<?page no="0"?> ISBN 978-3-381-10701-8 English language education that wants to be relevant for today’s learners in a media-influenced social environment needs to include series and serials. Our publication enables (future) language teachers to implement series and serials in their English language classrooms purposefully and equip their learners with series_serials literacy, i.e. the ability to deal with series and serials in an autonomous and critical manner. Three introductory chapters provide substantial theoretical and conceptual considerations on serial narratives, objectives and methods of teaching series and serials. Subsequently, experts in the field of language teaching introduce 17 selected series and serials from different genres, ranging from comedies to sci-fi. Each chapter provides in-depth analyses of the chosen example as well as practical teaching suggestions which are accessible online. Leonhardt / Viebrock (eds.) Popular Series in English Language Education Popular Series in English Language Education Jan-Erik Leonhardt / Britta Viebrock (eds.) <?page no="1"?> Popular Series in English Language Education <?page no="3"?> Jan-Erik Leonhardt / Britta Viebrock (eds.) Popular Series in English Language Education <?page no="4"?> DOI: https: / / doi.org/ 10.24053/ 9783381107025 © 2025 · Narr Francke Attempto Verlag GmbH + Co. KG Dischingerweg 5 · D-72070 Tübingen Das Werk einschließlich aller seiner Teile ist urheberrechtlich geschützt. Jede Verwertung außerhalb der engen Grenzen des Urheberrechtsgesetzes ist ohne Zustimmung des Verlages unzulässig und strafbar. Das gilt insbesondere für Vervielfältigungen, Übersetzungen, Mikroverfilmungen und die Einspeicherung und Verarbeitung in elektronischen Systemen. Alle Informationen in diesem Buch wurden mit großer Sorgfalt erstellt. Fehler können dennoch nicht völlig ausgeschlossen werden. Weder Verlag noch Autor: innen oder Herausgeber: innen übernehmen deshalb eine Gewährleistung für die Korrektheit des Inhaltes und haften nicht für fehlerhafte Angaben und deren Folgen. Diese Publikation enthält gegebenenfalls Links zu externen Inhalten Dritter, auf die weder Verlag noch Autor: innen oder Herausgeber: innen Einfluss haben. Für die Inhalte der verlinkten Seiten sind stets die jeweiligen Anbieter oder Betreibenden der Seiten verantwortlich. Internet: www.narr.de eMail: info@narr.de Druck: Elanders Waiblingen GmbH ISSN 2627-0323 ISBN 978-3-381-10701-8 (Print) ISBN 978-3-381-10702-5 (ePDF) ISBN 978-3-381-10703-2 (ePub) Bibliografische Information der Deutschen Nationalbibliothek Die Deutsche Nationalbibliothek verzeichnet diese Publikation in der Deutschen Nationalbibliografie; detaillierte bibliografische Daten sind im Internet über http: / / dnb.dnb.de abrufbar. <?page no="5"?> Jan-Erik Leonhardt, Dr. phil., arbeitet als wissenschaftlicher Mitarbeiter in der Englischdidaktik der Goethe-Universität Frankfurt. Britta Viebrock, Dr. phil., leitet als Professorin den Bereich Didaktik der englischen Sprache und Literatur an der Goethe-Universität Frankfurt. <?page no="7"?> 1 15 2 33 3 47 4 65 5 79 6 95 7 109 8 121 Contents Part I: Introduction to Teaching Series and Serials in Foreign Language Education Series_Serials Literacy as an Objective in English Language Education | Jan-Erik Leonhardt/ Britta Viebrock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Practical and Methodological Considerations on Fostering Series_Serials Literacy in English Language Education | Britta Viebrock/ Jan-Erik Leonhardt Characters in Series and Serials: Representation, Reception, and Reflection | Carola Surkamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Part II: First-Encounters with-Series and-Serials in-Foreign-Language-Education “We Don’t Quit, We Got Grit! ”: -Ada Twist, Scientist and Young Learners of English | Grit Alter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Overcoming School Anxiety: Approaching Mental Health Issues in English Language Education through The Healing Powers of Dude | Annika Janßen/ Viviane Lohe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Part III: More Than Just Funny: Comedies and Sitcoms in Foreign Language Education Really That-‘Cool, Cool, Cool’? -Critical Considerations on Using-Brooklyn Nine-Nine-in English Language Education | Jan-Erik Leonhardt . . . . . . . . . . Teenage Struggles, Lifestyle Products, and the Legacy of Tennis Champion John McEnroe: -Never Have I Ever in the Secondary EFL Classroom | Britta Viebrock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Enhancing Series_Serials Literacy and Multilingual Competences: -Jane the Virgin-in the EFL Classroom | Carmen Herrero . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . <?page no="8"?> 9 133 10 149 11 165 12 177 13 191 14 207 15 219 16 233 17 251 18 265 19 281 Gender Diversity in the EFL Classroom: -Representations of Queerness in Sex Education | Rieke Dieckhoff/ Karoline Thorbecke . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Exploring the Coming-of-Age Sitcom Derry Girls-in the EFL Classroom | Maria Eisenmann . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Part IV: Whodunit? Crime Series and Serials in Foreign Language Education Exploring Detective Conan in the English Language Classroom: Manga and Anime Interpretations of Traditional Detective Stories | Ariadne Geiling . . Transmedia Adaptations: BBC’s Sherlock and Arthur Conan Doyle’s Novels in the EFL Classroom | Celine Göbel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Strike in English Language Education: -A Popular British Crime Series Tackling Social Class and Celebrity | Isabelle Vanderschelden . . . . . . . . . . . . Part V: What Future Worlds Can Show Us: Sci-Fi and Dystopian Series and Serials in Foreign Language Education Praise Be Women, Life, Freedom: -Promoting Critical Literacy in the EFL Classroom with The Handmaid’s Tale | Sandra Winkelmann . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hear Me Out! -Difference and Conflict in The Expanse | Marta F. Suarez . . . Part VI: Deconstructing Difference: The Potential of Series and Serials to Foster Social Change Exploring Heartstopper Moments and Diversity with Teenagers in the Serial and Graphic Novel | Nikola Mayer/ Lena Schwarz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . White Feminism: An Intersectional Analysis of the Serial Dickinson | Natalie Güllü/ Mareen Lüke/ David Gerlach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Promoting Series_Serials Literacy with When They See Us | Katharina Delius Dear White People: -Deconstructing Racism and Negotiating Black Perspectives in the Upper Secondary EFL Classroom | Lena Hertzel/ Thorsten Merse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Contents <?page no="9"?> About This Volume Watching series and serials is an important part of learners’ leisure time activities. Media studies such as the most recent German JIM-study from 2023 with 1,200 participants aged 12 to 19 underline the popularity of both serial narratives as well as the rise of streaming services: 86% of the respondents have access to Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+, and the like, with numbers growing each year. Streaming services have for the first time overtaken traditional TV channels in popularity ratings in Germany. Our own research further substantiates these findings: Results show that series and serials are very popular with lower secondary learners, with 51% of them watching episodes daily and an additional 32% watching them at least once a week. Our findings also stress the importance of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) education in this context as learners regularly consume content in English: Depending on their age, up to two thirds of the learners watch films, series, and serials in English. However, it also becomes clear that series and serials are no regular material in EFL classes: Less than 10% of the participants claim to have dealt with at least one series or serial in their EFL classes. This seems to be an undue discrepancy between the significance of series and serials in pupils’ daily lives and the importance they currently have in EFL classes, which is why we would like to argue for a regular inclusion of popular series and serials in English language education and have put together this versatile compilation. In this volume, we have decided to include series and serials that make visible perspectives and voices that have been and still are underrepresented in both society as a whole as well as the cultural industry: those of women, members of the LGBTQcommunity, and People of Colour, or all of the above. We also have decided to include challenging topics such as mental health, police brutality, colonialism, and climate change. With our selection, we thus mark our understanding of foreign language education as content-focused, rather than merely functional, and especially valuable when it offers room for critical and transformatory approaches. This volume is structured as follows: The first three chapters serve as general introductions to different aspects of working with series and serials in the context of English language education. In the first chapter, Jan-Erik Leonhardt and Britta Viebrock reflect on prerequisites as well as meaningful objectives. Based on a systematic literature review as well as their own research results, they suggest a model of ‘series_serials literacy’ and elaborate on its function as a guiding concept for teaching choices. The second chapter by Britta Viebrock and Jan-Erik Leonhardt serves to complement the first one with more practical considerations: the authors suggest and discuss selection criteria, teaching methods, as well as assessment issues. In the third chapter, Carola Surkamp focuses on the representation, reception, and reflection of characters in series and serials. Characters are of particular importance as the audience <?page no="10"?> gets to know these very well over the course of many episodes and seasons. The following chapters focus on individual series or serials and explore their use in the context of foreign language education. Each chapter is accompanied by extensive teaching materials, which are accessible online. The second part of the volume covers the perspective of young learners and shows two examples for encounters with series and serials in primary and early secondary English language education. Grit Alter discusses the potential of the animated series Ada Twist, Scientist, featuring a young black girl and her group of friends, who have a particular interest in science. In addition to language learning considerations, the author particularly focuses on introducing the learners to STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math). Annika Janßen and Viviane Lohe address mental health as one of the challenging topics of our times. Using The Healing Powers of Dude as an example, which features a support dog for a boy with social anxiety disorder, they show how serials can be used to bring diversity issues into the classroom. A substantial part of teenage series and serials relies on well-established sitcom formulas. The contributions in part three, however, show that many shows are not just funny but lend themselves well for the reflection of more serious topics, too. Jan-Erik Leonhardt investigates the police procedural comedy Brooklyn Nine-Nine for both its humour techniques as well as its representation of gender and race. While the show has been lauded for its diverse cast and characters, it has also been criticised for neglecting broader systemic issues in US policing, hence offering potential for critical classroom discussions with intermediate and advanced learners. Britta Viebrock examines the potential of Never Have I Ever for the (upper) secondary EFL classroom. Apart from the expected transcultural teenage struggles of an Indian-American girl, the serial enables the study of the representation of female Persons of Colour, the choice of specific aesthetic features (voice-over narrators), and the use of product placement in popular series. A multilingual perspective is highlighted by Carmen Herrero in her chapter on Jane the Virgin. The bilingual serial provides an illustration of language ideology and multilingual practices both in the production and reception of audio-visual media in shifting cultural and linguistic contexts. Another diversity dimension is taken up by Rieke Dieckhoff and Karoline Thorbecke, who reflect on how to address the representation of queerness in Sex Education. The serial has been praised for transgressing heteronormative structures in several ways and celebrating gender diversity. While the degree of explicitness that is established may be challenging for educational contexts, the authors suggest several ideas for working with the serial in a productive way. The legacy of the Troubles in Northern Ireland is at the core of Maria Eisenmann’s considerations on Derry Girls in the (upper secondary) EFL classroom. The serial, which is based on fictional plot lines but incorporates several references to actual events, serves as a good example to access historical happenings that are increasingly distant in time to today’s learners. The detective and crime genre is the main focus of the contributions in part four. Both Ariadne Geiling and Celine Göbel relate to the famous detective stories of 10 About This Volume <?page no="11"?> Sherlock Holmes. Ariadne Geiling looks at the teaching potential of Detective Conan, a Japanese anime adaptation of the traditional narrative. Not only does Ariadne Geiling provide fundamental generic consideration on manga and anime, she also analyses two episodes of the chosen example in detail and suggests versatile teaching materials. Celine Göbel focuses on the BBC series Sherlock. She explains how this is a transmedia adaptation of the original narrative and which technology adaptations can be observed. In addition, she includes a close analysis of the relationship of Sherlock and Dr Watson and how this is represented in the different media formats. Isabelle Vanderschelden’s chapter on Strike, another distinctive detective, complements this part. She argues how the study of the relationship between this detective and his assistant lends itself for examining British culture and society, in particular regarding the aspect of class. Accordingly, Isabelle Vanderschelden’s suggestions for teaching activities mainly incorporate a Cultural Studies perspective. Part five of this volume turns to future worlds and includes two contributions based on dystopia and the Sci-Fi genre. Sandra Winkelmann elaborates on The Handmaid’s Tale, a highly acclaimed serial adaptation and expansion of Margaret Atwood’s novel. Sandra Winkelmann shows how the dystopian imagination of misogyny and women’s rights is highly relevant for contemporary political developments and offers a great potential for reflecting on gender equality. Marta F. Suarez examines differences and conflicts portrayed in The Expanse, a future universe where additional planets have been populated and new social hierarchies have developed. In her chapter, the author analyses the societies on three different planets and explains ways in which these communities shape different ideas of class, labour, and culture. The series and serials compiled in the sixth and final part of this volume focus on additional dimensions of (de-)constructing difference, namely gender and race, and fostering social change. Nikola Mayer and Lena Schwarz explore what they call ‘Heartstopper moments’ in both the serial as well as the graphic novel of the same name. They focus on gender diversity issues that are made topical in a very inclusive and positive way and reflect upon how these topics can be addressed with teenagers in EFL classrooms. Natalie Güllü, Mareen Lüke, and David Gerlach explore the serial Dickinson from an intersectional perspective. They show how feminist concerns of the narrative mainly remain upper class white concerns, while broader views of race and class are hardly addressed despite the society being impacted by slavery and exploitation. Taking this observation as a starting point, the authors argue how these potentially critical phenomena may serve as an opportunity to discuss white feminism in English language education and introduce the concept of intersectionality. A critical approach is also at the core of the chapter by Katharina Delius on the mini-series When They See Us, which deals with a biased justice system, coercive police work, and sensationalist media coverage. The author shows how the aesthetic choices made in the fictional representation of a real case effect the viewer and how this fictional representation can both reflect and impact socio-cultural discourse. Race and racism are also important categories for critical reflection suggested in the chapter by Lena Hertzel and Thorsten About This Volume 11 <?page no="12"?> Merse on Dear White People. In their approach, they combine critical perspectives with the detailed analyses of serials as multilayered texts. The chosen example addresses racist incidents that occur on a fictitious university campus and retraces how the characters negotiate (intersectional) racist experiences while establishing a sense of Black agency. Some chapters contain additional material that you can download from the narr eLibrary. Links leading to the material can be found at the end of the respective chapter. Buyers of the print version receive a code granting them free access to the ebook and the additional material. Please refer to the instructions on how to access the material on the first page of the book. At this point, we would like to thank all the contributors to this volume for their creative ideas and productive cooperation in the editing process. Thanks also to our editor from Narr Publishing House, Kathrin Heyng, who has been very supportive from the very moment we voiced the idea of putting together this compilation. We would also like to thank Mariella Veneziano-Osterrath for her meticulous proofreading as well as our brilliant student assistant Charlotte Sophie Metternich, who has gone above and beyond in the process of designing the accompanying online teaching materials to each chapter, checking references and copyright issues, as well as contributing info boxes with background information on the series and serials referred to in this volume. We hope reading the book and applying some of the ideas in English language education proves to be as much fun for students, teacher trainees, in-service teachers, and university colleagues as we had putting it together. Frankfurt/ Germany, June 2024, Jan-Erik Leonhardt and Britta Viebrock 12 About This Volume <?page no="13"?> Part I: Introduction to Teaching Series and Serials in Foreign Language Education <?page no="15"?> 1 This chapter draws on Viebrock’s (2016) prior work on film literacy. It applies some of the arguments developed there to popular series and serials, but also brings in completely new aspects that derive from new technological means of storytelling or the generic specifics of series and serials. 2 In the game ‘red light, green light’, children stand on a line and can only move when the game master shouts “green light”. Once the game master shouts “red light”, movement is forbidden and any player who still moves is eliminated from the game. The person who crosses the finish line first wins. In ‘tug of war’, two teams pull on one rope. The team which is able to pull their opponents towards them over a finish line wins. 3 For example: https: / / www.fr.de/ panorama/ squid-game-netflix-kinder-schule-krankenhaus-verletzu ngen-pruegel-serie-91088490.html (last accessed: 12.08.2024) or https: / / www.theguardian.com/ tv 1 Series_Serials Literacy as an Objective in English Language Education Jan-Erik Leonhardt/ Britta Viebrock This chapter serves as an introduction to the concept of series_serials literacy in the context of English language education. Working with the term series_serials, we will allude to the spectrum between audio-visual series with self-contained episodes, serials with continuous narration, as well as hybrid formats in between (known as flexi-narratives). In this chapter, we will first explain the rationale for including audio-visual series and serials in English language education and provide a research review. We will then explore the characteristics of series and serials and shed some light on the historical developments of serial narratives. We will proceed to define the notion of series_serials literacy as an objective for working with series and serials in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) education and propose a model encompassing the different dimensions of this objective. 1 1.1 The rationale of teaching series and serials in English language education In spring 2021, the South Korean Netflix serial Squid Game caused international worry among parents, teachers, and schools alike. In the dystopian world of Squid Game, the main character takes part in a TV show out of desperation. In the show, the players participate in imitations of popular children’s games, such as ‘red light, green light’ and ‘tug of war’. 2 However, each candidate failing in a game gets killed in a horrific manner until the final participant of the show wins an exorbitant amount of money. Given Squid Game’s popularity, even young schoolchildren followed the serial and started imitating the brutal games during school breaks. School boards and teachers reacted and, in many countries, voiced concerns regarding parents letting children watch Squid Game. 3 While the dystopian serial itself offers a powerful social criticism, <?page no="16"?> -and-radio/ 2021/ oct/ 17/ english-council-urges-parents-not-to-allow-children-to-watch-squid-game (last accessed: 22.05.2024). 4 Using the terms ‘series and serials’ as well as ‘shows’ for better legibility, we mean to include hybrid formats as well. We thus understand ‘series and serials’ and ‘shows’ to be synonymous with ‘series_serials’ (cf. section 3). it is more than questionable if a young audience is able to recognise this on their own. Instead, the audience may only revel in the serial’s suspense and depictions of violence. This example shows the cultural significance of series and serials that make topical relevant political and social issues and at the same time permeate learners’ lives. While certainly not suited for a young audience, the complexity of Squid Game also highlights the relevance of education: children and young adults need to be able to autonomously, critically, and responsibly engage with audio-visual contents (including series and serials) they are confronted with on a regular basis. 4 Our publication aims to contribute to this mission from the perspective of English as a foreign language (EFL) education, a subject we understand to go beyond teaching functional language skills but instead putting forward a content-based approach that enables learners to participate fully in social, cultural, and economic life (The New London Group 2000; cf. also Elsner/ Viebrock 2013). One central aim of language education is fostering multiliteracies, a term which expands traditional literacy prac‐ tices of reading and writing and aims at learners’ “[…] understanding and competent control of representational forms that are becoming increasingly significant in the overall communication environment, such as visual images and their relationship to the written word […]” (The New London Group 2000: 9). Multiliteracies are needed to critically and autonomously deal with a variety of multimodal texts. We thus expand the argument Viebrock (2016: 14) has made for film: “[…] if relevance, topicality, and meaningfulness determine the appropriateness of teaching and learning content”, also series and serials must be considered by educators. Media studies such as the annually conducted German JIM-study with 1,200 participants aged 12 to 19 show the popularity of series and serials with learners (mpfs 2023). The JIM-study also confirms the rise of streaming services: 86% of the respondents have access to Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+, and the like, with numbers growing each year. Streaming services have for the first time overtaken traditional TV channels in popularity ratings in Germany. Info box 1: Squid Game Squid Game is a South Korean Netflix serial. Its main character, who struggles with gambling addiction, receives an invitation to a mysterious game show as a last chance to settle his debt. The show, however, is a murderous game, leaving only one participant alive at the end. Squid Game shows a dystopian world and harsh critique of capitalist society. 16 1 Series_Serials Literacy as an Objective in English Language Education <?page no="17"?> Our own research on the use of film in the EFL classroom further substantiates these findings. Leonhardt’s dissertation study (2024) includes a questionnaire that surveys the learners’ media consumption with regard to film, series, and serials. The questionnaire was answered by 671 pupils at three German secondary schools attending grades 6, 8, and 10. Results show that series and serials have all but overtaken feature films in popularity, with 51% of the participants watching episodes daily and an additional 32% watching them at least once a week (cf. figure 1). Fig. 1: Results from Leonhardt (2024) (n=671) The findings in Leonhardt’s study also stress the important role EFL education has for the consumption of series and serials, as participants regularly consume content in English. While approximately 90% of the learners in grades 6, 8, and 10 watch films, series, and serials in German, a large number also does so in English: Already 44% of the learners in grade 6 watch content in English. Numbers keep increasing with age: 68% of the learners in grade 8 and 10 watch films, series, and serials in English. However, the study also shows that series and serials are hardly ever used in EFL classes. Only 9% of the participants claim to have dealt with at least one series or serial in their EFL classes in the school term before the study was conducted ( January 2021 until June 2021). This proves a gap between the significance series and serials have in pupils’ daily lives and the importance they currently have in EFL classes. 1.1 The rationale of teaching series and serials in English language education 17 <?page no="18"?> 1.2 Research review Bearing in mind the popularity and cultural significance of series and serials, as well as the fact that many of them originate in the English-speaking world, it is striking that no systematic reflection of their potential within foreign language education has yet been published. Reviewing the relevant literature, it becomes clear that publications mainly focus on practical ideas for implementing specific series and serials in the EFL classroom (cf. Finck von Finckenstein 2017; Henseler/ Möller 2017a, 2017b; Henseler/ Schäfers 2018; Kreft/ Lohe 2020; Merse 2017a, 2017b). In addition, several publications can be found in literary studies that fundamentally analyse series and serials’ narrative strategies and generic characteristics (cf. Allrath/ Gymnich 2005; Blanchet et al. 2011; Geilert/ Voorgang 2017; Kelleter 2017a; Lynch 2021). In the field of teaching German (as a first language), the concepts of seriality and serial narratives have been reflected upon in view of the classroom context and the target group of school age learners (cf. Anders/ Steiger 2016; Fröhlich 2018; Surkamp 2018). The existence of empirical evidence on the use of series and serials in the EFL classroom, however, is sparse. A study by Finck von Finckenstein (2022) shows how learners construct meaning, how they emotionally react when watching a serial, and how the specific example House of Cards contributes to their growing interest in politics and critical media reflection. Nevertheless, in view of the central concept that is examined in this study it becomes clear that there is room for more conceptional clarity and terminological improvements: Finck von Finckenstein works with the concept of film literacy, which has been accepted and discussed as an important objective of English language education (cf. Henseler et al. 2011; Lütge 2012; Thaler 2013, 2017; Viebrock 2016). Strictly speaking, the pursuit of film literacy presupposes the existence of a solitary film which may either be a short film of less than 30 minutes or a feature film of 90 minutes or more which present a more or less completed story. Whereas an episodic series may share more similarities with a film, the nature of serials is quite different as the episodes have to be watched continuously to follow overarching plot developments and understand the story. These formal peculiarities and salient stylistic elements of serial narratives should be appreciated in their own right (cf. section 3). As a consequence of these findings, we have identified the need for integrating both theoretical and practical considerations on implementing series and serials in English language education. We also argue that the specifics of series and serial storytelling must be taken into account when dealing with the medium. We hereby consider series and serials to be an important new asset for language teaching and learning among more established formats such as novels, plays, short stories, or films. Through series and serials learners can discover and learn to critically scrutinise elements of audio-visual design and seriality. As culturally significant texts, series and serials furthermore can make topical relevant social, economic, and political issues which are able to spark classroom discussions and allow teachers to integrate learning a foreign language in meaningful ways. 18 1 Series_Serials Literacy as an Objective in English Language Education <?page no="19"?> Info box 2: House of Cards House of Cards, which ran for six seasons from 2013-2018, is a US-American political thriller serial based on a 1990 BBC mini serial (four episodes) and Michael Dobbs’ novel of the same name. The serial’s title alludes to existing political institutions and is a pun on The House of Representatives, The House of Lords, etc. 1.3 Characteristics of series and serials TV series and serials, or those distributed through digital streaming services, have a number of salient characteristics concerning structural elements, stylistic devices, and the cultural practices of storytelling. Strictly speaking, most of these characteristics are not only valid for popular series and serials, but for serial narratives in general, which have a much longer tradition (cf. section 4). The focus of this chapter, however, will be on popular audio-visual formats. To start with, some terminology needs to be clarified: Both series and serials denote (audio-visual) narratives that are released in a serial manner. Series rely on “repetitive variation” (Kelleter 2017b: 12) in what are otherwise self-contained episodes; in contrast, continuous serials work with “progressing story arcs” (ibid.). Series are thus characterised by recurring characters, settings, or plot structures, but no continuous storyline (e.g., The Simpsons). The episodes can be watched in any order, which makes series an example of ‘vertical narration’ (cf. Henseler/ Möller 2017b). Serials, in comparison, are an example of ‘horizontal narration’ (ibid.), where each episode relies on the previous one and needs to be watched in the designated order to grasp the storyline (e.g., Atypical). Kelleter (2017b: 12 ff.) argues that when thinking about serial narratives as part of commercial storytelling, it might be more helpful to take a process-oriented approach and look at the related cultural practices instead of structural definitions, which rely on a product-oriented understanding of serial narratives and tend to be too formalist to cover all types (e.g., flexi-narratives that combine self-contained episodes with a progressing storyline). Kelleter suggests setting serial narratives apart from ‘complete compositions’ - even though these might be released in a serial manner - and identifies ‘evolving narratives’ as one of the defining elements of seriality. Evolving narratives are process-oriented both in view of their production and reception. They are characterised by the interaction of the narrative’s reception with its continuous development and the potential involvement of the viewer: Repeated temporal overlap between ongoing publication and ongoing reception allows serial audiences to become involved in a narrative’s progress. In more general terms, seriality can extend - and normally does extend - the sphere of storytelling onto the sphere of story consumption. (ibid.: 13, italics in the original) 1.3 Characteristics of series and serials 19 <?page no="20"?> Kelleter’s definition of seriality does not extend to narratives that have already achieved closure when being serialised. It explicitly rules out so-called mini-series (or serials for that matter), which consist of a limited number of episodes (e.g., When They See Us). It also rules out literary works (e.g., novels) that have been turned into serials as both represent complete compositions. Examples such as 13 Reasons Why, however, whose first season relied on a complete composition ( Jay Asher’s novel of the same name), but which then further evolved in the following seasons, or Heartstopper, whose first season relied on the initial two parts of Alice Oseman’s four-part graphic novel, but has then been announced to be continued by (at least) two seasons that might or might not go beyond the source material, show that Kelleter’s definition is not without ambiguities. It might only be applied in retrospect or from an advanced point in time in the development of a serial narrative. What is more, from the perspective of teaching English as a foreign language in school contexts, which relies on the reduction of complexity, complete compositions such as mini serials may be attractive because of the fact that they have achieved closure and that all their narrative options have already been decided and materialised. Closed serial narratives offer an opportunity to analyse salient aesthetic features and stylistic devices, nonetheless. Moreover, serials based on literary works may lend themselves for additional objectives such as the study of ‘transmedia storytelling’ ( Jenkins 2012), i.e., the realisation of the same story or content in different media (cf. also Gymnich 2009). Transmedia considerations also play a role in another characteristic of popular seriality identified by Kelleter (2017b): ‘proliferation’, which describes the extension of serial narratives through side formats (e.g., a new serial based on a minor character of the original as in Better Call Saul) or beyond their original medium (e.g., serials turned into computer games as in The Walking Dead, Southpark). Such proliferation may concern authorised spin-offs or unauthorised formats such as fan fiction or fan videos. From a methodological point of view, the proliferating nature and transmedia expansions of popular serial narratives are interesting because they allow for greater variation in teaching and learning as well as extended generic reflections (Hallet 2016; Viebrock 2022). They also enable the participation in real-world discourses, e.g., by producing contributions to fan fiction (Goldmann 2016) or online discussion forums. Reflecting on these terminological elaborations in view of our context, the EFL classroom, we employ a product-oriented understanding of serial narratives that upholds the structural distinction between series and serials but is also aware of the process-oriented aspects of serial storytelling. Hence, our definition includes serialised complete compositions, which comes at the expense that not all characteristics of serial narration, in particular the need to align each evolving episode with the simultaneously evolving overall narrative, may be studied from this perspective. Questions of align‐ ment are less likely to pose a challenge in serialised complete compositions as the narrative has already achieved closure and all storytelling decisions, both concerning the overall story arc as well as each episode, are geared towards the established ending. Similarly, as opposed to ongoing serials, the narrative of serialised complete 20 1 Series_Serials Literacy as an Objective in English Language Education <?page no="21"?> compositions may only evolve within pre-defined margins as the ending has already been established. Yet the aspect of proliferation can also be focused on in serialised complete compositions. The characteristics of popular series and serials are also reflected in specific aesthetic choices and stylistic devices such as cliffhangers, voice-overs, flashbacks, flashforwards, outlooks, or recaps. A cliffhanger describes the interruption of the narrative at a point of great suspense to keep the viewer’s interest for the next episode. Voice-overs are off-camera narrations that are not part of the action (non-diegetic). They provide additional information or explanation. Flashbacks and flashforwards are used to link the narrative across several episodes by either looking back at scenes and reminding the viewer of what has previously happened or by looking forward at scenes to come and attempting to keep the viewer’s interest for a longer period of time. Recaps and outlooks work in a similar way but cover longer sequences or a greater selection of scenes. Recaps provide a summary of what has previously happened in a serial up to a certain point, outlooks provide information on how the narrative will develop. These elements cause the audience to stay hooked. The release of entire seasons may also provoke a specific consumption behaviour as it allows ‘binge-watching’ several episodes in one sitting. Last but not least, audience retention is reinforced by enabling long-lasting relationships with the series’/ serials’ characters whose development takes place over a much longer period of time (for a detailed discussion cf. Surkamp in this volume). Info box 3: Examples of series and serials The Simpsons is a US-American animated sitcom which satirically depicts the life of the Simpson family. The series serves as a parody of American life and enjoys great popularity. Having been introduced in 1989, the animated, yellow-skinned characters enjoy iconic status today. The Netflix comedy-drama Atypical focuses on how the protagonist, 18-year-old Sam Gardner who has been diagnosed with autism, has his first experiences with dating, love, and sexuality. When They See Us (2019) is a four-part mini serial produced by the streaming service Netflix. It explores the lives of five Black and Latino teenagers in New York who were wrongfully suspected of a rape assault. 13 Reasons Why tells the story of high school student Hannah Baker and - by way of numerous flashbacks - the events that led up to her suicide. Four seasons were released between 2017 and 2020. The serial sparked some concerns regarding a teenager audience’s mental health because of its graphic representation of challenging issues (cf. Kreft/ Lohe 2020). The first season of Heartstopper was released by Netflix in 2022. It is a coming-of-age story of two queer teenagers in a homosexual relationship and based on a web comic and graphic novel of the same name by Alice Oseman. 1.3 Characteristics of series and serials 21 <?page no="22"?> The serial Better Call Saul tells the background story of the notorious lawyer Saul Goodman who first appeared in the Breaking Bad franchise. Based on a comic book series, The Walking Dead franchise features a post-apoc‐ alyptic world in which zombies threaten the existence of humankind. The franchise consists of several serials, accompanied by board games, video games, novels, and more. The animated series South Park satirically depicts the lives of four children in a fictional US American town. Known for its aggressive humour, the series often tackles controversial topics. The South Park franchise extends from the original series to feature films, music, video games, and more. 1.4 A historical perspective on serial narratives As mentioned in the previous section, seriality and serial narratives are by no means a product of the digital age. Streaming services have popularised series and serials and made them easily accessible. Serial narration as a concept, however, is as old as storytelling itself. It was already present in early oral storytelling traditions where longer narratives had to be divided into several parts (which could be called episodes in today’s terminology), and professional storytellers could use such extended narratives to secure their audience over a prolonged period of time (which is not at all dissimilar to our current understanding of subscription). The Middle Eastern folk tale collection One Thousand and One Nights (also known as Arabian Nights) dating back to the 8 th century is often considered to be a prime example of serial narration (cf. Fröhlich 2018: 6 f.; Schleich/ Nesselhauf 2016: 14 f.). Not only does the written documentation of the folk tale contain elements of oracy, which point towards serial storytelling traditions, but also the narrative itself can be seen as an expression of seriality: It relies on stories-within-the-story. The frame narrative concerns King Shahryār, who, after learning about his wife’s infidelity, has her killed. Projecting his bitterness onto all women, Shahryār marries a succession of virgins only to have each of them executed after the first night, before they have had the chance to dishonour him. When marrying Scheherazade, she appeals to Shahryār’s (as well as the reader’s/ listener’s) curiosity by telling him a tale that does not end for the eponymous one thousand and one nights and, therefore, spares her from execution. A substantial popularisation of serial narration can be observed in 19 th century England with the emergence of newspapers, magazines, and periodicals. Charles Dickens in particular has contributed to this development with the serial publication of his novels The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club (1836-1837), The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby (1838-1839) or The Personal History, Adventures, Experience, & Observation of David Copperfield the Younger (1849-1850). Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes (which consists of four novels and 56 short stories published between 1887 and 1927) is another example of a popular serial narrative of the late 19 th 22 1 Series_Serials Literacy as an Objective in English Language Education <?page no="23"?> 5 Many of the original works have been made accessible by Project Gutenberg (https: / / www.gutenber g.org/ ; last accessed: 20.05.2024) or in the topical digital collection of the University of Victoria (https: / / vault.library.uvic.ca/ collections/ 9335ca74-15a3-4456-ad6f-517dac5a9f66; last accessed: 12.08.2024). and early 20 th century. Other Victorian authors such as William Makepeace Thackeray, Wilkie Collins or William Harrison Ainsworth have resorted to serial publications, too. 5 The advancements in printing technology as well as distribution opportunities made the narratives accessible to much larger audiences, which in turn were able to afford the shorter volumes of serialised publications as they could spread the costs of the equivalent of a novel over a longer period of time. While some authors have published what was intended to be an original and complete (book-length) novel in instalments, others have aligned with the serial format during the writing process and let the narrative evolve alongside its publication. As a consequence, influences of serialised publishing could be seen in the writing style, which included much repetition and stretched out texts, plot lines that were not fully coherent in retrospect as well as overly dramatised characters. Visual serial narratives spread towards the end of the 19 th century with the rise of the comic that was initially published in short strips in American newspapers. They were consolidated with the popularisation of the cinema, which screened silent films until the 1920s and talking films after that. The proliferation of radio series and serials commenced with the increasing technical opportunities of the 1920s. Denson and Mayer (2018: 66) argue that this medial proliferation is complexly and materially entangled with media and society transformations of the first half of the 20 th century, i.e., that there is a mutual influence of available media formats and the development of serial narratives: Serial feuilleton novels augmented newspaper sales, for example; color comic strip series promoted new four-color printing processes. Similarly, early radio and television series worked towards attracting an audience to the then new media, motivating potential media consumers to purchase expensive equipment and then getting them hooked with ongoing content. Popular seriality is thus closely connected to a media modernity under constant pressure to innovate. (ibid.: 71) TV series and serials began to spread as of the 1950s. Not only were they connected to the necessity to own new media equipment, but also to new economic entanglements. The daytime screening of soap operas, for example, was characterised by several commercial breaks for promoting specific products. The term ‘soap opera’ originates from the sponsoring activities of soap manufacturers (originally in radio series, later also on TV) who were able to produce their own series and serials that were interfused with commercials addressing a predominantly female audience in their function as housewives. The influence of commercial activities on the production of series and serials that could only then be subsequently consumed for individual entertainment becomes particularly clear. 1.4 A historical perspective on serial narratives 23 <?page no="24"?> The 21 st century saw a shift towards subscription-based screenings of series and serials that were exclusively produced by pay-TV broadcasters. Apart from exclusivity, their main characteristic was a specific distinction from ordinary TV by trying to stretch established boundaries through portraying more nudity or using explicit language. The pay-TV broadcasters’ attempt to develop their own, easily recognisable signature format proved to be very successful (cf. Fröhlich 2018: 9). The rise of the Internet has offered yet new opportunities for the distribution of series and serials through on-demand streaming-services, which often release entire seasons at once and cause new forms of consumption behaviour. On account of the technical opportunities of the Internet, consumers can also easily become producers and contribute to the proliferation of serial narratives and transmedia storytelling (cf. section 2) as well as the creation of ‘storyworlds’, which refer to the shared universe of a narrative (with regard to characters, settings, plot) across different media (Herman 2005: 105). 1.5 Series_serials literacy: Aims and objectives In this section, we will elaborate on the aims and objectives of employing series and serials in English language education. Several important components of series_serials literacy have already been collected by Henseler and Möller (2017b: 6). To further systematise series_serials literacy, we will also draw on previous theoretical consider‐ ations on film literacy, especially focusing on the model introduced by Viebrock (2016: 17) and empirically substantiated by Leonhardt (2024) (cf. also Donaghy 2019; Henseler et al. 2011; Lütge 2012; Thaler 2013). In general, series_serials literacy has some overlap with the notion of film literacy in the sense that series and serials also rely on filmed material, characterised by an integration of moving images and audio elements, which need to be analysed and interpreted. Like film literacy, series_serials literacy can be seen as an element of multiliteracies (cf. section 1). Yet as explained in section 3, series and serials also have distinctive features which require a different knowledge base and different competences to be fully understood. Hence, we suggest several adaptions to the model of film literacy in order to sketch a more accurate model of series_serials literacy that mirrors the peculiarities of their aesthetic design (cf. figure 2). 24 1 Series_Serials Literacy as an Objective in English Language Education <?page no="25"?> Fig. 2: Model of series_serials literacy At the core of the model, we define series_serials literacy as the learners’ ability to use audio-visual series and serials (as well as any hybrid serial formats and flexi-narratives) critically and autonomously in the context of English language education. While ‘using’ series and serials often refers to their reception, learners increasingly need to be able to produce audio-visual content as well (cf. Reid et al. 2015). Series_serials literacy thus includes dealing with series and serials productively, although it should be noted that this does not refer to a professional production but rather to experiencing how series and serials are produced within the confinements of educational settings. Similar to Decke-Cornill and Luca (2007) we distinguish a cognitive and analytical approach for a deeper understanding and a holistic perception for entertainment purposes for dealing with series and serials. As shown in the inner ring of our model, the reception of series and serials oscillates between a holistic approach, which focuses on the individual perception and the entertaining nature of series and serials, and a cognitive approach, which focuses on detailed analysis that deconstructs their composition and aesthetic design. Such detailed analysis is an important goal in language education for recipients to understand how any text conveys its meaning. Perceptive competences, which are required for a general understanding of the interplay of image and sound composition, serve as the foundation of the model. To accommodate the specifics of series and serials (as opposed to other forms of audio-visual storytelling), we have added generic knowledge as a basis for dealing with this format. As elaborated in section 3, serials are perpetual and dynamic 1.5 Series_serials literacy: Aims and objectives 25 <?page no="26"?> narratives, whose individual episodes are screened before fully knowing how the plot will develop or the story will end. The audience can exert a considerable influence on the progression and proliferation of a serial by their viewing behaviour. Sherlock (cf. Göbel in this volume) may serve as a case in point. The BBC series presents one of many adaptations of the original tales written by Arthur Conan Doyle. The famous detective appears in film, comics, music, plays, and other series and serials (cf. Geiling in this volume), all of which have different aesthetic means of (re-)telling the story. At the same time, they are an expression of proliferation, which influences the viewers’ perception of the story in the sense that they may know about it in other formats. BBC’s Sherlock highlights the perpetual narrative as new seasons and episodes have been released without certainty about further continuation. Due to the show’s popularity, fans are still hoping for new episodes to be released and may adapt their viewing behaviour accordingly. Finally, the popularity of the show and the original stories spark co-creation through fan fiction stories, and online memes, again possibly influencing viewers’ understanding of the show. The second ring of the model contains the notions serial narration and serial com‐ position. Serial narration focuses on the story a series or serial tells, and we describe the ability to analyse this story as narrative competences. Narrative competences encompass the analysis of a series or serials’ genre, plot, characters, and setting within the possibilities of a serial format. For example, the analysis of a character in a series or serial will be influenced by the show continuing over several episodes or seasons - instead of being confined to the narrative of a singular film (cf. also Surkamp in this volume). Next to analysing serial narration, learners need to be familiar with elements of serial composition. Serial composition focuses on the question of how a series or serial tells its story and on the specificities that set series and serials apart from other forms of storytelling, such as cliffhangers, repetitive variation, progressing story arcs, proliferation, and recursive progression (cf. section 3). It is important to note that the question of what story is being told and how it is told are interrelated (as shown by the arrows in our model). Analysing a series or serials’ story or characters would be incomplete without looking at elements of cinematographic and dramatic design as well as the specifics of seriality (cf. info box 4). To analyse serial composition, learners first need aesthetic competences that focus on the recognition of cinematographic features and their effects. For this, learners need to be able to analyse the specifics of serial design. For example, for working with Brookyln Nine-Nine, this may include an analysis of the iconic cold opens that start off each episode with a short comedic sequence and end with the opening credits that show snapshots of the show’s characters. Each opening uses the same theme music that is immediately recognisable to their audience (cf. Leonhardt in this volume). 26 1 Series_Serials Literacy as an Objective in English Language Education <?page no="27"?> Info box-4: Audio-visual design and the specifics of seriality- The narrative level of design contains a series or serials’ genre, plot, characters, and setting.- The cinematographic level of design includes a series or serials’ lighting and colour, sound and sound effects, camera perspective, camera focus, camera movement, shot size, and editing.- The dramatic level of design refers to a series or serials’ set, costumes, make-up and props that actors and actresses use, as well as their acting.- The specifics of serial design contain the analysis of elements such as cliff‐ hangers, flashbacks, flashforwards, outlooks, or recaps, repetitive variation or progressing story arcs, proliferation, and recursive progression. Second, to analyse serial composition learners require critical competences. Series and serials can be especially valuable in the context of EFL education if they make topical class, race, gender, or any other markers of difference and oppression. Conse‐ quently, they might be explored from the critical perspectives of Cultural or Feminist Studies. For example, the serial Dear White People takes viewers to the world of POC students at a fictitious elite university and retraces how they negotiate racist experiences. What is more, the presence of queer protagonists in the serial sheds light on the intersectionality of racial and queer self-identifications, making the serial a valuable resource in EFL education that goes beyond teaching functional language skills and instead explores texts as vehicles of cultural expression (cf. Hertzel/ Merse in this volume). However, critical competences also denote the learners’ ability to recognise that, as vehicles of cultural expression, series and serials display fictionality (to varying degrees) and are to be analysed as intentionally created products. A serial that illustrates this particularly well is The Crown, which tells the story of Queen Elizabeth II. It is based on real characters and events and might as such educate its audience about the historical period and the political and social circumstances at the time. On the one hand, The Crown has achieved widespread acclaim for its costumes, acting performances, and cinematography. But on the other hand, it has been severely criticised for historical inaccuracies and obscuring the distinction between fact and fiction (cf. Jenkins 2020). Thus, the viewer needs to be particularly aware of fictional and factual elements in the representation of real-world events (cf. also Viebrock 2024). When being unable to perform immediate reality or referentiality checks of characters or events, the viewer might maintain a factual understanding of what is presented in a series or serial while it might be highly fictionalised. Consequently, learners need to be able to take a critical position towards series and serials to detect possible manipulative influences in their design. Hereby, it is not sufficient to ask what message the series conveys and how its design allows it to transport this message. One also must ask for which purposes it has been created and whose purposes it serves (cf. Gerlach 2020; 1.5 Series_serials literacy: Aims and objectives 27 <?page no="28"?> Leonhardt/ Viebrock 2020): In the case of The Crown, one might ask, for example, if it supports positive or negative attitudes toward the British royal family and to what effects. Finally, critical competences also include analysing series and serials as part of the cultural industry. Popular series and serials are large commercial endeavours with increasing worldwide turnover rates. Not only does the subscription model of streaming services rely on a large selection of series and serials, it also requires a regular renewal or extension of this selection to offer customers new products and keep the subscription attractive. Also, series and serials offer manifold opportunities for product placement, thus advertising tech-products, cars, and much more to their audience (often without viewers’ awareness). One example of this is Never Have I Ever that implicitly advertises several clothing brands, Microsoft computers, and Subaru cars (cf. Viebrock in this volume). Hence, the commercial foundations of series and serials production are highly sophisticated and should be a crucial part of the objective of series_serials literacy. Returning to the fundamental components of our model of series_serials literacy, communicative competences are both a prerequisite and an objective of literacy development. Communicative competences are needed to understand the dialogues in series and serials, which usually consist of everyday speech and are characterised by idiomology, regional vernaculars, dialect, and accents. Even more than in films, dialogues in series and serials are characterised by a high speech rate, an extensive play on words and demanding stylistic features (irony, puns, etc.), or they may even rely on slapstick elements. In this respect, the dialogues in series and serials have not been created for language learning purposes and might pose additional challenges to learners, even more so when they lack context knowledge. In addition, well-developed communicative competences are also needed to talk about and more deeply analyse series and serials. Our model of series_serials literacy thus uses Cummins’ (2008) dis‐ tinction between basic interpersonal communicative skills (BICS) and cognitive academic language proficiency (CALP). The language competences needed for a more general understanding of and conversations about series and serials are an expression of BICS, which are characterised by a context-embedded and concrete use of every-day language. The language competence aspired to be the outcome of a series and serials-based teaching unit is in the realm of CALP, which is characterised by an abstract, context-reduced, and cognitively demanding use of language including technical terminology which is needed to adequately analyse a series or serials’ design. Communicative competences are further to be complemented by multilingual competences and mediation. Like films, series and serials offer potential for multi‐ lingual approaches in multiple ways (cf. Blell 2016). Most prominently, they can be multilingual themselves, featuring characters that speak multiple languages on screen. Competences in mediation, i.e., the transmission of a message from one language to another, may be needed to comprehend a multilingual series or serial, or to convey its content to someone else. For example, in Jane the Virgin, several characters speak 28 1 Series_Serials Literacy as an Objective in English Language Education <?page no="29"?> mainly in Spanish while the show itself is mainly in English. Jane the Virgin thus allows to foster learners’ multilingual competences by exploring the use of multilingualism in the show and how its representation matters in today’s diverse society (cf. Herrero in this volume). Info box 5: Examples of series and serials Sherlock is a BBC series that adapts the original Sherlock Holmes stories to a modern London setting. Each episode focuses on one case, which Sherlock solves in his inimitable fashion. Brooklyn Nine-Nine tells the story of a team in the New York police force. While being a comedy, the show tackles serious topics such as gender and racial inequality. In Dear White People, the main character starts a student radio broadcast which addresses racist incidents occurring at a fictitious university campus. The Netflix series hereby retraces how students negotiate racist experiences within their life contexts. Also a Netflix production, The Crown tells the story of Queen Elizabeth II, starting in 1947 and with her marriage to Prince Philip. The comedy-drama Never Have I Ever depicts the life of an Indian-American teenager who has to deal with the sudden death of her father. Typical coming of age issues (school life, friendship, love) are intertwined with grief, therapy, and reflections of identity. The comedy-drama Jane the Virgin is loosely based on Juana la Virgen (2002), a popular Venezuelan telenovela. Set in Miami, this remake follows three genera‐ tions of women: Jane Villanueva, a young, hard-working Venezuelan-American who is accidentally artificially inseminated; her single mother, Xo; and Alba, her religious grandmother who is-a first-generation immigrant.