Haido Fanara and Konstantina Theodoridou
Presented in Feminism and Technoscience Conference, AUTh
Abstract
This paper explores the interrelationship between feminism, technoscience, and literature and how these can be incorporated in an EFL classroom. Firstly, feminist pedagogy, as described by Berenice Fisher in 1981, should be an integral part of 21st-century teaching and learning, as with contemporary tools it can offer multiple benefits and prepare learners for life outside the classroom. These include, but are not limited to, raising awareness on social issues, understanding register, reading between the lines, and developing critical thinking. It is also known that feminism is a topic at the forefront of current news, so learners need to be familiar with the topic and the relevant vocabulary itself, apart from using it as a means to developing other skills. Digital technology is inextricably connected with this mindset, as it is a 21st-century tool, and also exposes users to a wide range of genres and register, thus making them aware of the social aspect of language and constituting them active readers of writerly texts, as Barthes encourages in his seminal work “The Death of the author”. Literature i
s a third component that can be employed to create educational material based on these principles. In our work, the well-known fairytale of “Cinderella” was chosen as its long history has allowed for the creation of a variety of versions, which reflect societal changes and the development of feminist ideas. Starting from the Grimm brothers’ version, we followed the tale in time and in its transatlantic journey by incorporating a range of American texts, from Disney animated films to Hollywood romantic comedies, from Moch and Gewandter’s lesbian play “Cinderella: The Real True Story” to Garner’s politically correct “Cinderella”. Students were, then, trained to recognize and use different types of discourse as well as challenge their internalized preconceived notions about fairytales, language use, and gender roles. Based on the principles of feminist pedagogy, using digital tools and a literary text, learners collaborated, engaged in discussions in a safe environment, synthesized information, explored and produced language. We propose the creation of similar lesson plans, enriched with more fairytale characters, or genres to create a course or a school project that would equip learners with 21st-language and online skills that expand beyond the scope of mere language use.
Keywords: EFL, Feminist Pedagogy, Digital Media in Education, WELL, Literature in Education, Participatory Culture
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