Profanity, Disgust, and Dangerous Literature: A Hermeneutical Analysis of the Catcher in the Rye and the Chocolate War

Varying levels and types of colloquial language are considered inappropriate, especially profanity. Obscene language is one aspect applied to the R-rating for movies and television shows. Profanity also plays a large role as a deterrent in books; consequently, profanity is a popular motive for banning books in schools and libraries. What if instead of turning away from profanity, readers could analyze and understand the reasons and meaning behind the profane words? Hermeneutics, used as a philosophical lens, allows for deeper understanding of textual language. If interpreted through educational and historical context with the aid of hermeneutics, profanity becomes a useful literary element within the text. Rather than banning books from high school curricula, educators and students can interpret the meaning and underlying purpose of profanity in literature. This study utilizes hermeneutics as a lens for understanding the role of profanity in two young adult novels: The Catcher in the Rye and The Chocolate War. Profanity usage in both novels is indicative of the realistic nature of the characters’ lives and struggles. Students need to know that their interpretation—of a text, of the world, of themselves—is important. The reader-response approach to literary criticism allows for an intimate relationship to develop between the reader and the object of interpretation— in this case the text. Analysis and discussion of the experiences that human beings have and our ability to share these experiences through language and fusions of horizons in Gadamer’s hermeneutics allows for true education—ensuring understanding can take place

DEVELOPING ENGLISH LESSON PLAN TO TEACH READING FOR STUDENTS’ BETTER DIGITAL LITERACY AT VOCATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL

The development of procedure text-oriented lesson plans is used to improve students' reading and digital literacy skills. The objectives of this research are to acknowledge the characteristics of developing lesson plan to teach reading for students' better digital literacy and develop the prototype considering the characters. The research was conducted use research and development (R & D) to develop the product with the ADDIE type involved several steps, analysis phase, design phase, and development phase, including expert judgments.This research uses literature review as the primary data resource and teachers as the secondary data resources—the techniques of this research use literature review and interviews. The participants were English teachers. The result of the research show that the characteristics of developing lesson plan for students' better digital literacy involves numerous characters that are presenting presenting all components of lesson plan; providing spiritual attitude, social, skill, and knowledge; considering the ability of students; presenting students center and contextual learning; presenting the use of technology for 21st century learners; providing creative, effective and relevant media; providing media that has an impact on social and cultural aspects; and the last is providing secure media

Utilization of online discussions to enhance students' engagement with William Golding's "Lord of The Flies"

In the current educational landscape, we cannot deny the significant influence and effectiveness of technology implementation in education. However, the teaching of literature components in EFL classes in Iraq is most often still adopting traditional approaches of "tell them and test them". To improve the quality of English literature teaching and learning as well as to fulfill the needs of current students, shifting from the traditional to technology-enhanced approach is rapidly becoming a necessity. Thus, this one group pretest-posttest quasi-experimental study was aimed at investigating the impact of technology integration in the EFL literature classroom, specifically examining the impact of collaborative online discussions (ODF) via Facebook Messenger on students’ engagement with the literary text through examining their test performance, journal responses and attitudes. In the study, 45 undergraduate students from the English department/College of Education of a University of Al-Anbar in Iraq conducted online discussions with group members on various elements of the literary text. The main data collection instruments were tests and journal entries which were aimed at measuring and investigating the effects of the online discussions on students’ performance and responses; the pre-test and pre-journal entry were administered prior to the online discussions and the post-test and post-journal entry were done after the intervention. Survey questionnaires to gauge students’ attitude were also distributed at the end of the study. Findings showed that the students were positive about the implementation of online discussions in their literature classroom and would recommend it as an interesting teaching approach as shown by their "attitudes towards the integration of ODF (Overall Mean = 4.03, SD = 0.84)" and "perceptions on the effects of ODF on learning the novel (Overall Mean = 3.99, SD = 0.87)". In addition, paired samples t-test analysis indicated that the online discussions had statistically significant impact on students’ test performance t (44) = 8.28, p <.001(two-tailed), and responses in their journal entries, t (44) = 8.96, p <.001(two-tailed). For students' performance level, comprehension level recorded the highest mean improvement, m = 20.86, whereas analysis level recorded the lowest, m = 6.62 (total marks is 400 marks). In terms of student's response levels, comprehension also recorded the highest mean improvement, m = 1.13, whereas evaluation level recorded the lowest, m = 0.49 (total marks is 16 marks). A Pearson correlation coefficient also examined the relationship between performance and response, and it showed a moderate positive correlation (r = 0.456, p<.002). In conclusion, the study revealed that the contribution of online discussion in engaging students with the literary text was beneficial and should be recommended for the literature classroom

PENGEMBANGAN MODEL PEMBELAJARAN MENULIS TEKS DESKRIPSI BERTEMAKAN LINGKUNGAN SOSIAL DI KELAS V SEKOLAH DASAR (Penelitian dan Pengembangan Pembelajaran Menulis)