- 1.6 Summary In this chapter, we set out to explore the concept of series_serials literacy in the context of English language education. We have explained the rationale for including audio-visual series and serials in English language teaching by drawing on insights into young people’s media use and viewing behaviour. Furthermore, we have provided a research review that revealed a lack in both empirical studies as well as fundamental conceptual considerations whereas it showed a considerable amount of publications on the practical implementation of series and serials. We have then explored the characteristics of series and serials and shed some light on the historical developments of serial narration. In this part, it became clear that there is some overlap between series and serials and other forms of audio-visual storytelling, but that several stylistic 1.6 Summary 29 <?page no="30"?> features and viewing options are specific to series and serials. To mirror these specifics, we have defined the notion of series_serials literacy as an objective for working with series and serials in EFL education in a systematic way and proposed a model. The next chapter of this book will serve as a complementary part focusing on practical and methodological considerations when using series and serials in the context of English language education, where we will explore criteria for choosing series and serials, discuss approaches and methodological choices for classroom use, and consider questions of assessment. References Allrath, Gaby/ Gymnich, Marion (eds.) (2005). Narrative Strategies in Television Series. Basing‐ stoke: Palgrave Macmillan. Anders, Petra/ Steiger, Michael (eds.) (2016). 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Bern: hep, 40-54. 32 1 Series_Serials Literacy as an Objective in English Language Education <?page no="33"?> 1 Similar to the previous chapter, this text also draws on Viebrock’s (2016) prior work on film literacy. 2 Practical and Methodological Considerations on Fostering Series_Serials Literacy in English Language Education Britta Viebrock/ Jan-Erik Leonhardt This chapter complements the previous one on the concept of series_serials literacy and introduces practical and methodological considerations when using series and serials in the context of English language education. We will explore criteria for choosing series and serials, discuss approaches and methodological choices for classroom use as well as questions of assessment. 1 2.1 Selection criteria for series and serials Starting out, it is important to note that the selection of series and serials is indeed not trivial as educators make decisions on which topics are represented in their classrooms and which are not. Choosing certain series or serials thus not only marks a conscious choice of the teacher to include or exclude representations of certain topics, communities, or individuals; it is essentially a political choice, even if not intended as such (cf. Leonhardt/ Viebrock 2020: 37). To further elaborate our selection criteria for series and serials, we draw again on previous considerations on feature films (Viebrock 2016; cf. also Henseler et al. 2011: 32 f.; Lütge 2012). The selection of series and serials for language education depends on the aspired teaching objectives, as well as content-related and aesthetic criteria (focusing on selected episodes, entire seasons or even aspects of transmedia storytelling; cf. Leonhardt/ Viebrock in this volume). Other criteria may be language-related or pragmatic. To determine teaching objectives, teachers can draw on the model of series_serials literacy we have suggested in the previous chapter. For younger learners, the focus will lie more on communicative competences and serial narration. When learners have reached above CEFR level A2, it is increasingly possible to focus on serial composition as well as generic knowledge. As elaborated in the previous chapter, series and serials are dynamic and perpetual narratives, whose progression can be considerably influenced by the audience’s viewing behaviour. Furthermore, aspects of ‘transmedia storytelling’ ( Jenkins 2012) may allow for reflections on how the same story can be told in different formats and across different media, and thus become an additional criterion for selection. <?page no="34"?> Content-related and aesthetic criteria both play an important role in choosing a series or serial. Series and serials can make topical questions that are inherent to human existence - for example coming of age and related emotional experiences such as falling in love or feeling jealousy - and they can tackle cultural, political, social, or historical issues. Educators need to balance the choice between series and serials that are more relatable and accessible to the learners, and introducing new shows that will enable the learners to discover unknown, more challenging topics and elements of serial narration and composition. The serial Sex Education may serve as a case in point, as it offers highly relatable characters but also challenging and sensitive topics for language learners such as sex, abortion, and addiction (cf. Dieckhoff/ Thorbecke in this volume). What is more, series and serials become more challenging for learners if they offer more intertextual references and narrative gaps. Intertextual references refer to references a series or serial makes to other series and serials (or other literary texts for that matter). Narrative gaps are parts of the narration that are not depicted on screen and require the viewers to use their own imagination. Finally, it can be a challenge for learners to recognise series and serials as consciously constructed audio-visual narratives as they might be perceived as immediate representations of reality. Whereas it might be easier to grasp the composition of an animated series or serial, it may be more difficult to catch manipulative effects of camera work and editing in series and serials that do not use any animated elements. Language related criteria refer to the difficulty and complexity of language input a series or serial offers. A slow rate of speech, visible gestures of the characters, and little use of advanced terminology and idiomatic expressions can contribute to the accessibility of a series or serial for beginning or intermediate learners. In contrast, fast speech, hidden lip movements (e.g., through masks), the use of idiomatic expressions, academic language or dialects make certain series and serials more suitable for advanced learners. Peaky Blinders that makes heavy use of different British and Irish accents, especially Brummie (from Birmingham), may serve as a case in point. Finally, pragmatic criteria for the selection of series and serials include the length of a series or serial and legal considerations. In comparison to feature films, a complete series or serial consists of several episodes and often runs for many seasons, which makes their preparation and inclusion in the foreign language classroom either much more time-consuming and/ or requires well-founded choices for selected scenes. Teachers may focus on specific episodes in class while encouraging learners to view other parts at home. Here, teaching approaches used for novels, which are equally time consuming, can be adapted for the use of series and serials in language education (cf. Paran/ Robinson 2016; Surkamp/ Nünning 2016). Alternatively, mini-series may offer a more manageable length (cf. Delius in this volume). Legal aspects include considerations on age appropriateness. Often, there are recommendations such as the Parental Guidance ratings (PG-ratings) or the Frei‐ willige Selbstkontrolle (FSK, ‘voluntary self-regulation’) that can also be used by educators. However, even series and serials that are rated as age appropriate might 34 2 Practical and Methodological Considerations on Fostering Series_Serials Literacy <?page no="35"?> contain sensitive content and challenging topics. Providing trigger warnings which include information about any content that may be sensitive, such as depictions of violence, sex, or mental illness may be helpful for learners and provide orientation (cf. Dieckhoff/ Thorbecke in this volume for an example). Further considerations on whether teachers are legally allowed to screen a series or serial in classroom settings will vary in each country. For this reason, we advise educators to take note of any rules that may inhibit watching certain series or serials with learners. Often the legal situation is not entirely clear as different court decisions can be found. The regulations for film (cf. Viebrock 2016) provide some orientation. The German copyright law, for example, regulates the presentation of privately purchased audio-visual material in classroom settings, which are usually understood as non-public or quasi private settings (UrhG §53). Short excerpts of up to 15% can be shown regardless of other legal requirements (UrhG §60a). Concerning streaming services, it is advisable to consult their individual regulations, which usually only allow the use of audio-visual material in private settings. In addition, in Germany so called media centres (Medienzentren) can buy licenses for films, series, and serials for educational purposes, and learners can access them either via DVD/ BluRay or a designated online platform for free. Info box 1: Examples of series and serials The Netflix serial Sex Education also is a comedy drama. Including a diverse set of characters, Sex Education makes visible a plurality of voices in language education, especially those from the LGBTQ+ community. It follows the lives of Otis and his friends who visit the fictional high school Moordale. The char‐ acters are highly relatable as they struggle with manifold problems commonly associated with growing up, such as managing relationships with family and friends and making first sexual experiences. Otis, whose mother is a sex therapist, decides to offer his advice at school, leading to a plethora of challenging but highly relevant topics being addressed in the serial, including sex, abortion, cross dressing, poverty, addiction, and assault. Peaky Blinders follows the rise and criminal rule of the eponymous Birmingham gang and its charismatic leader Thomas Shelby. The serial allows fascinating insights into late industrial England of the 1920s and 30s and convinces with dark aesthetics. At the same time, viewer discretion is advised due to the serial’s violence. 2.2 Methodological principles After having decided on objectives and competences to be fostered and chosen appropriate material, it is crucial to consider methodological approaches for working 2.2 Methodological principles 35 <?page no="36"?> with series and serials in English language education. Some of these considerations may be similar to working with other audio-visual texts, but the characteristics of popular series and serials elaborated on in the previous chapter also require specific approaches. We will introduce three key principles for working with series and serials in the EFL classroom that are adapted from Leonhardt’s (2024) study. The first principle is to realise the dynamic interplay between serial narration and serial composition. Put into practice, this means that dealing with a series or serial, a sole focus on narration would not fully capture the nature of the text at hand (cf. also Paran/ Duncan 2018). For example, when analysing a character, this would mean going beyond the narrative level and including both dramatic aspects (such as acting and costumes) as well as cinematographic aspects (such camera movement, sound and music). Considering the specifics of seriality we have outlined in the previous chapter, this would also mean to focus on more than one episode in order to detect repetitive variation or reflect on progressing story arcs, proliferation, and recursive progression. A second methodological principle is that of communication and collaboration. This principle is based on the observation that the reception of series or serials can be described as an individual, yet not random meaning-making process. While the recipients’ understanding of a series or serial is shaped by their subjective experiences and prior knowledge (cf. Decke-Cornill/ Luca 2007), series and serials themselves contain cues for interpretation (cf. Bateman et al. 2013). For example, if the protagonist is crying, the camera focuses on their face in a close-up, and slow music is playing, it is reasonable to interpret this as a sorrowful, maybe melancholic scene. At the same time, it would be unreasonable to interpret the same scene as cheerful and energetic. Oftentimes, scenes are more ambiguous than our simple example shows. To arrive at a reasonable shared interpretation, communication and collaborative efforts between recipients to negotiate meaning are needed. For teaching, this implies that communicative settings and discursive pair/ group work are especially helpful when interpreting a scene. The third principle is to use scaffolding to make the specifics of series and serials accessible to learners. This can simply imply using intralingual subtitles to facilitate comprehension (cf. also Hayati/ Mohmedi 2011). It can also imply providing learners with more information about elements of narrative, dramatic, cinematographic, and serial design. Digital glossaries may be used to systematise such information. Finally, tasks should address different levels of difficulty to give both beginner and advanced learners opportunities to improve their series_serials literacy. As Leonhardt’s (2024) study shows, tasks that focus on aspects of cinematography can already be employed with beginner learners: the sound and music of a scene can already be analysed early on at least in a basic fashion. More complex elements of cinematographic design such as camera perspective and editing can then progressively be integrated when working with intermediate and advanced learners. The same holds true for specific elements of serial composition such as cliffhangers, recaps, and outlooks. 36 2 Practical and Methodological Considerations on Fostering Series_Serials Literacy <?page no="37"?> 2.3 Viewing approaches There are several forms of presentation that can be used when working with serials and series in the foreign language classroom. Approaches that have been suggested for films (cf. Viebrock 2016) can in principle also be used for series and serials but would have a slightly different meaning. In this section, we introduce each viewing approach and its implications for teaching series and serials in English language education. A straight-through approach might be applied to the complete showing of an episode, whereas the uninterrupted consumption of several episodes or even entire seasons has been described as binge-watching (cf. Leonhardt/ Viebrock in this volume). While this phenomenon might become an important topic for reflection and discussion, the act of binge-watching itself is obviously not to be replicated in classroom settings. Screening complete episodes in the classroom facilitates a holistic perception on the part of the viewer, but the amount of information, rapid language use, as well as the use of slapstick elements might overburden the learners, in particular as a straight-through approach might induce a certain passivity of the viewer. In a segment approach, shorter intervals of 15 minutes or less of an episode are presented successively over the course of several lessons. While segmenting the material produces an unnatural viewing pattern, which is probably even more significant in view of the predetermined breaking points of popular serials at the end of each episode, the segment approach may help foster the learners’ understanding by integrating tasks for comprehension, analysis, and interpretation in-between the intervals. In view of the aesthetic peculiarities of series and serials, the sandwich approach appears to be most suitable when wanting to cover entire seasons in a limited amount of time. It alternates selected scenes with additional materials such as summaries, recaps, or passages from original literary texts, if available, and thus seems most compatible with the principle of scaffolding introduced above. The sandwich approach allows for a specific focus on the most important episodes, scenes, selected characters, or storylines while omitting others. Last but not least, a clip approach does away with any sense of completeness and makes use of selected scenes for specific purposes (for example, the analysis of aesthetic elements such as recaps and cliffhangers or cinematographic features) and objectives (for example, the development of storyworlds, cf. Leonhardt/ Viebrock in this volume). A downside of this approach is that it impairs the entertainment value of popular series and serials that may have got viewers interested in the first place. Comparing the different forms of presentation, it becomes clear that they do not only serve different objectives but may also be used for coming to terms with comprehensive source materials. In a sense, working with multi-episode series and serials bears a number of resemblances to working with the chapters of a novel. The sheer length of serials that span over several seasons makes any selection process challenging, both in terms of presentation and focus. A profound analysis on the part of the teacher is paramount for exploring the format’s full potential and justifying specific choices. Any 2.3 Viewing approaches 37 <?page no="38"?> selection needs to be explicitly based on the transfer value of the scenes studied, their topical foci, and aesthetic compositions. As a comprehensive examination of an entire show will probably be too time-consuming and not yield adequate insights, learners will ideally only study well-chosen exemplary parts that allow for broader insights which can also applied to other serials or parts that were not studied in detail (cf. Viebrock 2024). What seems to be a challenge deriving from the comprehensive source material may also be turned into an asset in view of the necessities of differentiation. Not only may a teacher be faced with the situation that some learners possess prior knowledge of the selected show while others do not, but also with the different interests and abilities individual learners bring to class. In particular, series with self-contained episodes can provide a great starting point for individual study and differentiated approaches as later episodes do not require a detailed understanding of previous ones. After a joint examination of the opening episode, for example, learners could pursue more individual interests and study selected episodes on their own, feeding back their insights into a joint product (such as a series booklet, a classroom/ school exhibition, a fan page, the development of a new episode, and the like). Finally, if learners are acquainted with previously unknown shows, they might feel encouraged to watch more than is required of them in class and discover other series or serials in more depth individually. 2.4 Structuring lessons Series and serials are best approached by pre-, while-, and post-viewing activities. We will elaborate on each approach with specific examples to point out the specifics of serial narration and serial composition in this section. Pre-viewing activities serve as a topical introduction to a popular series, but also to language issues and/ or aesthetic peculiarities (for example topical word fields, or expressions needed for the analysis of stylistic elements and aesthetic choices). Pre-viewing activities predominantly focus on learners’ speculations about and antic‐ ipations of the story, specific events, or characters. Generic considerations could also be part of the pre-viewing phase. Typical materials for pre-viewing activities may be advertisement posters or trailers. Both will contain design elements specific to series or serials, such as announcements about the platform on which the show is published or information about new seasons. Arguably more so than films, series and serials focus heavily on audience engagement already in their advertisements, a particular example being the Game of Thrones spin-off House of the Dragon. During the first season of the fantasy serial, the ruling family of Westeros divides over the succession to King Viserys. Two factions evolve from this, each fighting for the throne. The advertisements for the second season play with this storyline by using the slogan “All must choose” and focusing trailers and posters on one of the two factions. Fans have engaged readily and chosen sides in comments, conversations, and social media posts. 38 2 Practical and Methodological Considerations on Fostering Series_Serials Literacy <?page no="39"?> While-viewing activities often aim to ensure the understanding of the narrative, i.e., story and plot developments as well as characters. A basic while-viewing activity would be ticking aspects that were shown off a list or putting scrambled scenes into the correct order. While-viewing activities can also aim at preparing an analysis of an episode or a selected scene for which learners can collect detailed notes in so-called scene protocols. Scene protocols give learners analytical focus by detailing categories for a following in-depth analysis (cf. table 1). If the focus lies on analysing character developments, learners can create a mood-chart (cf. Delius in this volume). Here, they can track a character’s mood during one or several episodes by drawing a line between two extremes (e.g., positive-negative, or related functions: hero-villain). The mood chart can be used as an entry point into more substantial discussions on a character, their behaviour, and role in the narrative. Finally, while-viewing activities could also include hypothesising on the progress of the plot or filling narrative gaps, i.e., imagining situations, events, or characters that are not shown, but only alluded to in one or several episodes. A format that can be used to compile these different activities is a viewing log. Viewing logs are especially suited for series and serials, as they emulate serial structure: like a portfolio, learners collect the results of different activities they have been assigned for different scenes and episodes throughout an entire season (or even beyond). - What do you observe? What effects are caused on you as a viewer? Plot - Characters - Set - Sound and music - Camera perspective and move‐ ment - Editing - Tab. 1: Example categories of a scene protocol Post-viewing activities focus on evaluating tasks, the in-depth analysis of selected aspects, further studies of designated subject areas, or additional research. Tasks can be either analytical or creative. Analytical tasks are reception-oriented and include summaries as well as sequencing or correcting activities. More complex analyses focus on deconstructing episodes and scenes and decoding the effects of the serial narrative and composition. In contrast, creative tasks are production-oriented and often strive for a change or co-ordination of perspectives: This can include re-telling the events of an episode through the eyes of another character, acting out selected scenes by means of role plays, or the transformation of scenes into a new text form (for example 2.4 Structuring lessons 39 <?page no="40"?> re-writing the content of the scene as a newspaper report, turning it into a radio drama, or developing ideas for a remake). Creative approaches also include designing (alternative) trailers and ideas for new episodes or spinoffs, preparing mock interviews or press conferences with the main agents of the production process. Further post-viewing activities that are specifically suited to series and serials derive from fan fiction. As we have explored in the previous chapter, fan fiction allows viewers to actively take part in storyworlds by contributing their own tales, for example via online fan forums (cf. also Surkamp in this volume). Writing or creating their own fan fiction - as short stories, poetry, or new episodes - allows learners to not only engage with a series or serials’ narrative, but also experience creative text production. Especially when developing an idea for an episode that includes elements of serial composition, learners directly encounter the aesthetic choices that need to be made. Creating new ideas for a series also means that learners can take part in re-shaping and transforming its message, a key objective of critical approaches (cf. Gerlach 2020; cf. also Güllü et al. in this volume). Info box 2: House of the Dragon House of the Dragon is an HBO fantasy serial based on the books written by George R.R. Martin. The serial tells the story of the House Targaryen before the events of the famous HBO serial Game of Thrones (cf. Surkamp in this volume). House Targaryen is the ruling family of fictional Westeros, a country engulfed in feuds over succession, land ownership, marriages, and betrayals. 2.5 Using digital tools In this section, we explore how using digital tools can support both the analysis of series and serials as well as the realisation of the creative tasks we have outlined before. When analysing series and serials, learners need to be equipped with additional information on serial composition. While this information can be supplied by the teacher, some digital tools can also be used instead. The app TopShot allows learners to experience key elements of cinematographic design such as field size, use of colour, and editing. For each design element, the app offers a short explanation in English, German, French, or Spanish, and the learners can try out different settings with pre-recorded scenes. A second app that may be especially valuable for more experienced learners is Close-up film language. This app provides a large glossary of terminology, and while the terminology indeed focuses on film, most of it can be applied to series and serials as well (cf. Leonhardt/ Viebrock 2021). For producing content, there are also several digital tools that can be used when employing series and serials in English language education. Keeping in mind that the goal is not a professional production but teach learners aspects of serial narration 40 2 Practical and Methodological Considerations on Fostering Series_Serials Literacy <?page no="41"?> and serial composition, many of these tools focus on creating accessible multimodal texts that emulate some of these design features. For example, the app Chatterpix can be used with younger learners to record sound and combine it with a picture (cf. Janßen/ Lohe in this volume). Using the app, the learners can lend the protagonist their own voice and master recording dialogues themselves. Another accessible multimodal text is a storyboard, i.e., a graphic version of a screenplay that gives insights into the visual design of a show. Storyboarding is very often part of the planning process of audio-visual texts. A digital tool that can be used for storyboarding is the website storyboardthat.com, which supplies different templates and images to create visual ideas for a film, a series, or serial. Another app that can be used for both storyboarding as well as the digital construction of images (such as posters) is Canva. While the focus of productive tasks is not on creating full episodes, digital tools today allow relatively simple access to both filming and editing: “[…] what makes this new era different from the dawn of television is that the means of production - once in the hands of big-time broadcasting companies with their large budgets - is now available to anyone with a camera, a computer and the will” (Apkon 2013: 24). Today, these means are integrated in smartphones and tablets that are widely available to most teenagers (e.g., mpfs 2023, Nominet 2023). Some applications that allow learners to edit their own audio-visual texts are limited to a specific operating system (like iMovie for Apple). Others are available for several systems (like VN and KineMaster). Finally, artificial intelligence (AI) needs to be considered when talking about series and serials in the language classroom. AI can be used for both analytic as well as productive tasks. For analytic tasks, learners can use AI to supplement their own analyses with ideas an AI may offer. However, caution is advised especially when analysing more recent series and serials that AI algorithms may not yet be familiar with. For productive tasks, AI can help in both writing text (e.g., scripts for a series or serial) as well as producing (moving) images (e.g., for posters, advertisements, or design of new characters). An AI tool that is geared towards learners and supports written text and image production is the German website SchulKI.de. The most popular and very capable AI tool that can also be considered for classroom use - but should be checked for privacy issues - is ChatGPT. A professional AI tool for (moving) image production is Adobe Firefly that can, for example, be used to edit the set of a production. Looking at AI from the perspective of the creative industry, we see that such tools reshape the production of series and serials both in the conception of shows as well as their post-production and editing. At the same time, AI reshapes education. For teaching series and serials, this means that learners will need to be familiarised with these new means to design audio-visual texts (including the use of powerful tools whose full functions we cannot predict here). Learners also need to be equipped with critical competences that allow them to recognise the design principles of series and serials as with AI tools manipulating images and sound for viewers is easier than ever. 2.5 Using digital tools 41 <?page no="42"?> 2.6 Assessment If series and serials are part of formal foreign language education, series_serials literacy may also be reflected as an objective in assessment procedures. Assessment refers to the collection of information about the learners’ performance in relation to a specific objective for the improvement of aspects of language teaching and learning (cf. Green 2014). Depending on how an assessment is used for teaching and learning, one may distinguish between formative and summative assessment: Formative assessment is referred to as assessment for learning and relies on regular and collaborative feedback practices. Summative assessment, on the other hand, is referred to as assessment of learning. It examines what learners can do at the end of a phase of instruction (cf. Cheng/ Fox 2017; Kalantzis/ Cope 2012). Up to now, very little is available on assessing learners’ abilities in dealing with audio-visual texts, let alone series and serials. In this section, we thus aim to shed some light on both formative and summative assessment practices when dealing with series and serials. Formative assessment practices can make use of what Kalantzis and Cope (2012: 415) call ‘multimodal writing’, where learners imitate meaningful tasks that professionals would perform as part of their occupation: Instead of guessing at 'understanding' or things the students can keep in their heads until the test is over, we assess things that they can do - such as being a scientist or a historian. Writing - and particularly the multimodal writing that is so accessible today - is the best way to represent most subject areas. Examples for multimodal writing contain many of the analytic and especially produc‐ tive tasks we have outlined in section 4 of this chapter. For example, learners can write a newspaper article and follow revision practices customary in the publishing industry. They can create blog entries which allow for online commentary as part of a formative assessment. Formative assessment can also be integrated in creative tasks such as producing ideas for an episode. Here, feedback by peers, teachers, or even a broader audience can be valuable in shaping the learners’ products as well as their understanding of series and serials. Formative assessment practices may also include portfolio work. In working with series and serials, learners can, for example, create viewing logs (cf. section 4). Rubrics provide a guideline for assessing entries - which can be done by the learners themselves, their peers, or the teacher. The following rubric serves as an example for assessing a review of a series or serial that the learners can include as one task in their viewing log. The rubric focuses on aspects of serial narration and composition and should be supplemented by a comment that looks at the review holistically and considers both qualities and room for improvement. 42 2 Practical and Methodological Considerations on Fostering Series_Serials Literacy <?page no="43"?> Needs improvement Acceptable Good Excellent Argument and con‐ tent Information on serial narration Little to no (compre‐ hensible) information on the narrative of the series/ serial (e.g., plot, characters, setting) Some helpful infor‐ mation on the narra‐ tive of the series/ se‐ rial Largely helpful infor‐ mation on the narra‐ tive of the series/ se‐ rial addressed to your reader Very helpful and in-depth information on the narrative of the series/ serial clearly ad‐ dressed to your reader Information on serial composi‐ tion Little to no (compre‐ hensible) information on the dramatic and cinematographic com‐ position of the ser‐ ies/ serial (e.g., set, sound and music, cam‐ era, editing) Some helpful infor‐ mation on the dra‐ matic and cinemato‐ graphic composition of the series/ serial Largely helpful infor‐ mation on the dra‐ matic and cinemato‐ graphic composition of the series/ series ad‐ dressed to your reader Very helpful and in-depth information on the dramatic and cin‐ ematographic composi‐ tion of the series/ ser‐ ies clearly addressed to your reader Judgement Little to no (compre‐ hensible) judgement about the quality of the series/ serial Starting to make a judgement about the quality of the series/ serial, giving some reasons for the judgement Comprehensible judgement about the quality of the series/ serial, giving reasons for the judgement that are connected to its nar‐ ration and serial com‐ position and/ or per‐ sonal taste Detailed and convinc‐ ing judgement about the quality of the series/ se‐ rial, giving reasons for the judgement that are clearly connected to its narration and serial composition and/ or per‐ sonal taste Tab. 2: Sample rubrics for assessing a review of a series or serial 2.6 Assessment 43 <?page no="44"?> Series_serials literacy can also be part of summative assessment, which usually is conducted in form of formalised tests or exams. Before mentioning concrete examples, we need to address one major caveat that results from the nature of fictional series and serials: As they allow for individual viewing experiences and interpretations, it is generally difficult to pinpoint what a correct answer to an interpretative question may be. However, it is possible to judge statements based on the quality of reasoning a learner offers. Speaking from the perspective of semiotics, the serial narrative and composition of a scene and its context predefine the meanings it can have. Thus meaning-making processes are not only dependent on the recipient, their knowledge, and experiences, but also on the audio-visual text itself (cf. Bateman et al. 2013; Leonhardt 2024). Thus, in a summative assessment the learners’ quality of reasoning needs to be made visible, for example by using multimodal writing tasks. Learners can write essays as a contribution to a magazine or prepare an oral presentation as part of a festival screening series and serials. For designing summative assessment tasks that focus on series and serials, we can additionally draw on the work by Paran (2010) on literature in general. He suggests using a variety of tasks which allow for both analysis and personal appreciation of literary text. Learners can also be given choice in their selection of tasks to cater to their individual viewing experiences and interests. Evaluation criteria for the given tasks should be transparent to the learners beforehand. As done so in our sample rubric in table 2, such criteria can draw from the model of series_serials literacy for categorising expectations. 2.7 Summary In this chapter, we set out to present practical and methodological considerations for employing series and serials in English language education. For the selection of series and serials, we have argued to make visible possibly controversial - and thus valuable - topics such as racism, social inequality, and gender. We have elaborated further criteria for the selection of appropriate shows, including their storyworlds, narration and aesthetic design, the use language, as well as pragmatic and legal issues. Considering teaching methodology, we have then presented three main principles for teaching series and serials, namely focusing on both the narrative as well as serial composition, including cooperative and communicative methods, and making use of scaffolding. We have identified different viewing approaches of which the segment and sandwich approaches are most helpful as they break down complex series and serials with several episodes into manageable units for classroom use. They also allow the teacher to supplement learners with additional material and engage in meaningful analysis. To structure a teaching unit, we have suggested to resort to the established pre-, while-, and post-viewing approach and provided several example activities for each of these phases. We have further distinguished between analytical and creative approaches, both of which allow learners to gain deeper insights into serial narration and serial composition. We have also introduced several digital tools that can be used 44 2 Practical and Methodological Considerations on Fostering Series_Serials Literacy <?page no="45"?> for analytic and productive tasks, and we have highlighted the (future) power that AI may have in both the series industry as well as educational settings. Finally, we have explored possibilities for assessment and suggested ideas for summative as well as formative approaches. In conclusion, series and serials can be considered appealing teaching material that offer the opportunity for versatile methodological approaches and engaging tasks. References Apkon, Stephen (2013). The Age of the Image. Redefining Literacy in a World of Screens. New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux. Bateman, John A./ Kepser, Matthis/ Kuhn, Markus (2013). Film, Text, Kultur: Beiträge zur Textualität des Films. In: Bateman, John A./ Kepser, Matthis/ Kuhn, Markus (eds.), Film, Text, Kultur: Beiträge zur Textualität des Films. Marburg: Schüren, 7-31. Blell, Gabriele (2016). Mehrsprachige Filme: Fächer- und sprachübergreifende Filmarbeit. In: Blell, Gabriele/ Grünewald, Andreas/ Kepser, Matthis/ Surkamp, Carola (eds.). Film in den Fächern der sprachlichen Bildung. Baltmannsweiler: Schneider Verlag Hohengehren, 307- 329. Cheng, Liying/ Fox, Janna (2017). Assessment in the Language Classroom: Teachers Supporting Student Learning. Oxford: Macmillan Education Palgrave. Decke-Cornill, Helene/ Luca, Renate (2007). Filmanalyse und/ oder Filmerleben? Zum Dualismus von Filmobjekt und Zuschauersubjekt. In: Decke-Cornill, Helene/ Luca, Renate (eds.). Jugend‐ liche im Film - Filme für Jugendliche. München: Kopaed, 11-30. Gerlach, David (2020). Einführung in eine Kritische Fremdsprachendidaktik. In: Gerlach, David (ed.). Kritische Fremdsprachendidaktik. Tübingen: Narr, 7-31. Green, Anthony (2014). Exploring Language Assessment and Testing: Language in Action. London: Routledge. Hayati, Abdolmajid/ Mohmedi, Firooz (2011). The effect of films with and without subtitles on listening comprehension of EFL learners. British Journal of Educational Technology 42 (1), 181-192. https: / / doi.org/ 10.1111/ j.1467-8535.2009.01004.x Henseler, Roswitha/ Möller, Stefan/ Surkamp, Carola (2011). Filme im Englischunterricht: Grund‐ lagen, Methoden, Genres. Seelze-Velber: Kallmeyer-Klett. Jenkins, Henry (2012). Transmedia storytelling and entertainment: an annotated syllabus. In: McKee, Alan/ Collis, Christy/ Hamley, Ben (eds.). Entertainment Industries: Entertainment as a Cultural System. London: Routledge, 145-160. Kalantzis, Mary/ Cope, Bill (2012). Literacies. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Leonhardt, Jan-Erik (2024). Film Literacy im Englischunterricht: Eine Mixed-Methods-Studie zur Erhebung der Kompetenzen von Lernenden der Sekundarstufe I. Dissertation. Goethe-Uni‐ versität Frankfurt a.M. Leonhardt, Jan-Erik/ Viebrock, Britta (2020). Ausgewählte Materialien für einen kritisch orien‐ tierten Fremdsprachenunterricht: Jugendliteratur mit Transgender-Thematik. In: Gerlach, David (ed.). Kritische Fremdsprachendidaktik. Tübingen: Narr, 37-52. References 45 <?page no="46"?> Leonhardt, Jan-Erik/ Viebrock, Britta (2021). Kreativ und digital: App-Einsatz im filmbasierten Fremdsprachenunterricht. In: Bündgens-Kosten, Judith/ Schildhauer, Peter (eds.). Englischun‐ terricht in einer digitalisierten Gesellschaft. Weinheim: Beltz Juventa, 70-82. Lütge, Christiane (2012). Mit Filmen Englisch unterrichten. Berlin: Cornelsen Scriptor. Medienpädagogischer Forschungsverbund Südwest (mpfs) (2023). JIM-Studie 2023: Jugend, Information, Medien. https: / / www.mpfs.de/ fileadmin/ files/ Studien/ JIM/ 2022/ JIM_2023_web _final_kor.pdf (last accessed: 28.06.2024) Nominet (2023). Digital youth index. Report 2023. Oxford. https: / / digitalyouthindex.uk/ wp-con tent/ uploads/ 2023/ 11/ Digital-Youth-Index-2023-report.pdf (last accessed: 28.06.2024) Paran, Amos (2010). Between Scylla and Charybdis: the dilemmas of testing language and literature. In: Paran, Amos/ Sercu, Lies (eds.). Testing the Untestable in Foreign Language Education. Bristol: Multilingual Matters, 143-166. Paran, Amos/ Duncan, Sam (2018). Snapshots of reality: how teachers use film in the language and literature classroom. In: Domínguez Romero, Elena/ Bobkina, Jelena/ Stefanova, Svetlana (eds.). Teaching Literature and Language through Multimodal Texts. Hershey, PA: Informa‐ tion Science Reference, 1-21. Paran, Amos/ Robinson, Pauline (2016). Literature. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Surkamp, Carola/ Nünning, Ansgar (2016). Englische Literatur unterrichten. Grundlagen und Methoden. 4 th ed. Seelze-Velber: Klett. Viebrock, Britta (2016). Feature Films in English Language Teaching. Tübingen: Narr. Viebrock, Britta (2024). Unterrichtsplanung. In: Surkamp, Carola (ed.). Metzler Lexikon Fremd‐ sprachendidaktik. Stuttgart: Metzler. 46 2 Practical and Methodological Considerations on Fostering Series_Serials Literacy <?page no="47"?> 1 This chapter is a translation in a slightly updated form of: Surkamp, Carola (2018). Figuren in Fernsehserien: Darstellung, Rezeption und Reflexion. Der Deutschunterricht 6, 26-35. 3 Characters in Series and Serials: Representation, Reception, and Reflection 1 Carola Surkamp This chapter is concerned with characters in television series and their (re)con‐ struction in the reception process. After a presentation of the specifics of character representation and reception in serial formats, potentials for dealing with serial characters in the classroom will be discussed, e.g., for fostering narrative skills, but also with regard to one’s own viewing behaviour. 3.1 Introduction “Why do we like watching TV series so much? They give us a sense of security: the characters are familiar to us like old friends, and their adventures presented at intervals, structure our daily life.” KELLETER (2011: 70; my translation) Both producers and viewers of TV series and serials emphasise the central importance that the character has for the format (cf. Gormász 2017). The focus of interest is on the functions the characters fulfil, e.g., to what extent they help determine the degree of participation of the audience in the events and thus bind them to a series or serial, but also how they influence the lives of the recipients outside its world. In addition, research shows how the increasingly complex worlds of so-called ‘quality television series’ challenge the viewers to actively and permanently participate and no longer watch only occasionally (Kelleter 2011: 73). Exploring serial storytelling with a special focus on the characters therefore requires a multi-perspective view, which in addition to the story-level also takes into account the level of serial composition as well as the communication between text and recipient. From a teaching perspective, such a consideration can serve as a framework for orientation when working with the characters in the classroom. Based on new models of film education (cf. Blell et al. 2016), different dimensions of audio-visual learning can be considered which not only relate to the reception of texts and the communication <?page no="48"?> of their contents, but also to their formal analysis and contextualisation as well as to own text productions. Within the scope of this chapter, special features of the representation and reception of the characters in TV series and serials are highlighted. In addition to understanding serial formats, these will also include affective dimensions of experiencing the series and serials, working productively with audio-visual texts and reflection tasks. Specifi‐ cally, the following questions will be addressed: How are the characters portrayed in TV series and serials? How do viewers perceive the characters and how can these findings be used to design tasks in the context of English language teaching and learning? 3.2 The representation of characters in TV series and serials Thoughts on the representation of characters in TV series and serials can be found in works on social storytelling in media studies as well as in literary and cultural studies. Early studies from the 1980s and 1990s mainly focused on the depiction of characters in family series. They transferred the features that were generally considered characteristic of TV series to the representation of characters. As a result, they also found the phenomenon of repetitiveness in the representation of characters, i.e., the regular reoccurrence and recognisability of characters in the form of character constancy as well as familiar and loved character constellations (Weber/ Junkelwith 2008, cf. info box 1). As a narrative component that keeps recurring, the character is a connecting element between the individual episodes of a series (Kelleter 2012: 12), so that it is also possible for casual viewers to follow the story. With regard to the relationship between character and plot, the TV series shows a continuity of the same stories, with the same characters and in the same settings (Hickethier 1994: 58). Through the repetition of character configurations and plot developments typical of a series, the characters thus essentially co-constitute the narrative continuation. Info box 1: Character constellation and character configuration The term character constellation refers to the relationship or the position of the characters to each other. It is not about the characteristics or the qualities of the characters, but about the relationships between them. The term character configuration refers to the encounter of certain characters at a specific point in time. The number and frequency of configurations that a character participates in suggests its importance in a narrative. In addition, the different levels of information of the characters depend on the configurations in which they are each involved. Various genres such as family, crime, or hospital series also have their characteristic inventory of characters and character constellations. These evoke certain expectations 48 3 Characters in Series and Serials <?page no="49"?> regarding the plot and facilitate reception. In crime series such as Tatort (running on German TV since 1970) or Sherlock (BBC 2010-2017, cf. Göbel in this volume) for example, there is usually a confrontation between a police officer or detective and the perpetrator. The person who investigates the case is usually assigned a helper or confidant. The constellation of the characters and the irreconcilable nature of their motives already contain the potential for conflict from which the plot develops. In soap operas and sitcoms in particular, the conception of the characters is considered stereotypical and exaggerated (cf. Baranowski 2002). The characters in Friends (1994-2004) or Modern Family (2009-2020) are for example relatively static and one-dimensional types that are characterised by a small, coherent set of features. This is to guarantee clear identification and easy recognition. The past of the characters does not play a major role in these serialised formats. This has changed in many series since the 1990s as Allrath et al. (2005: 28 f.) point out using Ally McBeal (1997- 2002) as an example. In today’s series, e.g., in The Crown (running since 2016; cf. Leonhardt/ Viebrock in this volume) or The Handmaid’s Tale (running since 2017, cf. Winkelmann in this volume), there are many references to earlier episodes and to the history of the characters, so characters seem rounder and more realistic. They virtually get their own life story in the course of the plot, which makes them more believable and truer to life (Mikos 1987: 11). Thus, the fact that series and serials that have emerged in the context of so-called quality TV since the 2000s exhibit a much higher narrative complexity, is also reflected in the portrayal of characters. By moving away from episodic storytelling with completed plots after each episode or season to overarching storylines with continuously evolving stories (Mittell 2012: 106), the stories of the characters are also not completed, but designed for the future. In retrospect, the recipient of Breaking Bad (2008-2013) or the American fantasy series Game of Thrones (2011-2019), for example, then has a detailed view of the characters’ past. However, a distinction should be made between the depth of character and actual character changes (Gormász 2017: 188). As Gormász explains with reference to Mittell (2012), the impression of character development can arise when viewers receive more information about the personality of a character by observing them in different contexts and integrating this into an overall picture. But this alone does not mean that the character develops further: It is not so much that the series character changes over time as our conception of it. By narrating multiple situations and configurations from which the viewer is encouraged to induce the most diverse character traits of the character, the image of a round, multi-layered character gradually emerges. (Gormász 2017: 114, my translation) Depth of character is also created through innovative forms of depicting time, such as achronological storytelling with a look back into the past. Flashbacks, which regularly appear in Mad Men (2007-2015), This Is Us (2016-2022), or The Handmaid’s Tale as the characteristic narrative feature of the series, provide characters with so-called 3.2 The representation of characters in TV series and serials 49 <?page no="50"?> ‘backstories’ (Ganz-Blätter 2011) that unravel a character’s background and past, thus contributing significantly to its complexity. Viewers and characters are aware of this fictional life experience (Gormász 2017: 31), which Feuer (2003, cited ibid.) calls ‘backstory mileage’ and by means of which the behaviour of the characters becomes explicable. But the development of a character can also be the narrative subject and motor of a serial. A famous example of this is Breaking Bad, in which the protagonist Walter White mutates from a simple family father and pale chemistry teacher to a powerful and ruthless drug lord. The narrative structure of the serial enables the detailed presentation of connections between Walter’s actions and motifs, so called ‘causal chains’ (Gormász 2017: 31), so that the character development appears plausible and comprehensible overall. Due to the higher density of information in newer series and serials, characters today are often psychologically complex and sometimes also ambivalent in nature (cf. Gormász 2017). This is reinforced in some shows by the use of innovative narrative techniques through which viewers also receive contradicting information about the characters because self-characterisation and other characterisations do not match, or the boundaries between the fictional reality and mere imagination blur (e.g., in the case of delusions of a character). In The Affair (2014-2019), for example, the events are presented several times from different perspectives, which leads to contradictory interpretations of the events and inconsistencies in the depiction of the characters. Mr. Robot (2015-2019) uses subjective camera work that recreates what is happening from the protagonist’s point of view, with numerous manipulations of the viewers’ perceptions of the other characters, since the protagonist can be considered an unreliable narrator. More obvious, but no less complex, are the glimpses viewers gain through direct viewer address and breaking the fourth wall in House of Cards (2013-2018) into the inner workings of the protagonist Francis Underwood, which are diametrically opposed to his behaviour at story level. Complexity in character representation is also caused by the fact that many series use large character ensembles and develop several parallel storylines over many episodes or seasons. A good example of this is Game of Thrones, which not only features multiple character constellations that are developed in detail and in various configurations over eight seasons, but within which new constellations are also constantly created, as several times even central characters die and new ones emerge. According to Kelleter (2011: 73), the actual implementation of possible character configurations in such long-running series and serials with large ensembles of characters leads to an extremely dense network of relationships that casual viewers can hardly navigate. Info box 2: Examples of series and serials Tatort (which translates as “crime scene”) is a long-running German crime drama series. It follows different, recurring teams of investigators solving a range of crimes in cities throughout Germany and beyond. 50 3 Characters in Series and Serials <?page no="51"?> Friends, which aired for ten seasons from 1994-2004, is a successful American sitcom that revolves around the daily challenges of six close-knit friends living in Manhattan, New York City, humorously exploring their personal lives, relation‐ ships, and careers. Modern Family is an American sitcom produced in the style of a documentary series that cleverly depicts the dynamics within three different families connec‐ ted by their shared patriarch, Jay Pritchett. The American legal comedy-drama Ally McBeal follows a lawyer of the same name working in Boston. It mainly revolves around her private life and struggle to find romantic fulfillment. The dystopian serial The Handmaid’s Tale depicts life in the theonomic, military dictatorship of what once was the USA. As the world in The Handmaid’s Tale is plagued by rapidly decreasing birth rates, a radical political group seized power and transformed the country into a place where fertile handmaids are raped to pregnancy by the political elite. Breaking Bad, which ran for five seasons from 2008-2013, is an American crime drama serial following an upright chemistry teacher who literally breaks bad and turns into a ruthless criminal. The show is famous for its dark humour and has been awarded two Golden Globes as well as sixteen Emmys. Game of Thrones is an American television serial based on the book series A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin. It is set in a medieval fantasy world and weaves together the complex political intrigues among the noble families as they navigate the ‛game of thrones’ - either striving to sit on the throne or seeking to protect themselves and their kin from its holder. The American historical drama Mad Men follows a group of advertisers working on New York Madison Avenue. Exploring the protagonists’ personal and profes‐ sional lives, the show cleverly portrays societal changes throughout the 1960s and 1970s. The American drama This Is Us revolves around three siblings born on the same day, using several different time frames to explore significant moments in their lives. Among other topics, the show focuses on its protagonists’ struggles with anxiety and depression. The Affair, which ran from 2014-2019, is an American drama that delves into the consequences of an extra-marital love affair, exploring the complex emotional aftermath of infidelity. Mr. Robot is an American drama thriller following the young cybersecurity engineer Elliot Alderson struggling with various mental health disorders, who is recruited by a notorious hacker operating under the pseudonym ‘Mr. Robot’ to disrupt the global economy. For more information on Sherlock, The Crown, and House of Cards cf. Leonhardt and Viebrock in this volume. 3.2 The representation of characters in TV series and serials 51 <?page no="52"?> 3.3 The reception of serial characters from the perspective of cognitive theories Regarding the category ‘character’ in serial formats, the viewer plays an important role. Serial characters serve the purpose to bind viewers: We want to know what happens next with the characters, and this sustained interest keeps us watching regularly. In the reception process, the characters are (re)constructed: Character conceptions emerge from character representations (Gormász 2017: 88). Cognitive theories describe how textual artefacts become personalities (Eder 2005; Schick/ Ebbrecht 2008). They consider the activity of the recipient in the formation of character conceptions. For this, models of text comprehension and the human psyche are used. Characters are viewed as ‘mental models’ of the personae in a narrative world, which are constructed during the reception process based on textual cues. Such conceptions of persons include the physical, psychological, social, and communicative dimensions of a character. Real world experiences are also drawn upon to process the information provided. These take the form of concepts and schemata based on world knowledge and include personality theories, norms, and values. Emotions also play an important role: Viewers can hope for or fear for a character, feel with or empathise with them, identify with or reject them. According to Hallet (2007: 59), the (emotional) interest in characters and their ways of acting are prerequisites for the initiation of mental modelling of the textual world. Many of these processes are largely determined by aspects of serial storytelling itself. One specific feature of series and serials is the (at least potential) temporal unlimitedness of the reception process. In contrast to feature films, the formation of character conceptions takes place over several episodes or seasons, so that viewers work on their mental models of characters on an ongoing basis over a much longer period of time. In the process, they complete gaps in the presentation of characters (also using prior knowledge about the characters from previous episodes), explain behaviours against the background of new information and modify or reject already formed character conceptions. The further development of a character model by the viewer also takes place between the individual reception processes. This means that not only “reliving” (Lecke 2000: 138) the characters is possible, as in the case of feature films, but also “a thinking along with and thinking ahead” (ibid.) of how things could continue with a character. Regarding character perception in series and serials, it is therefore decisive what knowledge is built up about a character over time, what information is conveyed when and what is left out (Mikos 1998). The fact that we develop a lasting interest in the characters and their story and allow ourselves to become attached to a series or serial as viewers can be caused or strengthened by specific narrative means. Today, many serial characters are so open to interpretation that they can be read in different ways and thus provide points of contact for very different viewers. What Schlachter (2014a: 7) notes for the book and film series Twilight (2008-2015) and The Hunger Games (2012-2015), respectively can also be applied to Breaking Bad, Homeland (2011-2020) or The Handmaid’s Tale: The 52 3 Characters in Series and Serials <?page no="53"?