at their peril. To understand the role of love in literature, Lynch argues that it is necessary to study the eighteenth century and its ongoing discussions of literary history and the canon. The eighteenth century marked the beginning of English as an academic discipline. Lynch examines not only what early critics knew about literature but also how they felt about it. Only when we know this can we understand how literary studies evolved to its present form.
3. Applied Literature
Dr. Jane Mattisson Ekstam
Abstract
My article addresses the qualities of “good” literature and how an understanding of the nature of literary devices, so-called “literariness”, can enhance the reading experience. Focusing on Hans Rosling’s Factfulness (2018), I discuss some of the most important features ...
Read More
My article addresses the qualities of “good” literature and how an understanding of the nature of literary devices, so-called “literariness”, can enhance the reading experience. Focusing on Hans Rosling’s Factfulness (2018), I discuss some of the most important features of good writing. Six literary devices have been selected for special attention: point of view, tone, amplification, anecdotes, flashbacks, and parallelism. Factfulness is not only good writing, it carries an important message: “[w]hen we have a fact-based window, we can see that the world is not as bad as it seems – and we can see what we have to do to keep making it better” (p. 255). Rosling emphasises the importance of knowing the facts about our planet, and relying on these rather than primitive instincts to make assessments and decisions. The elegance of Rosling’s language makes the message not only convincing but also palatable. the importance of knowing the facts about our planet, and relying on these rather than primitive instincts to make assessments and decisions. The elegance of Rosling’s language makes the message not only convincing but also palatable.