Undervisningsbeskrivelse

Voice

The first unit focuses on developing students’ ability to identify and interpret the voice of a text, alongside cultivating their own voice in English. Drawing on a selection of fiction and non-fiction texts without a rigid theoretical framework, students are encouraged to engage intuitively and to develop their individual perspectives on the material. A central objective is to distinguish between the theme of a fiction text and the message of a non-fiction text.

Language production is primarily practised through student-authored texts, while oral activities carry a distinctly performative character.

Texts

• Stephen Fry: ‘Have You Heard of Oscar Wilde?’
• Gregory Magguire: ‘How th’Irth Wint Rong by Hapless Joey@Homeskool.guv’
• Katherine Mansfield: ‘The Doll´s House’
• New Zealand Prime Minister Adresses UN General Assembly

Belonging

This unit examines the representation of belonging in literature, introducing core literary analysis tools to support close reading of short stories. Students develop their analytical vocabulary with a particular focus on characterisation and setting as means of discussing a text’s theme with greater precision.

Linguistically, the unit emphasises reading comprehension alongside a systematic exploration of English grammar and vocabulary development. In addition to engagement with written texts, significant attention is given to the spoken word through read-aloud activities and exposure to authentic English via the podcast medium.

Texts

• Hanif Kureishi: ‘The Decline of the West’
• Rachel Cusk: ‘After Caravaggio’s Sacrifice of Isaac’
• Brian Reed: S-Town, Episode 1
• Carys Bray: ‘Dancing in the Kitchen’
• Zadie Smith: ‘Two Men Arrive in a Village’

Borders

This unit investigates the concept of ‘borders’ in both its metaphorical dimensions and its concrete, real-world implications. Students engage with non-fiction texts with attention to purpose and function, focusing in particular on the longform article and narrative non-fiction as genres. The podcast format is revisited, and students examine the elements that constitute a compelling listening experience before producing their own literary podcast episodes. Accordingly, the unit places emphasis on natural and conversational language, both in terms of comprehension and production.

Extended reading comprehension is further developed through student-selected novels, which are analysed in relation to the overarching theme of borders.

Texts

• Susan V. Meyers: ‘Visits to the Border’
• Robert Frost: ‘Mending Wall’
• Riz Ahmed: ‘Typecast as a terrorist’