> multi-layered, sometimes contradictory character conceptions of Katniss (The Hunger Games) and Edward (Twilight), as well as Walter White (Breaking Bad), Carrie Mathison (Homeland), and June Osborne (The Handmaid’s Tale), allow viewers with the most diverse needs and moods to identify with them. The many layers of meaning of the presentation of characters also create gaps which can be filled with individual ideas. Thus, in Walter we find the caring family father as well as the desperate cancer patient, the boundary-crossing husband, and the violent criminal. Carrie, too, is drawn in several dimensions: As a CIA agent, she usually follows her intuition, even defying instructions from her superiors; on the one hand she shows herself to be vulnerable, but on the other, she often acts unscrupulously herself, even to her own employees. Her extreme emotional swings can be explained by her mental illness, a bipolar disorder; her obsessions with cases she handles continue to puzzle her. In addition to the cliffhangers created in series, which encourage recipients to continue watching, one can therefore also speak of a kind of character-related cliffhanger, since the ambivalent character representation makes the viewer eagerly await how a character will continue to unfold. The viewer’s relationship to the characters is further influenced by techniques of focalisation (Gormász 2017: 12 f.). The perspective from which a series is told significantly determines the understanding and sympathy we have for a character. An important aspect in this context is the question of which perspective the viewer receives, i.e., which character they follow most in terms of space and time and from which character they receive the most insights into their inner life (e.g., via techniques of voice-over or mind-screen, i.e., the visualisation of thoughts and feelings). This character usually has “the privilege of situational understanding” (ibid.: 173). In many series and serials, it is the perspective of the protagonist through which we gain access to what is happening, which binds us to a series and invites us to develop an understanding of their actions and motives. In Breaking Bad, this goes so far as to give us an informational advantage over the other characters through Walter’s perspective, making us complicit and thus quasi his accomplices in the drug business (ibid.: 181). This certainly contributes to the fact that this character, as analysed by Gormász (ibid.: 185 f.) based on real audience reactions, is met with more sympathy than his wife Skyler, despite his many morally reprehensible actions. However, the narrative perspective can also be distributed among several characters, as in Downton Abbey (2010-2015) or Game of Thrones, in which the different storylines run parallel to each other. Special cases are The Affair and the Australian mini-series The Slap (2011), both of which present one and the same event from different perspectives, i.e., multiple times, so that it is up to the viewer to weigh the different points of view against each other and to distribute their sympathies according to the individual character conception. The fact that character conceptions and constellations are developed over a long period challenges the viewers (Kelleter 2011: 73 f.). They must maintain long-term attention as well as organise and relate a variety of information, especially when it is delivered over several episodes or even seasons (ibid.: 74). This can create strong viewer 3.3 The reception of serial characters from the perspective of cognitive theories 53 <?page no="54"?> retention, as no episode should be missed to avoid the risk of not picking up clues important for character conception (Ganz-Blätter 2011). Only viewers with long-term knowledge about a series or serial are able to grasp every detail. According to Gormász (2017: 109), they are rewarded with the impression of understanding the character better, of having seen through them (cf. also Weber/ Junklewitz 2008: 21). Today’s reception via streaming methods also enables a high frequency of watching with only small intervals between individual episodes and seasons, thus facilitating the formation of complex character conceptions. In addition, viewers often do not watch series and serials alone, but they also watch and read a variety of paratexts such as bonus material or websites designed by TV stations with backstories, episode guides, and omitted scenes. Just like the transmedial appropriation of serial characters (through books, graphic narratives, computer games, etc.), the reception of these texts contributes to a high intensity of character perception, so that the information provided about a character can be further differentiated. Info box 3: Examples of series and serials Homeland tells the story of Carrie Mathison, a CIA agent with manic-depressive episodes. Through eight seasons, Carrie and her colleagues are involved in international crises and save the world from terrorist organisations and foreign threats more than once. The famous British TV show Downton Abbey tells the story of an aristocratic family and their household at the beginning of the 20 th century. The drama exposes the arrogance and intrigues of an outgoing class system in the span of six seasons. The Slap (2011), based on Christos Tsiolkas’s novel of the same name, is an Australian mini-series consisting of eight episodes that each depict the events - the slapping of a child by another adult guest at a barbecue party - from the perspective of one of the people involved. 3.4 The reception of serial characters from the perspective of media studies The question of the role of real viewers in character perception is at the centre of media studies. They ask how viewers deal with TV formats and integrate them into their everyday lives. It has been found that the reception of serial characters also takes place by means of identification and projection (Keppler 1996; Mikos 1998). The interaction between viewers and characters is conceptualised as ‘parasocial’ (Mikos 2000; cf. also Vorderer 1996). Media scholars assume that viewers react similarly when interacting with serial characters as they do in real direct interaction situations. Ganz-Blätter (2011: 75) speaks of characters as ‘as-if acquaintances’. 54 3 Characters in Series and Serials <?page no="55"?> Other empirical studies deal with typical functions that series and serials have for viewers, such as entertainment or substitution for what is missing in their own lives (Götz 2002). This also includes questions about the gender-specific reception of images of women and men (Eggert 2000) or the effect of the idealised appearance of characters on the viewers’ self-perception (Kochlan/ Schemer 2001). The older works by Livingstone (1988) or Liebes and Katz (1990) are interesting because they not only examine the everyday embeddedness of series and serials, but also their interpretation by concrete viewers. All the studies mentioned, however, only consider the content and not their narrative form, so that the difference between the artefact ‘serial character’ and real people is neglected. As Keppler (1996) shows, viewers do not only perceive serial characters in an identificatory way, but also in a distancing way by observing and commenting on their aesthetic and cultural constructedness. Even in everyday conversations and fan forums, the topic often concerns the making of a series or serial (Mittell 2012: 119). From the perspective of media studies, serial characters are also analysed in their functions as talking and acting personalities. On the one hand, the characters serve to negotiate themes from a personal perspective (Mikos 1987), with similar themes re‐ peatedly appearing: In family series, marriage and sibling or parent-child relationships are preferred topics, while social and political problems play a minor role (Hickethier 1994). As acting personalities, serial characters demonstrate a spectrum of different behaviours. Hickethier (ibid.) therefore ascribes a ‘forum function’ to TV series, as viewers are challenged to take a stand on the behaviours presented. Kelleter (2011: 75, my translation) argues similarly when he emphasises “that our social conditions are not simply mirrored in television series, but that serial television itself is an active shaping force of our reality”. Riegert’s (2016) observation that the explicit play with clichés about social-emotional or physical limitations such as autism in The Big Bang Theory (2007-2019) or short stature in some Tatort episodes is intended to humorously make viewers think about norms. Stereotypes can function as an example of this (ibid.: 36). Info box 4: The Big Bang Theory The Big Bang Theory is a US-American sitcom that makes topical the lives of four brilliant, but socially awkward scientists and their friends. The successful series ran over 12 seasons and 279 episodes. 3.5 The reception of serial characters in social media Since many follow-up communications about series and serials today take place via digital media, e.g., in fan talk on social networks or by posting feedback on a website, the reactions of real viewers to serial characters and the diverse functions that series 3.5 The reception of serial characters in social media 55 <?page no="56"?> consumption fulfils are directly observable. An investigation of internet forums on The Hunger Games by Schlachter (2014b) makes clear that contents of popular formats are of high relevance for young people and used for identity work. Appropriation modes and reactions take place against the backdrop of their own identity themes and range from naive identifying approval to playful confrontations to critical-reflective evaluations. Especially through virtual role-playing games in which fans act as their favourite characters (so-called cosplays), new spaces for communication and action are opened. This also involves references to one’s own world, for example, when players ask each other during a writing game on The Hunger Games what they would do themselves if they had to go to the arena to fight (ibid.: 279). But even without assuming roles in a game, follow-up communications can lead to intensive confrontations with one’s own identity. Gormász (2017: 14) points out that viewers in the protection of fiction and its rules adopt an attitude that facilitates thought experiments. Because the viewers cannot be personally affected by the tensions within the depicted world, they can observe and judge the problems of the characters from a certain distance, and alternative courses of action can be mentally played out on the basis of one’s own experiences and desires. Such thought experiments can be found for example in comments on series on the internet, when viewers articulate their opinions on the behaviour of characters and, if necessary, discuss possible solutions to problems in exchange with other fans. Series and serials therefore also fulfil a community-building function because they encourage people to agree on shared social norms (Gormász 2017: 185). Fan fiction also regularly develops plot options. When viewers get creative and extend the plot of a show through prequels or sequels, write alternative scenes or present the events from a different perspective, this on the one hand provides information about how they understand the characters. On the other hand, viewers become part of the production process itself through their own designs, as they expand the narrative universe of a show by enriching it with other possible worlds (cf. Leonhardt/ Viebrock in this volume). In ongoing shows, viewers can even influence plot developments and castings this way, so direct feedback between the portrayal of characters and their reception becomes possible (Kelleter 2011: 74). Schlachter (2016: 100, my translation) therefore speaks of popular seriality as “a highly productive and dynamic cultural field”; for media scholar Henry Jenkins, it is a ‘culture of participation’ (cited in Kelleter 2011: 74). 3.6 Serial characters in teaching contexts All the perspectives presented in this chapter can contribute to the design of lessons and tasks on serial narration that are not only content-centred but also incorporate narrative forms and - in line with a cultural studies approach to teaching literature and film - contexts of reception. Such teaching also corresponds to more recent film education concepts in that it understands audio-visual formats not primarily as an 56 3 Characters in Series and Serials <?page no="57"?> object, but as a cultural field of action in which learners become receptive, reflective, and also productive (cf. Blell et al. 2016). In this way, both the cognitive and pragmatic as well as the affective side of learning with and about audio-visual texts can be taken into account. Transferred to the study of characters in series and serials, this means not only dealing with serial texts thematically. Rather, the way they are made, i.e., the narrative principles of seriality, should also be examined and reflected upon with regards to their effects on viewers (cf. also Anders/ Staiger 2016b: 10 f.). In this way, a distanced view of one’s own perceptions can be achieved: The reception of characters is not viewed purely in terms of identification, but the mechanisms that promote identification are also analysed. The study of serial representation processes enables learners to participate compe‐ tently in elaborate discourses. Working out with learners how audio-visual serial texts may manipulate them and what knowledge they bring to texts for the construction of stories and characters is important because communication takes place largely via nar‐ rative forms: These are used to give structure and meaning to experiences and events. According to Schultz-Pernice (2016: 47) engaging with serial narratives contributes to the development of narrative competence: Learners acquire the necessary tools to tell stories themselves. Furthermore, they learn about the constructed nature of serial narratives and develop a critical view of media representations. To achieve these various goals, different forms of access are necessary when dealing with serial characters in class. They should include analytical as well as action-and production-orientated methods and activities. In addition, the integration of cultural studies methods such as ethnographic research allows for the exploration of reception behaviour. Insights and categories from drama and narrative theory can be used to analyse the representation of characters in TV series and serials (cf. Allrath et al. 2005). By means of analytical procedures, learners gain insight into the way information is given about the characters, which in TV series and serials is not only done through language and dialogues, but to a large extent through audio-visual information and the serial structure itself. So, it is important that a character is not only analysed in a single episode, but that their appearance and behaviour is set in relation to the episodes of a season or even an entire show. However, the question arises as to how this can be done methodologically, since complete shows cannot be watched in class. It is therefore important to make a meaningful selection of scenes and episodes and to draw on the prior knowledge and viewing habits of the learners or to shift the actual watching into preand post-preparation time (for concrete methodological suggestions cf. Viebrock/ Leonhardt in this volume). An intensive examination of the opening credits and the beginning of a show is promising, for example, because the viewers perceive the characters for the first time and this first impression is seen as decisive for the formation of character conceptions. Subsequently, central episodes of a season can be analysed that are relevant for the development of a character or character relationships. To visualise complex character relationships, it can also be helpful to use 3.6 Serial characters in teaching contexts 57 <?page no="58"?> infographics. Various examples are available on the internet, e.g., for Game of Thrones, but the students can also prepare these themselves. The creation of role biographies or visualised development curves can also help to cope with the density of information in the portrayal of characters. For learners to become aware of their active participation in character reception, they should be encouraged to look at their own experience with series and serials. Self-observation, e.g., in the form of associations, questions, and hypotheses about characters and events, can be recorded in a viewing log. In doing so, the pupils should also try to reflect on how a series or serial guides them in their understanding of the characters. Retelling the story, e.g., imagining character configurations in which one would like to see one’s favourite character, also provides access to the interaction between the recipient and the show: Follow-up narratives illustrate how learners received previous events and what ideas they formed about the characters. Fan fiction on the internet can prove useful in this context. It can serve as a starting point for discussion, as retellings from other recipients reveal how they understand the characters and their relationships to each other (Lewin 2016). Fan fiction pages can also function as model texts for learners. In addition, students can post their own stories on these sites and respond to comments and reviews from other fans. According to Lazar (2008: 159), the high participation rate on fan fiction forums suggests that this form of follow-up communication is very motivating. It also leads to participation in real-world discourses on series and serials. Through creative processes such as visualising the constellation of characters in still images, re-enacting or replaying individual scenes, or negotiating conflicts in role-playing, learners can experience relationship structures with many senses. They can bring their own experiences and attitudes into the game, but by acting under the protection of the role, they can also try out new behaviour and action patterns and even explore different identities. This is especially important when using series and serials in the classroom, as it is often lamented that in our mediatised society, direct experiences are increasingly being replaced by the secondary experiences of the media. Playful forms of access offer the opportunity to become aware of and deal with one’s own experiences and enrich them by new ones. Finally, learners can explore and reflect on the reception of serial formats by conducting ethnographic research themselves, as increasingly suggested for cultural learning processes (König 2020). For example, they use interviews in their own or other learning groups, in their family, or circle of friends to enquire about the everyday integration of series and serials, and the significance of serial characters for the viewers (Henseler/ Möller 2017). Forums or blogs in which fans talk about their favourite shows can also be used to answer the question of in which situations viewers talk about the character of a series and how. Through such an approach, the diverse functions that serial characters can fulfil become visible to learners as a cultural phenomenon. They themselves, in turn, are seen as cultural agents who, through their own research, reconstruct and co-construct cultural knowledge relevant to their everyday lives. 58 3 Characters in Series and Serials <?page no="59"?> References Allrath, Gaby/ Gymnich, Marion/ Surkamp, Carola (2005). Introduction: towards a narratology of TV series. In: Allrath, Gaby/ Marion Gymnich (eds.). Narrative Strategies in Television Series. 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Eder, Jens (2005). Die Wege der Gefühle: Ein integratives Modell der Anteilnahme an Filmfiguren. In: Brütsch, Matthias/ Hediger, Vinzenz/ von Keitz, Ursula/ Schneider, Alexandra/ Tröhler, Margrit (eds.). Kinogefühle. Emotion und Film. Marburg: Schüren, 225-242. Eggert, Susanne (2000). Von Frauen, Männern und Menschen: Wie Mädchen und Jungen die Serienfiguren sehen. In: Theunert, Helga/ Gebel, Christa (eds.). Lehrstücke fürs Leben in Fortsetzung: Serienrezeption zwischen Kindheit und Jugend. München: Fischer, 97-130. Ganz-Blättler, Ursula (2011). ‚Sometimes against all odds, against all logic, we touch‘: Kumula‐ tives Erzählen und Handlungsbögen als Mittel der Zuschauerbindung in Lost und Grey’s Anatomy. In: Blanchet, Robert/ Zutavern, Julia/ Köhler, Kristina/ Smid, Tereza (eds.). Serielle Formen: Von den frühen Film-Serials zu aktuellen Quality-TV- und Onlineserien. Marburg: Schüren, 73-91. Götz, Maya (2002). Typische Aneignungsmuster der Soap. In: Götz, Maya (ed.). Alles Seifenbla‐ sen? Die Bedeutung von Daily Soaps im Alltag von Kindern und Jugendlichen. München: Fischer, 251-301. Gormász, Kathi (2017). Walter White & Co: Die neuen Heldenfiguren in amerikanischen Fernsehserien. Köln: UVK. Hallet, Wolfgang (2007). Literatur, Kognition und Kompetenz: Die Literarizität kulturellen Handelns. In: Hallet, Wolfgang/ Bredella, Lothar (eds.). Literaturunterricht, Kompetenzen, Bildung. Trier: WVT, 31-64. Henseler, Roswitha/ Möller, Stefan (2017). Previously On: Mit TV-Serien narrative Kompetenz und Spracherwerb fördern. Der fremdsprachliche Unterricht Englisch 146, 2-9. Hickethier, Knut (1994). Die Fernsehserie und das Serielle des Programms. In: Giesenfeld, Günter (ed.). Endlose Geschichten: Serialität in den Medien. Hildesheim: Olms, 55-71. Kelleter, Frank (2011). Serienhelden sehen dich an. Psychologie heute 38 (4), 70-75. References 59 <?page no="60"?> Kelleter, Frank (2012). Populäre Serialität: Eine Einführung. In: Kelleter, Frank (ed.). Populäre Serialität: Narration - Evolution - Distinktion. Zum seriellen Erzählen seit dem 19. Jahrhun‐ dert. Bielefeld: transcript, 11-46. Keppler, Angela (1996). Interaktion ohne reales Gegenüber: Zur Wahrnehmung medialer Akteure im Fernsehen. In: Vorderer, Peter (ed.). Fernsehen als ‚Beziehungskiste‘: Parasoziale Beziehungen und Interaktionen mit TV-Personen. Opladen: Westdeutscher Verlag, 11-24. Kochhan, Christoph/ Schemer, Christian (2001). Schönheitsideale in Daily Soaps: Zum Wirklich‐ keitspotenzial von ‚Attraktivitätsstandards‘ auf die Körperbilder der Rezipienten. Medien praktisch 4, 68-75. König, Lotta (2020). Ethnographisch-exploratives Arbeiten. In: Hallet, Wolfgang/ Königs, Frank G./ Martinez, Hélène (eds.). Handbuch Methoden im Fremdsprachenunterricht. Hannover: Klett-Kallmeyer, 517-519. Lazar, Gilian (2008). Some approaches to literature, language teaching and the internet. Fremd‐ sprachen Lehren und Lernen 37, 154-163. Lecke, Bodo (2000). Geschäftsauslagen für Lebensmuster? Die Lifestyle-Angebote der Soap Operas für Jugendliche am Beispiel Verbotene Liebe. In: Schäfer, Eva (ed.). Internet, Film, Fernsehen: Zur Nutzung aktueller Medien als Folie für Selbst- und Weltbilder. München: kopaed, 135-147. Lewin, Sonja (2016). ‚This is a continuation of what might have been‘: Fan Fiction als Zugang zu Fernsehserien im Englischunterricht. Fremdsprachen Lehren und Lernen 45 (1), 81-96. Liebes, Tamar/ Katz, Elihu (1990). The Export of Meaning: Cross-cultural Readings of Dallas. New York: Oxford UP. Livingstone, Sonia (1988). Viewers’ interpretations of soap opera: the role of gender, power and morality. In: Drummond, Philip/ Paterson, Richard (eds.). Television and its Audiences: International Research Perspectives. London: British Film Institute, 83-107. Mikos, Lothar (1987). Fernsehserien: Ihre Geschichte, Erzählweise und Themen. Medien und Erziehung 31 (1), 2-16. Mikos, Lothar (1998). Helden, Versager und andere Typen: Struktur-funktionale Film- und Fernsehanalyse Teil 7. Medien praktisch 4, 48-54. Mikos, Lothar (2000). It’s a family affair: Fernsehserien und ihre Bedeutung im Alltagsleben. In: Thomas, Günter (ed.). Religiöse Funktionen des Fernsehens? Wiesbaden: Westdeutscher Verlag, 231-245. Mittell, Jason (2012). Narrative Komplexität im amerikanischen Gegenwartsfernsehen. In: Kelleter, Frank (ed.). Populäre Serialität: Narration - Evolution - Distinktion. Zum seriellen Erzählen seit dem 19.-Jahrhundert. Bielefeld: transcript, 97-122. Riegert, Judith (2016). Serielle Erzählungen im inklusiven Deutschunterricht. In: Anders, Petra/ Staiger, Michael (eds.), 28-41. Schick, Thomas/ Ebbrecht, Tobias (eds.) (2008). Emotion - Empathie - Figur: Spielformen der Filmwahrnehmung. Berlin: Vistas. Schlachter, Birgit (2014a). Twilight, Die Tribute von Panem & Co im Deutschunterricht? Zur didaktischen Relevanz der populären Jugendliteratur. Leseräume: Zeitschrift für Literalität in Schule und Forschung 1 (1), n.p. 60 3 Characters in Series and Serials <?page no="61"?> Schlachter, Birgit (2014b). Formen und Funktionen von Anschlusskommunikation im Internet: Eine empirische Erkundung des Tribute von Panem-Forums. In: Weinkauff, Gina (ed.). Kinder und Jugendliteratur in Medienkontexten: Adaption - Hybridisierung - Intermedialität - Konvergenz. Frankfurt a.M.: Lang, 267-283. Schlachter, Birgit (2016). Syntagmatische und paradigmatische Serialität in der populären Jugendliteratur. In: Anders, Petra/ Staiger, Michael (eds.), 100-114. Schultz-Pernice, Florian (2016). Narrative und normative Probleme des seriellen Erzählens. In: Anders, Petra/ Staiger, Michael (eds.), 42-55. Vorderer, Peter (ed.) (1996). Fernsehen als ‚Beziehungskiste‘: Parasoziale Beziehungen und Interaktionen mit TV-Personen. Opladen: Westdeutscher Verlag. Weber, Tanja/ Junklewitz, Christian (2008). Das Gesetz der Serie: Ansätze zur Definition und Analyse. MEDIENwissenschaft 1, 13-31. References 61 <?page no="63"?> Part II: First-Encounters with-Series and-Serials in-Foreign-Language-Education <?page no="65"?> 4 “We Don’t Quit, We Got Grit! ”: Ada Twist, Scientist and Young Learners of English Grit Alter Ada Twist, Scientist (2021) is based on the popular picturebook with the same title, written by Andrea Beaty and illustrated by David Roberts (2016). Originally intended for pre-school children, the animated TV adaptation features Ada, an eight-year-old girl and her two best friends, Rosie Revere, an engineer, and Iggy Peck, an architect, who are also picturebook characters by the same author-illustrator team. Each 30-minute episode narrates a new science adventure ranging from the magic of baking soda to the mystery of the great stink. The series is produced by Chris Nee (Netflix) who teamed up with Michelle and Barack Obama’s production company Higher Ground. It populates children’s television with two strong girls who are not afraid to be the smartest children in the room. Ada is the central character and unapologetically intelligent, curious, creative, and kind; she breaks up the anti-intellectual stereotype that still exists about Black girls. This chapter takes the necessity to develop scientific literacy among young learners as a starting point and offers an analysis of narrative structures and aesthetic choices in serialized animations. The ideas for applying the series to ELT at the end of primary and the beginning of secondary school (transition phase) invite young learners to take initial analytical steps of understanding how animated TV series work and to engage in creative reflections. I will also introduce basic and easy science experiments in line with CLIL methodology that cater to young English learners. In one example learners find out what to do when they have used too much pepper while cooking. 4.1 Introduction Not least since the United States under former President Donald Trump have formally withdrawn from the Paris Agreement in 2017 (McGarth 2020) does the discourse on climate change face severe denial, accusations of scaremongering, and twists of scientific facts (Vetter 2021). This also applies to media for young children. Picturebooks such as Mike Huckabee’s The Kids Guide to the Truth about Climate Change (2023) twists and turns facts to the extent of spreading inaccuracies and misinformation (Fortuna 2023). Public figures such as Donald Trump have influenced the public’s trust in science and substituted it by populism. <?page no="66"?> Hence, instilling trust in science and considering science as valuable in understand‐ ing the world, already at a young age, is paramount. Often, educators and teachers may question how this can be done in a meaningful but still entertaining way for young children. Next to picturebooks, TV series and serials could be a means to develop their curiosity and interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). After all, the world is full of wonders that are only waiting to be discovered. Ada Twist, Scientist (2016), the Netflix adaptation of Andrea Beaty and David Roberts’ picturebook, shall serve as an example to illustrate how a TV series can be used in early English language teaching (ELT) to foster not only language competences, but also lay the foundation of scientific literacy. First, this chapter offers insights to the concept of scientific literacy, which is followed by a discussion of the potential of the selected series for children. This discussion entails a short overview of the genre animated cartoons and its benefits for fostering language competences and scientific literacy in the transition from primary to secondary ELT. Ideas for a practical implementation are framed in the approach of content and language integrated learning (CLIL) and focus on conducting small experiments on household phenomena. 4.2 Scientific literacy Using the complexity and ubiquitous presence of the climate change discourse, including its utilization by certain political forces as an example, OECD PISA’s call for scientific literacy (2018) still needs to be heard and powerfully put to practice. Scientific literacy is the ability to engage with science-related issues, and with the ideas of science, as a reflective citizen. A scientifically literate person, […] is willing to engage in reasoned discourse about science and technology which requires the competencies of explaining phenomena scientifically […] evaluating and designing scientific inquiry [and] interpreting data and evidence scientifically. (OECD 2019: 100 f.) The competence to explain phenomena scientifically entails “[r]ecognising, offering and evaluating explanations for a range of natural and technological phenomena” (ibid.: 100). Evaluating and designing scientific inquiry refers to “describing and appraising scientific investigations and proposing ways of addressing questions scientifically” (ibid.: 100 f.). Interpreting data and evidence scientifically means “analysing and evaluating data, claims and arguments in a variety of representations and drawing appropriate scientific conclusions” (ibid.: 101). Scientific literacy is essential, particularly in contexts of current science denial in certain social and political groups, because “the knowledge and understanding of scientific concepts and processes” is paramount for informed and critical “personal 66 4 “We Don’t Quit, We Got Grit! ” <?page no="67"?> 1 For a recent overview, please see Ploj Virtic (2022). decision making, participation in civic and cultural affairs, and economic productivity” (NSES 2013 in Townley 2018). 1 Conceptualizations of scientific literacy commonly address the ability to understand scientific concepts, to critically engage with their media representations, to communicate clearly about science, to act reflectively, and to make informed decisions. Developing scientific literacy should first and foremost be part of science subjects such as Physics, Chemistry, and Biology. However, similar to holding these subjects accountable for developing social and language competences, social science subjects, which include (foreign) language subjects, need to play their part in developing science competences, too. After all, education and being educated are complex concepts, and it is hardly possible to develop skills for the 21 st century (Trilling/ Fadel 2009) while upholding the traditional belief in separate subjects. In fact, concepts such as content and language integrated learning (CLIL, cf. Coyle/ Meyer 2021, Klewitz 2022) mirror an approach to education which explicitly combines language and content learning. 4.3 Ada Twist, Scientist for developing scientific literacy CLIL as a general approach to fostering English language skills in primary school can be a pathway into developing scientific literacy. Although the relatively young learners may have limited world experiences and their cognitive abilities are still unfolding, playful experiments can indeed develop language skills as well as awareness of scientific processes. Particularly for young learners who have little experience with learning English in an institutional setting, hands-on activities visualize and illustrate the language that is being used. Ada Twist explores everyday phenomena so that the words and phrases she uses also mirror in the young learners’ daily surroundings. Ada Twist, Scientist, is a TV series for young children in which three friends discover science behind everyday phenomena such as cooking (S01: E03), body odors (S01: E06), and the climate (S04: E04, S04: E06). It is originally produced with a pre-school audience in mind which makes its content and language suitable for ELT learners in the transition phase from primary to secondary education. The series is based on the picturebook (2016) with the same title. While the picturebook has gained popularity with audiences and reviewers (it debuted as #1 in The New York Times Best Sellers in September 2016 and received high acclaims from Booklist (Dean 2016) and Kirkus Reviews (2016), for example), the TV series received the 2022 Annie Award for Best Animated Television/ Broadcast Production for Preschool Children (Annie Awards 2022). In the same year, the series won the Children’s and Family Emmy ® Award, in the category Outstanding Preschool Animated Series (The Emmys 2022). It is produced by a cooperation of Netflix Animation (producer Chris Nee), Brown Bag Films, Higher Ground Productions, Laughing Wild, and Wonder Worldwide. Nee is also responsible for successful animated cartoons such 4.3 Ada Twist, Scientist for developing scientific literacy 67 <?page no="68"?> as Doc McStuffins (Disney, 2012-2020); Higher Ground Productions was launched by former US-President and First Lady Michelle and Barack Obama. Their goal is to increase the diversity of voices in documentaries, series, and feature films. Hence, they picked the picturebook Ada Twist, Scientist for a TV-series adaptation, featuring a Black girl as the main protagonist, a girl who is smart, witty, and self-confident. This can be seen as an attempt to make space for Blackness and Black girls on screen with the hope to positively affect their dreams and aspirations. According to Bandura’s (1994) social learning theory, media can be decisive for behavioral modeling. “Given that children’s learning is a vicarious experience and that many children encounter visual media regularly, it stands to reason that repeated exposure to portrayed modeled behavior can influence children’s perceptions of social norms” (Zurcher et al. 2018: 50). While female protagonists have been insignificant and mere sidekicks in former TV cartoons for children (Gökçearslan 2010) with males dominating the plot, this has recently begun to change. Not only Ada Twist but also Kim Possible and Shego in Kim Possible, Katara and Suki in Avatar: The Last Airbender, Daria in Daria and Libby Fox in Jimmy Neutron are further strong, independent, and mindful female role models. Hence, the series not only lends itself to increase the young audience’s, particularly girls’, interest in science, but also contributes to increasing the visibility of people who can be read as Black and female on children’s TV. Finally, the series provides fun for older audiences as well: not only in the subtle humor of the dialogues or the design of the setting, but also in the intertextual references to popular culture, e.g., with titles of episodes such as “A Fort of One’s Own” (S01: E01, A Room of One’s Own), “Cat on the Hot Twist Roof ” (S02: E02, Cat on the Hot Tin Roof), “The Amazing-Spider Twist” (S03: E05, The Amazing Spider Man), “Ghost Busted” (S03: E06, Ghostbusters), “The Green Team” (S04: E03, The A-Team), or “Soakchella” (S04: E06, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival). Before this chapter deals with a specific episode from the series, more general information on animated cartoon, stylistic devices, and benefits for teaching context shall be shared. 4.4 Animated cartoons Pikkov (2010) provides a comprehensive analysis and overview of animated film and shall therefore serve as the main reference in this section. His definition of animated cartoon shall be quoted at length: Animation essentially involves the presentation of still images in a manner that creates an illusion of motion in viewers’ minds. The fact that the illusion of motion is located inside the viewers’ minds and not in outside reality is of fundamental importance here. The movement of marionettes in a puppet theatre does not constitute animation because the audience sees real-life motion, while a moving puppet in an animated film is animation because the audience is actually presented 68 4 “We Don’t Quit, We Got Grit! ” <?page no="69"?> with still images of the puppet, which, when presented in a certain manner, lead to an illusion of motion. Thus, the movement in animation does not take place on the screen but in the viewer’s mind. The human eye is capable of retaining an after-image for a fraction of a second, which allows for the perception of motion if a sequence of slightly different pictures is shown at a certain rate. (ibid.: 14) The term animation has its roots in the Latin word ‘anima’ which translates as ‘the breath of life’, ‘vital principle’, or ‘soul’ (ibid.: 15). With this and the previous explan‐ ation in mind, it can be said that animation creates motion rather than reproducing it (ibid.). Accordingly, “[a]nimation is not the art of drawings that move but the art of movements that are drawn” (McLaren in ibid.). As will be further differentiated below, being an art form independent from other cinematographic genres, animated cartoons have their own artistic language and stylistic devices (cf. Lotman in ibid.). There are several forms of animation. These include hand-drawn animation, roto‐ scoping, cut-out (silhouette) animation, sand animation, direct animation, puppet or model animation, time-lapse cinematography, and pixilation (Pikkov 2010). Ada Twist, Scientist is a computer animation. The characters and entire setting of the series are created on a computer and the images are digitally processed, for which the producers and artists use different programs (cf. ibid.: 21). Benefits of (animated) cartoons for educational contexts have been widely discussed (e.g., Anderson 2008; Clark 2000; Danan 2004; Heffernan 2005; Lin/ Chen/ Dwyer 2006; Naylor/ Keogh 1999). These scholars point out that using animated cartoons increases learners’ motivation and their engagement in language learning. Cartoons add variety to classroom teaching and are often emotionally appealing due to their humor and design. In general, cartoons often attract students’ attention, create a low affective filter atmosphere and thus a welcoming and non-threatening setting for learning (Clark 2000). In terms of language learning, cartoons enhance listening comprehension skills (Danan 2004; Heffernan 2005) and foster speaking skills, particularly discussing (Clark 2000). They also provide options for cultural learning (Anderson 2008) and for developing content knowledge (Danan 2004; Lin/ Chen/ Dwyer 2006) in general. This is mainly supported by the fact that cartoons are multimodal in that they provide audio input which is not only visualized (Danan 2004) but also animated to offer more detailed and concrete insights to procedures and processes, be those technical, chemical, biological, or physical. Depending on the topic of a cartoon, these also have the potential to enhance critical thinking (Clark 2000). Furthermore, what Leonhardt and Viebrock (in this volume) ascribe to series in general can also be applied to animated series such as Ada Twist, Scientist: As culturally significant texts, series and serials can make topical relevant social, economic, and political issues which are able to spark classroom discussions and allow teachers to integrate learning a new language in meaningful ways. 4.4 Animated cartoons 69 <?page no="70"?> As elaborated in the introduction to this edition (cf. Leonhardt/ Viebrock in this volume), series and serials display different levels of audio-visual design. The specifics of the narrative (plot, design of protagonists, characters, setting, etc.), dramatic, and cinematographic level (editing, transition from one scene to the next, light, sound, perspectives, focus, etc.) as well as the serial composition shall be discussed in direct reference to an analysis of Ada Twist, Scientist in the following section. As this series is an animated cartoon, what Leonhardt and Viebrock refer to as the ‘dramatic level’ of real-life series or serials here needs to be defined as the ‘artistic level’ and refer to everything that regards shapes, lines, and color, the design of the protagonists and settings. 4.5 Analysis of the series This section introduces Ada Twist, Scientist in more detail. I refer to the levels of the series’ audio-visual design (narrative, artistic, cinematographic level) as well as serial composition. This is followed by an analysis of a single episode, including suggestions of how to implement it in the transition phase from primary to secondary ELT. Narrative level The show narrates Ada and her friends’ adventures when trying to explain certain phenomena they observe in their immediate surroundings, the household, kitchen, and garden. Together, they try to answer questions, e.g., why and how baking soda works, what makes feet smell, or why the water in the bird feeder disappears although no one drinks it. The children pay attention to detail, observe processes, and make meaning by forming hypotheses and investigating changes in the experiments they conduct - a procedure that is at the very core of science. In reviews, Ada Twist, Scientist is highly acclaimed for encouraging especially girls’ interest in STEM (e.g., Chase 2021). It sparks curiosity in everyday phenomena and invites the young and older audiences to pay attention to these themselves. Hence, the practical ideas for using the series in primary ELT also evolve around forming hypotheses on everyday phenomena. Each episode consists of two animated adventures, each ten minutes long, followed by an introduction to a real-life scientist and their work. Artistic level Ada Twist, Scientist is a fully animated 2D cartoon animation. While the background is static and consists of drawn images (i.e., the plants in the garden do not move despite animated wind), the characters are dynamic and animated. Most of the characters have comparably large heads and long thin limbs. Their facial expressions change according to their feelings and action, their eyebrows and forehead move, and so do their eyes and mouth when they speak or actively listen to others. Shapes are created by clear lines 70 4 “We Don’t Quit, We Got Grit! ” <?page no="71"?> and full colors held in warm and friendly tones. Despite the setting being formed by static images, surfaces appear dynamic and lively due to textures that become visible through light and shade. When Ada and her friends conduct experiments, someone drives off in a car, or when Ada turns her suitcase into her laboratory, visual effects support the dramatic effect of such content, e.g., with items floating in space or wheels producing an exaggerated amount of dust. Emphasized facial expressions and gestures can enhance young learners’ ability to understand the protagonists’ emotions and make an analysis of their character more accessible. This could also come in handy when learners are to adapt scenes or develop their own episodes (cf. below). Cinematographic level On the cinematographic level, Ada Twist, Scientist reminds the viewer of stylistic devices known from feature films. For example, it shows different means of transition from one scene to the next. When time passes, the hands of an animated clock turn in a full circle. When there is a change of the setting, a red bar moving from the left to the right (also the direction of Western reading which supports focus) pushes one frame out of the screen and pulls the new one into sight. When one episode is finished and transitions to a real-life scientist or expert, Ada pushes the frame to the right, appears on the left and explains who is to be introduced. Learners can collect such devices, decode their function, and think of further means of transition. In the leader to each episode, the protagonists are presented one after the other and are then visible in split screens to unify them as a team. When characters move from one room to the next or other people enter the room (e.g., S01: E03, 00: 01: 12), the shot seems to follow them or zoom out of the scene to enlarge the frame and make space for them to be seen. The notions of zooming in and out are also essential when the children conduct their experiments. In order to allow the audience to participate in the children’s observations and follow their experiments, the scenes focus on “very small objects, dangerous phenomena, processes that occur too quickly or too slowly to perceive them directly” (Dulamă 2000: 134 f.). This also happens when perspectives change, e.g., when Ada uses a magnifying glass to observe details in the plants in “Garden Party” (S01: E03, 00: 15: 31, see below). She is shown from a frog perspective, and when the children enjoy the garden party, the scene is presented from a wide-angle medium-bird perspective. In general, all scenes are fully illuminated, but this changes according to the time of day or night. Serial composition In 2023, Ada Twist, Scientist ran in its fourth season. The first and second season featured twelve episodes, the third 16 episodes, and the latest season 21 episodes. The series features the same protagonists and characters as well as settings (it is only in the first episode of season four that a new family moves to town and Benny, a sci-fi loving kid, joins the three friends). Even so, each episode has a clear closure of the imminent 4.5 Analysis of the series 71 <?page no="72"?> storyline (Pick n.y.: 23); the episodes follow a “vertical narration” (cf. Henseler/ Möller 2017). Overarching narrative strands that build a larger narrative can be identified in the re-occurring teasing between Ada and her brother Arthur or general topics that reappear between the friends and family members. Each episode comes with a scientific experiment that is the result of the children’s everyday observation. Often, before engaging in a collection of ideas, the children sing the “Brainstorm” song which reappears in the episodes. The magic suitcase that sometimes turns into a laboratory or contains tools and instruments reappears as well. Even so, there are no cliffhangers, foreshadowing, or stories that are continued in the following episode. Ada Twist, Scientist therefore qualifies as an episodic series that follows a “repetitive variation” with “recurring characters, settings or plot structures, but no continuous storyline” (Kelleter 2017: 12). Young learners can be asked to name elements that reappear in a series or serial to increase their awareness of characteristics of a continuous narration (cf. Mat. 4). Here, it would be helpful if they could watch two or three further episodes, but even if not, they may be familiar with such elements from their private viewing experiences. They could mention protagonists and characters, songs, running gags, or even a similar narrative structure consisting of interaction, conflict, solution. 4.6 Ada Twist, Scientist in transition ELT As to implement Ada Twist, Scientist in English language teaching at the end of primary and the beginning of secondary school, I suggest three dimensions. Based on an understanding of TV series as texts in which meaning is derived from the interplay of the medium, its recipients, and their experience-based interpretation (Bateman et al. 2013: 10), young learners reflect on stylistic devices of animation to gain a deeper understanding of the way in which animation creates effects in audiences. This will be supplemented by creative tasks in which they can create and experience such effects themselves. In a third approach, and in line with content and language integrated learning (CLIL, cf. Coyle/ Meyer 2021; Klewitz 2022), young learners are invited to conduct experiments themselves (Kerkeler 2007). Specific tasks and methodological considerations As a foundation for these specific tasks, I turn to the double episode “Cake Twist/ Garden Party” (cf. info box 1). Ada and her friends want to make a cake and wonder about the right amount of baking soda to make the cake perfect. Learners could bake a cake at home and see the effect of baking soda themselves. This episode lasts 13 minutes and includes a visit to real-life expert, Lasheeda Perry. She is a pastry chef and explains the effect of baking soda which helps baked goods to raise. She experiments with baking soda and makes two batches of chocolate chip cookies, one with baking soda and one without. She then compares both and shows that the cookies have a different color (golden vs. pale), form (round form vs. rustic edges), and texture, with 72 4 “We Don’t Quit, We Got Grit! ” <?page no="73"?> the cookies with baking soda being fluffier and softer. The experts and scientists who are introduced at the end of an episode always share a fun fact as well: baking soda is used in fire extinguishers. Info box 1: Cake Twist (S01: E03) Ada’s mum forgets about her wedding anniversary and has no time to prepare anything for her husband. Ada suggests that she could make her dad’s chocolate surprise cake, but no one except him knows the recipe. The three children get to work and experiment with basic ingredients. The first cake turns out way too big and fluffy and explodes when Rosie tries to cut it. The children observe that baking soda makes the cake big, but maybe they used too much. So, for the second cake they take less baking soda, but this one disintegrates. Not knowing what to do and getting frustrated, Rosie bangs her fist on the table. She accidentally drops the baking soda on the lemon which heavily bubbles up. Ada makes the connection: A lot of baking soda heavily bubbles up, little baking soda only a little. Hence, they not only need the right ingredients but also the right amount: “We need the right chemical reaction to make the cake perfect! ” In the end, they succeed but put the sprinkles into the cake and not on top. Ada is devastated because the cake does not seem to be perfect after all. But both her parents reassure her that it is, because it is her perfect cake and her dad praises that sprinkles in the cake would even be much better than on top. This episode addresses a few more issues which shall be summarized in bullet points: ● Black pride: Ada’s first idea to surprise her dad is to paint the whole house red, the color of love and Mars, because her dad loves Mars. Coloring everything would mean that she would need to color herself red as well. She then discards the idea, commenting “I like being black”. She expresses pride in her skin color and identity. ● Amicable exes: “Cake Twist” is a double episode, followed by “Garden Party.” There, Ada and Rosie visit Iggy at his house to have a garden party. However, since Iggy’s dad has moved away because his parents got divorced, no one had the time to take care of the plants. The children figure out how to save the plants and Iggy’s dad comes to visit. The divorcees get along very well which disrupts the more common trope of exes as enemies. ● Language learning: In “Garden Party”, Rosie cannot pronounce ‘hypothesis’ and, after a few attempts, comments “Why is that word so hard to say? ”. Pronunciation can indeed also be difficult for L1 English speakers and practice helps to improve. The children invent a song in which the syllables are taken apart and pronounced very slowly and in rhythm to make the word easier. Before watching the episode, young learners can meet the protagonists of the series. Sharing an image of Netflix’s advertisement of the series, the teacher can introduce 4.6 Ada Twist, Scientist in transition ELT 73 <?page no="74"?> them and tell the learners about the series. Their names would need to be written on the board. Afterwards, they can hand out a worksheet that asks learners to complete images of the three children and their profile, e.g., “This is Ada Twist. She is eight years old. She wears a red dress with white polka dots…”, “This is Rosie Revere…” (cf. Mat. 1). The learners use their worksheet and fill in the names, age, pet, hobbies, family members etc. They can keep this worksheet at hand and add information as the characters appear in the episodes. As to prepare watching the episode and understanding its content, it can be useful to have a look at the content and experiment beforehand. Here, it is possible to make use of screenshots from the episode and ask the learners what they think the show will be about. Certainly, this can be done in a shared classroom language. While watching the series, learners can raise their hands when the scenes from the screenshot appears on screen. They can pay attention to the general content to share with their classmates how they liked the story and what they understood. Further ideas to focus on language include: ● Label household items, e.g., using screenshots from the episode as a wimmelbild (hidden picture puzzle). ● Label colors in specific scenes (when these are compared and their effects reflected, this also addresses style). Focus on content: ● Using a list of various ingredients for a cake, tick off the images and words that are mentioned in the episode. ● Sing the “Brainstorm Song” at the beginning of creative working phases. Focus on learners’ experiences: ● Involve learners in an exchange of their experiences with baking or cooking. ● Collect more examples of ‘happy accidents’ from learners’ experience or science. Focus on style: ● Experiment with perspectives. Take pictures of small figures (e.g., Lego) from a frog perspective, eye-level and bird’s perspective, share on the board, and talk about the effect. ● Ask students to identify means of transitions between scenes and reflect on their effect. Pepper experiment As a post-activity for this episode, learners can be engaged in another kitchen experiment. Tell your learners that you wanted to prepare dinner last night, but accidentally dropped the salt and paper shakers. Your whole table was covered in a mix of salt and pepper. Of course, you did not want to throw it all into the trash. So, what 74 4 “We Don’t Quit, We Got Grit! ” <?page no="75"?> 2 Italics show the solutions to be orally added by the learners and written down by the teacher. 3 Please see Kerkeler’s (2007) collection of household experiments from which I translated selected experiments for this chapter. could you do? Ask your learners for ideas, e.g., to separate both with a tiny spoon. Possible, but it would take hours and you really wanted to cook something because you were hungry. To demonstrate a solution, do the following experiment at the front of the class with your learners standing around the table to see (or use a document camera if you have one). You need salt, pepper, a plastic spoon (or ruler), and a microfiber cloth (cf. info box 2). Info box 2: Pepper experiment Spill salt and pepper on your desk and mix. Show your learners a plastic spoon and a piece of microfiber cloth. Rub the plastic spoon on a microfiber cloth for one or two minutes and slowly place it on top of the salt’n’pepper mix (not too close because otherwise the salt will react as well). The pepper corns will float to the plastic spoon and separate from the salt. Let the learners try as well: Hand another spoon or ruler to a learner and ask them to follow your oral instructions. You can pause the experiment after you show your learners the spoon and microfiber cloth (hold up the cloth for everyone to see to elicit the meaning of the word). Maybe some already have an idea what you do next and how this works. Afterwards, you can complete the instructions of this experiment on the black board (or use Mat. 2). Ask your learners to summarize: 2 ● Problem: salt and pepper mix, but we need both in their own shakers ● Material: salt, pepper, plastic spoon (or ruler), microfiber cloth ● Process: Rub the spoon on the cloth, place the spoon on top of the mix ● Observation: Pepper will float to the spoon (and can be returned to its shaker) ● Explanation: When rubbing the plastic, it gets electrically charged (explain this word by showing a charger for a phone and elicit its meaning) and develops static electricity. Pepper is lighter than salt and drawn to the spoon. Here, the learners extend their vocabulary with terms and phrases that are used to describe processes (first…, then…) as well as kitchen items (spoon, knife, cloth, salt, pepper). They also hear ‘electrically charged’ and ‘electricity’ although these terms are not part of the learning vocabulary. With this process visible on the blackboard, the learners are already familiar with the kind of instructions they will encounter next. Mat. 3a to 3g guide them through other experiments they can either do alone, in groups, or together in the plenum. 3 Again, they may be allowed to take notes in their common classroom language. 4.6 Ada Twist, Scientist in transition ELT 75 <?page no="76"?> Learners could make videos of themselves when conducting their experiments. For those to be meaningful, they would need to be encouraged to also verbally comment on what it is they are doing. Similar to Ada and her friends, they can interact while working on their mystery. If video is not possible, they could also take photos and turn their experiment into a picture story. For both they can make use of the stylistic devices reflected when watching the episodes, e.g., close-ups, frog perspective, exaggerated mimics, gestures, etc. 4.7 Conclusion Certainly, the concept of series_serials literacy (cf. Leonhardt/ Viebrock in this volume) can only be slowly approached in transition ELT. However, series such as Ada Twist, Scientist lend themselves to laying the foundation for fostering young learners’ critical awareness of how series and serials narrate stories. With its focus on science and STEM, Ada Twist, Scientist emphasizes the value of science. Conducting playful experiments not only offers a meaningful way to learn English and get insights into the everyday magic of how the world works. It also stimulates young learners to ask questions and solve problems with a scientific process in mind. Such an implementation of the series can thus approach scientific literacy. Series and serials Ada Twist, Scientist. Nee, Chris (creator). Netflix Animation/ Brown Bag Films/ Higher Ground Productions/ Laughing Wild/ Wonder Worldwide, 2021-2023. References Anderson, Neil (2008). Scrolling, clicking, and reading English: online reading strategies in a second/ foreign language. The Reading Matrix 3 (3), 55-60. Annie Awards (2022). 49th annual Annie Award winners. https: / / annieawards.org/ press/ 49th-A nnie-Awards-Winners (last accessed: 28.06.2024) Bandura, Albert (1994). Social cognitive theory of mass communication. In: Bryant, Jen‐ nings/ Zillmann, Dolf (eds.). Media Effects: Advances in Theory and Research. Hillsdale: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc., 61-90. Bateman, John A./ Kepser, Mathis/ Kuhn, Markus (2013). Film, Text, Kultur - Beiträge zur Textualität des Films. In: Bateman, John A./ Kepser, Matthis/ Kuhn, Markus (eds.). Film, Text, Kultur - Beiträge zur Textualität des Films. Marburg: Schüren, 7-32. Beaty, Andrea/ Roberts, David (2016). Ada Twist, Scientist. New York: Abrams Books for Young Readers. Chase, Kristen (2021). How Ada Twist, Scientist is making STEM more accessible to girls. https: / / c oolmompicks.com/ blog/ 2021/ 10/ 05/ ada-twist-scientist-spawned-episode-253/ (last accessed: 28.06.2024) 76 4 “We Don’t Quit, We Got Grit! ” <?page no="77"?> Clark, Cary (2000). Innovative strategy: concept cartoons. Instructional and learning strategies 12, 34-45. Coyle, Do/ Meyer, Oliver (2021): Beyond CLIL: Pluriliteracies Teaching for Deeper Learning. Cambridge: CUP. Danan, Martine (2004). Captioning and subtitling: undervalued language learning strategies. Meta: Translators’ Journal 49, 67-77. Dean, Kara (2016). Ada Twist, Scientist, by Andrea Beaty. Booklist Online. https: / / www.booklis tonline.com/ Ada-Twist-Scientist-Andrea-Beaty/ pid=8347986 (last accessed: 28.06.2024) Dulamă, Maria E. (2000). Strategii didactice. Cluj-Napoca: Editura Clusium. Fortuna, Carolyn (2023). Mike Huckabee’s new children’s book about climate change is filled with scary misinformation. CleanTechnia. https: / / cleantechnica.com/ 2023/ 08/ 07/ mike-huck abees-new-childrens-book-about-climate-change-is-filled-with-scary-misinformation/ (last accessed: 28.06.2024) Gökçearslan, Armağan (2010). The effect of cartoon movies on children’s gender development. Procedia. Social and Behavioral Sciences 2 (2), 5202-5207. Heffernan, Neil (2005). Watching movie trailers in the ESL class. The Internet TESL Journal 9 (3). http: / / iteslj.org/ Lessons/ Heffernan-MovieTrailers.html (last accessed: 28.06.2024) Henseler, Roswitha/ Möller, Stefan (2017). Previously On. Mit TV-Serien narrative Kompetenz und Spracherwerb fördern. Der fremdsprachliche Unterricht Englisch 146, 2-9. Huckabee, Mike (2023). The Kids Guide to the Truth about Climate Change. Palm Beach. Kelleter, Frank (2017). Five ways of looking at popular seriality. In: Kelleter, Frank (ed.). Media and Serial Narrative. Ohio: The Ohio State UP, 7-34. Kerkeler, Hermann (2007). Die kleinen Entdecker - Forschungsreisen zu Hause: Spannende Experimente. Freiburg: HERDER Spektrum. Kirkus Reviews (2016). Ada Twist, Scientist. https: / / www.kirkusreviews.com/ book-reviews/ and rea-beaty/ ada-twist-scientist/ (last accessed: 28.06.2024) Klewitz, Bernd (2022). Bilingual unterrichten - CLIL Fachdidaktik. Content and Language Integrated Learning. Stuttgart: ibidem. Lin, Huifen/ Chen, Tsuiping/ Dwyer, Francis M. (2006). Effects of static visuals and computer-gen‐ erated animations in facilitating immediate and delayed achievement in the EFL classroom. Foreign Language Annals 39 (2), 203-219. https: / / doi.org/ 10.1111/ j.1944-9720.2006.tb02262.x McGarth, Matt (2020). Climate change: US formally withdraws from Paris agreement. BBC. htt ps: / / www.bbc.com/ news/ science-environment-54797743 (last accessed: 28.06.2024) Naylor, Stuart/ Keogh, Brenda (1999). Constructivism in classroom: theory into practice. Journal of Science Teacher Education 10 (2), 93-106. OECD (2019). PISA 2018 science framework. In: PISA 2018 Assessment and Analytical Frame‐ work. Paris: OECD Publishing. Pick, Carl (n.y.). Serielle Narration in der Kinderliteratur. Masterarbeit Universität Wien. Pikkov, Ülo (2010). Animasophy. Theoretical Writings on the Animated Film. Tallin: Estonian Academy of Arts. 4.7 Conclusion 77 <?page no="78"?