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengembangkan model pembelajaran menulis teks deskripsi bertemakan lingkungan sosial. Metode penelitian digunakan Research and Development (R&D) dengan menggunakan model pengembangan ADDIE terdiri atas lima tahapan, yaitu Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, dan Evaluation. Produk model pembelajaran dihasilkan terdiri dari analisis kebutuhan pengembangan model pembelajaran menulis teks deskripsi bertemakan lingkungan sosial, meliputi: analisis RPP; analisis materi pembelajaran; analisis penggunaan model pembelajaran; analisis kebutuhan pendidik dan analisis teori dan prinsip pembelajaran (kajian literatur). Model pembelajaran menulis teks deskripsi bertemakan lingkungan sosial ini untuk membantu peserta didik mencapai tujuan pembelajaran dengan baik. Uji coba produk dilaksanakan di SDN 4 Purbaratu secara secara tatap muka dengan melibatkan 20 peserta didik kelas V. Model pembelajaran menulis teks deskripsi bertemakan lingkungan sosial ini telah melalui validasi oleh ahli materi dan ahli pembelajaran dengan penilaian layak digunakan. Hasil persepsi oleh guru kelas diperoleh layak digunakan. Hasil belajar peserta didik dalam menulis deskripsi berhasil dengan rata-rata nilai 79 setelah pembelajaran menulis mengimplementasikan strategi menulis dan penugasan proses menulis, sehingga model pembelajaran tersebut berpeluang dijadikan solusi alternatif bagi pendidik dalam mengajarkan menulis kepada peserta didik di kelas V Sekolah Dasar. Study this aim for develop learning models write text description the theme of the social environment. Method study used Research and Development (R&D) with using the ADDIE development model consists of on five stages, namely Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation. Learning model products generated consist from an analysis needs development of learning models for writing descriptive texts with the theme of social environment, including: RPP analysis; analysis Theory learning; analysis the use of learning models; analysis needs educator and analysis theory and principles learning (study) literature). Learning model write a descriptive text with the theme of this social environment for help learners reach destination learning with good. Trial product held at SDN 4 Purbaratu by face to face with involve 20 learners class V. Learning model write a descriptive text with the theme of social environment this has through validation by expert learning materials and experts with assessment is appropriate. The result of perception by the classroom teacher obtained proper to use. The learning outcomes of students in writing descriptions were successful with an average score of 79 after learning to write implements writing strategies and assignments for the writing process, so that the learning model has the opportunity to be used as an alternative solution for educators in teaching writing to students in class V Elementary School

Investigating the correlation between the frequency of using metacognitive reading strategies and non-routine problem solving successes in fifth grade students

The aim of this study is to examine the correlation between the frequency of using metacognitive reading strategy use and non-routine problem-solving achievements in fifth grade students. The study was conducted by using the correlational survey model, one of quantitative research methods. The participants of the study consisted of 308 fifth grade students who were studying in public schools in Istanbul and Ankara in 2017-2018 school year and were selected with convenient sampling method. The data of the study were gathered using the form for the frequency of using metacognitive reading strategy by the students and the non-routine problem solving achievement Test. In the study, the form for the frequency of using metacognitive reading strategy was applied in order to determine metacognitive reading strategies of the studies and on the following day, the achievement test including non-routine problems was then applied to the students. Simple Linear Regression Analysis and Pearson Product-Moments Correlation Analysis were used in the analysis of the data obtained in the study. According to the results of the study, there was a positive correlation between the frequency of using metacognitive reading strategy and non-routine problem-solving achievements in fifth grade students and metacognitive reading strategies were a predictor of non-routine problem-solving achievement. © 2018 by authors. All rights reserved

Centre for Applied Linguistics at the University of Warwick

The Centre for Applied Linguistics was established in 1983 and has grown from a relatively small teaching unit to a large centre engaged in a wide variety of activities under the broad heading of Applied Linguistics. Our work includes English language teaching, teacher education, undergraduate and postgraduate teaching in applied linguistics, development of teaching and research resources, and small- and large-scale research

“Is Sarah a Bully or a Friend?”: Examining Students’ Text-based Written Expressions of Bullying

Bullying has been recognized as a complex phenomenon with potential for serious negative outcomes. Activities that address complex social situations of bullying, such as reading and writing to a pen pal about fictional literature, provide space for students to think and share about personal issues that they encounter and how characters deal with similar issues in productive ways. For this research, we used a critical literacy lens to explore bullying within the context of language, power and context. This research shares qualitative analysis of letters students wrote to adult pen pals after reading a fictional book with a plot addressing bullying. Letters from 32 students were analyzed and four themes emerged: 1) text-based interpretations about bullying; 2) personal experiences and perspectives about bullying; 3) bullying in relation to friendship and social positioning; and 4) lessons learned for addressing bullying via action and advocacy

Media literacy at all levels: making the humanities more inclusive

The decline of the humanities, combined with the arrival of students focused on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), represent an opportunity for the development of innovative approaches to teaching languages and literatures. Expanding the instructional focus from traditional humanities students, who are naturally more text-focused, to address the needs of more application-oriented STEM learners ensures that language instructors prepare all students to become analytical and critical consumers and producers of digital media. Training students to question motives both in their own and authentic media messages and to justify their own interpretations results in more sophisticated second language (L2) communication. Even where institutional structures impede comprehensive curriculum reform, individual instructors can integrate media literacy training into their own classes. Tis article demonstrates ways of reaching and retaining larger numbers of students at all levels—if necessary, one course at a time.Published versio

The Dimensions of Argumentative Texts and Their Assessment

The definition and the assessment of the quality of argumentative texts has become an increasingly crucial issue in education, classroom discourse, and argumentation theory. The different methods developed and used in the literature are all characterized by specific perspectives that fail to capture the complexity of the subject matter, which remains ill-defined and not systematically investigated. This paper addresses this problem by building on the four main dimensions of argument quality resulting from the definition of argument and the literature in classroom discourse: dialogicity, accountability, relevance, and textuality (DART). We use and develop the insights from the literature in education and argumentation by integrating the frameworks that capture both the textual and the argumentative nature of argumentative texts. This theoretical background will be used to propose a method for translating the DART dimensions into specific and clear proxies and evaluation criteria