> Ploj Virtic, Mateja (2022). Teaching science & technology: components of scientific literacy and insight into the steps of research. International Journal of Science Education 44 (12), 1916-1931. The Emmys (2022). Children’s and family Emmy® Awards winners announced. https: / / thee mmys.tv/ wp-content/ uploads/ 2023/ 01/ The-1st-Annual-Childrens-Family-Emmy-Award-Wi nners-FINAL.pdf (last accessed: 28.06.2024) The New York Times Best Sellers (2016). Children’s picture books - best sellers - books. https: / / www.nytimes.com/ books/ best-sellers/ 2016/ 09/ 25/ picture-books (last accessed: 28.06.2024) Townley, Amanda L. (2018). Teaching and learning science in the 21st century: challenging critical assumptions in post-secondary science. Education Sciences 8 (1), 12-20. Trilling, Bernie/ Fadel, Charles (2009). 21st Century Skills: Learning for Life in our Times. Hoboken. Vetter, David (2021). 5 big lies about climate change, and how researchers trained a machine to spot it. Forbes. https: / / www.forbes.com/ sites/ davidrvetter/ 2021/ 11/ 19/ 5-big-lies-about-cli mate-change-and-why-researchers-trained-a-machine-to-spot-them/ ? sh=2051d2c049f4 (last accessed: 28.06.2024) Zurcher, Jessica D./ Webb, Sarah M./ Robinson, Tom (2018). The portrayal of families across generations in Disney animated films. Social sciences 7 (3), 47-63. Download: Additional Material 78 4 “We Don’t Quit, We Got Grit! ” <?page no="79"?> 5 Overcoming School Anxiety: Approaching Mental Health Issues in English Language Education through The Healing Powers of Dude Annika Janßen/ Viviane Lohe Our contribution is based on the serial The Healing Powers of Dude (2020), which deals with 11-year-old Noah Ferris who struggles with social anxiety disorder. His anxiety increases when he has to start middle school after years of home-schooling. To help Noah manage his everyday school life, his family decides to give him an emotional support dog called Dude, who is able to speak. The serial describes Noah and Dude’s first attempts of getting used to each other and managing to get through the school year together. Their undertaking is realised both in the narrative and cinematographic design through multiple perspectives (focusing on Noah, Dude, Noah’s friends and family) which provide room for empathy as well as changes and coordination of perspectives. Highlighting the power of friendship, The Healing Powers of Dude serves as a perfect basis to foster the learners’ abilities to understand and communicate with others. What is more, the serial not only portrays Noah’s anxiety attacks, but also the challenges his friends Amara (who uses a wheelchair) and Simon (who is overweight) have to face. Thus, it addresses the close connection between (mental) health and diversity. Here too, the serial offers various opportunities to learn about its aesthetic design, for example focusing on the implementation of Noah’s panic attacks that are narrated threateningly from his point of view. In our contribution, we propose to include The Healing Powers of Dude in English language education for its positive attitude towards any kind of individual differences in young adults and its rich aesthetic design. However, as there are also some stereotypical depictions of the protagonists in the serial, we would also like to draw the learners’ attention to these by taking a critical approach. At the end of our contribution, we explore concrete teaching ideas for beginner to intermediate learners (CEFR levels A2 to B1) based on the serial, aiming to foster learners’ series_serials literacy. 5.1 Background and context with regards to mental health Physical and mental health are topics that are gaining importance in both societal and scholastic life. Not least due to the global COVID-19 pandemic and various crisis hotspots around the world, the number of mental illnesses among adolescents in Germany increased by a total of 27 percent from 2019 to 2021. Diagnosed depression, anxiety and behavioural disorders show a particularly high increase - with a suspected <?page no="80"?> high number of undiagnosed illnesses (cf. Deutsches Ärzteblatt 2023). Our example, The Healing Powers of Dude, reflects these social developments in respect of adolescents. It centres around the mental health of 11-year-old Noah and how his environment deals with it. However, even though mental health and well-being are crucial topics that influence children’s and adolescents’ daily (school) life, they are often still considered taboo topics in the English language classroom. They are only slowly making their way into English language teaching through the discussion of songs, novels, or serials that address the topic (cf. Ludwig/ Summer 2023). School anxiety and social anxiety disorder School anxiety can be expressed through different symptoms reaching from physical problems (headaches, trouble to breathe), angry behaviour, to a learning disorder, and is therefore often hard to notice (cf. Ehmke/ Schuster 2023). It can be divided into different subtypes. One of them is classified as ‘social anxiety disorder’ which is characterised by an intense anxiety or fear of being judged, evaluated negatively, or rejected in social or performance contexts (cf. ADAA 2023). In interactions with other people, socially anxious children appear extremely shy and avoid eye contact when speaking. In class, they are noticeably quiet, only speak when prompted, and even then, their voice is often very soft or unclear. Their fear of rejection leads to significant self-doubt, but they also long for validation from others. Children who are affected might not even go to school with the knowledge of their parents who often feel sorry for their frightened children and want to do something good for them. However, by keeping them away from school, they support their children’s avoidance behaviour and thus only reinforce the vicious circle. It is better for them to help their children overcome school anxiety by strengthening their self-esteem together with friends and teachers (cf. Berufsverbände für Psychiatrie et al. n.d.). Following this example, in the serial The Healing Powers of Dude, Noah transitions from being a student taught at home to going to school again - despite of his anxiety disorder. Emotional support animals With the character of the dog Dude, the importance and value of emotional support animals (ESA) for humans with mental health problems is emphasised in the serial. ESA are typically dogs that provide their owners with therapeutic benefits through affection and companionship due to their owner’s mental or psychiatric functional impairments. Respective animals should have the necessary health, temperament, obedience, as well as a positive social and environmental behaviour so that they can provide specific assistance to their owners in everyday life (cf. ESA Europe 2020). Animals can contribute significantly to improving the quality of life for people, which has been shown by a recent study by Meints et al. (2022: n.p.) on dog-assisted 80 5 Overcoming School Anxiety <?page no="81"?> interventions by revealing stress-moderating effects in school children with effects lasting over the whole school term. A prerequisite is always the strong bond between a person and a specific animal. 5.2 Summary and themes in the serial In the family comedy serial The Healing Powers of Dude created by Erica Spates and Sam Littenberg-Weisberg (released on Netflix in 2020), 11-year-old Noah Ferris faces challenges due to his social anxiety disorder, which makes even the simplest daily tasks feel overwhelming. Despite having been home-schooled for many years, Noah decides to take a brave step and give middle school a try, hoping to make new friends there. To help Noah adjust to his new environment, his parents give him a lively emotional support dog named Dude. While Dude is inexperienced and easily distracted by treats, he compensates with his charm, and genuine desire to support Noah. During the school year, Noah is able to make friends with Amara and Simon. Together with them, his family and Dude, Noah can successfully cope with challenging situations at school and beyond. Apart from social anxiety disorder (as described above), the central themes of the serial are friendship and diversity, growing up, and stereotypes. Friendship and diversity A central topic is the relation between Noah and his dog Dude. Especially at school, Dude provides emotional support for Noah. Like a close friend, he notices when Noah feels uncomfortable, is aware of his hallucinations and gives him security so that Noah can cope with challenging situations (e.g., speaking in front of people or eating in the cafeteria). In the serial, Dude is represented as a complex character similar to one of a human. Viewers can listen to what Dude thinks or says as Dude is given a voice, whereas the human characters in the serial cannot hear him talking. As a ‘talking animal’ Dude may help to raise curiosity among viewers and support empathy skills (cf. Genetsch 2023). Despite of his social anxiety, Noah makes friends with Amara and Simon. As Amara uses a wheelchair and Simon is overweight, they know situations of feeling excluded. Therefore, the serial also highlights the connection between (mental) health and diversity (cf. Tiefenthaler 2022). Noah, Amara and Simon become very close while coping with challenging situations in school and beyond. For instance, in one of the most important scenes at the end of the serial (S01: E08, 00: 17: 07-00: 19: 40), they help each other and Amara in particular to perform a musical on stage - even though they all struggle to do so individually, they finally succeed as a team. 5.2 Summary and themes in the serial 81 <?page no="82"?> Growing up Adolescence is a critical stage for the formation of social and emotional habits that are vital for mental well-being. These habits encompass establishing healthy sleep patterns, cultivating coping mechanisms, problem-solving abilities, and interpersonal skills, as well as mastering emotional regulation (cf. WHO 2021). This period is characterised by increased independence and autonomy, as well as a heightened desire for peer acceptance. Promoting mental health and emotional well-being is essential, as adolescents may experience increased levels of stress and emotional instability due to overwhelming situations at school or with peers. Creating a supportive and inclusive environment within the family, school, and the broader community is key during adolescence in order to encourage individuals to become self-confident and autonomous (young) adults. The importance of the environment, especially friends and family, for growing up is also a focus of the serial. Not only do we watch Noah making new friends, but we also witness him to grow towards a more responsible human being throughout the episodes who is even able to perform on stage helping Amara in the very last episode. Noah’s return to school is also a step towards gaining autonomy. Noah has entered the phase of adolescence with all its challenges and feelings. Like his peers, he struggles with embarrassing parents and starts to emancipate from them. In addition, Noah is often annoyed by his younger, very self-confident sister Embry. She interferes with his personal life, e.g., when she creates a social media account for him without his approval or when she interrupts a conversation between Noah and Valerie, a popular girl from his school. However, there are still strong family ties. The siblings, their parents, and Dude support and help each other in difficult situations (e.g., during Noah’s anxiety attacks or when Embry gets lost in the city). Growing up also includes dealing with new situations in friendships. For example, Simon has fallen in love with Amara, but Amara has a crush on Noah. Meanwhile, Noah realises that he likes Valerie. Dealing with these feelings is new to Noah, and he must find a way to handle them as well as other daily challenges of school life, such as exams, the use of social media platforms, or experiences with bullying. Stereotypes In the serial, representations of body images and mental health, gender roles, and job images are displayed stereotypically which needs to be critically reflected in class. For instance, Noah’s sister Embry is shown as a typical girl obsessed with fashion who only cares about looking cool and being popular at school. Noah’s parents, Karen and Marvin, embody certain job images: Karen is a successful lawyer and displayed as a control freak. Her husband Marvin is an emotional, screwy artist who is always struggling to get the next job. Besides, all relationships portrayed support the notion of heteronormativity. Also, stereotypical body images are included in the serial and sometimes even linked to racial discrimination with regard to nationality or skin 82 5 Overcoming School Anxiety <?page no="83"?> colour: Simon is the overweight black boy, constantly looking for snacks and behaving clumsily. Amara is physically limited, and very smart. The fact that people with an Asian family history are often portrayed as particularly clever, just like Amara, can also be seen as a racist prejudice here. Students identifying with Amara or Simon might feel offended by the portrayal of the characters. Furthermore, Noah’s social anxiety disorder is described in an extremely simplified manner as after only a few months, Noah is able to overcome his severe anxieties. This gives the impression that mental health problems disappear quickly which might put pressure on students suffering from them. 5.3 Analysis of the serial Series and serials combine moving pictures and audio materials that need to be analysed in an integrative way. To fully employ the potential of serials that also incorporate horizontal narration, meaning that the story develops throughout the serial (e.g., Noah becomes more confident through ‘passing’ several metaphorical adventures), they need to be analysed in four dimensions (cf. Leonhardt/ Viebrock in this volume): the narrative level, the dramatic level, the cinematographic level, as well as serial composition, which will be investigated in view of The Healing Powers of Dude. Since the cinematographic design of the series is very important for understanding the inner states and developments of the protagonists (e.g., the very lively depiction of Noah’s panic attacks through different camera angles), the third part of this section will go into detail about the special features of the serial in relation to these aspects. Narrative level The comedy-drama aims at a teenage audience, but also at families. The setting of the serial is a typical, yet unnamed US-American suburb where Noah goes to school and lives with his family. The notion of an American cultural context is overly present through the school (homerooms, lockers, school bus), instances of bullying, or traditions such as Halloween. The plot of the serial revolves around Noah’s everyday experiences, his relationships with family and friends, and his efforts to fit in at school. Each episode deals with a new challenge Noah faces, be it a class presentation or meeting new friends. However, even if the episodes all depict specific challenges, the characters evolve during the serial, which is why the episodes should be watched in chronological order. The seventh episode that deals with the Halloween party is the climax of the serial and cannot be fully understood if the audience has not watched the previous episodes. The portrayal of the characters intensifies in episode 7 and there are some self-referential aspects that can only be understood in their entirety if the audience knows what has happened beforehand. For example, the series has already hinted at who is in love with whom. In this episode, this becomes explicit for the first 5.3 Analysis of the serial 83 <?page no="84"?> time and has consequences for the culmination, the turn thereafter and the outcome of the serial. The characters displayed are complex and develop further over the course of the serial. As mentioned before, Noah is the main protagonist, a hero and antihero at the same time: While he struggles very often because of his anxiety disorder, he slowly makes progress in overcoming it. A special aspect of the serial is the use of (dark) humour. Even if the themes, especially Noah’s anxiety disorder, are rather serious, the graphic depiction often makes them absurdly funny (e.g., when all students on the school bus transform into zombies and Noah has to find his way through them (S01: E04, 00: 04: 50-00: 08: 23)). The stereotypical portrayal (cf. section 2) of the other characters also leads to funny situations. The protagonists are depicted in such an exaggerated way that viewers quickly get to know them, can predict and laugh about their actions. Almost all characters (except for Simon) and animals are quick-witted, ironic, and sometimes sarcastic. The serial also uses numerous pop cultural references (e.g., Tom Cruise or E.T.), which are understandable for the parent generation, but not necessarily a younger audience. This further emphasises that the serial is suitable for families. Dramatic level The show’s set is crafted to reflect the cosy atmosphere of a typical suburban middle-class neighbourhood. The protagonist’s home is designed to feel warm and inviting, emphasising the importance of family and comfort. Only scenes in which Noah suffers from anxiety attacks or which describe the climax of the serial (the Halloween party) show a contrast to the otherwise presented cosy atmosphere, when people are transformed into surreal and threatening creatures. The school scenes are filled with vibrant colours and a youthful energy, creating a contrast to the home setting which is shown in muted colours that have a calming effect on the audience as well as on Noah, who feels safest when he is at home. All school scenes depict a typical American school (life) with lockers and long corridors. The costumes are thoughtfully chosen to reflect each character’s personality, with the protagonist’s anxiety disorder being subtly represented through his clothing choices (e.g., hoodies and dark colours), which evolve as his character grows throughout the serial. These details enrich the viewer’s experience by making the world of the serial feel genuine and relatable and help TEFL students immerse into an American cultural context as it is portrayed in the serial. The cast of the serial delivers strong and sometimes exaggerated performances that bring depth to their characters. The lead actor portraying the teenager with social anxiety convincingly conveys the emotional struggles and personal growth of his character, making his journey approachable for the audience. The supporting cast, including friends and family members, provides a blend of humour and empathy, adding layers to the storytelling. 84 5 Overcoming School Anxiety <?page no="85"?> Cinematographic level Soft and warm lighting as well as warm colours are often used to create a comforting atmosphere (e.g., at home where Noah feels safe), while vibrant colours are employed to enhance the emotional impact of certain scenes. At school, recipients will notice bright colours, showing the world of adolescents on the one hand, but also stressing how different school life is from Noah’s former home-schooling surroundings. When Noah faces an anxiety attack though, the lighting and colours change dramatically: The scenes are much darker, often scary and reminiscent of horror movies. In the serial, the use of ambient sounds, such as background chatter in school hallways or the bustling city, makes the scenes more realistic. Additionally, the soundtrack features a mix of both uplifting and introspective melodies that complement the emotional arcs of the characters. Again, when it comes to Noah’s hallucinations, the sounds and sound effects become ominous and threatening, the creatures shown in the scenes usually do not talk but rather grunt, snort or howl. The most striking aspect of sound in the serial is Dude’s voice. At first glance, the audience might think that Dude is a talking dog that everyone who is part of the ensemble can hear as well. He is, albeit not a talking dog in the very narrow sense as his voice is mostly non-diegetic, meaning that the audience can hear what he says or thinks whereas the human characters in the serial cannot. The only exception is ‘inter-animal’ communication when Dude talks to other dogs and cats. Even though sometimes it seems as if Noah and Dude speak to each other, they actually do not. As this is such a peculiarity in the serial, it requires special attention. The serial is primarily focused on capturing the world from Noah’s point of view. Low-angle shots are frequently employed to emphasise his vulnerability and heighten the audience’s empathy towards his struggles. This perspective allows for a more intimate connection with the characters, as we experience the story through Noah’s eyes. Persons he is afraid of are usually shown through low-angle shots as well as the surroundings and objects in the scenes that focus on his social struggles. The serial employs shallow depth of field to draw attention to specific characters or objects, emphasising their significance within the scene. This technique helps to create a sense of intimacy and allows the audience to connect more deeply with the characters’ experiences. Very often the focus is on Noah’s face or eyes and the background is blurry. In the serial, the camera movement is generally smooth and deliberate, with minimal use of handheld shots. This choice contributes to the overall polished and controlled aesthetic of the show. However, occasional subtle camera movements, such as slow pans or tracking shots, are employed to add visual interest and guide the audience's attention, especially in the scenes that depict the panic attacks. The shot size varies throughout the serial to convey different emotions and per‐ spectives. Close-up or extreme close-up shots are frequently used during intense or emotional moments to capture the characters’ facial expressions and convey their inner turmoil. This is not only the case in the scenes that portray Noah but also in scenes that portray the other protagonists and their feelings. In contrast, wide shots are employed 5.3 Analysis of the serial 85 <?page no="86"?> to establish the setting and emphasise the characters’ place within their environments (e.g., in scenes depicting the school building or the auditorium where the musical takes place at the end). Editing is skilfully executed; the audience might not even notice it. Maintaining a smooth and cohesive narrative flow seems to be a major aim of the show. Transitions between scenes are often smooth without hard cuts, allowing for a natural progression of the story. The pacing of the editing is well balanced, ensuring that the emotional aspects of the serial are effectively conveyed without feeling rushed or dragged out. Again, the scenes that demonstrate Noah’s struggles and hallucinations are an exception and the editing often makes use of more shots to create the sequence than in the rest of the serial. In these scenes, many point-of-view shots are used to make the audience identify even more with Noah and his fears. Typically, the first shot shows what Noah sees (monsters, holes etc.), while the second shot shows his face and his reaction as a close-up. Point-of-view shots can be found very often and are worth to be analysed in detail (also cf. below). Serial composition In contrast to many other serials, The Healing Powers of Dude does not make use of cliffhangers. Their absence contributes to the fundamentally calm atmosphere of the serial. The underlying topic of mental health is thus less commercially marketed but is treated seriously. Even though the show is a serial and builds up on previous information, the episodes and their individual adventures are mostly concluded. The serial makes little use of flashbacks and is set primarily in the here and now. The past of the protagonists becomes clear mainly through conversations among them. There are, however, some quasi flashforwards. These are mainly used in the depiction of Noah’s panic attacks and are not flashforwards in the true sense, as they only show what might happen from Noah’s perspective - he fantasises about worst case scenarios. The individual episodes usually follow a similar pattern of repetitive variation: One of the protagonists (very often Noah but also others) is introduced to a problem that is solved throughout the episode. Sometimes a simultaneous narrative thread can be found, e.g., presenting a problem of Noah’s family while Noah himself is struggling with another problem (e.g., at the Halloween party: Noah has anxiety as well as love-related problems at the party, the family has a neighbourhood dispute at home). The parallel narrative threads are realised through parallel cutting. The progressing story arcs follow Noah’s emotional healing, family struggles and friendship - these central topics develop throughout the course of the serial. There are typical ups and downs, with the negative climax in episode 7 at the party when it is revealed that Simon is in love with Amara, Amara has a crush on Noah and Noah likes Valerie. However, the conflict is solved at the end and there is a happy ending. Overall, the serial uses very typical storytelling in chronological order which makes it easy for learners of English to follow the plot. 86 5 Overcoming School Anxiety <?page no="87"?> Analysis of a sample scene depicting an anxiety attack The scene analysed in this section is placed at the end of the first episode (S01: E01, 00: 24: 24-00: 26: 35). Noah starts his life at a new school. Despite his anxiety disorder, he has managed to enter the building, now the next step is at hand: entering the classroom. In the previous days, four smaller panic attacks were already briefly hinted at (acoustic and visual hallucinations and throwing up at the principal of the school). At the end of the episode, a longer panic attack is shown for the first time, which continue to occur more frequently in the course of the serial. Simon and Amara show him their homeroom, Noah looks in briefly, sees the other classmates, and the attack begins. The camera focuses on his facial expression at this moment: he is breathing heavily, hearing a shrill sound while voices by people who address him sound very muffled. Sudden noises, however, are overly loud and clarify his very subjective perception of all external stimuli. The audience now sees him in slow motion, and he begins to be sucked up by the floor. Noah audibly expresses to everyone that he is sinking, but the reaction of the people around him shows that only he perceives the situation that way. The camera angles alternate between close-ups and wide shots, so that the contrasting perceptions become very clear to the recipients. Through parallel cutting, we now also see what his family and Dude are doing at the same time, which generally increases the pace in the scene and causes one to feel the confinement into which Noah feels pulled. During the climax of that scene, the audience is drawn even more into the situation as dramatic music intensifies when Noah is finally saved by Dude. While the people around Noah do not perceive what he experiences during the attack, Dude notices Noah’s psychological stress and finally saves him from the situation. All of the other scenes that focus on anxiety attacks are similar with regard to dramatic, narrative, and cinematographic design, and a detailed analysis and/ or comparison of the scenes is worthwhile in the EFL classroom. 5.4 Considerations on how to implement the serial into English language teaching In order to fully explore the serial in terms of content and aesthetic design in the EFL classroom, we would like to briefly outline two important pedagogical foundations regarding the classroom implementation of The Healing Powers of Dude: the age groups for which the serial is suitable as well as how the portrayal of difficult and stereotypical themes can be critically reflected upon. The serial has received a G rating in the US, meaning it is open to all ages and can be viewed without parental or adult guidance. The serial uses simple language suitable for English language learners in their fifth or sixth year of learning (CEFR levels A2/ B1; grades 7/ 8 in Germany). Even though the protagonist is eleven years old and may therefore be younger than the recipients, they can relate to various aspects, such as family issues, first love, friendship, or school life. In our view, the serial is suitable for 5.4 Considerations on how to implement the serial into English language teaching 87 <?page no="88"?> all types of secondary schools. Graphic language is hardly used, and if so in a harmless way. The visual aspect of the serial supports comprehension immensely, making it suitable even for younger adolescents. All characters have clear pronunciation, so a more holistic approach can be taken without the use of subtitles. In order to show how well the serial is aligned with education policy requirements, we show some examples of references to topics and themes that can and should be taught at secondary schools. In the German educational standards, the topics of living and learning together in a society and in school in particular are already central when students enter secondary school at the age of ten, and this is reinforced in subsequent years (cf. KMK 2023). The serial provides various examples on how Noah and his family and friends live together, deal with and solve problems. Since the serial portrays the American way of life stereotypically, corresponding (critical) intercultural competencies can be promoted here (cf. ibid.: 20 f.). Also, different school systems can be compared as the serial vividly portrays American (middle) school life. Moreover, mental health can be addressed in relation to the UNESCO sustainable development goal “Good Health and Well-being” as the serial’s aim is also to create awareness among students of different lifestyles, neurodiversity, and mental illness (cf. UNESCO 2017). However, the central theme of mental health is visualised frequently and vividly in The Healing Powers of Dude, which can be (re-)traumatising for affected children and adolescents. Teachers should therefore be careful when dealing with this topic in class and use trigger warnings. In addition, the stereotypical representations of body images and origin can also have a problematic effect on the learners. In any case, we advise teachers to use the serial with a focus on critical literacy and to encourage critical competencies as well (cf. Leonhardt/ Viebrock in this volume; for methodological considerations see below). It is therefore essential to address not only the topic of mental health as depicted in the serial but to complement this approach with a critical reflection of the stereotypes and discrimination categories described in section 2. Thus, an entirely holistic approach is possible from a linguistic point of view, since the serial is easy to understand, but in terms of content, individual scenes must also be analytically grasped. For the development of aesthetic and perceptive competencies, the analysis of scenes depicting panic attacks is suitable since these are rich in cinematographic aspects. However, in order to raise awareness for the numerous discriminatory scenes in relation to race, body image, and gender, they also need to be analysed in more detail. A combination and balance of holistic approaches and analytic approaches seems to be appropriate. 5.5 Tasks and methodological considerations In the following, several teaching ideas will be explored. They follow the methodology of pre-, while-, and post-viewing tasks (cf. Viebrock/ Leonhardt in this volume). 88 5 Overcoming School Anxiety <?page no="89"?> Pre-viewing tasks Students watch the trailer of the serial. The first encounters with the serial and the trailer are supposed to activate and develop generic knowledge as well as perceptive competences. Afterwards, students are asked to think about the topics of the serial (cf. Mat. 1). Then they start sorting out and displaying characters and their relationships, e.g., with the help of a digital tool such as Padlet or Miroboard. The visualisation can be continuously adapted and enriched through the whole teaching unit. The task can further be differentiated with the help of the think-pair-share method. Useful vocabulary on mental health needs to be introduced during the pre-viewing phase so that students can talk about the topic appropriately (cf. Mat. 2). While-viewing tasks In each episode, Noah gets at least one panic attack and starts to hallucinate, which is displayed with the help of different cinematic devices (shot types, music, colours, camera movement, etc.). In the proposed task, students analyse the first scene when Noah gets an attack in order to raise awareness for the different devices used, how these visualise his mental state of mind, and which effects the visualisations cause on the recipients (cf. Mat. 3). The students are supposed to work on one aspect in home groups. Later, they form expert groups with members that analysed different aspects and they are supposed to come to a conclusion in order to develop an awareness about the effects that the cinematographic devices have on the recipients. The material can be used for all scenes displaying panic attacks. The second while-viewing task deals with an argument between Dude and Noah in episode 7 which ends with Dude running away. To help Noah find his dog, students create a profile of Dude. They are asked for detailed descriptions of outward appearance, specific character traits, and a picture/ drawing of Dude. Students can either use the sample profile (cf. Mat. 4) or they can create designs on their own. Post-viewing tasks In the first post-viewing task (cf. Mat. 5), students are supposed to take over Dude’s perspective and focus on what could happen after Dude leaves the family to support another child with social anxiety disorder. They have to think about a last digital message Dude sends to Noah and combine it with a picture of their choice. A useful app for this activity could be Chatterpix. Here, students upload a picture (they can either take or draw one or search for a picture online), draw a line to make a mouth and record their voice. It is a production-oriented task to develop creative competences and train students’ written and oral skills. The second task (cf. Mat. 6) draws attention towards gender roles in the family and fosters critical competences in particular. First, the students are supposed to think about character traits and/ or external features that can be regarded as typically male/ female 5.5 Tasks and methodological considerations 89 <?page no="90"?> (cf. section 2: Stereotypes). In a second step, they go together in groups of four and discuss what they would change if they were the directors of the serial. At the end, they present and discuss their results in class. Comparing the stereotypes depicted in the serial against what the students have created should then lead to critical literacy (cf. Crookes 2013) that can be re-established and utilised for future viewing experiences as well. Series and serials The Healing Powers of Dude. Spates, Erica/ Littenberg-Weisberg, Sam (creators). Meekel Mee‐ kel/ Blue Ant Studios, 2020. References ADAA (Anxiety & Depression Association of America) (2023). Social anxiety disorder. https: / / adaa.org/ understanding-anxiety/ social-anxiety-disorder (last accessed: 28.06.2024) Berufsverbände für Psychiatrie, Kinder- und Jugendpsychiatrie, Psychotherapie, Psychoso‐ matik, Nervenheilkunde und Neurologie aus Deutschland (n.d.). Ursachen, Anzeichen und Behandlungsmöglichkeiten bei Schulangst (Fachliche Unterstützung: Prof. Dr. med. Johannes Hebebrand/ Dr. med. Volker Reissner). https: / / www.neurologen-und-psychiater -im-netz.org/ kinder-jugendpsychiatrie-psychosomatik-und-psychotherapie/ stoerungen-erk rankungen/ schulvermeidung-schulangst-schulphobie-schuleschwaenzen/ schulangst/ (last accessed: 28.06.2024) ChatterPix Kids. Duck Duck Moose LLC (Version 1.3.7) (Mobile app). App Store. https: / / apps.apple.com/ de/ app/ chatterpix-kids/ id734046126 (last accesssed: 28.06.2024) Crookes, Graham V. (2013). Critical ELT in Action: Foundations, Promises, Praxis. New York/ NY: Routledge. Deutsches Ärzteblatt (2023). Zunahme von psychischen Störungen in den ersten beiden Jahren der Coronapandemie bei Kindern und Jugendlichen. https: / / www.aerzteblatt.de/ nachrich ten/ 144062/ Zunahme-von-psychischen-Stoerungen-in-den-ersten-beiden-Jahren-der-Coron apandemie-bei-Kindern-und-Jugendlichen (last accessed: 28.06.2024) Ehmke, Rachel/ Schuster, Ken (2023). How does anxiety affect kids in school? What it looks like, and why it's often mistaken for something else. Child Mind Institute. https: / / childmind.org/ article/ classroom-anxiety-in-children/ (last accessed: 28.06.2024) ESA Europe (2020). Emotional Support Animal - Definition, Wesen + Sinn. https: / / esa-europe. eu/ emotional-support-animal/ (last accessed: 28.06.2024) Genetsch, Martin (2023). HumAnimals. Tiere im Englischunterricht: Aufgaben, Kompetenzen und Bildungsziele. Der fremdsprachliche Unterricht Englisch 185, 2-6. KMK (Kultusministerkonferenz) (2023). Bildungsstandards für die erste Fremdsprache (Eng‐ lisch/ Französisch) für den Ersten Schulabschluss und den Mittleren Schulabschluss (Be- 90 5 Overcoming School Anxiety <?page no="91"?> schluss der Kultusministerkonferenz vom 15.10.2004 und vom 04.12.2003 i.d.F. vom 22.06.2023). https: / / www.kmk.org/ fileadmin/ Dateien/ veroeffentlichungen_beschluesse/ 2023 / 2023_06_22-Bista-ESA-MSA-ErsteFremdsprache.pdf (last accessed: 28.06.2024) Ludwig, Christian/ Summer, Theresa (eds.) (2023). Taboos and Controversial Issues in Foreign Language Education Critical Language Pedagogy in Theory, Research and Practice. Lon‐ don/ New York: Routledge. Meints, Kerstin/ Brelsford, Victoria L./ Dimolareva, Mirena/ Maréchal, Laëtitia/ Pennington, Kyla/ Rowan, Elise/ Gee, Nancy R. (2022). Can dogs reduce stress levels in school children? Effects of dog-assisted interventions on salivary cortisol in children with and without special educational needs using randomized controlled trials. PloS one 17 (6), e0269333. Tiefenthaler, Sabine (2022). Intersektionale Diskriminierung: Erfahrungen und Perspektiven in der Psychotherapie mit Frauen mit Fluchtbiografien. Psychotherapie Forum 26, 122-128. UNESCO (2017). Education for sustainable development goals. Learning objectives. https: / / www.unesco.de/ sites/ default/ files/ 2018-08/ unesco_education_for_sustainable_devel opment_goals.pdf (last accessed: 28.06.2024) WHO (World Health Organization) (2021). Mental health of adolescents. https: / / www.who.int/ news-room/ fact-sheets/ detail/ adolescent-mental-health (last accessed: 28.06.2024) Download: Additional Material 5.5 Tasks and methodological considerations 91 <?page no="93"?> Part III: More Than Just Funny: Comedies and Sitcoms in Foreign Language Education <?page no="95"?> 6 Really That-‘Cool, Cool, Cool’? Critical Considerations on Using-Brooklyn Nine-Nine-in English Language Education Jan-Erik Leonhardt Brooklyn Nine-Nine is an award-winning police procedural comedy. Making topical the daily lives and police work of the members of the 99 th New York police precinct, the show provides a plethora of jokes that appeal to an adolescent audience but also narrative complexity. Brooklyn Nine-Nine has been lauded for its progressive themes, including its portrayal of LGBTQ+ characters and making topical racial profiling in US policing. However, the show can also be criticised as ‘copaganda’, i.e., for an overtly positive portrayal of the police force, for normalising the use of force by police officers, and for neglecting systemic issues in policing. Precisely this controversy shows how well Brooklyn Nine-Nine lends itself to foreign language education. In the following chapter, I argue for a teaching approach that fosters learners’ series_serials literacy by analysing Brooklyn Nine-Nine’s serial narrative and composition, and by encouraging learners to actively participate in the discussion of whether the show can be considered copaganda. My approach is aimed at intermediate to advanced learners (CEFR levels B2 and above). 6.1 Brooklyn Nine-Nine in English language education In this chapter, I explore the potential of using the police procedural Brooklyn Nine-Nine in English language education. The show’s humour and entertainment value that especially appeal to an adolescent audience thereby marks the first of three reasons why I consider Brooklyn Nine-Nine as a valuable resource for teaching English. Its humour becomes visible already in the very first scene of the show. Here, viewers get to know the main character, Jake Peralta, who is a police detective of the eponymous 99 th New York police precinct and stands out for his non-professional and childish behaviour. Entering a crime scene, he reenacts scenes from a police action film, Donny Brasco (1997), and keeps annoying his much more serious colleague, Amy Santiago. Despite his childish demeanour, the scene also establishes Peralta to be excellent at solving crimes, as he needs mere minutes to catch the criminals. Watch the first scene of Brooklyn Nine-Nine here: https: / / tinyurl.com/ b99pilot (last accessed: 28.06.2024) <?page no="96"?> Going beyond the first sequences of Brooklyn Nine-Nine, the show becomes much more than a silly comedy. The second reason to include Brooklyn Nine-Nine in English language education is thus rooted in its exploration of social and political issues such as gender diversity and racial prejudice (cf. Brembilla/ Tralli 2015). The show’s skilful combination of humour with serious political and social issues has led to widespread critical acclaim, winning it Golden Globe and Emmy Awards, as well as a GLAAD Media Award for its excellent portrayal of LGBTQ+ characters. Brooklyn Nine-Nine has also been lauded for its inclusive and diverse cast: With Peralta and his police officer friend Charles Boyle, two main roles are occupied by white characters. Two Black characters are in leading positions at the Nine-Nine. Raymond Holt is the new captain of this precinct and Sergeant Terry Jeffords helps him lead the squad. Two female Latina officers, Amy Santiago and Rosa Diaz, also receive ample importance in the show (cf. Lawson 2023). A third reason to include Brooklyn Nine-Nine in language education is rooted in the fact that not all voices about the show are positive, which generates potential for critical classroom discussions. Bandes (2022) criticises Brooklyn Nine-Nine as copaganda, as, in her view, the show normalises violent police conduct and neglects the need for systemic police reform. However, especially after the murder of George Floyd in 2020 (cf. info box 1), the producers reacted and included topics such as police brutality and the consequences of false arrests (cf. Bernabo 2022). Info box 1: The murder of George Floyd George Floyd, an African American man, was murdered on May 25, 2020, in Minneapolis by Derek Chauvin, a white police officer. Chauvin knelt on Floyd’s neck for several minutes while Floyd repeatedly stated that he could not breathe. Floyd’s death sparked widespread protests against police brutality and systemic racism across the US and globally. In the following chapter, I will further explore these three reasons to include Brook‐ lyn Nine-Nine in English language education and suggest tasks for intermediate to advanced learners. To address the show’s challenging and serious topics, I argue for an approach rooted in Critical Foreign Language Teaching (Gerlach 2020; cf. also Crookes 2013 and Pennycook 1999) that aims at enabling learners to recognise social power structures and the influence of media representations on them. As Lawson (2023: 173) explains, “[…] television shows are not static reflections of society, but are part of its ideological fabric”. Thus, shows like Brooklyn Nine-Nine play a key part in their audience’s understanding of gender roles, racial discrimination, and police work. Viewed through a critical lens, they can lend a voice to people that are underrepresented in media (i.e., women, members of the LGBTQ+ community, and Persons of Colour), and reduce prejudice and injustice. Through analytical and creative tasks, learners 96 6 Really That-‘Cool, Cool, Cool’? <?page no="97"?> are further encouraged to actively participate in the show’s main discourses and to implement changes for a better, more equitable and democratic world. 6.2 Plot overview and viewing approach Brooklyn Nine-Nine spans across eight seasons (2013-2021). Initially, it was cancelled by Fox after the fifth season; however, fans and celebrities came together to advocate for its continuation. NBC picked up the show for three more seasons (cf. Reese 2019: 2). Today, Brooklyn Nine-Nine is widely available on DVD/ BluRay as well as via streaming services such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, and AppleTV. Each episode is approximately 22 minutes long and follows the members of the Nine-Nine solving crimes. Overarching storylines with several cliffhangers and con‐ tinuous character development characterise Brooklyn Nine-Nine more as a serial than a series with independent plots for each episode (cf. Leonhardt/ Viebrock in this volume): ● Season 1 introduces Raymond Holt as the new captain of the Nine-Nine. Through‐ out the season, Holt tries to educate Peralta on how to do police work by the book. Although they often clash due to Peralta’s childish behaviour, the audience sees a bond forming between them. Also, Peralta and Santiago have bet on who can arrest more criminals. Solving one crime after the other, they develop feelings for each other. ● Season 2 explores the budding romance between Peralta and Santiago, who each try to forget the feelings they have for each other by getting together with a different partner. Holt gets tricked by a rival commissioner to accept a very large budget to fight a new drug, putting pressure on the squad to deliver results. ● Season 3 continues to explore the romance between Peralta and Santiago that has now turned into a relationship. Meanwhile, the squad focuses on investigating the operation of a mobster. ● In season 4, Holt and Peralta are in witness protection until the Nine-Nine can take down this mobster. Peralta and Santiago decide to move in together. Meanwhile, Jeffords gets racially profiled by a fellow officer. At the end of the season, Peralta and Diaz are framed for a bank robbery by a corrupt officer. ● Until the Nine-Nine can arrest the corrupt police officer, Peralta and Diaz are imprisoned at the beginning of season 5. To free Peralta and Diaz, Holt is forced to make a deal with another mobster, a decision that follows him throughout the season. Diaz comes out as bisexual and Peralta and Santiago get engaged and marry at the end of the season. ● Season 6 is influenced by a new police commissioner who puts financial pressure on the Nine-Nine. Peralta and Holt discover that the new commissioner is using illegal means to monitor the population. Eventually, they help to get him suspended. 6.2 Plot overview and viewing approach 97 <?page no="98"?> ● Season 7 focuses on Peralta and Santiago trying to have children; at the end of the season, their son is born. During the season, Holt is demoted and needs to work his way back to his former rank as captain. ● The final season makes topical the results of the Covid pandemic as well as the protests following George Floyd’s murder. Diaz quits her job to become a private detective, and Peralta is suspended after a wrongful arrest. At the end of the season, he also decides to quit the Nine-Nine to take care of his son and help Santiago follow her career. This short plot overview reveals that several of the themes introduced as relevant for language education such as gender and racism are made topical throughout the show. Discussing Brooklyn Nine-Nine thus cannot happen from an “immobile perspective” (Kelleter 2017: 15 f.) that looks at isolated episodes, as such an analysis will inevitably miss important developments of the show. At the same time, it seems impossible to watch 8 seasons with 153 episodes in total in an educational setting. Therefore, I have chosen a sandwich approach to work with Brooklyn Nine-Nine. This approach allows to select specific episodes of interest, to watch these in full, and to highlight and re-view certain scenes of particular importance (cf. Viebrock/ Leonhardt in this volume). Episodes of less interest to the topical approach can be skipped; if learners enjoy the show, they may, however, feel encouraged to watch more than the required episodes. 6.3 Introducing the characters The protagonist with the most screen and speaking time is Jake Peralta, a young and brilliant detective who, at the same time, loves making jokes and stands out for his childish behaviour. He also loves films like Donnie Brasco (cf. section 1) and Die Hard (1988), which glorify police officers as action heroes, and sometimes imitates their behaviour. As his superior, Sgt. Jeffords, puts it in the first episode: Jacob Peralta is my best detective. He likes putting away bad guys and he loves solving puzzles. The only puzzle he hasn’t solved is how to grow up. (S01: E01, 00: 07: 55) To mention another example of Peralta’s childishness: Holt requires his male squad members to wear a tie. Peralta tries everything to avoid wearing one, including tying a tie around his belly to hide it. In a conversation with Holt at the end of the first episode, Peralta finally wears a tie around his neck; however, when he stands up behind his desk, the audience sees that he is wearing no pants but only colourful and very tight swim trunks, trying to further ridicule Holt. Only after Peralta realises the tie is part of a uniform to represent the squad as a team, he starts wearing one without complaint. This highlights Peralta’s willingness to grow, and throughout the seasons, the audience witnesses Peralta as a person who deeply cares about his work, family, and friends. 98 6 Really That-‘Cool, Cool, Cool’? <?page no="99"?> Peralta’s captain is Raymond Holt, a no-nonsense leader who wants the precinct to work to its full potential. As a gay, black police officer, Holt has worked hard to finally become captain, and he intends to lead the squad with integrity and vigour. He is a capable leader and, though he always keeps a professional attitude and emotionless face, Holt is not without humour. For example, when Peralta stands in front of him in swim trunks, instead of scolding him as might be expected, he plays along and calls in the entire squad to react to Peralta’s humorous provocation. Early on, this establishes his leadership skills. Another leader of the squad is Terry Jeffords. He has a very muscular, imposing physique; however, he does not fulfil any stereotypes of a fitness-obsessed and overly sexualised black man. Instead, he is portrayed as a caring sergeant and loving father and husband. As Reese (2019: 2) underlines, through Jeffords’ “[…] portrayal of a strong, yet sensitive black man, viewers get to see a positive portrayal of masculinity and ethnicity.” Two of the most important female characters of the Nine-Nine are Amy Santiago and Rosa Diaz, who are both Latina. Santiago is a talented and ambitious detective. Her initial rivalry with Peralta soon turns into mutual feelings for each other. Diaz, like Holt, can be unemotional, private, and extremely tough at first glance. The other characters seem to be somewhat afraid of her, though throughout the serial she opens up to her friends and reveals more about her private life, such as her bisexuality. Another important member of the squad is Charles Boyle. Boyle can be clumsy, and he attracts attention through several verbal faux pas, usually of unintended sexual nature. However, he is loyal and affectionate towards his friends and family. Peralta is his best friend, and they have an intimate friendship that Lawson (2023: 176) aptly describes as a “bromance”. The squad is completed by Michael Hitchcock and Norm Scully, who are portrayed as elderly police officers who are not necessarily terrible at their job but mostly too lazy to do it. Gina Linetti is Holt’s assistant and the civilian administrator of the squad. She loves making fun of others and has the eccentric character of a not-yet-discovered celebrity. At her core, she also is a caring friend to Peralta and many other members of the squad. While some new characters are introduced throughout the seasons, most of the cast remains the same. The audience gets to know the main characters in the first two episodes, which I hence include in my teaching approach. In the first episode titled “Pilot”, the squad solves a grocery store murder case while Peralta clashes with Holt’s rules and strictness. In episode 2, “The Tagger”, Peralta and Holt try to catch a criminal who vandalises police cars. Once they have caught the tagger, they realise it is the son of the deputy commissioner who orders Peralta to ignore the crime. Peralta thus is faced with a difficult decision: Risk his career by upsetting the deputy commissioner or uphold the law. Due to his integrity as an officer and meticulous paperwork (which he did because of Holt’s instructions for once), Peralta decides to arrest the commissioner’s son, and Holt fiercely backs him up against the commissioner. 6.3 Introducing the characters 99 <?page no="100"?> 1 Cf. https: / / youtu.be/ zDcbpFimUc8? si=D0JaIdOmC8CbyWPd (last accessed: 05.06.2024). 2 Cf. https: / / youtu.be/ djsywMZxTLI? si=NnjM5HvIVFypLDlV (accessed online: 30.05.2024). In Mat. 1, learners focus on actions, appearances, and character traits of the Nine-Nine as introduced in the pilot episode. The provided analysis protocol is an aide to take notes and to add proof to the learners’ analyses with quotes about or from the characters. Working on episode 2, the learners can focus on outlining the plot to discover the narrative build-up of an episode. They can also practice empathising with Peralta and imagine whether they would have reported the police commissioner’s son. Creative tasks like this encourage learners to share their feelings, experiences, and different interpretations about the characters (e.g., Kimes-Link 2008). 6.4 Humour techniques In the previous sections, I have shown that humorous elements are an integral part of each episode of Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Many of these have become iconic, like Peralta’s repetition of “cool” that has given this chapter its name. Peralta makes use of “cool, cool, cool” mainly in awkward situations when he is trying to stall or feels uncomfortable. Moments in which he makes use of this expression have been turned into video compilations 1 , memes, gifs, and merchandise even. While there is no standard humour theory available to analyse serials such as Brooklyn Nine-Nine, I subsequently draw on the humour typology for sitcoms proposed by Juckel et al. (2016). My analysis reveals that the show regularly makes use of conceptual surprises, sudden plot twists that result in funny situations. This happens especially when Peralta or other squad members solve a crime and explain this to the audience. Another type of humour used frequently is wit. While initially this is something we would ascribe to Peralta as the protagonist, the other characters are also more than capable of solving crimes. Santiago, for example, equals Peralta’s crime solving abilities, and even Scully and Hitchcock have their moments showing wit (e.g., in S07: E10 when they protect an undocumented immigrant). Wit is often combined with repartees. Like Peralta and Santiago, the squad members often are in competition with each other; humorous situations arise when they banter or make fun of each other, however always in an amicable way. The following techniques are more specific to a single character: Peralta often uses amusing allusions and pop-cultural references, for example to the action films he is a fan of. Also, close-ups often focus peculiar faces he makes in reaction to an awkward situation or something another character has said. This may have been his friend Boyle, who often gets caught out when he says something inappropriate. 2 Boyle is also known for physical humour, especially his clumsiness that is already visible in S01: E01 when he drops his muffin, then steps on it, and hits his head trying to pick it up (00: 07: 10). Holt is famous for his motionless expression and rigidity. His conservative and inflexible demeanour (especially in contrast to Peralta) makes his 100 6 Really That-‘Cool, Cool, Cool’? <?page no="101"?> character surprisingly funny, especially since the other characters guess at his feelings. Holt’s assistant, Gina Linetti, is funny because of the malicious pleasure she feels when making fun of other characters; she revels especially in Boyle’s misfortunes. Finally, Hitchcock and Scully often have their humorous moments because of their repulsive behaviour. They tend to smear food all over their bodies, reveal unsavoury medical details about themselves, and Hitchcock takes his shirt off in inappropriate situations. While humour is present in all episodes of Brooklyn Nine-Nine, in my teaching approach I suggest focusing on an iconic event and a side-character that both appear time and again, thus connecting aspects of humour with Brooklyn Nine-Nine’s serial composition. In S01: E06, “Halloween”, Peralta bets he can steal a medal from Holt and stages a heist. Following this, each season of the show contains a Halloween heist that crowns the most ‘amazing detective/ genius’ of the squad, offering fast paced narration and a plethora of humour techniques. In S01: E12, “Pontiac Bandit”, Peralta and Diaz try to catch the Pontiac Bandit who has been able to elude Peralta for a long time. The Pontiac Bandit outwits Peralta but also appeals to him on a personal level as they share similar childish humour. Many following episodes explore their relationship between rivalry and friendship. Dissecting humour in Brooklyn Nine-Nine with learners, however, is difficult, as explaining jokes inevitably takes away some of the enjoyment (cf. Mankoff 2009). However, an analysis of humour helps to understand the narrative and aesthetic construction of the show; a teaching approach hence would be incomplete if humour were left out completely. Thus, my aim is to balance emotional perception and analysis (cf. Leonhardt/ Viebrock in this volume). In Mat. 2, learners are thus asked which characters they personally find funniest and why. Then the focus switches to the two episodes introduced above, and learners can choose which scenes they want to analyse. They subsequently learn to back up their opinion through theorising and connecting the humour techniques offered by Juckel et al. (2016) to the scenes they have selected. 6.5 Gender and racial discrimination in Brooklyn Nine-Nine Brooklyn Nine-Nine makes visible gender and race in several ways. First, the show portrays strong female characters such as Santiago and Diaz. Second, gender discrim‐ ination and experiences of queer police officers are made visible. Brooklyn Nine-Nine hereby normalises people of all sexual orientations, prominently featuring Holt as an openly gay police captain and Diaz coming out as bisexual during the serial (cf. Reese 2019). Third, Brooklyn Nine-Nine shows positive role models like Peralta, who tries to understand the gender discrimination his female and queer colleagues must face. Fourth, racial discrimination is made topical when Sgt. Jeffords becomes a victim of racial profiling. Each of the following focus areas translate to tasks based on selected episodes for learners. Material on gender in Brooklyn Nine-Nine can be found in Mat. 3, and Mat. 4 focuses on racial discrimination. In combination, the materials also allow to address discrimination from an intersectional perspective and to relate different forms 6.5 Gender and racial discrimination in Brooklyn Nine-Nine 101 <?page no="102"?> of discrimination to each other (for more information on intersectional approaches, cf. Güllü et al. and Hertzel/ Merse in this volume). Strong female characters A central episode that shows the strength of female characters is S03: E05, “Halloween III”. This episode stages the third annual Halloween contest. After Peralta won the first heist and Holt the second, they are looking for a final decision on who is the most ‘amazing detective/ genius’. The show aptly plays with the audience’s expectation for either Peralta or Holt to win. However, Santiago, who both characters did not want on their team, outwits everyone and wins. Thus, the show “[…] uses comedy to defy what is expected from male and female detectives […]” (Lawlar 2023: n.p.). In Mat. 3, the learners thus discuss what message the show conveys by making Santiago the winner of the heist. In another episode, S04: E07, “Mr Santiago”, the audience again sees Santiago as a strong female character fully capable to make her own decisions. Peralta, who is now her boyfriend, is eager to gain her father’s approval for their relationship. However, the two men get into a dispute about an old case that Mr Santiago worked on, who also used to be a police officer. When Amy Santiago hears them fighting also about her, she intervenes in a phone call: What is this, 1950? I can’t date someone unless I have my father’s approval? […] You guys act like this is your decision to make. The woman doesn’t even exist in this equation. (S04: E07, 00: 18: 42) Her intervention leads to Peralta and Mr Santiago seeing her point, but also solving the case (the culprit was a woman who they underestimated as a suspect), and getting along better. In the material, the learners work on a creative task again fostering empathy: Imagining they were in Amy Santiago’s position, they are asked to create the phone call between her, Peralta, and her father. Comparing their ideas to the original, which is shown to the class afterwards, allows to discover the strength with which Amy Santiago is portrayed in this scene. Gender discrimination Gender discrimination cannot be separated from the history and presence of US policing. Until a 2003 US Supreme Court ruling that states were not able to enact dis‐ criminatory laws against lesbian, gay, and bisexual Americans, many LGBTQ+ officers “were on the wrong side of laws they were charged with upholding” (Mennicke et al. 2018: 714). At the same time, US policing is very much influenced by “[…] traditional masculinity and presumes heterosexuality […]” (ibid.: 712). As a consequence, studies in recent years have made visible that many LGBTQ+ officers experience discrimination and harassment at the workplace (ibid.; Colvin 2009). Brooklyn Nine-Nine addresses 102 6 Really That-‘Cool, Cool, Cool’? <?page no="103"?> these issues by including LGBTQ+ characters like Holt and Rosa Diaz. Through the show, learners can be […] encouraged to confront their own preconceived ideas of heteronormativity […]. The average viewer of this program can become emotionally attached to both Captain Holt and Rosa’s journeys of coming to terms with their own sexualities and coming out to their friends, family, and co-workers. Viewers could be comforted by how accepting the squad of the Nine-Nine is and saddened by those who do not accept these characters’ true identities […]. (Reese 2019: 5) The learners discover several episodes in Mat. 3 that show the gender discrimination Holt must face as a gay captain and relate them to the experiences LGBTQ+ officers in the US make. In S01: E16, the squad is invited to Holt’s birthday party. However, Holt’s husband does not seem to like their presence at the party. Peralta finds out this is not because of them personally; instead, he dislikes “[…] police in general because of the way that they have actively ostracized and excluded his husband” (ibid.: 4). In S01: E17, “Full Boyle”, Holt tries to be re-elected as president of the African-American Gay and Lesbian New York City Policeman’s Association, an organisation he founded 25 years ago. However, for the very first time, Holt faces competition in this election. Initially taken aback, he realises the positive development that police officers do not have to fight as much as he did to run for such an office. Also in Mat. 3, the learners get to discover a new, more vulnerable side of Diaz and what it means for her to disclose her bisexuality to her peers and family. In S05: E10, “Game Night”, Diaz struggles to talk to her parents about being bisexual and Peralta tries to support her. When Diaz and Peralta speak to her parents, they are rather willing to accept she is in a relationship with Peralta, who would be cheating on his fiancée. The episode ends on a more hopeful note, however, with the squad supporting Diaz unconditionally, and her father trying to apologise (ibid.: 5). Positive role models Male protagonists in Brooklyn Nine-Nine often stand out for their supportive behaviour and positive masculinity, i.e., virtues associated with men that foster well-being and resilience and emphasise qualities that empower both selfand societal improvement instead of traditional tropes of masculinity like risk taking, strength, and emotional coolness (cf. Lawson 2023). While Peralta does love action films, his Ford Mustang, and leather jackets, these ‘masculine’ traits are counteracted by his enthusiastic and sometimes childish behaviour. Supported by his linguistic behaviour and humorous quotes - such as “cool, cool, cool” - he “[…] subtly subverts the typical representation of police officers as detached and emotionally uninvolved” (ibid.: 185). Jeffords, Holt, and Boyle also subvert traditional masculine roles: Jeffords, who seems physically invincible, struggles to do potentially dangerous fieldwork in season 1 as he worries for his family. As a gay police captain, Holt also “[…] embodies a number of hegemonically 6.5 Gender and racial discrimination in Brooklyn Nine-Nine 103 <?page no="104"?> masculine traits, including stoicism, gravitas, and discipline […]” (ibid.: 184). Finally, Boyle stands out for his lack of control for his emotions, which he often displays openly. At the same time, he shows great bravery when he takes a bullet for Diaz in S01: E11. One episode that I have chosen to highlight positive masculinity in opposite to toxic masculinity is S06: E08, “He Said, She Said”. Peralta and Santiago investigate a case of sexual assault in a large finance corporation. The woman who has been sexually assaulted is offered a large settlement payment; following Santiago’s advice, she instead presses charges against her assaulter. However, Santiago and Peralta have trouble proving the case and, until they finally do, meet only dishonest and toxic employees covering for the assaulter. In a conversation, Santiago explains sexism to Peralta who is willing to learn and support Santiago, who herself has been sexually harassed by a former superior (cf. Kornfield/ Jones 2022). In the material, the learners analyse this conversation between Peralta and Santiago both concerning serial narration and composition, as several close-ups reveal the characters’ emotions and flashbacks elaborate on the experiences of harassment Santiago outlines in the typically humorous fashion of Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Racial discrimination Finally, Brooklyn Nine-Nine elaborates on experiences of racial discrimination. It thereby picks up on concerns with US policing, most prominently that policing is still dominated by white officers. Additionally, pro-police attitudes can be found more among white, conservative, and Republican than non-white and Democrat-leaning US citizens (cf. Vitro et al. 2022). While racial discrimination in the context of US policing is not a constant focus of Brooklyn Nine-Nine, S04: E16, “Moo Moo”, stands out as a positive example: In this episode, Jeffords becomes a victim of racial profiling and wants to file a complaint against the officer who stopped him close to his own home. However, Holt worries that filing a complaint against a fellow officer may prevent Jeffords from receiving a future promotion. This conflict intensifies when the officer who arrested Jeffords shows no remorse towards him in a follow-up conversation. The episode also features scenes in which Peralta and Santiago must explain the situation to Jeffords’ children whom they are babysitting. In Mat. 4, the learners actively take part in this episode’s key moments: First, they create the conversation between Peralta and Santiago with Jeffords’ children, comparing their ideas to the original. Then, the learners discuss whether they would recommend reporting the police officer or not, thus actively seeking solutions and taking part in the discourse on racial discrimination in policing. 6.6 Brooklyn Nine-Nine as copaganda? The previous section has shown that Brooklyn Nine-Nine does not shy away from critical and sensitive topics such as racial discrimination. However, episodes such as 104 6 Really That-‘Cool, Cool, Cool’? <?page no="105"?> 3 Cf. https: / / youtu.be/ LkSyQX6LyB0? si=zJhH5myIIJYPjdG6&t=930 (00: 15: 30; last accessed: 03.06.2024). “Moo Moo” are an exception in the show’s earlier seasons. Hence, Brooklyn Nine-Nine could be criticised as copaganda, a composite term of ‘cops’ and ‘propaganda’. Shows are copaganda if they depict corrupt officers as aberrations, communicate that violence and ignorance of laws are necessary in the pursuit of justice, ignore race-based injustices and need for systemic reforms, and are uncritically pro-police (cf. Bandes 2022; Bernabo 2022). Many of these aspects can be related to Brooklyn Nine-Nine: Peralta stands out as a police officer with an unhealthy love for action films and for his aversion of rule-based police work. In general, the officers of the Nine-Nine are likeable characters supporting a positive view of the police (Vitro et al. 2022). What is more, seriality itself poses a problem for shows such as Brooklyn Nine-Nine, as characters should not undergo drastic changes. This means that making topical social problems cannot have a major impact on characters, as can be seen in “Moo Moo”, whose plotline is not systematically followed up. 3 Another episode that encapsulates the criticism of Brooklyn Nine-Nine as copaganda is S03: E10, “Yippie Kayak”, in which Peralta, Boyle, and Linetti find themselves in a hostage situation reminiscent of Die Hard. Peralta enjoys reliving his favourite film instead of worrying about the hostages. Linetti glorifies violence by suggesting the use of a lighter and hairspray to create a flame thrower (and even succeeds at the end of the episode). Peralta and Boyle irresponsibly take out the criminals themselves, both revelling in Die Hard moments. In Mat. 5, learners relate this episode to key features of copaganda. However, there are plenty of reasons not to disqualify Brooklyn Nine-Nine completely as copaganda, especially since the makers of the show have made substantial changes to the narrative in season 8 after the murder of George Floyd and decided to focus on racist policing (cf. Bernabo 2022). Two episodes from this season stand out in particular: In S08: E01, “The Good Ones”, Diaz criticises the lack of police reforms after the murder of George Floyd and quits the force to become a private investigator. In Mat. 5, the learners examine Diaz’ reasons to leave the force. S08: E06, “The Set Up”, Peralta, who usually is portrayed as not making any mistakes, makes a faulty arrest. While a corrupt officer, Frank O’Sullivan, does everything to protect fellow cops from facing accountability, Peralta eventually lives up to his error and gets suspended by Holt. In this episode, learners contrast the behaviours of O’Sullivan and Peralta. In a final discussion, they voice their own takes on whether they consider Brooklyn Nine-Nine to be potentially harmful copaganda. They further make their own voices heard in this discussion by writing a review of the show. 6.7 Concluding remarks While Brooklyn Nine-Nine has been lauded for its inclusive portrayal of strong female and LGBTQ+ characters and shed light on racial discrimination in US policing, it has 6.7 Concluding remarks 105 <?page no="106"?> also been criticised for largely ignoring the need for police reforms until its final season, and for glorifying officers who do not adhere to the law. In this chapter, I have highlighted the potential for discussion that stems from this dichotomy and suggested teaching materials that explore characters and humour in the show, but also focus relevant social and political issues. Following an approach rooted in Critical Foreign Language Teaching, the tasks I have suggested require learners to analyse the serials’ narration and composition; further, they inspire learners to raise their own voices in the discussion of whether or not this successful police procedural is really as ‘cool, cool, cool’ as its verbose main character might suggest. Films, series, and serials Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Goor, Dan/ Schur, Michael (creators). Fremulon/ Dr. Goor Productions/ 3 Arts Entertainment, 2013-2021. Die Hard. Gordon, Lawrence/ Silver, Joel (creators). Gordon Company/ Silver Pictures, 1988. Donny Brasco. DiGiaimo, Louis/ Johnson, Mark/ Levinson, Barry/ Mutrux, Gail (creators). TriStar Pictures/ Mandalay Entertainment/ Baltimore Pictures/ Mark Johnson Productions, 1997. References Bandes, Susan A. (2022). From Dragnet to Brooklyn 99: how cop shows excuse, exalt and erase police brutality. In: Aiello, Thomas (ed.). Routledge Handbook of Police Brutality in America. London: Routledge, 333-344. https: / / papers.ssrn.com/ sol3/ papers.cfm? abstract_id=3835444 (last accessed: 28.06.2024) Bernabo, Laurena (2022). Copaganda and post-Floyd TVPD: broadcast television’s response to policing in 2020. Journal of Communication 72 (4), 488-496. https: / / doi.org/ 10.1093/ joc/ jqac 019 Brembilla, Paula/ Tralli, Lucia (2015). ‘With 22 episodes a year’: searching for quality in US network television: the cases of The Good Wife, Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Jane the Virgin. Comunicazioni sociali 2, 142-152. Colvin, Roddrick (2009). Shared perceptions among lesbian and gay police officers: barriers and opportunities in the law enforcement work environment. Police Quarterly 12 (1), 86-101. ht tps: / / doi.org/ 10.1177/ 1098611108327308 Crookes, Graham V. (2013). Critical ELT in Action: Foundations, Promises, Praxis. New York: Routledge. Gerlach, David (2020). Einführung in eine Kritische Fremdsprachendidaktik. In: Gerlach, David (ed.). Kritische Fremdsprachendidaktik. Tübingen: Narr, 7-31. Juckel, Jennifer/ Bellman, Steven/ Varan, Duane (2016). A humor typology to identify humor styles used in sitcoms. Humor 29 (4), 583-603. Kelleter, Frank (2017). Five ways of looking at popular seriality. In: Kelleter, Frank (ed.). Media of Serial Narrative. Columbus: The Ohio State University Press, 7-34. 106 6 Really That-‘Cool, Cool, Cool’? <?page no="107"?> Kimes-Link, Ann (2008). Verstehen literarischer Texte durch kreative Aufgaben? Fremdsprachen Lehren und Lernen 37, 230-251. Kornfield, Sarah/ Jones, Hannah (2022). #MeToo on TV: popular feminism and episodic sexual violence. Feminist Media Studies 22 (7), 1657-1672. https: / / doi.org/ 10.1080/ 14680777.2021.19 00314 Lawlar, Dakota (2023). Feminism and the female detective in film. Embodied: The Stanford Undergraduate Journal of Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies 2 (1), n.p. Lawson, Robert (2023). Language and Mediated Masculinities: Cultures, Contexts, Constraints. New York: Oxford University Press. https: / / doi.org/ 10.1093/ oso/ 9780190081041.003.0007 Mankoff, Robert (2009). Foreword. In Morreall, John (ed.). Comic Relief: A Comprehensive Philosophy of Humor. Newark: John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated, ix-x. Mennicke, Anneliese/ Gromer, Jill/ Oehme, Karen/ MacConnie, Lindsey (2018). Workplace ex‐ periences of gay and lesbian criminal justice officers in the United States: a qualitative investigation of officers attending a LGBT law enforcement conference. Policing and Society 28 (6), 712-729. https: / / doi.org/ 10.1080/ 10439463.2016.1238918 Pennycook, Alastair (1999). Introduction: critical approaches to TESOL. TESOL Quarterly 33 (3), 329-348. Reese, Melissa (2019). The fantasy police force: how Brooklyn Nine-Nine takes the stigma out of sexual orientation. Laridae, Salisbury University Undergraduate Academic Journal, 2-6. Vitro, Catherine/ Clark, Angus D./ Sherman, Carter/ Heitzeg, Mary M./ Hicks, Brian M. (2022). Attitudes about police and race in the United States 2020-2021: mean-level trends and associations with political attitudes, psychiatric problems, and COVID-19 outcomes. PLoS ONE 17 (7), 1-27. Download: Additional Material 6.7 Concluding remarks 107 <?page no="109"?> 7 Teenage Struggles, Lifestyle Products, and the Legacy of Tennis Champion John McEnroe: Never Have I Ever in the Secondary EFL Classroom Britta Viebrock The purpose of this chapter is to discuss the potential of the comedy drama Never Have I Ever for developing elements of series_serials literacy in the EFL classroom. The show’s protagonists - 15-year-old Indian-American Devi Vishwakumar and her group of friends - easily lend themselves for identification to learners in the lower secondary grades (B1+/ B2 levels according to the CEFR). Devi and her peers have to deal with typical teenage struggles such as being popular in school, pursuing their love interests, becoming independent of their parents or making prospective career choices, and, sometimes, also with more serious topics such as loss and death. Their teenage struggles are fairly universal and undoubtedly relatable to international audiences. At the same time, they are clearly situated in the US-American cultural context, allowing for insights into the ethnic diversity of American society (characterised by the representation of many transcultural identities), the specifics of the education system (characterised by the competitive pursuit of getting into prestigious Ivy League institutions), and the social dynamics of American high school (characterised by a strong focus on having to deal with peer pressure). While the plot development of Never Have I Ever may not stand out - much time is devoted to whether or not Devi manages to win over her childhood crush and to falling out/ making up with her best friends - the show offers interesting features that justify a closer exploration. First, it represents several multidimensional female persons of colour without resorting to too many clichés (some are employed for comic effect). Second, it has an interesting narrative structure with the use of various voice-over narrators, one of which is former champion and enfant terrible of the tennis scene, John McEnroe. Third, it may be studied for the subtle (and not so subtle) use of product placement, which is a common feature in popular series from the US. While the display of lifestyle products may contribute to a feeling of authenticity in serial narration, there is obviously a fine line between realistic representations, covert advertisement, and downright manipulation. <?page no="110"?> 1 In the course of the chapter, I will analyse and discuss selected aspects of the show and directly refer to the online materials where topically appropriate. 7.1 Content and topics Never Have I Ever is an American coming-of-age comedy drama that tells the story of 15-year-old Devi Vishwakumar and her friends from Sherman Oaks High School, located in the San Fernando Valley, California. Devi is an academically gifted Indian-American girl that does not only have to come to terms with the (social) challenges of school life, but also with the loss of her father Mohan, who passed away unexpectedly at a school function - an incident that leaves Devi temporarily paralysed and compels her to seek out a psychologist, Dr Ryan. Devi lives with her mother Nalini, a hard-working dermatologist, her cousin Kamala, a PhD student of Biology, and (as of season 2) with her paternal grandmother Nirmala. It is noteworthy that the show’s protagonists are strong and independent female persons of colour (cf. section 3 for further elaboration). Devi’s best friends are Eleanor Wong, a Chinese-American girl who has a special interest in acting, sometimes comes across as overly dramatic, and is forced to deal with abandonment issues with her mother, and Fabiola Torres, whose appearance is partly Latina and partly African-American. Fabiola has a passion for Robotics and Science and is in the process of coming to terms with her gender identity as a homosexual woman. The three girls, each in their own way, are a little socially awkward and aspire to become more popular, find a boyfriend/ girlfriend, and lose their virginity over the course of the new school year. Devi is mainly concerned with getting involved with her childhood crush, Paxton Hall-Yoshida, whom she tutors. Paxton is a very attractive and athletic young man struggling with his learning motivation and academic achievements. Later, Devi also gets involved with Ben Gross, with whom she has a long-standing and fierce academic rivalry. In her attempt to become more popular and enter a serious relationship with one of the boys, Devi repeatedly lets down Eleanor and Fabiola. She proves to be an unreliable friend as well as a perky daughter, always prioritising her own issues over those of her friends and routinely transgressing the rules her mother has set for her (cf. Mat. 1). 1 On the surface, Never Have I Ever seems to be the typical teenage RomCom (romantic comedy), where boy meets girl or girl meets boy, they fall in (and out of) love, and have to deal with the expected challenges of growing up. On closer inspection, it also covers more serious topics such as the processing of trauma, therapy and mental health, family values and religion, diversity, life in the diaspora and the struggles of hybrid identities across different generations, as well as gender issues and grappling with one’s sexual orientation. 110 7 Teenage Struggles, Lifestyle Products, and the Legacy of Tennis Champion John McEnroe <?page no="111"?> 7.2 Serial composition and aesthetic choices: voice-over narrators and an ‘objectifying gaze’ Never Have I Ever was created by Mindy Kaling and Lang Fisher. Aspects of Kaling’s biography are reflected in the show: she was born to well-educated Indian parents in the US, grew up in middle class surroundings etc. (cf. https: / / www.britannica.com/ bi ography/ Mindy-Kaling). In total, four seasons of ten episodes each were released on Netflix between 2020 and 2023. After the brief presentation of basic production credits, each episode begins with a few minutes of the plot before the show’s recognisable main title appears in bright yellow letters on a magenta background and is complemented with the title of the specific episode. While most episodes focus on Devi’s perspective (e.g., …had sex with Paxton Hall-Yoshida, …gotten drunk with the popular kids or …felt super Indian), others explicitly focus on Ben’s (…been the loneliest boy in the world, …had a breakdown) and Paxton’s perspectives (…opened a textbook, …had an identity crisis). A particularly striking feature in Never Have I Ever is the use of explicit narrators and voice-over (cf. Kuhn/ Schmidt 2014 for general considerations on narration in audio-visual texts). The most protruding narrator is former US tennis champion John McEnroe, who narrates Devi’s perspective in all episodes of the show. He also makes a physical appearance in the final episode of season 1. In the opening scene of the pilot, the audience sees Devi worshipping her Hindu deities, asking for support for her upcoming freshman year at school. John McEnroe’s voice-over explains the situation and her background story as well as his own role as a narrator. His introduction is complemented with some original footage from his tennis career, which spanned from the late 1970s to the early 1990s. Having been a teenage hero for the parents of generation Z (those born just before the turn of and the first decade of the millennium), John McEnroe will be easily recognisable to an older audience, but not necessarily to a younger one. In addition to John McEnroe, model Gigi Hadid appears as a guest narrator in S02: E03 and S04: E07, both of which centre around Paxton Hall-Yoshida. Actor, comedian, and musician Andy Samberg narrates the episodes that focus on Ben Gross (S01: E06 and S03: E06) (cf. Mat. 2). Sometimes the narrators interact with each other, making audible the characters’ thoughts and feelings and/ or providing further explanations of the situation, which often creates an additional comic effect. In S03: E06, for example, when Ben runs into Des, a boy he believes is Devi’s cousin, but in fact is a family friend who has caught her romantic attention, he immediately feels fits of jealousy. In this situation, narrator Adam Samberg verbalises Ben’s thoughts: “Who the dick is this? And why is she looking at him like that? ” John McEnroe jumps in to elucidate: “Hey Andy, John McEnroe here. Let me clarify. That’s Des, and the reason why Ben doesn’t remember him is because while Devi and Des were doing this at Trent’s party [images show the two dancing intimately], your boy was doing this [images show Ben throwing up behind the bushes].” Samberg: “Oh, right, the cousin, who wasn’t a cousin. […] At this 7.2 Serial composition and aesthetic choices: voice-over narrators and an ‘objectifying gaze’ 111 <?page no="112"?> moment, Ben forgot about his mountain of homework. The only thing that mattered was what the vibe was between these two.” An interesting question is why these choices of narrators were made as one might suspect that they are not very well-known to a teenage audience, let alone an international one. Learners might recognise Gigi Hadid, who was in her mid-20s when doing the show, in fashion advertisements, but are probably not familiar with her voice. They might also recognise Andy Samberg from his acting work (he also starred in Brooklyn Nine-Nine, cf. Leonhardt in this volume), but probably have only very distant links with John McEnroe. The obvious narrative connection to John McEnroe is that he was Mohan’s idol and provides a link to Devi’s deceased father. The choice of narrators may also be reflected upon in view of specific personality traits: John McEnroe was known as the enfant terrible of the tennis scene, who displayed confrontational and choleric behaviour on court including frequent rants, outbursts of fury, and even physical assaults (striking a ball at one of the ball boys). His fiery temper repeatedly got him in trouble with the tennis authorities, but also became his trademark, which was re-enacted and parodied in popular culture. For example, one of McEnroe’s famous quotations (“You cannot be serious! ”), uttered towards the referee in a 1981 Wimbledon tennis match, features in a car advert (cf. https: / / www.youtube.c om/ watch? v=R7ex2V89Uhg), has been turned into several memes/ gifs, and also serves as the title of McEnroe’s biography (McEnroe/ Kaplan 2002). While Devi is by no means choleric, her inapt social behaviour (being self-absorbed, impulsive and sometimes short-tempered, letting down her friends, failing to keep appointments, being unobservant and inattentive to other people’s needs and struggles, etc.) is perceived as confrontational by her social surroundings - in particular by Eleanor and Fabiola, less so by her mother and Dr Ryan, who are able to deal with Devi’s outbursts more professionally. In terms of social expectations, institutional rules and acceptable behaviour, there are certainly parallels between John McEnroe and Devi Vishwakumar, which make him a plausible choice as the narrator of Devi’s perspective on the dramatic level (for the distinction between narrative, dramatic, and cinematographic level cf. Leonhardt/ Viebrock in this volume). Similarities can also be seen between Gigi Hadid and Paxton Hall-Yoshida, whose profession (Hadid) and social status (Paxton) rely on their physical attractiveness. The extreme public focus on their perfect bodies (that is replicated on the cinematographic level by the camera’s objectifying gaze on Paxton’s defined muscles in Never Have I Ever, cf. below) may overlay many other aspects of their personalities. Hadid says in her voice-over (S02: E03, 00: 00: 20-00: 00: 35): “Believe it or not, I relate to this kid. We’re both constantly underestimated because people only see us as sex symbols,” and reveals Paxton’s feelings of being considered an easy fling and his fears of being used because of his attractiveness. Links between Andy Samberg and Ben Gross lay on the narrative level, crossing the line between fiction and non-fiction: Samberg is one of Ben’s favourite actors and features on a poster in the boy’s bedroom. As a narrator, Samberg explains that he 112 7 Teenage Struggles, Lifestyle Products, and the Legacy of Tennis Champion John McEnroe <?page no="113"?> 2 In general, the question how religious beliefs are engrained in society and to what extent their chosen representation makes sense (for whom) are interesting starting points for reflection in class. In contrast to the stereotypical representation of Jewishness, aspects of Hinduism are often used for satiric effects in the show, e.g., Devi performing religious practices in the opening scene of the pilot episode, the family’s attendance of Ganesh puja (a Hindu worship ritual in honour of the deity Ganesh) in S01: E04, and Kamala grappling with meeting her arranged future husband in S01: E09 (cf. Gupta-Carlson 2020; Pillai 2020; Rai 2020). Never Have I Ever also relies on explicit comparisons of the Jewish American and the Hindu American communities, reflected in the rivalry of Ben and Devi. Both communities are “assumed to be successful because of their culture, values, and work ethic” (Pillai 2020: n.p.). Yet while Devi is able to compete with Ben academically, she falls short of him materially: “Why does the Hindu Association have to have puja at my high school? It is so low rent. Ben Gross’s Bar Mitzvah was at the Dolby Theatre” (S01: E04, 00: 03: 36-00: 03: 43) [The Dolby Theatre is a prestigious live-performance theatre on Hollywood Boulevard, Los Angeles, where the Oscar awards have been hosted since 2001]. 3 I am hesitant to adopt the term ‘heterosexual female gaze’ suggested by Perfetti-Oates (2015) to describe the idea of an ‘inversed’ male gaze, i.e., a gaze displaying the male body as a sexual object on screen as the concept ‘female gaze’ has been explored in more than just the physical dimension. French (2021: 256) provides the following definition: “The key marker of the ‘female gaze’ is the communication or expression of female subjectivity - a gaze shaped by a female ‘look’, voice, owes Ben’s father, a powerful entertainment lawyer, a favour (S01: E06, 00: 00: 30). A less obvious similarity may be the Jewishness of both characters. In an interview, Samberg considers his family as ‘Holiday Jews’: “When I’m home, they do Shabbat and high holidays. I wouldn’t say we’re super-religious, but we’re very much in touch with the cultural aspect of it in remembering to always pay respects to that” (https: / / ww w.timeout.com/ film/ andy-samberg-interview). In Never Have I Ever, Ben’s Jewishness is cliché-ridden: He comes from an extremely well-off family, but his parents are completely self-absorbed, often leaving Ben to his own devices amidst their material wealth and literally buying their way out of their parental responsibilities. 2 Apart from doing research on the narrators and reflecting on their functions for the show (either in general or in the selected scenes described above), learners can also engage in more creative tasks and develop alternative scenes with reversed narrators (or, possibly, totally different narrators) in order to explore how specific comic effects have been achieved and how these would develop if the set-up was changed (cf. Mat. 2). Another aesthetic feature that might be worth mentioning is an adapted use of what was known in feminist film theory as the (heterosexual) ‘male gaze’ (Mulvey 1975), i.e., the practice of displaying the female body as a sexual object on screen. While this does not happen in Never Have I Ever, the objectification of the male body occurs in the presentation of Paxton, who is repeatedly shown bare chested and as an object of desire. When in the swimming pool, for example, he leaves the water in slow motion, the camera focusing on his defined muscles. When in the car with Devi, the camera zooms in on selected body parts (his hand on his leg) to illustrate his attractiveness. The explicit focus on Paxton’s physical features to some extent reflects what happens on the narrative level - after all, he is the object of Devi’s fantasies. However, the aesthetic choices that were made clearly extend the narrative necessities. While Never Have I Ever unmistakably shows instances of an ‘objectifying gaze’ 3 of the male body, Perfetti-Oates 7.2 Serial composition and aesthetic choices: voice-over narrators and an ‘objectifying gaze’ 113 <?page no="114"?> emotional response and perspective - the filmic depiction of the subjective experience or perspective of someone who lives in a female body”. 4 The study distinguishes broadcast, cable, and digital. (2015: 18) claims that “the practice of male sexual objectification is trending and little research has been done concerning the erotic spectacle of the male body on screen”, which makes it an important point for reflection regarding the show discussed in this chapter. Again, analytic tasks can be complemented with more creative ones, where learners explore the effects and impacts of the application of different gazes (cf. Mat. 3). 7.3 The representation of female persons of colour One of the most important arguments for using Never Have I Ever in the lower secondary EFL classroom is its representation of diversity in several important domains of society, e.g., gender, ethnicity, and religion. Devi, her cousin, and her mother, but also her friends are powerful and independent female characters that (will continue to) make a change in the world. Nalini and Kamala are well-educated and work in highly respected professions (medicine, research), Devi and Fabiola are academically gifted, the former being valedictorian (the highest-performing student in her class), the latter pursuing a specific interest in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) and both trying to be accepted into prestigious universities. Eleanor stands out with her creative talent. The chosen representations of female persons of colour are remarkable, albeit not flawless. In general, the film/ TV industry has seen increasing opportunities for females and/ or persons of colour to work as producers, scriptwriters, or actors, but inequalities persist (despite the fact that in selected domains a nearly proportionate representation has been achieved, cf. Hunt/ Ramón 2022; 2023). The Hollywood Diversity Report highlights which aspects in the production process remain challenging: “[…] when we examined the episodic budgets of all the TV series, we see [sic] a strong pattern indicating that shows created by people of color and women tended to receive smaller budgets than those created by White men, particularly in the digital arena” (Hunt/ Ramón 2022: 15). With regard to the cast of TV shows, females and persons of colour traditionally were underrepresented on screen, particularly in lead roles, but progress has been made here as well. Nonetheless, Hunt/ Ramón (ibid.: 20) claim that “[p]eople of color […] have considerable ground to cover before they reach proportionate representation among leads on any of the three platform types.” 4 In contrast, general cast diversity has increased: In 2020-21, people of color collectively reached or exceeded proportionate representation among the main cast (i.e., top eight roles) across all three platform types. But most of these gains for people of color can be attributed to the increasing shares of Black and multiracial persons in top roles. Other minority groups continued to remain underrepresented, particu‐ 114 7 Teenage Struggles, Lifestyle Products, and the Legacy of Tennis Champion John McEnroe <?page no="115"?> larly Latinx persons who were the only group to be severely underrepresented across the platform types. (ibid.: 26) Meanwhile, females have almost reached parity with males, being slightly underrepre‐ sented in some domains and overrepresented in others. The report does not give any particulars about an intersectional approach to the data, which might have allowed for even more differentiated insights into the representation of female persons of colour from different minority groups. (Mat. 4a provides some statistics on the development of lead roles for persons of colour and females in digitally streamed series. The data allows for the reflection of (un)equal representation, opportunities for social participation and the distribution of power in society.) In addition to the amount of screen presence, it is also illuminating to look at the functions of gender representation in relation to its perceptions. The same probably holds true for other categories, such as ethnicity. In their systematic and comprehensive analysis of gender stereotypes displayed in Wikipedia-entries on Hollywood films from the last eighty years (their sample included a random selection of 200 films for each year), Kumar et al. (2022) show how males and females are still represented and perceived differently: Our results suggest that gender stereotypes are complex and dynamic in nature. Specifically, whereas male characters appear to be associated with a diversity of themes in movies, female characters seem predominantly associated with the theme of romance. Although associations of female characters to physical beauty and marriage are declining over time, associations of female characters to sexual relationships and weddings are increasing. (ibid: 1) Hence, the decrease of the tropes of female beauty and passivity in films do not necessarily change the stereotypical associations of female characters with romance, which now only takes different forms. These results stress the need to be attentive to who is represented on screen, what choices of representation are made, and how these representations are perceived by the audience. Never Have I Ever represents a great variety of characters: [T]here are Asian Americans of Indian, Filipino, Chinese, and Japanese descent. There are Asian American characters who excel at school, but also at sports and in theatre. There are mixed-race characters, foreignand American-born characters, and straight and queer characters. (Borja 2020: n.p.) As mentioned above, Never Have I Ever has powerful and multidimensional female characters, who are by no means reduced to their physical beauty although romance still plays an important role. In particular, romance is entangled with the need to navigate conflicting cultural influences: Devi wishes to be the popular American girl and find a boyfriend while at the same time she does not want to disappoint her mother’s expectations to be a dutiful daughter. Kamala grapples with traditional conceptions of relationships and gender roles (arranged marriage) while she wishes to pursue her individual career and relationship ambitions. Nalini does not comply with 7.3 The representation of female persons of colour 115 <?page no="116"?> 5 I would like to thank Sabrina Kühberger and Cecilia Lahutte Nims, who have developed the foundations of this topical approach in one of my classes on serial narratives at Goethe-University Frankfurt/ Main, and acknowledge them as conceptual contributors to this section. the behaviour expected of Hindu widows and opens up to new relationships while simultaneously she insists on obeying traditional cultural norms and polices Devi’s behaviour accordingly (cf. Pillai 2020). Managing to reflect on the convolutions of romance in multi-ethnic societies, Never Have I Ever exhibits a certain degree of idealism and simplification in other cultural domains. Its well-off middle-class setting as well as the stereotypical depiction of religious communities replicate the myth of a privileged ‘model minority’ (Pillai 2020) that is highly selective and does not represent the complexities of these communities and their cultural practices as a whole. However, by addressing fundamental social structures and power relations regarding gender and race, Never Have I Ever opens up important spaces for reflection (cf. Mat. 4b, which includes opportunities for differentiation by focussing on different characters). 7.4 Product placement 5 Another aspect worth investigating is product placement. Zaiss (2021: 15) understands product placement as a marketing strategy or specific form of advertisement, where selected products, brands, or services are visually and/ or acoustically integrated into the audio-visual narratives of mass entertainment media (such as films or popular series). The products’ importance for or relation to the plot may vary. In return for their placement, the producers receive a financial or other compensation. The function of product placement is to get the consumers’ attention, encourage them to identify with the promoted items, express loyalty towards specific brands, and eventually influence their purchasing behaviour. While product placement always contains an element of persuasion, it may be more or less subtle. It has to blend in with the narrative in order to avoid interference with the show’s entertainment functions and the audience’s expectations respectively. In a sense, the intention of product placement is to be unrecognisable as advertising while at the same time it is exactly this. In Germany, for example, the national broadcasting agreement (Medienstaatsvertrag, Die Medienanstalten 2023) requires product placement to be marked and identified as advertising in order to distinguish it from covert advertising (Schleichwerbung), which is prohibited in Germany (cf. also Korsukéwitz 2018: 17). Technically, this might beguile producers into designing fictional brands and products, cover or disguise logos and significant features of real companies to avoid unintended covert advertising. In the US, legislation is different (cf. Korsukéwitz 2018). This is particularly signifi‐ cant in view of series and serials, the bulk of which have been produced by American production companies that do not have to consider restrictive regulations on product 116 7 Teenage Struggles, Lifestyle Products, and the Legacy of Tennis Champion John McEnroe <?page no="117"?> placement. On the contrary, there is an intensive cooperation between commercial companies and producers to use popular series as a platform for advertising. In view of developing learners’ critical competences (cf. Leonhardt/ Viebrock in this volume) this makes reflections on product placement and, possibly, the different legal regulations even more important in the context of the EFL classroom. By no means is Never Have I Ever the only serial that makes use of product placement. In 2019, Branded Entertainment Network estimated that 90% of the top 10 streaming shows had integrated specific brands (cf. Young/ Bradley 2019: 6). There is also an expansive website dedicated to the detection of product placement, listing over 900 TV shows and more than 2300 films, in which this marketing strategy was embedded (https: / / productplacementblog.com/ ). Hence, product placement could also be exam‐ ined with many other shows. The reason why Never Have I Ever lends itself well is that it integrates brands that are particularly appealing to teenage learners (such as Converse, Microsoft, Nike, Adidas, and the like). Not only does the placement of these brands strengthen the brands’ images, in addition, a teenage audience might also perceive the setting of the show as the ideal surroundings of the displayed lifestyle products, stressing their originality and triggering a desire for both the product and the social setting it is used in (cf. Korsukéwitz 2018: 31 ff.). In addition to awareness raising activities that make learners perceive instances of product placement, one could work on the questions whether the display of certain products in specific scene is essential for the narrative, whether it contributes to an authentic representation of reality, or whether the commercial interests of product placement dominate. In view of the ‘perceptual immediacy’ (Fiorelli 2016: iii) of audio-visual narratives, i.e., the similarities in our perceptions of objects, characters, and places on and off screen, teenagers might be unable to differentiate between the real world and fiction (cf. also Péter 2010: 19). They may also be less conscious of the subtleties of marketing strategies and, therefore, need specific support in addressing these questions. Mat. 5 suggests several tasks for addressing product placement. The starting point could be a party scene (S01: E08, 00: 21: 58-00: 24: 43) where Devi discloses Fabiola’s gender identity. In the tense scene, the focus of the audience will not be on subtle product placement, but if directed towards this aspect, the learners will be able to discover Converse, Twitter (now X), Jeep, Red Bull, Coca Cola, and Arm/ Hammer Baking Soda to be casually mentioned or integrated in the action. The learners could also extend their research to other scenes and compare their findings with what has been documented in the product placement blog (cf. https: / / productplacementblog. com/ ? s=never+have+i+ever). By selecting individual scenes/ images and replacing the presented brands, the learners can reflect upon the effects and functions of product placement. The insights of these assignments can be brought together in a more complex and creative task: a simulation in which different stakeholders (parents, teachers, students, producers, brand owners, politicians, etc.) discuss regulations on product placement in teenage series and serials. 7.4 Product placement 117 <?page no="118"?> 7.5 Summary In this chapter, I set out to explore the teaching potential of the teenage RomCom Never Have I Ever. I have shown that even though the narrative may not stand out initially, the show has a number of very interesting features that justify its use in the context of English language education and provide the learners with insights that contribute to their series_serials literacy. Not only are the multidimensional and multiracial strong female characters interesting in their own right, e.g., with regard to their attempts to navigate conflicting cultural influences. They are also valuable in view of questions of representation and social participation. The show also lends itself to study the use of product placement that occurs routinely in series and serials, in particular US American ones. Awareness raising with regards to means of subtle manipulations of the audience certainly contributes to the development of the learners’ critical competences. Last but not least, I have highlighted two aesthetic features of the show - the use of voice-over narrators and an ‘objectifying gaze’ - that deserve closer inspection. By providing background information on the characters and making audible their thoughts and feelings, the narrators shed additional light on the situations shown and often substantially contribute to the scenes’ comic effects. Moreover, insights into the manipulative composition of images provides a valuable contribution to developing the learners’ critical competences and, thus, their series_serials literacy. Series and serials Never Have I Ever. Kaling, Mindy/ Fisher, Lang (creators). Kaling International/ Original Lang‐ ster/ 3 Arts Entertainment/ Universal Television, 2020-2023. References Borja, Melissa (2020). Religion, race, and “Never Have I Ever”: A roundtable discussion. https : / / www.patheos.com/ blogs/ anxiousbench/ 2020/ 06/ religion-race-and-never-have-i-ever-a-ro undtable-discussion/ (last accessed: 28.06.2024) Die Medienanstalten (2023). Medienstaatsvertrag. https: / / www.die-medienanstalten.de/ fileadm in/ user_upload/ Rechtsgrundlagen/ Gesetze_Staatsvertraege/ Medienstaatsvertrag_MStV.pdf (last accessed: 28.06.2024) French, Lisa (2021). The Female Gaze in Documentary Film - An International Perspective. Palgrave MacMillan. Fiorelli, Lindsey (2016). What Movies Show: Realism, Perception and Truth in Film. Publicly Accessible Penn Dissertations. 1715. https: / / repository.upenn.edu/ edissertations/ 1715 (last accessed: 28.06.2024) Gupta-Carlson, Himaneen (2020). “Dismantling the model minority myth and creating a new multiracial society.” Commentary in a round table discussion on religion, race and Never Have I Ever. https: / / www.patheos.com/ blogs/ anxiousbench/ 2020/ 06/ religion-race-and-never-have -i-ever-a-roundtable-discussion/ (last accessed: 28.06.2024) 118 7 Teenage Struggles, Lifestyle Products, and the Legacy of Tennis Champion John McEnroe <?page no="119"?> 6 The Hollywood Diversity Report has been published annually since 2014. As of 2020, it has been divided into one part on film and another on television. Hunt, Darnell/ Ramón, Ana-Christina (2023). Hollywood diversity report (Part 1: Film). UCLA, Institute for Research on Labor and Employment. https: / / socialsciences.ucla.edu/ wp-con tent/ uploads/ 2023/ 03/ UCLA-Hollywood-Diversity-Report-2023-Film-3-30-2023.pdf (last ac‐ cessed: 28.06.2024) 6 Hunt, Darnell/ Ramón, Ana-Christina (2022): Hollywood diversity report (Part 2: Television). UCLA, Institute for Research on Labor and Employment. https: / / socialsciences.ucla.edu / wp-content/ uploads/ 2022/ 10/ UCLA-Hollywood-Diversity-Report-2022-Television-10-27-20 22.pdf (last accessed: 28.06.2024) Kumar, Arjun M./ Goh, Jasmine Y.Q./ Tan, Tiffany H.H./ Siew, Cynthia S.Q. (2022). Gender stereotypes in Hollywood movies and their evolution over time: insights from network analysis. Big Data Cogn. Comput 6 (2), 50. https: / / doi.org/ 10.3390/ bdcc6020050 McEnroe, John/ Kaplan, James (2002). You Cannot Be Serious. New York: Putnam. Péter, Lilla (2010). Children in the world of commercials. Some thoughts concerning the relationship between children and advertisement. Neue Didaktik 1, 15-27. Korsukéwitz, Sophie (2018). Product Placement in Social Media, Film und Fernsehen: Grundla‐ gen, Entwicklung, Erscheinungsformen und aktuelle Rechtslage. Hamburg: Diplomica. Kuhn, Markus/ Schmidt, Johann N. (2014). Narration in film (revised version). In: Hühn, Peter/ Meister, Jan C./ Pier, John/ Schmid, Wolf (eds.): The Living Handbook of Narratology. Hamburg: Hamburg University. https: / / www-archiv.fdm.uni-hamburg.de/ lhn/ node/ 64.html (last accessed: 28.06.2024) Mulvey, Laura (1975). “Visual pleasure and narrative cinema.” Screen 16 (3), 6-18. Perfetti-Oates, Natalie (2015). Chick flicks and the straight female gaze: sexual objectification and sex negativity in New Moon, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Magic Mike, and Fool’s Gold. Gender Forum 51, 18-31. Pillai, Rupai (2020). Representing American Hinduism for whom? Commentary in a round table discussion on religion, race and Never Have I Ever. https: / / www.patheos.com/ blogs/ anxious bench/ 2020/ 06/ religion-race-and-never-have-i-ever-a-roundtable-discussion/ (last accessed: 28.06.2024) Rai, Swapnil (2020). The in-between world of the Indian diaspora in the United States. Com‐ mentary in a round table discussion on religion, race and Never Have I Ever. https: / / www.pat heos.com/ blogs/ anxiousbench/ 2020/ 06/ religion-race-and-never-have-i-ever-a-roundtable-di scussion/ (last accessed: 28.06.2024) Young, Gordon/ Bradley, Sam (eds.) (2021). The rise of product placement and influencer marketing. https: / / www.benlabs.com/ wp-content/ uploads/ 2021/ 05/ Rise_of_Product_Placem ent_Influencer-Marketing_BEN_2021.pdf (last accessed: 28.06.2024) Zaiss, Volker (2022). Das Zusammenspiel von Product Placement und Co-Promotion. Stuttgart: Springer. Download: Additional Material 7.5 Summary 119 <?page no="121"?> 8 Enhancing Series_Serials Literacy and Multilingual Competences: Jane the Virgin-in the EFL Classroom Carmen Herrero This chapter analyzes the potential of the serial Jane the Virgin (2014-2019) for the EFL classroom. This US comedy-drama, created by Jennie Snyder Urman, is loosely based on Juana la Virgen (2002), a popular Venezuelan telenovela. Set in Miami, this remake follows three generations of women: Jane Villanueva, a young, hard-working Venezuelan-American who is accidentally artificially inseminated; her single mother, Xiomara; and Alba, her religious grandmother, who is a first-generation immigrant and speaks mainly in Spanish. With mostly a Latino cast, this romantic-drama adaptation follows the-conventions-and-themes of the telenovela genre while, at the same time, deconstructs some of the tropes associated with the telenovela paradigm. This chapter explores the possibilities offered by the bilingual and multicultural nature of this ‘millennial telenovela’ in the EFL classroom (secondary education, 13+ age, CEFR levels B1-B2). The first part of the chapter looks at the characteristics of this fast-paced modern telenovela produced for the growing-Hispanic millennial audience-in the US: -the complexity of themes, characters, and mix of drama and comedy. The second section explores the notion of multilingualism in screen media and how its representation matters in our current superdiverse society. This type of television serial can provide a good illustration of the language ideology and multilingual practices in the country of production and beyond, given the shifting contexts of audio-visual media spectatorship due to the growth of streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime. The bilingual show provides a wealth of examples of multimodal communication, as well as opportunities for cultural learning due to the social nature of some of its content. The third part suggests a series of preand post-viewing activities to develop the students’ series_serials literacy and multilingual competences. This final section also proposes tasks aimed at designing a multimodal product or artefact, individually or collaboratively, to engage with series productively. 8.1 Introduction This chapter delves into the potential of incorporating multilingual series and serials into the EFL classroom, catering to secondary education students aged 13 and above. To illustrate this, it uses the USA production Jane the Virgin as a prime example. <?page no="122"?> 1 Perla Farías is a Venezuelan television director, producer and screenwriter. Created by Jennie Snyder Urman, the series follows three generations of women: Jane Villanueva, a diligent, young Venezuelan-American; her single mother, Xiomara; and Alba, her religious grandmother who is an immigrant from Venezuela and primarily converses in Spanish. The pilot episode was launched on October 13, 2014, on the CW Television Network. The first season attracted an average of 1.61 million viewers per episode and Jane the Virgin remained a well-watched series across the rest of the seasons. Moreover, Jane the Virgin found a wider international audience through its availability on Netflix. The show boasts a diverse cast of Latinx actors and actresses, including Ivonne Coll, Gina Rodriguez, Jaime Camil, and Andrea Navedo. The series features guest appearances by Rita Moreno and Brooke Shields, as well as cameos by many famous singers (Britney Spears, Bruno Mars, Kesha, Eve, Paulina Rubio, Juanes, David Bisbal, Gloria and Emilio Estefan), and actors and celebrities (Carmen Electra, Eva Longoria, Haley Lu Richardson, Denise Richards, Mario Lopez, Justin Hartley, Sharon Osbourne and Zelda Williams). The series won numerous awards, including the American Film Institute for Television Program of The Year Award, People’s Choice Award for Favourite New TV Comedy, and three Imagen Awards for Best Primetime Television Program. This chapter explores the content of the five seasons, as well as the sociocultural background and context of Jane the Virgin. The chapter then focuses on the central themes and the characteristics of this fast-paced modern telenovela produced for the growing Hispanic millennial audience in the US. The next section looks at the main characters’ multilingual identities. The serial provides a good illustration of the language ideological discourses and multilingual practices in the USA and beyond. This chapter offers a brief overview of the concepts of multilingualism and plurilin‐ gualism and the function of multilingualism, elucidating their roles in the domain in screen media within the evolving landscape of audio-visual media spectatorship. This investigation is situated within the contemporary milieu shaped by the proliferation of streaming services. The multilingual nature of Jane the Virgin can be a springboard from which to consider different visions of linguistic and cultural traditions, the values and challenges of multilingual life, and how its representation matters in the current superdiverse society. The final part offers a series of preand post-viewing classroom activities related to the topics discussed above. 8.2 Description of the serial and its central themes Between 2014 and 2019, the CW Television Network aired five seasons of the US American serial Jane the Virgin, loosely based on Juana la Virgen (2002), a successful Venezuelan telenovela written by Perla Farías and broadcasted on Radio Caracas Televisión. 1 The original telenovela depicts a seventeen-year-old student, Juana Pérez, who is studying journalism in the United States with a scholarship. During a routine 122 8 Enhancing Series_Serials Literacy and Multilingual Competences <?page no="123"?> medical check-up at the hospital, she is accidentally inseminated. The successful adaptation, created and developed by Jenny Snyder Urman, has a similar storyline. It tells the story of Jane Gloriana Villanueva, a bright twenty-three-year-old Latina woman of Venezuelan descent who is hardworking and religious and aspires to become a writer. She lives in Miami with her mother, Xiomara, and her grandmother, Alba. In season 1, Jane the Virgin introduces us to the main character: Jane, who has vowed to her grandmother to keep her virginity until her wedding day. She plans to marry her fiancé Michael Cordero, a police officer, once she graduates. However, during a check-up gynaecologist appointment, she is accidentally inseminated with Rafael Solano’s sperm without her realising. This leaves Petra, Rafael’s wife, heartbroken as their marriage is in crisis. The doctor responsible for this mistake is Luisa, Rafael’s sister. Rafael is the co-director of the Marbella Hotel where Jane works and with whom she had a brief romantic encounter a few years ago. Once Jane discovers that she is pregnant, she must consider how being a mother will affect her family relationships and professional goals. The situation is further complicated with a series of melodramatic turns: Michael is not keen on being the father of Rafael’s child; Petra and Rafael are going through a marital crisis; Luisa is having an affair with Rose, who is married to her father, Emilio; and Jane discovers that her father is Rogelio de la Vega, a famous telenovela star who was Xiomara’s high school boyfriend. The background story includes the criminal investigation that Michael Cordero is leading on the identity of a crime lord known as Sin Rostro. The first season ends with the birth of Jane and Rafael’s son, Mateo, who is then kidnapped by Sin Rostro. Season 2 delves into Jane’s journey as a working mother, navigating the challenging balance of returning to graduate school to pursue her dream of becoming a writer. Amidst these aspirations, Jane faces the complex decision of choosing between Rafael and Michael. With Rafael, she embarks on a co-parenting journey, while he experiences the joys and challenges of fatherhood when Petra gives birth to twin girls, and their relationship undergoes trials and tribulations. The season concludes with Jane marrying Michael, only for a shocking turn of events to take place in which he is shot by an individual connected to the enigmatic criminal Sin Rostro. In season 3, Michael, who has recovered from his critical condition, decides to leave the police force and pursue a career in law. Tragically, his life is cut short when he succumbs to a heart attack, stemming from the injuries sustained during the shooting. The storyline moves forward three years into the future following Michael’s passing, shedding light on Jane’s journey in coping with the trauma of losing her husband and the challenges of single motherhood. Professionally, she begins to flourish when she publishes her first novel. Within her family, there are also important changes: Rogelio and Xiomara get married. However, as Xiomara starts to feel emotional stability, she is diagnosed with breast cancer. In season 4, Jane tries to move forward with her life, and provides an unconditional support for her mother during her cancer treatment. She also fosters a strong rapport 8.2 Description of the serial and its central themes 123 <?page no="124"?> with Petra and Rafael. Notably, one of the highlights of the season is Jane’s grand‐ mother, Alba, attaining US citizenship. Finally, in season 5, we witness how Xiomara’s cancer diagnosis unfolds and the impact it has on her life and her family. Meanwhile, Jane embarks on the second part of her literary career, creating her second novel, drawing inspiration from her family’s journey, while also collaborating on a script for a telenovela for Rogelio. When Jane and Rafael are back together, Michael is found alive in Montana. Then, Jane must decide whether she still has feelings for Michael - who is suffering from amnesia -, or if she wants to continue her life with Rafael. In the meantime, there are two other romance stories. Petra, who is now like a sister to Jane, is in love with her lawyer, Jane Ramos (referred to as JR). Alba offers to marry Jorge, her co-worker, as he is an illegal immigrant and needs a green card in order to visit his mother who is dying in Mexico. Eventually, they understand that their love is real. Finally, Jane confronts her emotions and makes the decision to marry Rafael. In summary, if Jane the Virgin’s stories feel fresh and contemporary to young audiences, it is partly due to the skilful portrayal of personal relationships. Combining melodrama and comedy, the serial offers an alternative message to the oversexualised millennial environment prevalent in other audio-visual products. By the same token, it challenges power structures, especially in the domains of family and romantic relationships. The central characters, particularly the Villanueva women, are, at the same time, vulnerable and strong and support each other’s affective lives (cf. Mat. 5). The presence of popular cultural references (from telenovelas, music, and literature) is used to construct the personalities of the characters and provides a rich context to their multilingual life and heritage. Finally, it is worth noticing how this serial exploits other strategies (mainly the narrator’s voice and intermedial references) that allow for a rich reflection on key issues that are meaningful to young audiences, from the consumption of screen media and the use of social media in everyday life to currant socio-political issues (education, migration, social justice and equity, among others). Some of these elements will be discussed in the following section. 8.3 Implementing Jane the Virgin into English language teaching: The telenovela genre Telenovelas serve as valuable pedagogical tools within the language classroom, offering numerous opportunities for critically analysing images and ideological messages, as well as fostering an enhanced comprehension of specific sociocultural contexts. Working with specific scenes or excerpts can facilitate the analysis of the genre conventions, the significance of the message, and how the audience is appealed to, in order to respond to the characters and events. As Christopolou (2010: 21) notes, the power of the telenovela “resides in both the emotional participation they encourage and the particularities of their narrative, especially the ways they exploit personalization through addressing social issues in personal or familial stories”. 124 8 Enhancing Series_Serials Literacy and Multilingual Competences <?page no="125"?> Looking at the different types of relationships between the original and the remake, Jane the Virgin can be classified as a true remake as it seeks “to make the original relevant by updating it” (Leitch, in Verevis 2006: 12 f.). Jane the Virgin adopts some of the iconic generic conventions of telenovela, a very popular television genre developed and produced originally in Latin America, linking with other types of genres targeted at women, particularly the rom-com and the romance genres, represented through the novels written by the protagonist. However, Jane the Virgin displays the genre characteristics of a fast-paced modern telenovela. This new type of subgenre combines the traditional storylines (e.g., dysfunctional family dynamics) and soap-opera style melodrama with comedy to deconstruct negative gender stereotypes and present a positive image of women and other marginalised groups, particularly migrants and the LGBT community. Jane the Virgin deploys these narrative motifs through the employment of postmodern attributes, namely intertextuality, self-referentiality, and parody. For example, in every episode, the narrator (voiced by Anthony Mendez) furnishes a succinct recapitulation of preceding chapters, interspersed with contextual commentary, while also ironically incorporating additional references to the conven‐ tions of the telenovela genre. Telenovelas are characterised by melodramatic and tragic narratives. They tend to attract a mainly female audience by presenting stories based on universal themes, such as love, loss, and other contemporary issues that affect family and society in general. Jane the Virgin contains many of these themes, including family relationships, mothering, female empowerment, friendship, romantic relationships, and migrants’ rights (cf. Mat. 3). The show depicts contrasting perspectives on topics concerning gender roles through the Villanueva women. The series delves into multifaced themes centred around gender and family dynamics, with a particular focus on motherhood and sexuality. Jane the Virgin explores different layers of the maternal experience, particularly the mother-daughter relationship. It shows what motherhood implies at a personal, social, and institutional level, particularly for single mothers. The show’s title itself alludes to the central theme of virginity, which serves as a defining element of the protagonists’ convictions and principles. In episode 1, Alba strongly encourages the young Jane to remain chaste until she gets married, and following her cultural and religious beliefs, Alba explains this lesson using a rose as a symbol of virginity. While Alba uses Spanish to warn Jane, Xiomara explains in English how she disagrees with her mother and the message she is instilling in Jane. Diversity in films and series is crucial because the way different societal groups are depicted can either challenge or reinforce prejudices and promote either positive or negative portrayals (Schuster 2017; Sulimma 2021). Numerous studies and reports have drawn attention to the compelling influence of media narratives, particularly when it comes to perpetuating or challenging the representation of minority groups (Akines 2015; Castañeda 2018; National Hispanic Media Coalition 2012; Pressler 2019; Smith et al. 2018). Latino characters are often depicted in overly simplistic ways in film and 8.3 Implementing Jane the Virgin into English language teaching: The telenovela genre 125 <?page no="126"?> 2 The term Latino refers to various US communities with a variety of ethnic and cultural identities that have Latin American and Caribbean roots, including those with African, Asian, European, and Indigenous ancestry. television. 2 However, in Jane the Virgin the female characters have diverse and powerful roles and the evolving dynamics between the Villanueva women across the five series has been valued as an exemplary model of how to promote diversity and ensure a more equitable representation in series. Moreover, Gina Rodriguez, the actress who plays Jane, has highlighted the positive impact of seeing women in diverse positions to change the perception of Latinos in America and to challenge the invisibility of Latinx representations: “The way I grew up, I never saw myself on screen”. Thus, she has praised the role of the arts as “an avenue to educate and teach our next generation” and supported a more diverse and equal representation that celebrates differences and promotes intercultural understanding (Shinn-Morris 2018: n.p.; cf. also Viebrock in this volume). Jane the Virgin deals also with the social and individual representation of the migrant, a phenomenon associated with prejudices, stereotypes, and negative connotations (insecurity, criminality, or terrorism) (Bauman 2016; Brownlie 2022). Many argue that migration is an integral component for the development of society (Nail 2015); and, using the notion of ‘postmigration’, they question the simplistic categorising of immigrants as the ‘Other’ (Petersen 2023). Jane the Virgin defies the binary images of migrants portrayed in the media showing their motivation and contribution to US society (Galarza 2020). In the serial, migrants are presented as positive figures. Jane the Virgin explores explicitly how the illegal status affects those who are pursuing the American dream. It openly tackles issues that impact Latinos, most notably, deportation, through Alba and Jorge’s stories. In episode 6, the audience finds out that Alba ( Jane’s grandmother) is not a US citizen and Jane drops the lawsuit against Luisa to avoid problems with this. In S01: E10, when Alba is in the hospital in a coma, the doctor informs Xiomara that the hospital cannot cover the cost of caring for Alba. As an illegal immigrant, she can be deported back to Venezuela. The storyline for this episode was inspired by author, activist, and actress Diana Guerrero, who plays Lina, Jane’s best friend, and whose family was deported from the US to Colombia when she was fourteen years old. In this episode, Xiomara questions how this can be legal and then the narrator intervenes, and an on-screen message informs the audience: “Yes, this really happens. Look it up. #ImmigrationReform”. As these words appear reinforced with a strong sound, the doctor then concludes the scene by stating, “It’s called medical repatriation”. In S01: E20, Alba is afraid of confessing to the police that it was Petra’s mother who was responsible for her “accident” as she fears deportation due to her lack of documentation. Jennie Snyder Urman, the creator of the show, has acknowledged the significance of this topic before Obama’s immigration policies were implemented. This was addressed in Jane the Virgin: “by personalizing this issue, and playing it out through beloved characters, we can make the political, personal … and hopefully raise consciousness and compassion” (Orley, 2015: n.p.). Alba’s precarious 126 8 Enhancing Series_Serials Literacy and Multilingual Competences <?page no="127"?> condition persists even after gaining a green card, particularly during season 3 when Donald Trump becomes president. Once she is a US citizen (S04: E17), Alba gives a speech in English at her surprise citizenship party. As she normally speaks in Spanish, this linguistic switch is a clear reference to her new status as a naturalised citizen. It also highlights her capacity for using her new status to stand for those who are still excluded by marrying her friend Jorge, so he is able to visit his very ill mother in Mexico. Her new agency empowers Alba to use the law to help others and her story “becomes public pedagogy for thousands undertaking the process of naturalization” subverting the “marriage-for-a-green card” trope (Galarza 2022: 173). 8.4 Multilingual practices in Jane the Virgin The representation of plurilingual experiences onscreen has been increasingly attract‐ ing more attention (Berger/ Komori 2010; Mamula/ Patti 2016; Shochat/ Stam 1985; Wahl 2008). In multilingual media artefacts, language diversity should be a “crucial narrative element, a tool and a strategy for wresting, maintaining and redistributing power among the characters” (King 2017: 27). Thus, plurilingual films and series can be a very valuable resource in the modern foreign language classroom to facilitate intercultural and transcultural learning approaches to language learning (Herrero 2022; Herrero/ Vanderschelden 2022; Herrero/ Suarez 2023). In Jane the Virgin, the multifaceted portrayal of the Villanueva women showcases the rich tapestry of their identities and the interplay between language, culture, and heritage. From episode 1, language is connected to the identity of the three women. Alba consciously chooses to speak Spanish with her family, preserving traditions and religious beliefs as an endeavour to maintain her Latina identity in a foreign country. Xiomara, on the other hand, epitomises the Latinas, and, having been born in the US, has embraced the American values and prefers using English, despite her fluency in Spanish. Lastly, Jane embodies the American lifestyle in terms of education and career aspirations, but she cherishes her Venezuelan heritage, cultural traditions, religious beliefs, and language. As García Romero (2017: 6) notes, the “differences among the Villanueva women serve to emphasize the complexity of a label like Latina/ o, as each generation represents a different iteration of the term”. Jane the Virgin showcases multiple examples of ‘translanguaging’, a term that Canagarajah (2011: 401) defines as “the ability of multilingual speakers to shuttle between languages, treating the diverse languages that form their repertoire as an integrated system”. For García (2009, in García/ Li Wei 2014: 22), “translanguaging [denotes] multiple discursive practices in which bilinguals engage in order to make sense of their bilingual worlds.” Cummins (2021: 273) has noted how “mobilising students’ multilingual and multimodal repertoires can connect curriculum to students’ lives, scaffold learning, affirm their identities, and reinforce their knowledge of how language works as an oral and written communicative system”. The serial presents translingual practices in bilingual families and communities and captures Jane’s cul‐ 8.4 Multilingual practices in Jane the Virgin 127 <?page no="128"?> 3 Isabel Allende is a Chilean novelist who has followed the magic realist tradition. For more infor‐ mation about Allende, see the following website: https: / / www.isabelallende.com/ en (last accessed: 01.06.2024) tural and linguistic hybridity. The scenes in which Jane code-switches between Spanish and English can provide practical scenarios to analyse multilingual elements and trans‐ cultural references. Other possible strategies for implementing translanguaging are analysing and comparing vocabulary, syntax, and morphology in different languages to develop cross-linguistic flexibility and metalinguistic awareness. The practice and representation of multilingualism in this series showcases a positive attitude towards language diversity, which is at the core of what being plurilingual is about (Piccardo 2019). In their analysis of bilingualism in Jane the Virgin, Melgarejo and Bucholtz (2020: 505) argue that the serial “projects a positive and believable representation of Latinx bilingualism” using different types of linguistic practices: “nonreciprocal bilingualism, linguistic accommodation, and conversational codeswitching”. These examples can illustrate different ways of using two languages competently and allow learners to expand their linguistic repertoire. Jane the Virgin can be utilized to implement other approaches to ‘pedagogical translanguaging’ (García/ Li Wei 2014) in the EFL classroom: building background knowledge, enhancing a deeper understanding of the content of the text, extending this knowledge, and fostering critical thinking. For example, Jane the Virgin incorporates elements of magical realism throughout the series (cf. Mat. 8). There are many instances showcasing how Jane the Virgin weaves magical elements into its narrative, creating a unique blend of realism and fantasy and blurring the line between them. For instance, sometimes halos appear around hearts, or an unexpected flow of wind makes petals fall like snow as was the case during Jane and Michael’s first encounter, and during Jane and Rafael’s first meeting and first kiss after breaking up with Michael. Moreover, the Latin American tradition of magical realism is embedded in Jane’s admiration for Isabel Allende’s work, who appears in one of the episodes. 3 Curricular and pedagogical projects can encourage language learners to explore and celebrate the cultural and linguistic diversity of their community and raise awareness about different traditions. A relevant example can be found in S01: E10, which shows - via a flashback - Jane being worried about an upcoming event in her school. Xiomara, who cannot cook, has offered to prepare a typical Venezuelan dish for Jane’s Heritage school function and Jane asks her grandmother to teach her how to pray in order to protect her classmates from falling ill due to Xiomara’s cooking. This episode can be used as a resource for engaging learners in a multilingual and multimodal project, making use of different semiotic elements - verbal, visual, gestural, and audio (Kress 2010) - and applying their critical understanding of the audio-visual techniques. For example, students may co-create a multilingual recipe e-book of traditional cuisine, with photos and short videos, showcasing the cultural and linguistic value of bilingual students (cf. Mat. 9). There are other episodes that can enable students to explore culture and identity and deepen their understanding of other cultures. For instance, 128 8 Enhancing Series_Serials Literacy and Multilingual Competences <?page no="129"?> in episode S04: 17, there is a reference to the Independence Day for the United States, as it was on the 4 th July, during the fireworks, that Alba decided she wanted to be a US citizen. Episode S05: E01 starts with an explanation of the “Día de los Muertos” (Day of the Dead). S02: E03 offers a great example of family traditions that are passed from generation to generation. Jane’s baptism speech for her son was written by Jane's grandmother when she first immigrated to the United Stated to express her dreams for her daughter. 8.5 Conclusion This chapter has aimed to provide a reflection on the value of using multilingual series in the EFL classroom. The chapter illustrated how teaching English also requires an understanding of the possibilities of translanguaging pedagogies to support bilingual practices and carve space for multilingualism in schools and other educational settings. Jane the Virgin connects linguistic diversity with a social agenda exposing and contextualising meaning-making strategies related to gender, race, class, and linguistic identity. In this sense, it promotes the valuing of all cultures and languages and facilitates transcultural learning through mediation tasks. This chapter has also addressed the importance of exploring genre conventions when using television series in the EFL classroom. It argued that Jane the Virgin is an exemplary modern telenovela, a remake that exploits the characteristics of Latin American telenovelas, while, at the same time, consciously deconstructing some of the hierarchical discourses related to the discriminatory treatment of women and mar‐ ginalised minorities. Including multilingual series as part of the curriculum provides opportunities for integrating culture and language teaching and for cross-curricula activities. It also contributes to decolonising the curriculum as it encourages a critical stance toward monolingualism; showing how the co-existence of diverse multilingual practices and the value of all languages across the multiple dimensions of communi‐ cation can foster intercultural and multilingual awareness. Hence, translanguaging pedagogy provides an approach for using multilingual series and serials such as Jane the Virgin to develop critical and creative practices for multilingual classrooms and engage learners with contemporary issues and experiences that are meaningful to them. Series and serials Jane The Virgin. Snyder Urman, Jennie (creator). Poppy Productions/ RCTV International/ Elec‐ tus/ Warner Bros. Television/ CBS Television Studios, 2014-2019. Juana la Virgen. Perla Farías (creator). Radio Caracas Televisión,-2002. 8.5 Conclusion 129 <?page no="130"?> References Akines, Arielle (2015). Hispanic Representations on Media Platforms: Perspectives and Ster‐ eotypes in the Meme, Television, Film, and on Youtube. Master dissertation. Texas State University. https: / / digital.library.txst.edu/ server/ api/ core/ bitstreams/ 091e544d-31ec-4d83-ab a7-4716660f457f/ content (last accessed: 28.06.2024) Bauman, Zygmunt (2016). Strangers at Our Door. Malden/ MA: Polity. 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Newcastle: Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 334-350. Download: Additional Material 8.5 Conclusion 131 <?page no="133"?> 1 LGBTQIA* is an acronym for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and asexual (Ison 2019: 151); the asterisk (* or sometimes +) in LGBTQIA* is a wildcard/ place holder for (gender-/ sexual-) modalities/ identities which are not covered by “LGBTQIA”. 2 FSK 16 (Freiwillige Selbstkontrolle der Filmwirtschaft, a German age restriction for films and seri‐ als/ series) 9 Gender Diversity in the EFL Classroom: Representations of Queerness in Sex Education Rieke Dieckhoff/ Karoline Thorbecke This chapter explores the possibilities of working with the serial Sex Education in upper secondary English language education (CEFR levels B2 and above) to reflect on its representations of LGBTQIA* 1 characters and heteronormative structures. Sex Education is an immensely successful dramedy that depicts the lives of several teenagers at the fictional high school of Moordale. It covers a plethora of issues that can affect young adults: In addition to topics common of teen series and serials, such as friendship, conflicts in family, love and heartbreak, the show also addresses more unusual and challenging topics such as sex and sex education, abortion, cross dressing, poverty, addiction, and (sexual) assault. Furthermore, the serial is known for its felicitous portrayal of LGBTQIA* characters, which makes it a worthwhile starting point for reflections on representations of queerness in English language education. 9.1 Introduction to the serial: characters and topics Transgression as the overarching stylistic principle of the serial One of the main characteristics of the serial Sex Education (four seasons, à eight episodes, written and created by Laurie Nunn, 2019-2023, Netflix) 2 is its fluidity and the repeated transgression and shifting of boundaries. The serial can be classified as a dramedy, which is a genre characterised by a combination of comical elements with highly sensitive and serious topics. Another transgression of boundaries can be observed regarding the serial’s aesthetic design, which combines elements from different decades, such as the costumes which oftentimes resemble the 1980s (cf. Hardiman 2020) and old-fashioned technical devices such as analogue cameras and clock radios, which appear in the same environment as modern devices (smartphones and the like). Furthermore, the serial’s setting does not only resist clear categorisations in terms of its depicted time but also in terms of the place where it is set: While it is not explicitly mentioned where the school is located, the audience gets several clues that it <?page no="134"?> 3 Most of the characters speak with a British accent; one of the main characters applies for a scholarship to go to school in the US; the currency (pound); the country does not have a president; etc. is situated in the UK. 3 However, it is important to underline that this high school is not a representation of a typical British educational institution. For example, it displays elements of a (stereo-)typical American high school, such as the absence of school uniforms, a strong focus on school sports or pupils who wear so-called Letterman jackets (cf. Forde 2019), which are worn by students in the US to show their affiliation to and achievements in a certain school sport club. While some journalists and YouTubers argue that Sex Education was deliberately Americanised to make it more appealing to American viewers (cf. Forde 2019; Nicholas 2020), Ben Taylor, one of the show’s directors, states: “[…] at no point were we trying to pass it off as America. We were just trying to pass it off as a slightly heightened ‘Nowheresville’” (Warner 2019: n.p.). The director furthermore adds that a realistic portrayal of a high school in the UK would not have matched the experiences of the characters that are portrayed in the show, which he describes as “[…] slightly idealised in terms of its intelligence and its forward-thinking and its positivity” (ibid.). Laurie Nunn, the creator of Sex Education, underscores the fictional nature of the dramedy by calling the setting of the serial a “teenage utopia” (Theil 2021: n.p.). The most prominent boundary crossing in the serial concerns its transgression of the boundaries of heteronormativity (cf. info box 1) which is the focus of this chapter and of the practical teaching suggestions for advanced learners presented at the end of this text. Sex Education is known for its apt representations of queerness (cf. Mahanty 2023; Vázquez‐Rodríguez et al. 2021: 199) and thus allows for reflections on the way the serial represents various queer ways of living. Character constellations and three protagonists Serial narratives tend to include a large number of (round) characters which are developed over a longer period of time (cf. Surkamp in this volume). This can also be observed in Sex Education, where more than ten characters are portrayed with a relatively high degree of complexity and development. Within the scope of this chapter, it is not possible to introduce all the main characters in depth, nor is it possible to give a detailed overview of what happens in all seasons; instead, our focus will be on the protagonists and on some of the serial’s queer characters which also play an important role for the practical teaching suggestions. The serial’s most important characters and their relationships can be visualised as follows: 134 9 Gender Diversity in the EFL Classroom <?page no="135"?> Otis Milburn Eric Effiong Maeve Wiley Adam Groff Jean Milburn Ola Nyman Jackson Marchetti Lily Iglehart Jakob Nyman Cal Bowman Fig. 1: Non-exhaustive character constellation Sex Education (focus mostly on seasons 1 to 3) Otis Milburn is one of the protagonists. He is a teenager who finds himself on the onset of his last two years of high school in the beginning of season 1. He does not have many friends and says about himself: “I don’t want to be popular. I just want to be a guy in the corner that no one knows […]” (S01: E02, 00: 05: 50-00: 06: 06). In the first season, Otis gets to know Maeve Wiley, on whom he has a crush. Together, they start a clandestine sex clinic at school, where they offer advice on topics of intimacy and sexuality in exchange for money to their fellow students. While Maeve takes care of the administration of their business, Otis acts as a sex therapist, a profession he knows well through his mother, who is an actual sex therapist. In the beginning, Maeve Wiley is presented as an independent solitary, who is both despised and admired by her classmates. On the one hand, people make mean comments about her alleged sexual encounters with various men as well as her appearance. On the other hand, she is said to be “the best kind of cool” (S01: E02, 00: 06: 15-00: 06: 20) and impressively smart. As Maeve was abandoned by her parents (her father has left the family, and her mother is a drug addict), she lives by herself in a caravan park and struggles with her unstable financial situation. Despite these challenges, she is a successful student and enjoys reading classics as well as feminist literature. Otis’s best friend is Eric Effiong, one of the two openly gay men of their year. He is an upbeat person who wears bright and colourful clothes and sometimes make-up. Eric’s family is from Nigeria and fairly religious. Besides Otis, Maeve and Eric, there are numerous other recurring characters whose stories are explored throughout the seasons of the serial. Some of them can be found in the character constellation above. Eric and other queer characters that appear in the serial are further described and analysed in section two of this chapter. 9.1 Introduction to the serial: characters and topics 135 <?page no="136"?> 4 There is critique of the “phobic” terms, as phobia implies fear, and queerphobic language and actions are not actually expressions of fear. A more appropriate - but not yet well-established - denomination would be “homomysia” or “queermysia”, imitating the compound “transmysia” which has already mostly replaced “transphobia” in trans community discourses. Storyline of the first season and main topics The first season starts at the beginning of the last two years of school for Otis and his fellow students. While Eric plans to have the best time of his life and to become popular, Otis prefers to stay low-key. However, things unfold differently: Otis and Maeve launch their business, the sex therapy, and thereby become friends. Moreover, Maeve and Jackson start having casual sex and eventually become a couple. At the same time, Otis realises that he has developed feelings for Maeve. However, Otis starts dating Ola, but their relationship is overshadowed by Otis’s feelings for Maeve. Meanwhile, Jean, Otis’s mother, develops feelings for Ola’s father which results in more complications. Otis and Eric’s friendship is put to the test when Otis lets Eric down on his birthday and is not there when Eric faces a homophobic 4 assault (for details, cf. section 2 below). At the school’s dance, Eric and Otis resolve their fight and Maeve realises that she is in love with Otis. The recurring main topics of the serial are issues related to sex and sex education, friendship, and family. The serial’s central topic of sexuality and intimacy is explored in almost all episodes, with an unusual degree of explicitness and a broad variety in its display of diverse sexual issues and practices, e.g., masturbation, vaginismus, (queer) sex, erectile dysfunction, or also asexuality. The importance of sexuality as a core topic is underlined by the serial’s opening sequence which often shows a sexual act which is then explored in more depth as the episode progresses. Sexual issues are usually addressed with humour, but also with seriousness and sensitivity. Thus, the serial propagates norms such as considerateness, awareness for the needs and boundaries of oneself and others, honest communication, and sexual empowerment as guiding principles of a respectful sexuality. In addition, the serial’s depictions of sexual practices are based on factual information. Therefore, the serial offers the audience an opportunity to learn a about and reflect on sexuality - as its title literally suggests. The serial furthermore offers a differentiated treatment of the topic of personal relationships: Besides its exploration of romantic relationships, there is also a strong focus on the characters’ friendships as well as on the issues they face in their families. The parental characters, for example, are overly strict and demanding, too engaged in their children’s lives or not engaged at all, very unreliable due to addiction, or caught up in constant fights between themselves. The friendships which are portrayed in Sex Education are often depicted as meaningful and supportive, despite the conflicts which occur. 136 9 Gender Diversity in the EFL Classroom <?page no="137"?> 5 Heterocisnormativity is an alternative and more recent term that addresses the presumed binary view of gender more explicitly. 6 Cis gender designates the gender modality of a person who identifies with the gender they were assigned at birth: “Gender modality refers to how a person’s gender identity stands in relation to their gender assigned at birth. It is an open-ended category which includes being trans and being cis and welcomes the elaboration of further terms which speak to the diverse experiences people may have of the relationship between their gender identity and gender assigned at birth […]” (Ashley 2022: 22). Info box 1: Queerness as a challenge to heteronormativity The term heteronormativity 5 denotes the tacit assumption that people are either cis-male or cis-female 6 and that they are sexually attracted to the opposite gender. Normativity, just like ideologies, “can provide us with models of how the world is ‘supposed to be’ [… and] also limit[s] the way we look at reality and tend to marginalise or exclude altogether people, things and ideas that do not fit into these models” ( Jones 2012: 11 f.). These models and presuppositions can lead to irritation, exclusion, or even violent reactions against people who do not fit this worldview (Ray/ Parkhill 2020: 49). People who differ from heteronormative categories can face various forms of discrimination, ranging from institutional disadvantages to violent reactions and hate-crimes against LGBTQIA*-people. Many aspects of everyday life are influenced by heteronormativity. The fact that heteronormativity is a commonplace presupposition in communication becomes for example clear in the habit to ask women about their boyfriends or husbands and vice versa, without considering the possibility that the interlocutor may not be in a heterosexual relationship. The term ‘queering’ was coined in the late 1980s and refers to the practice of becoming aware of and questioning these socially reproduced assumptions of what is normal and right in terms of sexuality and gender - like gender binaries and heteronormativity for example (cf. Völkel 2022: 88). The term ‘queer’ originally had a negative connotation, meaning ‘odd’, ‘abnormal’ or ‘weird’ (Breger 2002: 327), and was used as a “highly derogatory” insult for “homosexuals and issues relating to homosexuality” (Merse 2017: 198) from the early 20 th century onwards. However, the expression was reappropriated by LGBTQIA* communities as a self-designation and became an umbrella term for people who deviate from the heteronormative norm. The usage of the umbrella term furthermore reflects the unity of numerous marginalised groups who are striving for the same rights (cf. Breger 2002: 327; Merse 2017: 199). 9.1 Introduction to the serial: characters and topics 137 <?page no="138"?> 7 The GLAAD media institute reports on the representation of LGBTQIA* characters on TV in the US. According to GLAAD’s 2012-2013 report, 4,4% of the analysed prime time series’ characters were LGBTQIA* compared to 10,6% in 2022-2023 (cf. GLAAD 2012-2013; GLAAD 2022-2023). 9.2 Representations of queerness in the serial Stock characters and other problematic representations of queerness In this part, concepts of problematic representations of queerness will be introduced as a negative contrast foil to the following characterisation of the most important queer characters in the serial - by which we will show how Sex Education succeeds in providing a differentiated representation of queerness. Misrepresentation of queer people in media is problematic for various reasons. Besides reinforcing stereotypical conceptions about LGBTQIA* people, negative rep‐ resentations of minorities can have a detrimental effect on the self-conception of the people that identify with this minority. Moreover, representation matters because young queer people are among those who may be looking for role models or characters to identify with because they may not be available elsewhere: Queer teenagers are avid readers of popular culture; as numerous audience studies prove, television plays a significant role in identity‐formation for LGBTIQ+ youth, providing them with the information about sexuality, gender roles or non‐normative relationships usually unavailable in their educational and home environments. (Vázquez‐Rodríguez et al. 2021: 198) In order to recognise problematic representations and discuss them in teaching contexts, it makes sense to get an overview of the representation issues that commonly occur. Despite an increase in representation of queer characters in media and the result‐ ing increase in visibility 7 , there are still various issues related to the inclusion of LGBTQIA*-people in films and series_serials. Woods and Hardmann (2021: 1) argue that misrepresentation and a “lack of intersectional variety” are still widespread problems. The authors furthermore claim that one of the main issues of misrepresentation concerns the monodimensional depiction of LGBTQIA*-characters. ‘Monodimensional characters’ are closely connected to so-called flat or stock characters. Flat characters have a limited set of properties and do not undergo any development throughout a storyline. In addition, they can usually be defined in just a few sentences and thus do not do justice to the complexity that defines human beings. Moreover, there are no contradictions within the characters’ emotions and actions. Flat characters “are sometimes called types, and sometimes caricatures. In their purest form, they are constructed round a single idea or quality: when there is more than one factor in them, we get the beginning of the curve towards the round” (Forster 1927: 103). While the use of stock characters can be a practical and purposeful choice when telling a story, it can be harmful if a minority is primarily represented as flat, monodimensional characters because this can foster (existing) stereotypical perceptions or create them. 138 9 Gender Diversity in the EFL Classroom <?page no="139"?> 8 Arguing that actors can only play characters which have the same sexual or gender modality as themselves seems to contradict the very nature of acting. However, it is an interesting and important question whether films or series_serials include a diverse cast or not (cf. also Viebrock in this volume). Besides the depiction as monodimensional characters, there is another recurring problematic narrative phenomenon which is connected to the representation of LGBTQIA*-people: Queer characters’ storylines are often simplistic tropes/ narrative patterns which can contribute to the reduced complexity of their representation. A common problematic queer trope is for example ‘the sassy gay best friend’ who is hardly more than the protagonist’s funny sidekick, with no depth to their character development. Another questionable narrative pattern occurs when queer characters are predominantly represented as “socially isolated” individuals who face bullying (Woods/ Hardman 2021: 1; cf. Marcoux 2020). Queerbaiting is another questionable phenomenon regarding the representation of LGBTQIA* people, “which has been defined as media appearing but failing to provide allegiance to issues of queer visibility” (Woods/ Hardman 2021: 1). Queerbaiting can occur in a variety of contexts, for example in advertisements, but likewise in literary texts. It occurs when an author, a company or the producer(s) try to make their product appealing to a queer audience without actually catering to the needs/ interests of this intended audience. In stories, films, serials and series, this could for example mean that a queer relationship is implied in a storyline without ever being realised (ibid.: 2). As stated above, Sex Education is an example of a serial which is acclaimed for a positive and appropriate representation of queerness. Thus, it is not easy to identify queerbaiting or the like within the serial - on the contrary: After watching the first episode of the serial, the audience may suspect that there is a sexual tension between Eric and Adam (cf. also the next section). However, this tension is not only used to attract, or bait the attention of a queer audience without ever realising the potential of homoerotic feelings between Eric and Adam, but it culminates in a queer relationship between the two men. Not only does the serial refrain from using queerbaiting, but it also avoids another problematic issue which often occurs with regard to the representation of queer people, namely that the cast does not represent the diversity of the characters. 8 Nonetheless, it is thought-provoking that the relationship which receives most attention and is in the focus of all four seasons of the serial is a rather common ‘boy meets girl’ narrative, which is largely conforming to heteronormativity. Eric, Adam, Ola, and Cal - a close-up on some LGBTQIA* characters Sex Education explores the concept of queerness in a multiperspective and multifaceted way by characterising a wide range of diverse queer characters. The most prominent queer character of the serial is Eric, who comes from a Black religious family. Eric shows a lot of features of a round character. The audience gets to know his family background and there are storylines in which Eric is in the centre of attention without merely serving to expand other characters’ stories. Furthermore, Eric is a 9.2 Representations of queerness in the serial 139 <?page no="140"?> complex character, who is usually good humoured and upbeat but struggles on other occasions. What is more, his life is most of the time not clouded by issues related to homosexuality; on the contrary, his personality can be described as a celebration of queerness. Nevertheless, Eric experiences a lot of situations in which he is confronted with heteronormative thinking in his social environment: One of the most striking situations is a homophobic assault against Eric in the first season. On Eric’s birthday, he and Otis plan to go to the city to watch the musical Hedwig and the Angry Inch, which features a drag queen as the main character. They dress up in drag, as the musical’s audience typically does. However, Otis does not arrive on time and while waiting for Otis, Eric’s belongings are stolen. As he has no money for the bus, he walks home. Two men driving by offer Eric a lift, assuming he is a woman. When they realise he is a man, they insult him and eventually stop their car. One of the men gets out, hits Eric and spits on him. Eric decides to go to Otis’s house. However, when Otis, who was caught up in a sex therapy issue with Maeve, arrives home, he is so absorbed in his own emotions and experiences that he does not notice what has happened to Eric. The situation leads to a fight between them, and they stop speaking to each other for a while. Eric’s self-esteem is severely affected by the attack. He starts wearing only neutral colours and reacts aggressively to comments. Finally, he gets detention for the rest of the year for hitting a fellow student who is also gay. In detention he has a sexual encounter with Adam, who has been bullying him for a long time. This story is important for the development of Eric as a queer character because after a while, Eric finds the courage to be himself again and embraces his identity as a gay man who proudly wears colourful clothes and shiny make-up. What is more, Eric’s relationship with his father undergoes a noteworthy develop‐ ment throughout the first season. At first, it seems as if his father does not accept Eric the way he is. For instance, he tells him that he must “toughen up” if he wants “to live like this” (S01: E05, 00: 38: 40-00: 39: 10). Moreover, there are some occasions when his father tries to hide some of Eric’s character traits from his mother. However, Eric’s father supports him and expresses his true feelings when he gives him a lift to the school ball. It turns out that Eric’s father was mainly worried about his son. He states that he wanted Eric to have an easier life than himself who faced a lot of problems when “[he] first came to this country, [and] had to do so much to fit in”, and that he “never wanted the same for [his] children” (S01: E07, 00: 33: 30-00: 35: 00). Furthermore, he was afraid that Eric would be hurt for being who he is. When Eric points out that he would be hurt “either way” and asks if it was not better to be who he was, his father calls him brave and says that he was able to learn from Eric. By eloquently solving this conflict and succeeding in changing his father’s views, Eric changes from the passive role of a victim of discrimination to the active role of an educator of his father. These narrations of Eric facing challenging situations add to his depiction as an emancipated and empowered queer character who does not see himself as a victim but as an agent of change. 140 9 Gender Diversity in the EFL Classroom <?page no="141"?> 9 For a detailed analysis of Eric, Ola, and Lily in the context of media and cultural studies, see also Vázquez‐Rodríguez et al. (2021). With Adam Groff, the son of the school’s headmaster, a queer character is introduced who, in contrast to Eric, struggles to accept his queerness and whose internalised heteronormative structures lead to aggressive behaviour towards others and the suppression of his sexuality. The audience gets to know him as a bully first, who does not seem to care for other people’s feelings. During the initial episodes, he abuses Eric, mostly verbally, including homophobic slurs, but also physically. After being in a heterosexual relationship at the beginning of the serial, Adam realises that he is also attracted to men and falls in love with Eric, whom he used to bully. Despite Adam’s struggles and aggressive behaviour predominant during the first season of the serial, the audience also gets to know him as a complex being who is longing for friendship, paternal appreciation, and love. The portrayal of Adam as an aggressive bully due to his internalised homophobia is connected to the depiction of his father as strict and emotionally unavailable - in contrast to Eric’s more loving parental home. Thereby, his social background is taken into account in the development of his character. Simplifying explanations which essentialise Adam’s personality to a ‘bully in the closet’ (cf. Peters 2016) are thus avoided, at least, when considering all seasons of the serial. Another LGBTQIA* character of the serial Sex Education is Ola whose queer self-discovery is narrated in a much more light-hearted and less problematised way than Adam’s or even Eric’s. Ola is a smart student who joins Moordale high school over the course of the first season. Ola and Otis accidentally run into each other a few times and start dating. However, their relationship is overshadowed by Otis’s feelings for Maeve, as well as by Jean’s connection with Ola’s father. In season 2, Ola breaks up with Otis, when she realises that she is not in love with him. As Ola’s connection to her friend Lily gets closer, Ola dreams about kissing her and wakes up confused (S02: E05, 00: 00: 00-00: 01: 30). She asks Adam, whether he thinks that having a sex dream about a girl has a meaning. Adam suggests to “ask Google like everyone else” (ibid., 00: 20: 40-00: 21: 40). An online test on sexual orientation yields the result that Ola is pansexual, which means that someone is “attracted to the person, not the sex or gender” (ibid., 00: 23: 00-00: 23: 50). When Ola reads the explanation, she seems thoughtful, and then says: “It kind of makes sense actually”. Ola and Lily soon start dating. When Ola realises that she is not heterosexual, she seems a bit surprised, but generally, her sexual identity does not lead to any problem or crises - which often happens in problematic representations of queerness in popular media (cf. above). Furthermore, Ola is a multi-faceted character who is thoroughly developed and whose personality is defined by much more than her identity as a pansexual teenager. 9 By including the non-binary student Cal, the topic of gender modalities (cf. footnote 6) is integrated into the serial. Cal is introduced in season 3 and the audience first gets to know them when they do not feel comfortable wearing the tight clothes of the 9.2 Representations of queerness in the serial 141 <?page no="142"?> school uniform. Consequently, Cal has several conflicts with the new head of school. They get along well with Jackson and the two of them develop feelings for each other. However, they do not get together because Jackson realises that he is not queer and that he perceives Cal as a girl. Cal reappears in season 4. They are taking testosterone, which is stressful for Cal because their body is going through puberty again. Cal develops serious mental health issues, which culminates in them disappearing and leaving people worried that something had happened to them. When Eric finds Cal, they are sitting next to a cliff. In this scene, by saving his desperate friend and ensuring them that things will get better, Eric again takes the role of an agent of change. Interestingly, Cal’s depiction differs from how other queer characters of the show are portrayed. In the season of Cal’s introduction, there is not much background information given about them, except that they have not been living in Moordale for long and have been in the USA before. In the fourth season, Cal’s mother is introduced, who is worried about them and supportive. As the audience learns more about their (family) background, their portrayal becomes ‘rounder’ than in season three. However, Cal’s narrative still focuses primarily on the challenges they face in connection to being non-binary. As their story is clearly dominated by their gender modality and concomitant struggles, Cal is closer to being a flat character than Eric for example. This is important to be aware of when watching or even working with the serial in a teaching context. When a character is presented as a round character and also part of a minority, it is less likely they will be essentialised for one of their character traits. If a character is presented as a flat character and part of a minority, essentialised character traits may be attributed to any other member of this minority. Hence, the viewer may be inclined to generalise Cal’s experiences as a non-binary person and believe that they are representative for non-binary people. Overall, the serial’s queer characters show diverse personalities and are portrayed with varying degrees of depth, complexity, and detail. Therefore, they act as points of comparison to each other and a holistic view of all the queer characters offers a multifaceted and differentiated conceptualisation of queerness. Furthermore, their characterisations cannot only be employed to explore representations of queerness but can also be used as examples to make students aware of the literary concepts of flat and round characters and the accompanying possible issues of flat characters. 9.3 Practical teaching suggestions The following section is dedicated to practical teaching suggestions on how to implement the serial Sex Education in the upper secondary English language classroom. Teaching sensitive topics/ content notice: Over the course of its four seasons, Sex Education includes a number of sensitive topics which may be difficult for some viewers (e.g., substance abuse and addiction, sexual and homophobic assault, 142 9 Gender Diversity in the EFL Classroom <?page no="143"?> 10 PARSNIP is an acronym for: P - politics, A - alcohol, R - religion, S - sex, N - narcotics, I - isms, and P - pork. self-harm, suicidality, gender dysphoria, etc.). The following teaching suggestions include watching and analysing scenes, in which someone is homophobically assaulted, as well as analysing a character who experiences severe mental health issues which are connected to gender dysphoria. Besides the topics mentioned above, the serial includes a variety of rather explicit sex scenes. While this is certainly not meant to be an encouragement to exclude PARSNIP 10 -topics from ELT (cf. Leonhardt/ Viebrock 2020), pupils and teachers may feel uncomfortable watching these explicit scenes in a teaching context. It is therefore recommended to become familiar with the scenes or episodes which are to be watched in class beforehand and to adapt the sequences if necessary. Another option is to allow students to watch the episode at home in the company of people with whom they feel comfortable or by themselves. Furthermore, it is important to create a classroom atmosphere in which all learners feel comfortable and do not need to talk about anything they are uncomfortable with; this is especially important as the teaching suggestions focus on LGBTQIA* topics. Therefore, guidelines for addressing intimate topics while respecting each other’s boundaries should be agreed upon in class. Our teaching ideas follow the established structure of pre-, while-, and post-viewing activities (cf. Viebrock/ Leonhardt in this volume). To connect the serial to students’ subjective experiences, in a pre-viewing partner activity, they are asked to share their impressions of sexual education classes in school (cf. Mat. 1). Based on this exchange, students agree on a list of recommendations for establishing a safe space when dealing with sexual topics in school. This exercise is not only meant to connect the following treatment of the serial to the students’ life world but also to give them an opportunity to share their concerns about dealing with sexual topics in the classroom. These recommendations can give the teacher a guideline to consider how to deal sensitively with this rather explicit serial in the classroom. The second pre-viewing activity (cf. Mat. 2) aims at raising students’ interest for the serial. As it is to be expected that part of the learning group will already be familiar with the successful show, for the second pre-viewing the group will be divided into groups: The ones who have not yet watched the serial will engage in a predicting activity prompted by the serial’s poster, the ones who already know the serial will use that very film poster to reactivate their prior knowledge. This exercise is conducted in small groups to diminish speaking barriers and foster communication. After initially fostering basic interpersonal communicative skills (cf. Leonhardt/ Viebrock in this volume), in the third and last pre-viewing activity students will do research on technical terms from the LGBTQIA* discourse (cf. Mat. 3) to develop cognitive academic language proficiency and to facilitate a theory-informed reception process. 9.3 Practical teaching suggestions 143 <?page no="144"?> The focus of the while-viewing tasks is on the first season of the serial and especially on its first episode. The first while-viewing activity is designed to support understanding of the episode, by taking notes on the characters, the setting, the most important events of the plot and on the cinematic design (cf. Mat. 4). This activity can be carried out with students focussing on different aspects and then sharing their findings in a next step. Moreover, the students are encouraged to note down any questions that came up while watching the first episode. The second while-viewing activity fosters the pupils’ understanding of cinematic techniques to depict sexual attraction (cf. Mat. 5). They watch a scene in which Adam bullies Eric by taking his money and food and threatening him physically as well. Despite the violent nature of the scene, it foreshadows the sexual and romantic relationship that will develop between the two. The pupils are asked to make predictions on Eric and Adam’s queer relationship based on this scene and to justify their predictions by referring to cinematic techniques. The serial offers a good example of how problematic representations of queerness such as queerbaiting can be avoided, as queer relationships are not only hinted at but shown and developed in all their facets over the course of the serial, which will be explored during the next activity (cf. Mat. 6). The students are briefly introduced to the relevance of fair, non-stereotyped representation of LGBTQIA* people and develop criteria for this kind of representation. In a next step, they analyse either Eric, Maeve, or Adam and the way they and their relationships are represented. The task purposely includes Maeve, a heterosexual cis-gender character, to offer the opportunity to develop awareness that not only LGBTQIA* identities are deliberately constructed in media representations. The pupils are given a framework to classify the portrayal of LGBTQIA* people in the serial which allows them to contextualise their analysis in the theoretical discourse. In the next step, the concept of flat and round characters is introduced and applied to the portrayals of Eric, Adam, Cal, and Ola. As a preparation for this, the students search scenes which characterise Ola and Cal. In the last while-viewing task (cf. Mat. 7) students deal with the genre of the teenage dramedy. They critically investigate the genre by examining how it reinforces and commercialises the Western ideal of romantic love: The romantic relationship between the two heterosexual protagonists (Otis and Maeve) remains a key element of the serial’s narrative over the course of all seasons. By analysing heterosexual as well as queer relationships that are depicted in the serial, the students’ attention is directed to the question whether the traditional ‘boy meets girl’ narrative remains the central overarching narrative - which might question the serials’ progressiveness in terms of its representation of queerness. As typical goals of post-viewing activities are to give students the opportunity to process their acquired knowledge into a creative product as well as to critically evaluate and comment on a text and delve deeper into selected aspects (cf. Leonhardt/ Viebrock in this volume for an explanation of critical competences), we suggest a creative as well as an argumentative post-viewing activity: In the creative activity, which was inspired 144 9 Gender Diversity in the EFL Classroom <?page no="145"?> 11 In this movie, the main character Barbie travels from Barbie World to the real world. When she arrives, she is surprised by what she sees there: While Barbie World is a matriarchy led by women, the real world in Barbie is presented as a patriarchy where men are in power. 12 As this activity is about *actual* discrimination, exclusion, violence, and fear, and not about fictional one, it might touch on trauma and might make students feel unsafe. Therefore, the option is given to play out the scenes in a fictional ‘perfecttown’ instead of the students’ real hometown. Furthermore, students should not be obliged to act out their scenes in front of the whole group. by the reception of the Barbie movie (2023) 11 , students are asked to develop and act out a scene in which one or several of the characters from the serial Sex Education travel either to the real world, respectively the students’ hometown or school, or a fictional, idealised town (cf. Mat. 8). This exercise is meant to enable the students to develop an awareness of the constructed, idealised, and utopian character of high school life presented in Sex Education. Taking the fictional character’s perspective and acting out scenes in which they are surprised by the circumstances in the real world is supposed to support the students in developing an understanding of the differences between life circumstances in the fictional ‘Nowheresplace’ and their own life world. Furthermore, this post-viewing activity gives students an opportunity to engage with the characters in an empathic and associative way. As such, this exercise provides a counterbalance to the more cognitive-analytical approach of the while-viewing activities and thereby supports students in developing a more thorough understanding of the characters. 12 In the second post-viewing activity, students engage in a staged school board meeting. In the United States, school boards serve as the local governing bodies responsible for overseeing public or private schools and school systems within their respective communities. Typically composed of five to nine individuals who are either elected or appointed, these boards meet regularly to decide upon various matters concerning local educational institutions. In the suggested post-viewing activity, students are asked to stage a school board meeting during which it will be discussed whether or not to ban the serial Sex Education from usage in school in sex education classes (cf. Mat. 9). As students can take over various roles in this discussion - from teacher, activist for queer rights, to sex therapist, the controversial question will be dealt with in a multiperspective manner. Thereby, this activity supports students in evolving a differentiated opinion about the serial. 9.4 Conclusion This chapter introduced the dramedy Sex Education. While the serial offers many themes relevant to adolescents as they grow up, our focus was on how the audiovisual narrative can be used in upper secondary English classrooms to stimulate reflection on the representation of LGBTQIA* characters in the serial. After introducing the serial, including some of its characters, the storyline of the first season, and an overview on the main topics, we discussed problematic representations of queerness which can be found in many series, serials, and other storytelling media. In the subsequent 9.4 Conclusion 145 <?page no="146"?> step, we elaborated on queer characters from the serial Sex Education and their representation. We established that not only the number and variety of the queer characters constitutes a multifaceted depiction of queerness but that furthermore the differentiated and complex nature of the individual characters shows how LGBTQIA* people’s representation in a serial can go beyond stereotypical depictions. Hence, the integration of the serial in the EFL classroom offers the opportunity to reflect on queerness in all its variety. Series, serials, and films Barbie. Gerwig, Greta (director). Heydey Films et al. 2023. Sex Education. Nunn, Laurie (creator). Eleven Film, 2019-2023. 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GLAAD. https: / / s3.us-west-2 .amazonaws.com/ media.glaad.org/ wp-content/ uploads/ 2012/ 10/ 25203524/ whereweareontv1 2-8f7.pdf (last accessed: 28.06.2024) GLAAD (2023). Where we are on TV - report 2022-2023. GLAAD. https: / / assets.glaad. org/ m/ 114d72edf8a779a6/ original/ GLAAD-2022-23-Where-We-Are-on-TV.pdf (last ac‐ cessed: 28.06.2024) Hardiman, Jess (2020). Sex Education creators explain why the show looks like it’s set in 1980s US high school. LADbible. https: / / www.ladbible.com/ entertainment/ tv-and-film-sex -education-creators-on-why-the-show-looks-like-its-set-in-80s-usa-20200123 (last accessed: 28.06.2024) Ison, Jess (2019). ‘It’s not just men and women’: LGBTQIA people and #MeToo. In: Fileborn, Bianca/ Loney-Howes, Rachel (eds.). #MeToo and the Politics of Social Change. Cham: Palgrave Macmillan,151-168. Jones, Rodney H. (2012). Discourse Analysis: A Resource Book for Students. Abingdonon-Thames: Routledge. 146 9 Gender Diversity in the EFL Classroom <?page no="147"?> Leonhardt, Jan-Erik/ Viebrock, Britta (2020). Ausgewählte Materialien für einen kritisch orien‐ tierten Fremdsprachenunterricht: Jugendliteratur mit Transgender-Thematik. In: Gerlach, David (ed.). Kritische Fremdsprachendidaktik: Grundlagen, Ziele, Beispiele. Tübingen: Narr, 37-52. Mahanty, Shannon (2023). ELLE Style Awards: Ncuti Gatwa is the modern pioneer. ELLE. https: / / www.elle.com/ uk/ life-and-culture/ a44827957/ ncuti-gatwa-interview-elle-style-awards/ (last accessed: 28.06.2024) Marcoux, Nicole (2020). LGBTQ+ books with happy endings. YA Hotline, 111, Article 111. http s: / / ojs.library.dal.ca/ YAHS/ article/ view/ 9980 (last accessed: 28.06.2024) Merse, Thorsten (2017). Other others, different differences: queer perspectives on teaching English as a foreign language. https: / / doi.org/ 10.5282/ EDOC.20597 Nicholas, Tom (dir.) (2020). The weird British-American setting of Sex Education (Netflix). http s: / / www.youtube.com/ watch? v=4sAn8Loqxow (last accessed: 28.06.2024) Peters, Wendy (2016). Bullies and blackmail: finding homophobia in the closet on teen TV. Sexuality & Culture 20 (3), 486-503. https: / / doi.org/ 10.1007/ s12119-016-9336-3 Ray, Travis N./ Parkhill, Michele R. (2021). Heteronormativity, disgust sensitivity, and hostile attitudes toward gay men: potential mechanisms to maintain social hierarchies. Sex Roles 84 (1-2), 49-60. https: / / doi.org/ 10.1007/ s11199-020-01146-w Theil, Michele (2021). Sex Education fans are just realising what time period show is in. Tyla. h ttps: / / www.tyla.com/ tv-and-film/ netflix-sex-education-time-period-20210921 (last accessed: 28.06.2024) Vázquez-Rodríguez, Lucia-Glora/ Garcia-Ramos, Francisco-Jose/ Zurian, Francisco, A. (2021). The role of popular culture for queer teen identities’ formation in Netflix’s Sex Education. 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Psychology & Sexuality 13 (3), 583-594. https: / / doi.org/ 10.1080 / 19419899.2021.1892808 Download: Additional Material 9.4 Conclusion 147 <?page no="149"?> 10 Exploring the Coming-of-Age Sitcom Derry Girls-in the EFL Classroom Maria Eisenmann This contribution will look at the potential of teaching the Netflix teen sitcom Derry Girls (3 seasons; 2018-2022), created by Lisa McGee. The serial depicts the everyday life of a teenage group living in small but embattled Derry in the 1990s during the end of the Northern Ireland conflict. Although the plot lines of Derry Girls are fictional, the serial frequently references actual events of the Troubles such as the 1994 IRA ceasefire announcement, the 1995 visit of the American president Bill Clinton to Northern Ireland, the Good Friday referendum of 1998, and many others. The focus of the serial, however, is not on the bombings or the peace negotiations but on the teenagers’ lives, growing up, boy bands, exhausting parents, and surviving a Catholic girls’ school. This chapter will explore the serial for its representation of the Troubles and reflect on the suitability of the sitcom for the English language classroom. After elaborating on its central themes and some contextual information, considerations on the teaching potential of selected episodes will follow. For advanced learners (CEFR levels B2 and above), possible pre-, while-, and post-viewing tasks will be suggested in worksheets for a first approach to Derry Girls. 10.1 Introduction Searching for information about the city of Derry in Northern Ireland via Tripadvisor, one is quickly confronted with city tours through the streets of Derry that visit sites made famous in the popular TV show Derry Girls as well as the Derry Girls Mural (cf. figure 1). Located at 18 Orchard Street in Derry, a mural of the main cast of characters can be seen on the side of Badger’s Bar, which points to the prominence of the sitcom. <?page no="150"?> Fig. 1: Derry Girls Mural (N. Chadwick, CC BY-SA 2.0, https: / / www.geograph.ie/ photo/ 7105686, last accessed: 28.06.2024) Due to its integration of actual historical events in Northern Ireland alongside common coming-of-age themes, the widely popular serial (for a definition see Leonhardt/ Vie‐ brock in this volume) is also very suitable for English language teaching (ELT). This blend provides a platform that resonates with students in a way that feels genuine and enables them to connect with the characters (cf. Surkamp in this volume), making the learning experience more meaningful and relatable. This chapter explores the potential of using Derry Girls as a valuable classroom resource. It begins by discussing the serial’s key themes and analysing its geographical, historical, familial, and socio-cultural contexts. This is followed by an exploration of the reasons supporting its use in ELT. Subsequently, the chapter delves into an analysis of three specific episodes, offering a classroom application. This analysis forms the foundation for the accompanying online materials, designed for advanced English classes, thereby presenting a comprehensive approach to teaching with the serial. 10.2 Central themes The British sitcom Derry Girls, created by Lisa McGee and produced by Hat Trick Productions, premiered on Channel 4 in the UK in 2018 and was picked up by Netflix 150 10 Exploring the Coming-of-Age Sitcom Derry Girls-in the EFL Classroom <?page no="151"?> internationally. The show is set in the city of Derry (officially known as Londonderry), Northern Ireland, during the early 1990s, a decade marked by the Troubles. The Troubles was a period of civil war from about 1968 to 1998. It was a violent sectarian conflict in Northern Ireland between Protestant unionists (loyalists), who desired the province to remain part of the UK, and Roman Catholic nationalists (republicans), who wanted Northern Ireland to become part of the Republic of Ireland (cf. Eisenmann 2024). The story revolves around a group of teenagers attending a Catholic girls’ secondary school. The main characters include Erin Quinn, her cousin Orla McCool, their friends Michelle Mallon and Clare Devlin, and Michelle’s English cousin James Maguire. The central theme of Derry Girls is the coming-of-age experience of the main characters, set against the backdrop of the tense and conflict-ridden society they live in. The show masterfully blends humor, teenage angst, and genuine human emotions with the historical and political context of Northern Ireland during the 1990s. The characters’ youthful innocence and exuberance often contrast sharply with the serious and sometimes dangerous situations they find themselves in. The serial skillfully captures the complexities of life during the Troubles, showing how the political and sectarian conflicts impact the characters’ daily lives. It also sheds light on the resilience and adaptability of young people growing up in such an environment. Derry Girls is known for its witty and sharp humor, which often arises from the contrast between the mundane concerns of adolescence and the extraordinary events occurring in their politically turbulent environment (Membrive 2021a: 173). The sitcom received critical acclaim for its sharp writing and excellent performances. It resonated with audiences worldwide due to its universal themes of finding one’s identity amidst challenging circumstances. The serial not only entertains but also educates viewers about a crucial period in Northern Ireland’s history, highlighting the impact of political conflict on ordinary people (Membrive 2021b: 201). 10.3 Geographical and historical background The serial is set in Derry, the second-largest city in Northern Ireland with around 83,000 residents, following Belfast (Census 2011). Derry boasts a rich history that dates back to the 6 th century and is intertwined with Irish, Scottish, and English cultural influences. Derry’s geographical backdrop and the historical context of the Troubles provide a compelling setting for the serial. However, the teenagers in Derry Girls perceive their city as small and provincial, a sentiment Erin expresses at the outset of the serial. She notes in her diary that Derry is so small that “you can’t hide anywhere. Everyone knows everyone, knows everything about everyone” (S01: E01, 00: 00: 48). 10.3 Geographical and historical background 151 <?page no="152"?> The city was officially named “Londonderry” in 1613 by King James I during the Plantation of Ulster when English and Scottish settlers colonized Derry (History of Derry). The names Derry and Londonderry have stirred debate, particularly between Irish nationalists favoring Derry and unionists preferring Londonderry. Legally, the city and county bear the name Londonderry, while the local government district housing the city is named “Derry City and Strabane” (Change of Council Name Regulations). This naming dispute is mentioned in the first episode of the serial when Erin remarks that the city can be referred to as either Derry or Londonderry “depending on your persuasion” (S01: E01, 00: 00: 28). This notion is reinforced as teenagers alter a street sign from “Londonderry” to “Derry” (ibid., 00: 00: 48). Throughout the Troubles, Derry witnessed numerous street clashes and demonstra‐ tions by Catholic civil rights activists. One of the most infamous events in Derry during the Troubles was the Bloody Sunday massacre in January 1972, leading to increased tensions and hostilities (Kenny/ Ó Dochartaigh 2021: 384). Bloody Sunday or Bogside Massacre was a massacre on Sunday, 30 th January 1972, when British paratroopers shot and killed 13 unarmed civilians during a civil rights march in the Bogside-area of Derry, Northern Ireland. The Troubles period saw Derry as a significant hotspot due to its predominantly Catholic nationalist population and proximity to the Republic of Ireland. It suffered numerous instances of sectarian violence, causing loss of life, injuries, and property damage. The city’s economic development suffered due to ongoing conflicts, resulting in high unemployment, poverty, and social deprivation. Many episodes of Derry Girls touch upon the impact of the Troubles on ordinary lives, including the main characters, portraying their resilience and humor. Efforts were eventually made to reach a peaceful resolution to the conflict, culmi‐ nating in the Good Friday Agreement of 1998. This agreement, supported by 71% of Northern Ireland’s population and 94% of the Republic of Ireland’s, marked a turning point toward a more peaceful future (Dixon 2019: 47). The final episode of Derry Girls addresses the Good Friday Agreement, depicting Erin’s family grappling with its implications and the characters’ decision to vote for its implementation. The-Good Friday Agreement was a political deal signed on 10 th April 1998 that ended most of the violent conflicts in Northern Ireland that had prevailed since the late 1960s (cf. Eisenmann 2009: 16 ff.). The serial addresses various conflict-related aspects, such as colonization, religion, and ethnic identity, portraying the Troubles’ complexity. While fictional, it realistically portrays the conflict’s last years, incorporating historical events such as Bill Clinton’s 152 10 Exploring the Coming-of-Age Sitcom Derry Girls-in the EFL Classroom <?page no="153"?> 1995 visit (S01: E06), Orange Parades (S01: E05), and the Good Friday Agreement (S03: E07). The serial concludes just after its announcement in 1998. It focuses on events leading to the agreement, depicting the conflict’s impact on teenagers and their yearning for peace, culminating in the referendum’s positive outcome. Portraying Irish life during this unrest and narrating the conflict from a teenage perspective, Derry Girls becomes most relevant to Irish studies and a valuable resource for ELT. 10.4 Family and socio-cultural contexts The serial Derry Girls vividly captures the cultural intricacies of 1990s Derry, a city deeply divided along religious lines. Catholics and Protestants inhabit separate enclaves and attend distinct schools, embodying conflicting visions for Ireland’s future. The Catholic characters, led by protagonist Erin Quinn, lean toward Irish nationalism and a united Ireland, while the Protestant community aligns with British unionism, fostering the backdrop of the Troubles that were marked by violence and instability. Episodes primarily unfold within homes, where familial backgrounds mold char‐ acters’ personalities and relationships. Erin’s life centers around her middle-class Catholic household, featuring her mother Mary, father Gerry, aunt Sarah, cousin Orla, baby sister, and grandfather. These relationships interweave, forming the foundation for the show’s engaging narrative. Intergenerational clashes, common in teenage sitcoms, are present. Erin’s interactions with her mother and Gerry’s conflicts with her grandfather, Joe McCool, demonstrate this dynamic. Joe’s patriarchal stance fuels tension, especially with Gerry. Mary assumes the role of homemaker, while her sister Sarah’s preoccupation with appearance contrasts with Mary’s religiosity and discipline. Erin’s cousin and confidant, Orla, adds a carefree dimension. Orla’s candidness and eccentricities, e.g., reading Erin’s diary aloud (S01: E01, 00: 00: 01), reflect her extroverted nature, oblivious to societal norms. Erin, in contrast, aligns her behavior according to the opinions of others, grappling with envy among popular peers. She aspires to be a writer, navigating teenage trials and tribulations. Michelle Mallon is Erin’s outgoing best friend, known for her rebellious nature and loyalty to her friends, who also often finds herself in precarious situations due to her brash personality. Despite her confident and profane demeanor, she cares deeply for her friends’ well-being and her cousin James whom she takes along to all their activities. Her father’s absence is noted, and her brother Niall’s involvement in an IRA attack strains her relationship with her mother. Clare Devlin is another friend, academically ambitious and openly gay, who also faces the loss of her father and navigates challenges with her friends’ support. James Maguire, Michelle’s English cousin, is an outsider at the all-girls school where the story is primarily set, providing comic relief as he tries to fit in despite being ridiculed for his masculinity. His English heritage reinforces the historical animosity between England and Northern Ireland. This exclusionary sentiment is 10.4 Family and socio-cultural contexts 153 <?page no="154"?> further exacerbated by the use of derogatory monikers such as “the wee English” to address him (S01: E01, 00: 14: 00). The school environment of Our Lady Immaculate College along with Erin’s home serves as a backdrop for the characters’ teenage experiences, while additional settings like diners reflect typical meeting places for young people. The characters encompass archetypes such as strong female leads, a male character defying traditional masculinity norms, and a homosexual girl. The show intertwines personal growth with historical context, offering a unique and engaging narrative. 10.5 Derry Girls in the EFL classroom Derry Girls holds significant value for ELT. The serial offers a distinct perspective for students to comprehend linguistic intricacies and the everyday lives of young individuals in Northern Ireland. In contrast to series such as Riverdale, Glee or Élite, where teenagers are portrayed unrealistically with idealized appearances, the characters in Derry Girls come across as more genuine. Wearing ill-fitting school uniforms and with punk attitudes, they navigate through adolescence with mistakes and imperfections. The careful selection of songs, like Cranberries’ “Dreams”, throughout all seasons serves as a thematic thread. The show’s first episode features a range of 1990s classics, such as Cypress Hill’s “Insane In the Brain”, House of Pain’s “Jump Around”, Genesis’ “I Can’t Dance”, and Dropkick Murphys’ “I’m Shipping Up to Boston”, accompanying scenes such as the girls’ first day of school and detention. With approximately ten songs per episode, Derry Girls effectively utilizes music as enhancement for emotional moments contributing to the show’s energetic and occasionally chaotic atmosphere and as a narrative device. What makes the serial particularly beneficial for ELT besides the great soundtrack is the complexity of the characters. The Derry girls stand out as complex individuals rather than stereotypes, evolving throughout the plot. This transformation is exemplified by James, initially more of a mascot than a full-fledged member of the group. He faces challenges attending a Northern Irish girls’ school as the lone boy and Englishman. However, by the end of the second season, he proudly identifies as a “Derry Girl”, getting more attention from the group than even the simultaneous speech of the US President. The serial also showcases dynamic adult characters, like Erin’s stoic grandfather Joe and the sarcastic Sister Michael. Moreover, the story holds contemporary relevance due to its exploration of the lingering tensions in Northern Ireland after the official end of the armed conflict in 1998 through the Good Friday Agreement. Ongoing divisions between Protestants and Catholics persist. Brexit has further intensified these issues, notably concerning the Northern Ireland Protocol, which regulates border trade between the UK and EU. The protocol’s exception for a soft border aligns with the Good Friday Agreement’s objectives. The serial offers insights into the agreement’s history, its implications, and 154 10 Exploring the Coming-of-Age Sitcom Derry Girls-in the EFL Classroom <?page no="155"?> life during the Northern Ireland conflict, shedding light on the complex situation that persists to this day. In addition, cinematographic elements in Derry Girls contribute to EFL students’ intercultural and, possibly, transcultural competences (e.g., Viebrock 2018) by immers‐ ing them in the Northern Irish cultural milieu. The visual storytelling, realistic settings, costume designs, and nuanced character portrayals provide a firsthand glimpse into diverse perspectives, fostering empathy and understanding. Very often the cinematography incorporates a mix of wide shots to capture the scenic beauty of Northern Ireland and close-ups to emphasize the characters’ emotions and reactions. These staging techniques help students to understand complex cultural dynamics, challenge stereotypes, and contribute to a more profound appreciation and tolerance of cultural diversity. This comprehensive approach cultivates a nuanced understanding of intricate dynamics, fostering cross-cultural awareness. Beyond imparting historical facts, Derry Girls stimulates critical analysis of the repercussions of these events, contributing to a well-rounded educational experience. A particularly compelling facet of Derry Girls is the nature of its multifaceted thematic dissemination through the lens of a teenage collective whose journey to adulthood is interwoven with overarching themes. Due to the Irish dialect and linguistic intricacies, the show is unsuitable for intermediate and younger students and should be watched with advanced students with the additional help of subtitles. Depending on the class’s language proficiency, incorporating audio excerpts in Irish English might be valuable for introducing students to the language. 10.6 Selected episodes The selection of the episodes is based on their suitability for teaching purposes, as they portray both the serial’s evolution as well as the underlying conflict. In order to familiarize the students with the core themes of the serial, it is sufficient to limit the English lessons to the following three episodes. If there is more time available, it is advisable to watch more episodes in class. The reasons for the educational value of these three episodes and their contributions to the students’ learning trajectory will be discussed in the following sections. The analysis is based on literary, dramatic, and cinematographic aspects that provide a frame of reference for the study of series and serials in EFL classes in order to do justice to the multiple dimensions of audio-visual texts (e.g., Eisenmann 2024: 231; Viebrock 2016: 19). S01: E05 To foster a deeper understanding of the central conflict, teachers may choose the pre-viewing activity in Mat. 1 as a prelude to watching this episode. Set against the 10.6 Selected episodes 155 <?page no="156"?> backdrop of the 12 th of July, a significant date known as Orangemen’s Day, which holds strong cultural and political connotations, this activity serves as a poignant introduction. The Quinn family, accompanied by Clare, Michelle, and James, leaves town to evade the Orangemen parades. Before departing, they discover a political mural on their house. While driving, they face more challenges, including an accidental encounter of the parades they sought to avoid. By watching this scene (S01: E05, 00: 00: 00-00: 05: 02), EFL students are introduced into the basic conflict. They learn about the historical and cultural tensions surrounding events such as parades and murals during this period of Ireland’s trouble era. As students engage with the episode, their attention should be directed towards the while-viewing activities outlined in Mat. 1. These activities serve to enhance their comprehension and critical analysis, fostering deeper engagement with the content as it unfolds. Subsequently, the narrative introduces Emmet, a stranger hiding in the Quinn’s vehicle trunk, sparking discussions about helping him cross the border. During a restaurant stop, the family debates Emmet’s presence, but he moves to another trunk. Later, it is revealed that he is the mural artist on their house. The episode explores family dynamics and conflicts, emphasizing Joe and Gerry’s strained relationship. Michelle’s perspective adds intrigue, suggesting Emmet could be her future husband. These conflicts symbolize deeper socio-cultural and historical tensions within the narrative. As the episode effectively blends personal growth and coming-of-age themes with larger societal and political contexts, students in the EFL classroom can explore how the characters’ individual journeys and decisions are intertwined with the historical and political events of the time. The episode sequence starts with audible parade music, as Orla suggests joining the Orangemen orchestra due to their musical talent. In response, Erin articulates her reservations, invoking a poignant sentiment: “I don’t think they take Catholics or you know, acknowledge our right to exist” (S01: E05, 00: 00: 54). Simultaneously, Mary is busy preparing to leave town urgently. The emotional atmosphere reflects the perception of the parades as a menacing threat due to their celebration of Ireland’s colonization. In swift succession, Michelle’s mother asks Mary to take Michelle and James away from the impending turmoil. Observing Mary’s momentary hesitancy, she adds: “The English thing. He is my nephew and even I think when I look at him sometimes: Wow it’s pure hatred” (S01: E05, 00: 04: 00). This highlights the deep-seated Irish-English conflict. Nonverbal cues such as body language and facial expressions intensify this hostility. Particularly Mary, Erin, and Clare show anger, stress, and disgust towards the Orangemen parades (S01: E05, 00: 00: 00-00: 03: 00). The tension heightens as characters find themselves caught in a parade, visually portraying growing anxiety through fearful expressions and restless movements. The Orangemen’s distinctive outfits, complete with provocative Union Jack flag waving, mirror their confrontational behavior, taunting the Quinn family both verbally and physically. 156 10 Exploring the Coming-of-Age Sitcom Derry Girls-in the EFL Classroom <?page no="157"?> The scene’s structure, synchronized with drumbeats, intensifies tension, transition‐ ing between shot of the parade and the Quinn family’s preparations to leave. Rapid cuts emphasize the perceived threat felt by Erin and her family. Later, as the main characters are encircled by unionists, quick switches between shots capture the situation from various angles. Upon leaving, the shift from tense marches to a joyful melody, accompanied by longer shots of the scenic countryside views, symbolizes the characters’ newfound freedom from the stifling atmosphere of the Orangemen parades (S01: E05, 00: 09: 45). A crucial discussion about including Emmet on their journey is captured by a wide camera angle. The ongoing debate is intensified by the intrusive ticking of the trunk’s clock, amplifying tension and uncertainty, especially concerning Emmet’s potential ties to terrorism. For EFL students, this detailed analysis highlights how visual and auditory elements contribute to the storytelling’s mood and tension. To get insights into these interconnections, students should be engaged in the post-viewing activities in Mat. 1, which serves as a platform for them to delve deeper into the complexities and nuances highlighted within the content, fostering a more comprehensive understanding of the subject matter. In essence, the episode serves as a starting point to delve into decisive aspects of the Troubles era. It covers threatening Orangemen parades, politically significant murals, and challenges tied to the demarcating border. These elements are artfully intertwined into a narrative that embodies coming-of-age themes. Through this fusion, the episode blends societal and political context with the personal growth and feelings of its young protagonists. Hence, the episode serves as a valuable tool for EFL students to explore language, culture, and historical context, fostering a holistic understanding of storytelling techniques and the intricate interplay between personal and societal narratives. S02: E01 In the first episode of the second season, Our Lady Immaculate College initiates “Friends Across the Barricade”, a peace effort involving a retreat with a Protestant boys’ school to promote interfaith cooperation. While Erin and her fiends enthusiastically prepare gifts, her family and school principals are skeptical and suggest that they spend the weekend separately and not bring the Catholics and the Protestants together. Led by Catholic priest Peter Conway, a buddy system aims to foster unity, but the students struggle to find commonalities, focusing on differences. This can serve as a teaching moment for interfaith challenges, emphasizing the need for finding common ground and promoting interand transcultural competences. The episode underscores the importance of peaceful coexistence, mutual understanding and cooperation among communities, highlighting communication challenges and the potential for misunder‐ standing in sensitive contexts. Later in the episode (S02: E01, 00: 14: 10-00: 17: 40), Erin and her companions secretly celebrate with the Protestant boys, seeking both unity 10.6 Selected episodes 157 <?page no="158"?> and intimacy, driven by a belief in their openness about sexuality. This desire for connections across cultural and religious divides reflects a broader theme of common human desires for friendship, understanding, and intimacy. In the episode (S02: E01, 00: 21: 14-00: 22: 10), a joint rappelling activity leads to arguments between genders, resolved when parents are called to intervene. Eventually, Erin realizes the unifying role of parents for both Catholics and Protestants. This scenario allows EFL students to discuss conflict resolution, tolerance, and understanding in the face of differences. The involvement of parents highlights the influence of family dynamics on behavior, emphasizing shared values as potential bridges between diverse communities. The episode ends on a positive note as Erin and her partner share a smile. This optimistic example can inspire students facing similar situations. The episode begins with powerful symbols, such as houses decorated with British and Irish flags, smoke flares, soldiers, and murals, alluding to the ongoing Northern Irish conflict. Elaborating on these symbols helps students understand their historical, cultural, or political messages. A notable aspect is the generational divide in response to the political situation. While the young people anticipate a peace meeting, planning gifts, the adults exhibit fear and indifference. This contrast is highlighted when a shop assistant refuses to sell to Erin and her friends due to the recipients of the gifts. The school principals also show discomfort with the meeting, reflecting a lack of interest in fostering unity between Catholic and Protestant students. Against this backdrop, EFL students can explore the impact of historical events on different generations and reflect on varying attitudes towards conflicts across age groups. Dramatically, non-verbal communication is highlighted when Sister Michael and Rector Turner’s body language vividly reject the peace event. The students, in contrast, display openness through proximity and expressions of anticipation. Cinematic tech‐ niques, like a bird’s eye view at the episode’s start, contribute to the storytelling, transitioning from Derry’s landscape to Erin’s monologue. Dynamic shifts in camera perspective during emotional conversations intensify engagement, emphasizing facial reactions. Close-ups accentuate disparities that are collected on a blackboard when the young people figure out differences between Protestants and Catholics, showcasing how cinematic techniques enhance storytelling and emotional engagement. In summary, this episode highlights the presence of stereotypes and preconceptions in interfaith discussions, revealing subjective viewpoints that lack factual verification. Despite apparent differences, the episode illustrates that Protestants and Catholics share more similarities when considered comprehensively. To help EFL students critically analyze biases, understand cinematic storytelling techniques, and appreciate the complexity of interfaith dynamics, the pre-, while-, and post-viewing activities from Mat. 2 should be used. 158 10 Exploring the Coming-of-Age Sitcom Derry Girls-in the EFL Classroom <?page no="159"?> S03: E07 To grasp the essence of the concluding episode, teachers should make use of the pre-viewing activity in Mat. 3 as a prelude. Set against the backdrop of 1998, the final episode of the serial unravels profound personal and political changes. Clare has moved to Strabane, Michelle works as a shop assistant, and Erin and Orla prepare for their eighteenth birthdays. Despite low attendance at their party, a power outage at a lavish celebration shifts the festivities to Erin and Orla’s party. Against this backdrop, Northern Ireland undergoes the pivotal Good Friday Agreement referendum, with 71.12% in favoring ratification. Erin and her friends grapple with voting choices amidst symbolic references to the end of the riots: a street sign reading “Londonderry” with “London” crossed out and juxtaposed with an alternative placard announcing entry into “Free Derry” territory. Tensions arise within the group, exacerbated by a dispute that involves Michelle’s incarcerated brother. He is accused of a Protestant’s death during the riots. The Good Friday Agreement adds complexity by calling for the release of prisoners linked to the rioting paramilitary groups. The episode concludes with Chelsea Clinton receiving a letter Erin wrote in 1995, marking the serial’s end against the backdrop of personal growth and historical change. The episode captures the internal conflicts amid the post-riot landscape, emphasizing the struggle for peace while acknowledging the Good Friday Agreement’s complexities. Erin’s family navigates the details of the agreement, which culminates in the revelation of widespread approval through the referendum. To understand the complexity of the referendum, students should follow the while-viewing activity in Mat. 3. In this episode, also the contrast in social class is highlighted as Erin and Orla’s modest birthday party contrasts with Jenny’s lavish celebration, featuring live music, champagne, equestrian displays, and fireworks. Nevertheless, Erin, James, Michelle, Orla, and Clare realize that true enjoyment comes from sincere connections, rather than the extravagance of the celebration. The episode’s camera work follows a structure similar to the serial’s opening, starting with aerial views of the city gradually focusing on the Londonderry street sign. Quick shots of key moments, accompanied by tension-building bells and a narrator’s voice, set the stage, posing the question, “Could this be the end forever? ” (S03: E07, 00: 01: 19). The narrative unfolds as Orla, symbolizing her approaching voting eligibility for the Good Friday Agreement referendum, climbs stairs to the tune of All Saints’ “I Know Where It’s At”. Musical cues, such as Dario G’s “Sunchyme”, transition scenes and convey optimism. Orla joyfully explores Derry after obtaining her voter ID, reflecting hope for conflict resolution. A poignant tap dance moment in traditional Irish attire provides insight into each main character’s post-riot life. The camera captures Jenny’s political re-enactment, focusing on Erin’s mocking and Michelle’s contemplation. When Sister Michael delivers an impassioned speech on the significance of voting, the camera angle changes again, directing attention to Erin and Michelle. 10.6 Selected episodes 159 <?page no="160"?> As the episode progresses, an argument arises between Erin and Michelle, marked by dynamic camera perspectives, mirroring emotional fluctuations. Clare mediates by talking to James, prompting a split-screen format when Michelle joins. Important statements prompt close-up views of the speaker, alternating with split-screen setups, blending broad views and focused shots to underscore subtle facial expressions. The episode’s cinematography masterfully complements its narrative and creates a visual tapestry that enhances the emotional depth and character dynamics in the post-conflict context. In Erin’s celebratory event, cinematic distinctions play a crucial role, particularly in contrasts that highlight the characters’ choices and socioeconomic disparities. The First Communicants’ pristine white clothing contrasts sharply with Erin and Orla’s outfits, mirroring their differing appearances. The simple hall for the First Communion juxtaposes with Jenny’s lavish mansion celebration, accentuating the socioeconomic gap. The visual transitions between Derry locations employ wide shots which emphasize the significant spatial changes. The episode alternates between lively party scenes and meaningful character conversations, using close-up shots to highlight personal discussions on topics such as Michelle’s brother and Erin’s thoughts on the Good Friday Agreement. These close-ups foster an intimate atmosphere conducive to open and candid conversations. Towards the end of the episode, the focus shifts to the Good Friday Agreement, integrating genuine historical footage of riots with Erin’s perspective and close-up shots capturing the characters’ emotional reactions while voting. This cinematic approach effectively blends the historical significance with personal relevance and offers a multifaceted exploration. For the EFL classroom, the analysis underscores the profound exploration of personal, social, and historical dimensions in the final episode of Derry Girls. Characters grapple with life changes and the complexities of the Good Friday Agreement, emphasizing how cinematic elements convey socio-economic inequalities, emotional conflicts, and historical events. The episode’s nuanced storytelling captures the characters’ evolving perspectives and their community’s response to a transformative historical moment. The post-viewing activity in Mat. 3 could provide a profitable conclusion to the work with the entire serial, because the tasks not only deepen the students’ understanding but also encourage their critical thinking skills. 10.7 Conclusion This chapter meant to show that the serial Derry Girls is worth integrating within ELT as it provides a humorous and culturally rich context for interand transcultural language learning. This resource not only introduces the students to Northern Ireland but also imparts comprehensive insights into the complex historical period of the Troubles along with presenting a resolution to the underlying conflict. Given the 160 10 Exploring the Coming-of-Age Sitcom Derry Girls-in the EFL Classroom <?page no="161"?> multifaceted nature of the serial, it offers potential for varied analytical perspectives. Notably, its contemporary and humorous portrayal, accessible through a prominent digital streaming platform and tailored towards adolescent audiences, is anticipated to positively influence student engagement and motivation. Series and serials Derry Girls. McGee, Lisa (creator). Hat Trick Productions, 2018-2022. References Change of Council Name (Derry and Strabane City Council) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2016 (2023). The international archieves. https: / / www.legislation.gov.uk/ nisr/ 2016/ 8/ -conten ts/ made. (last accessed: -11.08.2023) Census 2011 population statistics for Derry city settlement (2019).-NISRA. https: / / www.ninis2.nisra.gov.uk/ public/ AreaProfileReportViewer.aspx? FromAPAddress‐ MulipleRecords=Derry%20City@Partial%20match%20of%20location%20name: %20@Par‐ tial%20Match%20Of%20Location%20Name: %20%20Derry%20City@23? (last ac‐ cessed: -11.08.2023) Dixon, Paul (2019). Tony Blair’s honourable deception: in defence of the ‘dirty’ politics of the Northern Ireland peace process. In: Armstrong, Charles I./ Hervert, David/ Mustad, Jan E. (eds.). The Legacy of the Good Friday Agreement.-Northern Irish Politics, Culture and Art after 1998. Cham/ Switzerland: Palgrave Macmillan, 37-55. Eisenmann, Maria (2009). Ireland - Changes and Challenges. Paderborn: Schöningh. Eisenmann, Maria (2024). The Troubles - Kenneth Branagh’s film-Belfast-(2021) in the EFL classroom. In: Ina Bergmann/ Maria Eisenmann (eds.). History in Stories: The Irish Past and the Challenges of the Present. Lausanne: Lang, 229-243. History of Derry (1997). Northern Ireland Tourist Board. http: / / www.geographia.com/ northern -ireland/ ukider01.htm (last accessed: -11.08.2023) Kenny, Kate/ Ó Dochartaigh, Niall (2021). Power and politics in public inquiries: Bloody Sunday 1972. Taylor & Francis Online, 383-408. https: / / doi.org/ 10.1080/ 2158379X.2021.1890316. Membrive, Veronica (2021a). Banalising evil? Humour in Lisa McGee’s Derry Girls. In: Tüysüz, Dilan (ed.). International Perspectives on Rethinking Evil in Film and Television. Hershey PA, USA: IGI Global, Publisher of Timely Knowledge, 164-175. Membrive, Veronica (2021b). Deconstructing stereotypes through humour and othering in Lisa McGee’s Derry Girls. In: Fagan, Paul/ Fuchs, Dieter/ Radak, Tamara (eds.). Stage Irish. Performance, Identity, Cultural Circulation. Trier: WVT Wissenschaftlicher Verlag Trier, 193-206. Viebrock, Britta (2016). Fostering film literacy in English language teaching. In: Viebrock, Britta (ed.). Feature Films in English Language Teaching. Stuttgart: Narr Studienbücher, 13-30. 10.7 Conclusion 161 <?page no="162"?> Viebrock, Britta (2018). Just another prefix? From interto transcultural foreign language learn‐ ing and back. In: Schmenk/ Barbara/ Breidbach, Stephan/ Küster, Lutz (eds.). Sloganizations in Language Education Discourse. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters, 72-93. Download: Additional Material 162 10 Exploring the Coming-of-Age Sitcom Derry Girls-in the EFL Classroom <?page no="163"?> Part IV: Whodunit? Crime Series and Serials in Foreign Language Education <?page no="165"?> 11 Exploring Detective Conan in the English Language Classroom: Manga and Anime Interpretations of Traditional Detective Stories Ariadne Geiling The anime series Detective Conan presents a Japanese interpretation of the traditional detective story. The show features high school detective Shinichi Kudo, who, after being turned into a child and adapting the alias Conan Edogawa, has solved numerous crimes over the course of more than one thousand episodes to date. The two cases covered in this chapter delve into the relationship between Conan and the anime’s iconic source of inspiration, Sherlock Holmes, exploring themes of obsession and fixation through the lens of 1990s Japanese popular culture. In the subsequent chapter, I will outline the themes and characters of the anime, as well as the various criteria and tropes used in Whodunit crime fiction. Also, I will examine the phenomena of manga and anime as well as their value for the EFL classroom. Teaching materials for two Detective Conan cases will be provided, as well as materials covering aspects of staging, imagery, use of music, and cultural and linguistic particularities suitable for learners from 8 th to 10 th grade on a B1 to B2 level according to the CEFR. 11.1 Manga and anime: History, design elements and significance At first glance, watching a Japanese series in the English Language classroom, an animated television series especially, seems counterintuitive: it does not take place in an English-speaking country and the characters speak Japanese (though English dubbed versions are available). However, a closer examination reveals that this show has value in aiding a student’s journey to improve their series_serials literacy (cf. Leonhardt/ Viebrock in this volume) as well as their English language competences. To explore this topic, I first need to establish some basic background knowledge. Thus, this section will provide a brief explanation of manga and anime and present an overview of their significance in popular culture within and beyond their country of origin. Manga are a form of Japanese comic books that are more akin to an art form than a specific genre. The term itself is not easily explainable and its meaning and spelling has shifted depending on the imposed emphasis (Brunner 2010: 13), from traditional types of illustration in the 19 th century to political cartoons and daily strips (Kacsuk 2018: 1 f.). In today’s context, the term refers to either comics in general or specifically to comics made in Japan. Other terms, such as amekomi (a shortening of amerikan komikku, <?page no="166"?> “American comics”), are used for comics from other regions. However, outside Japan the term manga is used to refer specifically to comics produced in Japan (Brunner 2010: 23). Two positions, whether to identify manga by style or by origin, continue to be in heated discussion (Kacsuk 2018: 5 f.). For the sake of clarity, this chapter will follow the widely accepted definition and only consider comics that were originally produced in Japan as manga. In their home country of Japan, manga enjoy immense popularity across all age groups and socioeconomic backgrounds, and it is not unusual to spot a businessman reading a manga magazine during their daily commute (Schulz 2014: 63 ff.). Many originate as a weekly published chapter or section in a magazine, printed on cheap paper and solely focused on mass distribution. If a manga is adapted as a television series, it is referred to as anime, albeit in Japan that word is used as an umbrella term for all types of animated television show and simply derives from the word ‘animation’ (Brunner 2010: 12). Just like their printed counterpart, anime covers a variety of topics, from romance to action oriented, sport focused or horror. They are categorized according to their desired audience and main genre focus. After having received a certain popularity, a manga series published in a magazine might be released as a paperback and eventually be adapted into an anime - however, those are mostly produced on a very tight time schedule and therefore heavily rely on the original source material. Often, certain panels are replicated precisely like the analog manga version, with only little change. The visuality of manga and anime Due to the direct adaptation of many manga into their anime versions, it is impossible to analyze the visual language of one without the other. It is also necessary to distinguish visual language from art style. While the latter is influenced by individual mangaka, manga artists or collectives, and can vary greatly between different series or genres, visual language encompasses common symbols and visual elements that are used throughout anime and manga as a whole. This includes a range of concepts, for example emotions, thoughts, moods, movement, time, and actions. It resembles the semiotics of traditional Western comics but while sharing some similarities, for example the importance of speech bubbles to visualize voice and tone, manga has also developed its own style and repertoire (Brunner 2010: 100 f.). Mangaka also utilize techniques derived from traditional cinema or photography, such as fade-outs or montages, to create a flow that builds tension and underlines the specific moods of a scene (Schodt 1983: 20). Additional lines, such as speed lines or lines of movement, are used to describe not only action, but also olfactory experiences and other features that are difficult to reproduce in static panels. The lines also direct the viewer’s eye towards a certain movement and direction. When they are used to support a certain form, for example a sword that is swung, they almost resemble the blurry artifacts on older photographs (Brunner 2010: 104 ff.). 166 11 Exploring Detective Conan in the English Language Classroom <?page no="167"?> These features describe the core visual elements of manga and anime. Their usage is flexible, and mangaka use the features in different ways to create a visual reading experience. This once again emphasizes the importance of not viewing the narrative disconnected from its visual elements (ibid.: 113). Ideally, the basic content of a manga or anime can be understood through visual cues and narrative techniques, without relying solely on the dialogue. Increasing popularity The anime industry, including merchandise rights, movie or game adaptions, is a thriving business in Japan with considerable revenue (ibid.: 78 f.) and starting in the late 1990s, more and more manga and anime have been translated and released worldwide, with even fully dubbed episodes airing on regular television. In the past years, an increasing number of teenagers and young adults have acquired at least a brief understanding of what anime and manga are. The rise and boom of anime and manga is connected to a rise of popularity of Japanese culture in general through specific festivals, magazines, and video games (ibid.: 95 f.). Anime and manga play an essential role in spreading awareness of Japan and Japanese media, as the daily newspaper Asahi Shimbun has identified: Such media as manga and anime are a form of culture that symbolizes modern Japan. It also has a great impact on foreign countries and is expected to be a promising industry as well as a tourism resource. As such, it is very meaningful for the government to support research in this area and promote the arts. (The Asahi Shimbun 2009) There are many examples of anime that have become influential. Streaming services that focus on anime, such as Crunchyroll, but also more established services like Netflix or Amazon Prime cater to many anime lovers and even traditional TV stations show anime. Anime have received critically acclaimed live action remakes, such as One Piece (2023), and are enjoyed by millions, covering a wide range of topics and genres, from romcom to action or to horror. 11.2 Detective Conan: Characters and overarching storyline Detective Conan is an example for one of those massively popular manga and later anime. It is currently listed as one of the top ten best-selling manga of all time (Statistics&Data 2022) and the anime version has been running since 1994 and has spawned more than 1099 episodes. The narrative universe also includes 26 movies, several videogames, a live action remake, and even printing the characters on a train (Yada 2019). 11.2 Detective Conan: Characters and overarching storyline 167 <?page no="168"?> 1 In the Funimation Dub used in the United States the characters of Detective Conan are given different, anglicized names. This chapter will instead refer to the original Japanese ones for consistency. 2 From now on, when referring to the character Shinichi Kudo, this chapter will only use the name Conan Edogawa for better readability. 3 Slang term for a private detective. The main character of Detective Conan is Shinichi Kudo 1 , a 17-year-old detective. He encounters members of the Black Organization, an underworld crime syndicate, while spending time with his love interest Ran Mori. Shinichi accidentally observes two members of the organization, Gin and Vodka, who feel threatened by his presence and poison him. However, unbeknownst to them, the drug does not kill him, but turns him back into his 8-year-old self. In order to hide from the organization while slowly uncovering who he needs to face, Shinichi adopts the name Conan Edogawa 2 and starts living with Ran and her father Kogoro, a failed gumshoe detective 3 with a self-destructive personality and little detective skills. To continue solving crimes, Shinichi usually tries to nudge Kogoro into the right direction by subtly dropping hints or asking questions. However, the older detective usually jumps to the wrong conclusion and Shinichi often must resort to using his tranquilizer darts to put the man to sleep and solve the crime by mimicking Kogoro’s voice. Thanks to this undercover help, Kogoro rises to fame and becomes known as the ‘sleeping detective’, with more and more people asking him for help. While Shinichi is initially irritated by this, he eventually realizes that Kogoro Mori’s newly found popularity also benefits him, as it gives him several accidental encounters with the Black Organization. However, while always allowing for minor changes, like new gadgets for Shinichi, there are only few episodes where the sole focus is on continuing the main storyline, characterizing Detective Conan more as a series than a serial (cf. Leonhardt/ Viebrock in this volume). Mostly, the main storyline takes a backseat role and Shinichi’s hunt after those who have wronged him is rarely mentioned. For the classroom, especially stand-alone cases that are usually portrayed in two episodes, are very suitable, as they have their own storyline and can be viewed with minimal knowledge of the main story arc. These episodes are usually connected by cliffhangers, typically at the moment when the detective has identified the real culprit, but the viewers are still uncertain. This gives the learners the opportunity to review the previously given clues and try to solve the case on their own. Two of those standalone chases have been chosen for the teaching approach, “Holmes Freak Murder Case” (S3: E57, S3: E58) and “Thoroughbred Kidnapping Case” (S29: E933, S29: E934). 11.3 Elements of detective fiction in Detective Conan Despite its unusual de-aged protagonists, Detective Conan’s themes are universal and its approach to detective fiction bears many similarities to more traditional teaching choices like the Sherlock Holmes stories (cf. also Göbel in this volume). Despite its origins in the United Kingdom (Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes) and United 168 11 Exploring Detective Conan in the English Language Classroom <?page no="169"?> States (Edgar Allen Poe’s Auguste Dupin) during the Golden Age of Detective Fiction (cf. Brauer 2009), other countries have adapted these proto-detectives into their literature and, eventually, created their own respective detective typologies. In Japan, one of the most famous authors was Hirai Taro, who used the pseudonym Edogawa Rampo and started with gothic mystery crime before eventually developing Akechi Kogoro, the Japanese counterpart of Sherlock Holmes (Buckler 2009: 18). Both the author and his main character are directly referenced in Detective Conan by name through the characters Conan Edogawa and Kogoro Mori. Detective Conan also pays tribute to the classical tropes of the Whodunit story, such as a reclusive location, a limited number of suspects and a detective at its center, who has to solve the crime like a puzzle, using logic and deduction skills instead of outside help or technological devices. Detective Conan is mostly set during a time where nationwide phone coverage and internet access has not yet been established. This limits the detectives to the very basics of their craft - solving a murder like one would solve an intricate puzzle. Who has a motive? Whose alibi does not hold up? What clues can be found around the crime scene or in conversations with witnesses? Tropes of the detective fiction genre can be identified throughout the two episodes selected for this chapter. In “Holmes Freak Murder Case”, Conan, Ran, and Kogoro are invited to a reclusive cabin hotel, to participate in a small Sherlock Holmes convention. Together with other Sherlock Holmes fans, they will have the opportunity to participate in a quiz that asks very detailed questions about the Holmes novels. Those who answer the thousand questions correctly will receive a rare first edition of the famous novel A Study in Scarlett. However, while Conan and the others are working on the quiz, the host of the event, Hiroyuki Kanaya, is seen driving his car over a nearby cliff. Conan and Heiji Hattori, a former competitor of Shinichi’s and an equally brilliant detective who has also been invited to the convention, try to save the man by stopping his car, but are ultimately unable to do so. However, they are able to deduce that it was not an accident or a suicide, but rather a murder. While trying to find out who killed their host, Ayako Oki, another attendee of the event, is burned to death after mentioning that she found out who murdered Kanaya. Next, another attempted murder of one of the male participants, Toshiaki Fujisawa, is stopped by Conan and Heiji. The first of two episodes ends with the realization that the murderer must be one of the remaining contestants and a cliffhanger implies that the two detectives have not yet solved the case, but at least know how Oki was killed. In a side-plot, while collecting clues and questioning other suspects, Heiji begins to question whether Conan is a normal child or not and starts a little investigation of his own. In the second episode of the case, Kogoro tries in vain to solve the case and explain the crimes, while Conan and Heiji simultaneously identify the culprit. The murderer was Oki’s friend Kento Togano, who could not forgive the host Kanaya for writing a 11.3 Elements of detective fiction in Detective Conan 169 <?page no="170"?> 4 The most notable female character in Sherlock Holmes who was admired by the detective for her brilliance. 5 Heiji is originally from Osaka, giving him a regionally distinct accent that is unfortunately lost in the dubbed version. book in which Irene Adler 4 laughs at Sherlock Holmes. Something that Togano found so outrageously inappropriate for the fictional character that he could not forgive Kanaya and his co-author Fujisawa and had to punish them. Oki was only killed because she correctly identified him as the murderer. After solving the case, Conan uses his tranquilizer darts on Heiji to use his body as a stand-in to explain his reasoning to the other adults. Togano admits his crimes, but still feels that his actions were justified. On their way home, Heiji confronts the child with the fact that he is Shinichi Kudo. His final clue that helped him figure it out was when, in the Japanese original, Conan did not imitate his accent 5 during the killer’s reveal, or, in the dubbed versions, did not properly hit him with the tranquilizer dart, leaving him awake the entire time. Nevertheless, he promises to keep Conan’s identity a secret. While Conan solves the “Holmes Freak Murder Case”, another difference to many other detective stories is shown. Or rather, it becomes apparent that Conan lacks one of the common figures present in many crime stories. There is no assistant with whom he shares his thoughts and who serves as a voice to the audience, translating the brilliant detectives’ thoughts and conclusions - there is no Dr Watson. In Detective Conan, the young detective speaks to himself using his grown-up persona to combine all of the clues. The audience can listen in on his thoughts; however, most of the time he does not give away the culprit until the very end. The audience can therefore flex their own detective skills and determine whether they would be able to solve the case. Even in an episode like this, where he works together with fellow detective Heiji Hattori, they do not explain their way of thinking to each other. Rather, they converse in a way that highlights their ‘thinking alike’, only needing a mental sparring partner, not a less brilliant audience stand in to explain their reasoning to. Despite this difference, the homages to Sherlock Holmes and the works of Arthur Conan Doyle are frequent and span many different elements - with direct quotes, character names, or even crimes that resemble the original. In several cases, Detective Conan reinterprets famous cases, such as the Sherlock Holmes story “The Story of Silver Blaze”, which was adapted into “Thoroughbred Kidnapping Case” (S29: E933, S29: E934), the second set of episodes that are discussed in this chapter. Even though the crime at its core remains the same in this case, the story is changed quite drastically and modernized. The tale also turns away from a more traditional Whodunit setup, with a chase at its core, where Conan and the police follow the horse’s owner to try and figure out what happened to the horse. In the Detective Conan version of the story, there is no clear culprit, only several mysteries, such as what happened to the animal and if it is still alive. In the first episode of this two-episode case, Kogoro loses money in a horse race and is later forced to take on three different mysterious cases, which he does not disclose to 170 11 Exploring Detective Conan in the English Language Classroom <?page no="171"?> Conan yet. The next day he visits the racetrack again, hired by Kozo Tokuyoshi, owner of the famous racehorse White Spirits. The owner has received threats that speak of murdering the horse, and so he wants to bring the animal to safety. Kogoro, Ran, and Conan are assigned to follow the vehicle carrying the horse to make sure it reaches safer stables outside of Tokyo. After a short detour where they briefly lose sight of the truck, they reach their destination and see that the horse has been replaced by another one, with a ransom note attached to a blanket on its back. Conan and Kogoro now join forces with the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, Sergeant Wataru Takagi and Inspector Juzo Megure, to solve this mysterious case of horse kidnapping. Both have often worked with Kogoro; Megure even served alongside him as a policeman, and Takagi is especially kind to Conan and is easily influenced to help him. They quickly deduce that the exchange must have happened when they briefly lost sight of the truck. They interview the truck driver who tells them that his family was threatened, and he was forced to switch vehicles during the drive to save their lives. Meanwhile, the owner Tokuyoshi apparently pays the ransom - but when Conan and the police open the sports bag he used, they see that it was filled not with money but with horse magazines. A day later, White Spirits’ bloody horse blanket is found, causing the media to assume the famous racehorse has been killed. In the second episode, Conan is finally able to solve the mystery and explain the case to the others, once again using his tranquilizer darts on Kogoro. The culprit was the horses’ owner, Tokuyoshi, who was strained financially due to some foreign investments and had hoped that the life insurance policy payout on his horse would be enough to pay it off. However, he had to make it seem like a crime and was more than willing to kill the horse for this. The horses’ trainer, jockey, and a stable hand wanted to protect the horse though and, after trying to hire Kogoro in disguise at the very beginning of this case, hid White Spirits out of love for the animal. The bloody blanket was a fake and no animals were harmed during this episode. 11.4 Teaching approach As a teaching approach to detective stories in general and Detective Conan in particular, I will focus on two sets of two episodes, each dealing with a single criminal case. They can be taught sequentially, starting with “The Holmes Freak Accident,” or individually. The episodes were chosen because of their close connection to the Sherlock Holmes stories (cf. section 3), the limited number of established characters, and their length, all of which make them very suitable for the EFL classroom. However, with over 1000 episodes, there are certainly more cases that could provide interesting learning opportunities. While the series contains sensitive themes associated with detective fiction such as murder and crime, the focus lies on detective work rather than explicit depictions of violence. Thus, the series is appropriate for intermediate learners. 11.4 Teaching approach 171 <?page no="172"?> Getting to know the characters and elements of detective fiction, anime, and manga To familiarize themselves with the characters appearing in Detective Conan, learners can work with character sheets that introduce the protagonist and other main and side characters (cf. Mat. 1.1). While watching the episodes, learners can fill in information they learn about each character. As a while-viewing task, students will practice and learn to understand the language of anime and manga (cf. Mat. 1.2). They will learn about different devices used in manga and anime, and focus on symbols and visual metaphors, line usage, and the usage of speech bubbles. Eventually, the students will receive manga panels and discuss their impact on the audience, as well as create their personal visual library, which identifies common visual elements used in anime and manga. This task enhances the comprehension and interpretation of artistic visual choices. It promotes aspects of series_serial literacy (cf. Leonhardt/ Viebrock in this volume) by contrasting anime-specific aesthetic choices for eliciting emotions with those used in print-based mangas and other text forms learners are confronted with often, such as novels and short stories. If desired, the character sheets could be enhanced with the original character portraits, either by the students or the teacher. Appropriate images can be found on the unofficial Detective Conan Wiki at https: / / www.detectiveconanworld.com/ wiki/ (last accessed: 28.06.2024) “Holmes Freak Murder Case” “Holmes Freak Murder Case” spans over the 57 th and 58 th episode of the Detective Conan anime, with each episode having a runtime of about 25 minutes. This case serves as an ideal introduction to the topic of detective fiction for 8 th or 9 th grade or B1 to B2 according to the CEFR, as it allows them to take on the role of detectives themselves. By following Conan’s analysis and deduction, collecting clues and gradually uncovering the true culprit, the students can comprehend the tropes and rules of Whodunit detective fiction. One way to start working with the series would be to show the intro of the series. The opening to season 1 includes a short summary of the story. The students could then be asked whether they already know about the series or have watched it, initiating a discussion about detectives and the students’ prior experiences with the genre of detective fiction. An alternative, for example for older students, would be to start the lesson with a quotation on the board: “When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.” This sentence is not only uttered by Sherlock Holmes, but also by Conan Edogawa. It can be used by the students to discuss 172 11 Exploring Detective Conan in the English Language Classroom <?page no="173"?> the definition of truth, situations where investigating the truth might be especially relevant, and their own experience with detective stories. What types of stories do they enjoy or have read already? This approach could also lead to a discussion about what seems to be more interesting for the students - stories about detectives or the criminal. Afterwards, the teacher needs to ensure that the students are familiar with the terms needed to properly discuss detective fiction, crime, and investigation. The provided genre overview (cf. Mat. 2.1) includes a gap text where the most important terms are omitted and have to be matched correctly. Like a detective, the students have to fill in the missing information to find a text that explains the genre as a whole and also provides some examples. In a second step to the task, the students are given different quotations and select the most applicable to the narrative of Detective Conan. After this short introduction to the topic and language, the students are now working with the actual set of episodes. Using character (cf. Mat. 2.2) and clue sheets (cf. Mat. 2.3), they work on a specific character, note down information and everything about this character and eventually create a flowchart of events (cf. Mat. 2.4) to determine whether or not their character could be the culprit. A possible way of working on them would involve a jigsaw or group puzzle (as described by Aronson 2024). This provides opportunities for language improvement, where the students not only share information and discuss the case, but also use the new vocabulary they have just learned. After episode 57, the first episode of the case, the students share the findings on their characters with the class and discuss who of the characters would be the most likely culprit. If possible, all the different information, character and clue sheets, could be combined and pinned to the walls of the classroom, where the different character sheets, clues, and incidents could be connected to each other (e.g., by using red string to create an intricate web, similar to the ones seen in many crime shows). Adding elements of gamification (Matera 2015: 38 f.) supports the students in creating meaningful interaction with the content, as they themselves become the detectives and solve the crime. After finishing both episodes, the students review the case, connect the missing dots on their character and clue sheets (cf. Mat. 2.2/ 2.3), and fill in any missing information. They discuss whether or not they guessed the culprit, and if they found all necessary clues and were able to combine them correctly. To conclude, students can work on the optional task of writing a detective story themselves (cf. Mat. 2.5). As a basis of this task, the students pick central elements of Whodunit fiction (location, suspects, motive, and detective) by rolling some dice, which they use as a guideline for their individual stories. By exploring the tropes of detective fiction, testing their limits, and watching how they influence the narrative, the students understand their importance and effects. 11.4 Teaching approach 173 <?page no="174"?> 6 An unabridged digital version can be found on Project Gutenberg, “Silver Blaze” https: / / www.gute nberg.org/ files/ 834/ 834-h/ 834-h.htm (last accessed: 10.06.2024) “Thoroughbred Kidnapping Case” This set of episodes is more suitable for students who already possess a basic understanding of detective stories, as it presents a contemporary take on Arthur Conan Doyle’s classic Sherlock Holmes tale, “The Story of Silver Blaze”. While this story is not a typical Conan Episode with many outside locations, no clear suspects, and, most importantly, no murder, it shows an intriguing variant of the traditional tale. Not only does it set the original story in a modern setting, it also updates the narrative structure of the original, making for a very interesting teaching opportunity when comparing the two versions. To contrast the episode with the Sherlock Holmes story, the materials offer a slightly abridged and commented version (cf. Mat. 3.1) that is more palpable and suitable for teaching than the original. With enough time or older students, it would also be possible to read more of the original, unabridged text. 6 In order to understand the chain of events in the story, the students should use the table to note down the order of events. Later, they can compare this order of events to the changed narrative structure in the Detective Conan episode in the same table. This should initiate discussions on the adaptation. What was changed and for which reasons? 11.5 Summary This chapter has explored the series Detective Conan for the English language class‐ room. Based on the anime series, learners can be introduced to the detective genre and a successful contemporary interpretation of the classic Sherlock Holmes tale. Furthermore, the series offers a captivating and distinctive perspective on the genre in its own right. The tale of the brilliant young detective is already widely popular among students and offers many different teaching opportunities that include making experiences with the art forms of anime and manga. Series and serials Detective Conan (Case Closed). Aoyama, Gôshô (creator). Yomiuri Telecasting Corporation/ TMS Entertainment, 1996-present. One Piece. Owens, Matt/ Maeda, Steven (creators). Kaji Productions/ Shueisha Inc., 2023-present. Both parts of “Holmes Freak Murder Case” can be found either at https: / / www.cru nchyroll.com or on DVD in the collection “Footsteps of the Hero” (2004, November 23). Both parts of "The Thoroughbred Kidnapping" can only be found at https: / / 174 11 Exploring Detective Conan in the English Language Classroom <?page no="175"?> www.crunchyroll.com (last accessed: 28.06.2024). References Aronson, Elliot (2024). Jigsaw classroom. https: / / www.jigsaw.org/ (last accessed: 28.06.2024) Brauer, Stephen (2009). Detective fiction, cultural categories, and the ideology of criticism. In: Rielly, Edward J. (ed.). Murder 101: Essays on the Teaching of Detective Fiction. North Carolina: McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers, 13-24. Brunner, M. (2010). Manga. Paderborn: Wilhelm Fink GmbH & Co. Verlags-KG. Buckler, Patricia P. (2009). Teaching international detective fiction. In: Rielly, Edward J. (Hrsg). Murder 101. Essays on the Teaching of Detective Fiction. Jefferson. North Carolina: McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers, 25-37. Kacsuk, Zoltan (2018). Re-examining the “what is manga” problematic: the tension and interre‐ lationship between the “style” versus “made in Japan” positions. Arts 7 (3), 1-18. https: / / doi. org/ 10.3390/ arts7030026 Matera, Michael (2015). Explore Like a Pirate: Gamification and Game-Inspired Course Design to Engage, Enrich and Elevate Your Learners. California: Dave Burgress Consulting Inc. Schodt, Frederik L. (1983): Manga! Manga! The World of Japanese Comics. Tokyo. Schulz, Christine (2014). Die deutsche Manga- und Animefanszene - Verortung und Habitus einer Onlineszene. Erfurt: Erziehungswissenschaftliche Fakultät der Universität Erfurt. Statistics&Data (2022). Most popular manga of all time. https: / / statisticsanddata.org/ data/ most -popular-manga-of-all-time/ (last accessed: 28.06.2024) The Asahi Shimbun (2009). Editorial: the anime Hall of Fame. https: / / web.archive.org/ web / 20090704152221/ http: / / www.asahi.com/ english/ Herald-asahi/ TKY200906270058.html (last accessed: 28.06.2024) Yada, Fumi (2019). ‘Detective Conan’ train gets new look, hoping to draw in fans. The Asahi Schimbun. https: / / www.asahi.com/ ajw/ articles/ 13060574 (last accessed: 28.06.2024) Download: Additional Material 11.5 Summary 175 <?page no="177"?> 12 Transmedia Adaptations: BBC’s Sherlock and Arthur Conan Doyle’s Novels in the EFL Classroom Celine Göbel This chapter introduces ways of integrating the BBC series Sherlock into the English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classroom, focusing on transmediality, i.e., the realisation of a narrative in different media formats. As a modern adaptation of the famous stories written by Arthur Conan Doyle, Sherlock transports the action into the 21 st century without losing its ties to the original source texts. After an introduction to the plot of the series and its main themes, I will examine its teaching potential for learners of English in higher grades (CEFR level B2 and above). In doing so, I will justify why Sherlock is particularly interesting for a use in the EFL classroom today and demonstrate how series_serials literacy can be fostered by looking at an exemplary episode. My analysis directs particular attention to the portrayal of the characters across the two narratives, and to the question in how far original elements had to be altered to fit the modern context. Ultimately, I will synthesise the previous findings into lesson activities aiming at the learners’ own adaptation of one of Doyle’s stories following the scheme of the BBC series. In doing so, series_serial literacy will be fostered among the learners by analysing how a literary source can be transported into another media format, which difficulties this process might involve, and by which means the creators of Sherlock managed to address them before applying their newly acquired competences in a creative, communicative learning product. 12.1 Plot summary and main characters As the title already implies, Sherlock is based on the narratives written by Arthur Conan Doyle published from the late 19 th to the early 20 th century and transports the action to modern times. In reference to the literary works, the series loosely depicts the adventures of Sherlock Holmes, an extraordinarily intelligent detective with refined observation skills, and his colleague Dr John Watson, a former military doctor who has retired from service following an injury on the battlefield. After being introduced to each other by a mutual friend, the two men move into a flat in 221B Baker Street and start investigating crimes together. Sherlock, who refers to himself as <?page no="178"?> 1 This time stamp refers to the DVD version of the series. 2 In addition to the four seasons, a mini episode (“Many Happy Returns”, 2013) and a Christmas special (“The Abominable Bride”, 2016) have been released. The latter deviates from the series’ modern setting and depicts Sherlock Holmes in Victorian times. a “consulting detective” (“A Study in Pink”, 00: 18: 34) 1 , often supports the police when their investigations reach a dead end or he is addressed by private clients. Due to his peculiar personality, many people share strong antipathies towards Sherlock. While he is a genius concerning his analytical skills, he lacks fundamental social and emotional intelligence, which often causes him to come across as rude. At the beginning of the series, he seems incapable of adjusting his general behaviour and regulating his attitude towards other people. This improves when he meets John, who tries to educate him in social matters. He accompanies Sherlock on his cases and occasionally provides insights from a medical perspective. Most importantly, he becomes Sherlock’s closest friend and is responsible for his increasing recognition as a detective thanks to the reports published on his personal blog. Both men profit immensely from their friendship, and Sherlock as well as John undergo substantial character development throughout the series. There are only very few people who possess equally advanced cognitive abilities as Sherlock, one of them being his opponent James ‘Jim’ Moriarty, the ingenious mastermind of a vast criminal network. In the series, he occupies a much more prominent role than in Doyle’s stories and becomes the main antagonist of Sherlock in the first two seasons. He is increasingly fascinated, not to say obsessed, with Sherlock and sees him simultaneously as a form of entertainment, but also as a threat. Season 2 concludes with their final showdown, which ends in Moriarty and Sherlock’s death, leaving behind a traumatised John Watson. Later, it is revealed that Sherlock feigned his own suicide and spent several years trying to persecute Moriarty’s underground network. In the meantime, John has moved on with his life and is now engaged to Mary Morstan, whom he marries later in the series. After clearing John’s resentments towards Sherlock, the two resume their work. Despite his death in season 2, Moriarty remains a recurring personality. While preparing his ‘games’ for Sherlock, he came across Sherlock’s secret sister Eurus, who lives isolated in a maximum security unit due to her dangerous, unstable character. For the first time, secrets about Sherlock’s traumatic past are explored, and as a result, this season is significantly darker in its overall atmosphere. The investigation of criminal cases still plays a role, but fades into the background during the season, shifting the focus to the characters’ past and their emotional states. So far, the series counts four seasons and a total of twelve episodes with a length of about 90 minutes each. 2 The series’ production has currently come to a halt, but the last season leaves open the possibility for a continuation. 178 12 Transmedia Adaptations <?page no="179"?> 12.2 Sherlock as a transmedia adaptation of the Sherlock Holmes narratives References and reinterpretations Doyle’s stories about the eccentric sleuth from Baker Street have experienced an im‐ mense success, Sherlock Holmes still being one of the most popular fictional characters of all time (cf. Fleischhack 2015). When confronted with a picture of his silhouette, almost everyone will recognise it as the famous detective’s profile (Davies/ Forshaw 2015). Evidently, Sherlock Holmes is more than just a detective sporting a deerstalker and smoking the pipe - he is a British cultural icon, who continues to fascinate people. However, one of the original stories’ central attractions that has been lost over time is their contemporariness (cf. Tribe 2014). Today, the Victorian stories appear outdated, which creates a huge distance between current readers and the characters. This is where Sherlock is ahead of many other adaptations, as the show’s creators explained in a documentary: As much as we adore the Victorian versions, they have become museum pieces, where people approach them like great edifices, which is the absolute diametric opposite of how Doyle thought them for himself. So, to blow away the Victorian fog - that’s what we wanted to do. (Mark Gatiss, in: Vertue/ Seaborne 2014: 00: 05: 56-00: 06: 10, my transcript) Since the main objective pursued by the producers was to reinterpret the original stories, the greatest teaching potential of Sherlock lies within the possibility to explore its connections to the literary source and its characteristics as a modern adaptation of Doyle’s works. Steven Moffat, one of the show’s producers, claims that it was “[…] just endless fun to take the little details and realise how easily, how neatly they update” (Gatiss/ Moffat 2010b: 00: 04: 05-00: 04: 23). What stands out here is the emphasis on the joy altering the original stories brought to them: The producers experienced great fun in conceiving the series because they knew about the literary references they were integrating. Consequently, one central part of the viewers’ experience consists of spotting the changes that have been made to update the original stories, although it is possible to watch and understand the series without any prior knowledge (cf. Jacke 2017). However, in order to fully grasp the creativity that went into creating Sherlock and to understand the subtle details that come along with it, it is indispensable to possess generic knowledge of the original stories. Despite all similarities, Moffat and Gatiss have created something entirely new that adds as much to the original narratives as it references them. The series is simultaneously embedded in a fictional world of its own drawing on Doyle’s works and in “actual world locales” (McClellan 2018: 41), i.e., modern London, thus expanding the diegesis to new spaces. Additionally, its plot unfolds beyond the TV screen in different side formats, a property known as proliferation (cf. Kelleter 2017). Both features turn Sherlock into a narrative that crosses media borders, making it a transmedia rather than a mere literary adaptation of Doyle’s stories. 12.2 Sherlock as a transmedia adaptation of the Sherlock Holmes narratives 179 <?page no="180"?> 3 Besides the two main websites mentioned here, other characters had real-life platforms as well. Unfortunately, most of these websites and the game have been taken offline by now. Only a replica of John’s blog, recreated by dedicated fans, is still functional and accessible via the social media site Tumblr: https: / / johnwatsonblog-co-uk.tumblr.com/ (last accessed: 10.06.2024) Transmedia storytelling is defined by Jenkins (2009: 944) as “a process where integral elements of a fiction get dispersed systematically across multiple delivery channels”. Sherlock had some of the said delivery channels when the series was still actively ongoing, e.g., tie-in websites of John’s blog and Sherlock’s website or an interactive mobile game named Sherlock: The Network (cf. also McClellan 2018; Stein/ Busse 2012). They allowed viewers to explore the world of Sherlock themselves and provided additional information on the series. 3 Hills (2012) proposes a slightly different perspective, highlighting that the BBC series’ properties as a transmedia narrative do not lie primarily within its side channels adding to the singular plot, but within the numerous intertextual ties it exhibits to other representations of Sherlock Holmes narratives across various media, like the literary works. Sherlock references other audio-visual interpretations of the canon, particularly the film satire The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes (1970; cf. Tribe 2014). Among others, Sherlock’s brother Mycroft is widely based on the film’s conception of him instead of Doyle’s descriptions. Another influence are Sidney Paget’s famous drawings of Holmes and Watson, which gave the two men some of their iconic features that have been reproduced many times, e.g., the deerstalker (cf. McClellan 2018). Moreover, and this is probably what had an even greater influence on the show, the producers as well as the actors took several interpretations of Holmes and Watson in prior films as negative models on how not to conceive them in their series (cf. Tribe 2014), which helped setting it apart from previous interpretations. Consequently, instead of just translating prevalent narratives into another media format, the show adds to them and becomes a new side channel to the pre-existing Sherlockian canon itself (cf. Hills 2012). Overall, the close links between elements of the original works and new perspectives on the plot offer a high potential for fostering analytical and aesthetic competences by comparing the series to the literary sources. In addition, although the literary sources remain the greatest influence in Sherlock, the series combines other visual/ audio-visual works in its design or actively distances itself from them, turning it into a synthesis of various transmedia influences whose analysis promotes awareness towards series as part of a larger cultural industry. Therefore, it makes sense to address some of the additional sources as part of generic knowledge about Sherlock in lessons as well (cf. also Leonhardt/ Viebrock in this volume). Given the considerations on the series’ teaching potential as a transmedia adaptation of Doyle’s works, the target task elaborated in section 4 and the teaching material will aim at creating one’s own audio-visual adaptation of a Sherlock Holmes story as a 180 12 Transmedia Adaptations <?page no="181"?> central learning product. Since the requirements for this task are based on the analysis of the series and other source materials, the students thus create their own contribution to the transmedia side channels of the canon, enabling them to put their newly acquired knowledge to the test in a productive, creative, and communicative way. Technology adaptations In addition to various transmedia references that influenced Sherlock’s plot and setting, the use of technology plays a prominent role in shaping a modern adaptation of Doyle’s work. Despite numerous similarities, the series deviates from the stories in one crucial aspect, namely the time it is set in. One way of updating the original stories to the 21 st century was to include modern technology as an integral part of Sherlock’s world. Sherlock Holmes has always been “a man of his time” who “completely embraces technology” (Gatiss, qtd. in Harris Taylor 2012: 131), which is why a contemporary Sherlock Holmes cannot be anything other than digitally savvy (cf. Harris Taylor 2012). Thus, instead of sending telegraphs, Sherlock uses the latest state-of-the-art mobile phone and prefers to text. To gather information, he does no longer solely rely on informants, but conducts a quick internet research. And of course, Sherlock’s lab, in which he analyses evidence from the crime scene, is a high-tech facility featuring all kinds of forensic devices. Besides, he himself actually works like a supercomputer (cf. Jacke 2017). When solving a case, Sherlock enters his ‘mind palace’, a large mental storage comparable to the hard drive of a computer in which he sorts, categorises, and assesses information at an extremely high speed. Many aspects of his work are supported by media, and although he remains an extraordinary genius, his investigations cannot be separated from modern technology. Of course, John’s reports are updated as well. Instead of publishing newspaper articles, he now blogs about the cases online. His enemies are modernised as well, and many episodes focus on the (mis)use of technology, particularly by opponents who seek to challenge Sherlock. For instance, he has to decipher digital codes in order to solve cases (“A Scandal in Belgravia”), is confronted with biological warfare (“The Hounds of Baskerville”), or the cases themselves revolve around the power of sensitive digital data (“The Blind Banker“). On an extradiegetic level, the show features various modern cinematographic devices for the series’ audio-visual design. The most prominent use of the said techniques are text or image overlays used to visualise Sherlock’s deductions. They appear in every episode, usually during investigations, and enable the viewer to see the world through his eyes. Concerning the envisioned target task, analysing the use of technology provides the students with ideas for modernising another story and for the audio-visual design of their learning products (cf. section 4). 12.2 Sherlock as a transmedia adaptation of the Sherlock Holmes narratives 181 <?page no="182"?> 4 To differentiate between the canonical characters and the BBC’s modernised version in the following passages, the designation as ‘Holmes’ and ‘Watson’ is used for Doyle’s and ‘Sherlock’ and ‘John’ for the series’ characters. The original story’s title is in italics, whereas I use quotation marks for the titles of individual episodes of Sherlock. 12.3 Focus on characters: The relationship between the detective and his colleague The most important element of updating the stories was of course the characters’ design, and it is also a major interest when teaching the series and conceiving the students’ own adaptations. The first appearance of Sherlock Holmes and John Watson in “A Study in Pink” is portrayed very differently from the original A Study in Scarlet, and also their role within the narrative changes, as the following passages will demonstrate. 4 Watson and Holmes in A Study in Scarlet Doyle’s Dr Watson comes back from the Second Afghan war, injured and in poor health. Other than that, there is no significant information about Watson’s physical appearance at this point. After the traumatic experiences he must have had during the war, his life’s idleness haunts him, and every deviation from it sparks enthusiasm. In the course of the novel, he becomes Holmes’s greatest admirer and is so intrigued by his work that he decides it must be brought to the public. As the “essential witness to Holmes’s brilliance” (Davies/ Forshaw 2015: 26), Watson is primarily reduced to narrative functions. He is just an ordinary man compared to the ingenious Holmes and does not contribute much to the actual investigation. However, he serves as a relatable figure for the readers and makes the stories accessible to the public, which was crucial for their success. The readers follow along his explanations and experience the same surprise as he does once Holmes reveals his conclusions (cf. ibid.). Although there is significantly more information on Holmes, he remains an enigma, and Watson cannot really make sense of his flatmate. The two men meet for the first time in Holmes’s laboratory, where he has just successfully conducted a chemical experiment. Holmes is described as very tall and slim, with sharp, piercing eyes, a square chin and a “hawk-like” (Doyle 1986: 11) nose. Despite his slim physique, he is surprisingly strong, but he never makes an unnecessary move and does not bother memorising information he regards as superfluous. It becomes evident quickly that he assigns a high value to his intellect, and that he uses his mental resources thoughtfully. All of these habits draw the image of a rational, determined man who acts with utmost accuracy, at least in terms of his profession. As much as he finds mental stimulation in solving riddles, he finds amusement, and sometimes annoyance, in his peers’ obliviousness in what he perceives as obvious. He does not express this directly, but very subtly through his body language and sarcasm. 182 12 Transmedia Adaptations <?page no="183"?> 5 All time stamps refer to the DVD version of series 1 (Gatiss/ Moffat 2010a). After all, he remains a very eloquent gentleman and is aware of the others’ intellectual inferiority without belittling them for it. John and Sherlock in “A Study in Pink” While Watson’s personality is addressed very briefly in the novel, John’s introduction to the viewer of the serial is quite extensive and emotional. The episode starts with blurry clips of war scenes (00: 00: 00-00: 00: 16) 5 , which are interrupted by frames showing a sleeping John Watson who finally wakes up from his nightmare - obviously memories from his time in Afghanistan. Head and medium long shots showing his face combined with sad piano music accompanying the scene underline the distress he is in (00: 00: 17-00: 00: 45). A little later, the viewers see his whole body for the first time: He is in his thirties, of medium height, slim, and wears plain clothes. While walking, he supports himself with a cane, which makes him appear older than his facial features imply. The small apartment is furnished scarcely, and its emptiness reflects John’s loneliness. A cut introduces a different setting: John has a meeting with his therapist, who advises him to write a blog about his daily experiences. The camera zooms in on John’s face, who replies that “nothing happens” (00: 02: 03) to him. In contrast to Watson’s characterisation, which is directed at establishing his narrative role, John’s character receives greater depth. This change was due to the show’s audio-visual format: It has the advantage of being able to depict images and to show what has to be described in a novel. Therefore, having John narrate the events, e.g., by means of voice-overs, would not make any sense. The viewers do not need him as a witness - they are the witnesses - and therefore, John needs a different purpose. Gatiss and Moffat decided to extend his portrayal as a “modern war veteran” (Tribe 2014: 28) who has to readjust to civilian life. Throughout the whole episode, the development of John’s mental health, visualised by his psychosomatic limp and the walking cane, is a key element of the storyline and equally important as the actual investigation. This extends to most other episodes, where John receives a side-arch or participates in the investigation himself, which is usually not the case in Doyle’s stories. Sherlock’s first physical appearance is quite extraordinary: The viewers hear the noise of a zipper while the screen is still black. Sherlock’s face appears, upside down, looking down on the viewers. Next, the room is shown in a full shot. The scene is set in a morgue, and what Sherlock unzipped was a body bag (00: 08: 25-00: 08: 32). Despite the sinister setting, it is a huge contrast to John’s sad appearance. Sherlock and the overall atmosphere are much more energetic, which is mirrored by the music’s dynamic rhythm (00: 08: 40-00: 08: 55). On the one hand, Sherlock’s character evokes excitement. On the other hand, his physical appearance raises questions: He is a tall, skinny young man (with a fairly unspectacular nose) wearing a long, dark coat, a blue scarf, and an elegant suit - quite an unusual attire for a morgue. The interaction with 12.3 Focus on characters: The relationship between the detective and his colleague 183 <?page no="184"?> the pathologist Molly Hooper instantly reveals Sherlock’s insensitive mannerisms, and his first encounter with John yet again leaves more questions than it answers about his character. Since John is not the narrator in the series, the viewers experience Sherlock’s behaviour first-hand and even before John does. Moreover, they gain insight to his perspective, e.g., when he examines a crime scene. This reduces the distance between the viewers and Sherlock, and the images help clarifying his ways of reasoning, which can be quite abstract in the novel despite his lengthy explanations. Another difference to the literary works is Sherlock and John’s interaction. They use their first names to refer to each other since using their last names, like in Doyle’s narratives, would be more than odd for flatmates today. Furthermore, John is less reluctant in telling Sherlock what he thinks of his behaviour. While Holmes remains quite civil despite his arrogance, Sherlock does not hesitate to insult his fellows blatantly. Sherlock understands neither empathy nor common decency and just enunciates what he thinks about people. While this creates many humorous situations, it also makes Sherlock a very unlikeable protagonist (cf. Tribe 2014). Therefore, John becomes yet again a relatable figure for the viewers, but with a completely different purpose: As a moral counterpart to Sherlock, he says exactly what the audience would say to him, thus giving them “a voice through John” (ibid.: 113) and preventing them from being put off by Sherlock’s socially unacceptable behaviour. Sherlock and John’s friendship Sherlock and John’s friendship is a substantial plot element in the series, and it thus makes sense to have a closer look at its dynamics in class as well. At the beginning, Sherlock is a maverick who does not maintain any closer relationships to people, let alone friends. The first person who is capable of developing a more ‘intimate’ connection to Sherlock is John, and in the course of the series, the two men develop a close friendship, which is put to the test many times. Although the friendship between the two men is depicted in the literary works as well, Doyle focuses primarily on the relevance Holmes has for Watson, and how the latter genuinely cares for the detective’s well-being (cf. Jacke 2017). In Sherlock, however, John’s relevance for Sherlock receives more prominence (cf. ibid.). One scene that highlights this in particular is the emotional best man speech Sherlock delivers at John’s wedding in “The Sign of Three”. Here, Sherlock acknowledges the great impact John had on his life. John has succeeded in turning him into a better man, or at least into a more ‘human’ human being, which is also reflected in his relationships to other characters. Resulting from their friendship, Sherlock develops a greater interest in more people and becomes a little less ‘obnoxious’ to other people. Simultaneously, people approach Sherlock in a less hostile manner thanks to the changes they see in him. Jacke (2017) argues that John’s relevance for Sherlock even grants him the status of a second main character in the series, while he is limited to a supporting role in Doyle’s stories. In fact, the series’ plot development supports this thesis: Both, Sherlock and John, are 184 12 Transmedia Adaptations <?page no="185"?> 6 For example: https: / / fanlore.org/ wiki/ SDCC_2016: _Sherlock_%26_A_Case_of_Sexual_Identity. This interview was confirmed as real by Mark Gatiss on the social media platform X (Twitter). equally important for the dynamics of the action. In “The Empty Hearse”, this becomes particularly evident when Sherlock hires Molly as his assistant while John takes on a full-time job in a medical practice. Neither of the two succeed in their work when separated from each other, and ultimately, they reunite. Sherlock and John’s friendship is rooted on a deep emotional level, although Sherlock is not always able to display this. Their intimacy leads to many misunderstandings throughout the series, but also within the fan community. The show’s creators had to stress repeatedly that this relationship is completely deprived of romance. 6 12.4 Suggestions for teaching Sherlock Sherlock can be employed in connection to various topics in the EFL classroom, but obviously the series fits best into a lesson unit on crime fiction. Based on one of its episodes, the following teaching ideas aim at creating an own audio-visual adaptation of a Sherlock Holmes story by ● activating prior knowledge and establishing generic knowledge about the series’ source texts (pre-viewing), ● fostering perceptive, aesthetic, and critical competences (cf. Leonhardt/ Viebrock in this volume) by securing comprehension of the episode’s plot and analysing its audio-visual composition (while-viewing), ● combining the previous findings to produce own adaptations of a Sherlock Holmes narrative (post-viewing). I recommend watching the entire episode in a first global viewing to ensure a holistic viewing experience before analysing designated clips in more detail. If the episode has to be shown in segments, the individual sequences should not be too short and viewed without long pauses in between to avoid misunderstandings. In addition to the viewing method, there are a few other aspects to be considered when teaching the series in the EFL classroom: Despite the teaching opportunities Sherlock offers, the series also poses challenges to a use in institutionalised learning contexts, where time is naturally sparse. Since each individual episode reaches feature length, it is difficult to watch multiple of them at school, and a teaching unit probably has to be limited to one episode or separate clips. Besides, some episodes allude to a combination of many different stories and other sources, which complicates analysing the references. It thus makes sense to focus on an episode that depicts a more or less closed action and which primarily references a smaller amount of previous works. Another difficulty is the series’ linguistic complexity, which is why it is only suitable for advanced learners in higher grades. Especially Sherlock’s deductions are 12.4 Suggestions for teaching Sherlock 185 <?page no="186"?> 7 The scripts for each episode can be found here: https: / / www.bbc.co.uk/ writersroom/ documents/ she rlock-s1-ep1-a-study-in-pink-final-shooting-script.pdf (last accessed: 17.05.2024) incredibly quick, and following his lines here is challenging. When working with scenes intensively, it is helpful to work with transcripts to facilitate comprehension. 7 Taking these thoughts into consideration, I will explore the series’ background on the basis of the first episode, “A Study in Pink”. It is particularly convenient for the use in the EFL classroom for multiple reasons: Firstly, it depicts Sherlock and John’s first appearance, which is interesting from a narrative as well as a cinematographic point of view regarding the characters’ portrayal. Secondly, the episode’s plot is quite close to the original novel (A Study in Scarlet), but exhibits substantial changes at the same time, which make it interesting for formal analysis. And lastly, the action in “A Study in Pink” is rather closed, meaning that the episode can be watched independently of the rest of the series. Of course, there are other suitable episodes for teaching the literary background as well, primarily from seasons 1 and 2 since they adhere to Doyle’s work very closely. The tasks described in the next sections and the worksheets for “A Study in Pink” serve as examples and can be adapted to other episodes. Pre-viewing activities A first pre-viewing activity is to collect the students’ prior knowledge on detectives and Sherlock Holmes in a mind map (cf. Mat. 1). This way, students who may not have heard of the detective yet receive an idea of the topic, and open questions for later discussions can be noted down. At the end of the lesson unit, it is possible to go back to the results of this task and to add new information. There are then multiple ways to approach the literary source. Many short stories are brief enough to be read entirely, but the novels are much longer. Here, it is sensible to select suitable passages. Mat. 2 proposes different chapters and topical focuses for exploring A Study in Scarlet. Since the series was influenced by more than Doyle’s works (cf. section 2), other source materials, such as Sidney Paget’s illustrations, can be included as well. Based on the literary descriptions, the students can evaluate Paget’s drawings or comment on changes they would have made. Alternatively, screenshots of Sherlock and John can be shown. The students then have to identify the right character, justify their choices based on the prior analysis and comment on the BBC’s character design. Besides, the students already prepare for the upcoming productive task by outlining ideas for the audio-visual realisation of Sherlock Holmes’ investigation strategies. While-viewing activities While watching the episode for the first time, the students work on comprehension tasks to establish a general understanding of the plot (cf. Mat. 3). To address the 186 12 Transmedia Adaptations <?page no="187"?> 8 The stories can be easily found online in full length since they have entered the public domain. main characters, a topic watch is useful (cf. Lütge 2012). In this activity, students are divided into groups and focus on Sherlock or John and specific aspects of their behaviour/ depiction (cf. Mat. 4). The tasks can be distributed among the students so that different groups focus on different aspects. In a second viewing phase, selected scenes are watched again for a closer formal analysis. This time, the while-viewing tasks aim at fostering aesthetic competences by focusing on the narrative, dramatic, and cinematographic properties of the scenes. The class is divided into groups that are each assigned one of the three levels of audio-visual design to study in detail (cf. Mat. 6). Again, the results of this activity serve as preparation for the students’ own adaptations. Some suitable scenes for a close viewing in “A Study in Pink” are: ● John’s first appearance (00: 00: 00-00: 02: 05) and Sherlock’s first appearance (00: 08: 25-00: 09: 20) [focus on Sherlock and John as characters] ● John and Sherlock’s first meeting (00: 09: 20-00: 12: 00) [focus on Sherlock and John as characters] ● The cab ride to Lauriston Gardens (00: 18: 04-00: 21: 08) [focus on Sherlock’s science of deduction and filmic devices] ● The investigation at the crime scene (00: 23: 29-00: 30: 22) [focus on Sherlock’s thought processes and filmic devices] ● The pursuit of the cab driver (00: 52: 06-00: 55: 14) [focus on filmic devices] Post-viewing activities The post-viewing phase combines the preparatory work on in the pre-viewing phase with the results from the while-viewing phase. In a first step, it makes sense to refer back to the first ideas as well as the analysis of the source material and to contrast them from the series’ realisation. Next, the students’ response to the episode should be considered, for instance in a brief discussion phase in which they compare the characters in the episode to those in the story. After discussing the episode, the target task requires the students to engage with the topic creatively by drafting their own mini-episode of the series, based on a story that has not been discussed yet. 8 In doing so, the students should act out their script and film and edit their mini-episode. This way, the learners go beyond theoretical reflections and apply their new knowledge on audio-visual design in a meaningful, productive manner. 12.4 Suggestions for teaching Sherlock 187 <?page no="188"?> 12.5 Summary This chapter has demonstrated how the BBC series Sherlock can be integrated into the EFL classroom by focusing on its properties as a transmedia adaptation of Arthur Conan Doyle’s narratives. In doing so, one aim of teaching the series is to develop generic knowledge about its literary background and other transmedia influences on its plot. Another objective is to foster aesthetic and critical competences as part of series_serials literacy by analysing the series’ audio-visual design, which plays a crucial role in portraying Sherlock’s thought processes as well as his deductions. Ultimately, both teaching objectives and the accompanying activities serve as a base for a productive target task in which the learners apply their knowledge to create their own adaptation of a Sherlock Holmes story. Films, series, and serials Sherlock (Season 1, DVD). Moffat, Steven/ Gatiss, Mark (creators). Hartswood Films Limited/ BBC One, 2010a. Sherlock (Special Features, DVD). Moffat, Steven/ Gatiss, Mark (creators). Hartswood Films Limited/ BBC One, 2010b. The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes. Diamond, I.A.L./ Wilder, Billy (creators). Compton Films/ The Mirisch Corporation/ Phalanx Productions, 1970. Unlocking Sherlock (TV Documentary). Vertue, Sue/ Seaborne, Gillane (creators). Midnight Oil Pictures, 2014. References Davies, David Stuart/ Forshaw, Berry (2015). The Sherlock Holmes Book. New York: DK. Doyle, Arthur Conan (1986). Sherlock Holmes: The Complete Novels and Stories Volume I. New York: Bantam Classic. Fleischhack, Maria (2015). Die Welt des Sherlock Holmes. Darmstadt: Schneider. Harris Taylor, Rhonda (2012). The “Great Game” of information: the BBC’s digital native. In: Porter, Lynnette (ed.). Sherlock Holmes for the 21 st Century: Essays on New Adaptations. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland. Hills, Matt (2012). Sherlock’s epistemological economy and the value of “fan” knowledge: how producer-fans play the (Great) Game of fandom. In: Stein, Louisa Ellen/ Busse, Kristina (eds.). Sherlock and Transmedia Fandom: Essays on the BBC Series. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland, 27-40. Jacke, Andreas (2017). Mind Games: Über literarische, psychoanalytische und gendertheoreti‐ sche Sendeinhalte bei A.C. Doyle und der BBC-Serie Sherlock. Wiesbaden: Springer VS. Jenkins, Henry (2010). Transmedia storytelling and entertainment: an annotated syllabus. Journal of Media & Cultural Studies 24 (6), 943-958. Kelleter, Frank (2017). Five ways of looking at popular seriality. In: Kelleter, Frank (ed.). Media of Serial Narrative. Ohio: The Ohio State UP. 188 12 Transmedia Adaptations <?page no="189"?> Lütge, Christiane (2012). Mit Filmen Englisch unterrichten. Berlin: Cornelsen. McLellan, Ann K. (2018). Sherlock's World: Fan Fiction and the Reimgining of BBC's Sherlock. Iowa City: University of Iowa Press. Stein, Louisa Ellen/ Busse, Kristina (2012). Sherlock and Transmedia Fandom: Essays on the BBC Series. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland. Tribe, Steve (2014). Sherlock Chronicles. London: Penguin Random House UK. Download: Additional Material 12.5 Summary 189 <?page no="191"?> 13 Strike in English Language Education: A Popular British Crime Series Tackling Social Class and Celebrity Isabelle Vanderschelden This chapter uses the recent BBC crime series Strike adapted from the novels of Robert Galbraith (alias J.K. Rowling) as an EFL resource for advanced/ adult students (CEFR levels B2 and above). Co-produced by Rowling and available in different formats (Amazon Prime, BBC iPlayer, HBO, or DVD), each season has a complex crime plot filmed mainly in London. For this chapter, I use the first season of “The Cuckoo’s Calling” (2017). Revisiting the established codes of UK crime fiction tradition for the 21 st century, Strike features an unconventional duo of private investigators, Cormoran Strike and his new assistant Robin Ellacott. They operate from an unlikely office in London’s trendy West End. Strike is a quaint, accessible TV fiction that can help learners to engage with British culture and society. The series is carefully scripted using many British English idioms, accents, and registers. It also includes numerous references to British cultural points of interest exploitable for teaching purposes, particularly in terms perceptions of class distinctions, upbringing and education, family background and legacy. It also engages with current social issues like dysfunctional families, disability, relationship, and trauma. The activities presented draw on these elements using a multimodal framework of multiliteracies. I propose a range of language and media literacy activities to develop the series_serial literacy of students of English language, offering a playful approach to Cultural Studies, which can sometimes be difficult to address practically in language classes. More specifically learners will decode, question, and critically analyse gender and class constructs, stereotypes, and the representation of London. 13.1 Introduction In 2013, Robert Galbraith published The Cuckoo’s Calling: A Strike Story, a novel introducing a new detective character called Cormoran Strike. When J.K. Rowling was identified as the author, using a penname for this new project to distance herself from the Harry Potter saga’s global impact, it drew more attention and became a best-seller (cf. Bury 2013; Seale 2022). Seven Strike crime novels have been published between 2015 and 2023 and become international bestsellers. Five Strike (also C.B. Strike) seasons, featuring independent cases, have so far been adapted into a popular series produced and broadcast by the BBC and HBO (from the <?page no="192"?> 1 Filmed together, “Cuckoo’s Calling” (3 episodes) and “Silkworm” (2 episodes) were released in 2017, followed by “Career of Evil” (2 episodes) in 2018, “Lethal White” (4 episodes) in 2020 and “Troubled Blood” (4 episodes) 2022. 2 The novels The Ink Black Heart (2022) and The Running Grave (2023) are not adapted yet. third season). They were released between 2017 and 2022, gradually working into a more continuous serial project around the two protagonists. The production has been supervised by Rowling who acted as executive producer (Bronte Films and TV). The series has been qualified as entertainment with substance ( Jeffery 2017), showcasing the BBC “at its best” (O’Grady 2022). Strike’s hybrid format is thereby unusual: The seasons have not been filmed and released at regular intervals; they vary in length from two to five episodes of 57 minutes. 1 Structured as modern whodunnits (cf. info box 1), each season features the un‐ conventional recurrent duo of private investigators (PIs) Cormoran Strike and his assistant Robin Ellacott. They meet in Strike’s Denmark Street office at the start of the first season, and gradually become professional partners and close friends. Replacing Strike’s secretary for one week, Robin finds a business on the verge of bankruptcy and an office in need of serious reorganisation. As the episodes unfold, the viewers discover elements of the two protagonists’ backstories and their social and family backgrounds, closely based on the novel’s characters and enriched by two solid actor performances. Info box 1: Whodunnit genre conventions The whodunnit genre features a crime narrative with the main protagonist(s) serving as the investigator(s). The plot follows the investigation in chronological order, focusing on solving the mystery through decrypting riddles, using material clues, and deducing what happened. In the first season, “Cuckoo’s Calling”, a glamorous but troubled top model, Lula Landry, falls from her Mayfair loft balcony. It is assumed that it was a suicide but three months after her death, her adoptive brother John Bristow approaches Strike, who knew his family as a child, in order to review the circumstances of her death. The case takes Strike to Lula’s aristocratic adoptive family and her celebrity-ridden social circle of top models, artists and film producers. In season 2, “The Silkworm”, novelist Owen Quine goes missing, and his wife calls Strike to investigate. In “Career of Evil”, a mysterious package is delivered to Robin Ellacott containing a woman’s severed leg. Strike realises that someone from the past is sending him a macabre warning. In “Lethal White”, a troubled young man comes to Strike’s office asking him to investigate a crime he thinks that he witnessed as a child which involves important parliamentary politicians. In “Troubled Blood”, Strike is approached by a woman whose mother went missing in mysterious circumstances in 1974. His family in Cornwall becomes more prominent in this season. 2 192 13 Strike in English Language Education <?page no="193"?> The series retains trademark features of BBC productions - exportable quality series overtly promoting British identity (e.g. Sherlock, 2010-2017, cf. Göbel in this volume). Some of its recent productions while socially realistic, tend to be grittier and more emotionally complex, like Normal People (2020) or Happy Valley (2014-2023). Strike follows this trend to some extent: it is grounded in English popular culture and filmed in busy London and public places; its characters come from different social backgrounds, but many are ordinary people easy to identify with. Strike has to contend with celebrity and is sometimes recognised in public places, but Robin can change her appearance and go undercover for the needs of an investigation. When the audience gets a glimpse of the London of celebrities (pop stars, top models, and rich aristocrats), this glossy world is often portrayed from the outside through the gaze of the two protagonists and in the context of their investigations. The identifiable natural English locations, mostly London districts in season 1, reinforce the series’ Britishness. The supporting characters sketch out credible social identities (informers, witnesses, friends of the victims, families). This generates a rich EFL resource for intermediate and advanced students in terms of idiomatic language and accents. This authentic use of language, anchoring the storylines in gritty social realism and varied cultural settings, will encourage students to engage with the codes of British social classes, identify social issues, and deconstruct gender relations. In the following, I will primarily use the first season to illustrate my pedagogical approach and teaching materials. However, in order to illustrate serial continuity, I will occasionally refer to character evolution and narrative continuity. The materials are designed to be used after watching season 1, but they could easily be adapted for more flexible use of scenes or episodes from other seasons. After illustrating general methodological considerations, I will explore the protagonists of the series, analyse its first episode in detail, and examine its genre. I will then analyse the series’ iconic locations and social contexts, focusing on class and gender. 13.2 Strike for language teaching: Methodological considerations Focus on Strike as a serial When designing the EFL pedagogical exercises, I stayed away from a comparative analysis of the novels and of the Strike series (as well as other crime series) and chose to focus on character studies, genre conventions, locations, and social representations. As the BBC makes an overt attempt at developing modern local series for the digital age, and because the author of the novels is a literary celebrity and cultural phenomenon with high media visibility and fan following, I feel that I cannot completely detach the series’ discussions from J.K. Rowling’s input (she coproduced and took part in the adaptation process). Nevertheless, as the series episodes are clearly signed by distinct screenwriters Ben Richard and Tom Owen, I decided to place the focus more on the 13.2 Strike for language teaching: Methodological considerations 193 <?page no="194"?> adaptation process dynamics both in terms of characterisation (clearly identified as the strong point of the novels) and the plot adaptation to the times constraints and codes of a short series format. Applying a multimodal approach Strike lends itself to a wide range of exercises adopting a multimodal approach that explores the meanings of linguistic, visual, sound, gestural, and spatial elements (cf. Kalantzis et al. 2016) that the series producers strategically used to adapt the novels. The visual style of the series is inspired by detective and crime genre conventions and by the explicit spatial localisation of the crime plot in contemporary London. The use of CCTV footage, of still photographs of the victim, and web screenshots summarising back stories or important events are examples of multimedia strategies employed in the narrative of season 1 to maximise the efficient communication of context information without resorting merely to dialogue and flashbacks. This economy is needed for the format chosen for the initial Strike season. The three episodes of 57 minutes adapted from a 550-page novel need to do justice to the crime investigation process as well as set the scene for the series, i.e., introduce the contextual information on the two protagonists and their detective agency. The use of a varied musical soundtrack is another way of informing the audience, using diegetic pop music with lyrics that are meaningful as well as non-diegetic themes that create atmospheric ambiance and relate Strike to the generic conventions of crime series (mystery, danger, dramatic moment). The soundtrack is also highly coded and stylised, often resorting to pop classics. Strike likes Tom Waits and the song at the end of season 1 is “Oh La La” by the Faces, bringing back the focus on the PI protagonist and a more personal note. The following table, which is an adaptation of the multimodal model for the study of a series’ scene (or a complete episode), can be used to design tailored exercises for students depending on language level and specific learning objectives. It could also be used as framework for independent study or revision notes. It allows students to develop their analytical skills and link examples of filming strategies and mise en scène, its purpose, and a personal response. 194 13 Strike in English Language Education <?page no="195"?> Mode of communication Relevant examples from the scene/ episode of Strike Meaning and effect pro‐ duced Written mode (use of written text; e.g., headings, signs, subtitles) - - Visual mode (e.g., still or moving im‐ ages, inserts, photographs, posters) - - Visual style (e.g., colour, lighting, cam‐ era angle and shots, edit‐ ing) - - Spatial mode (indoor/ outdoor locations, set design; e.g., architec‐ ture, streets, cityscapes and landscapes) - - Proxemic mode (positioning of characters on screen; e.g., interperso‐ nal distance, interactions) - - Gestural mode (e.g., body language, ges‐ tures, movements of char‐ acters) - - Audio mode (e.g., music, soundtrack, noises, sounds) - - Linguistic mode (e.g., dialogue, monologue, speech, voice-over) - - Tab. 1: Template for designing multimodal exercises 13.3 Two protagonists in the rich tradition of British detectives The publicity blurb highlights the protagonists’ different social backgrounds and complementary outlook on life: Cormoran Strike and his partner Robin Ellacott are alike in many ways, but also couldn’t be more different; whether it’s their upbringings, their personalities, or even their outlook on life; but together they work as a seamless partnership; like most other successful crime-solving duos throughout history. (https: / / robert-galbraith.com/ characters/ , last accessed: 01.06.2024) 13.3 Two protagonists in the rich tradition of British detectives 195 <?page no="196"?> The series’ director describes Strike as a Celtic giant (Keillor 2017). To emphasise his stocky stature, Strike wears a baggy brown overcoat that becomes an iconic prop and is often filmed using low angle close-ups enhancing his size. He is a British war veteran who fought in Afghanistan with a background in the Special Investigation Branch. Injured in service in an explosion, he lost his left leg and suffers from post-traumatic anxiety. This explains his figure of a damaged, brooding, headstrong detective who smokes and drinks too much. He can be abrupt and does not communicate his feelings easily. His prosthetic leg gives him an unusual gait and occasional pain, but it does not stop him from walking the streets of London to investigate his cases. When the series starts, Strike is struggling to make a living as a private investigator. He has few clients, a large debt, and sleeps on a camp bed in his office at 6 Denmark Street after ending a stormy relationship with his girlfriend, Charlotte Campbell. Strike’s character is also defined by a complicated family background. His father Jonny Rokeby is a famous former pop star of the London scene, with his band ‘The Deadpans’. Strike has only met him twice as the series begins and will do everything to stay away when his father tries to contact him again. His mother Leda, one of his father’s groupies, was a drug addict who died in unclear circumstances (possibly an overdose) when he was 20. He has a younger sister, Lucy Strike, who he describes as judgemental and craving for suburban stability (she becomes more prominent in season 4) and two estranged half-brothers who appear briefly in the series. Strike and Robin’s respective back stories can easily be used to analyse how to develop a character and represent them in series. This can take the form of study of narrative devices (flashbacks for introspective scenes; mise en abyme of memories and past trauma). Illustrating the wide-ranging scope of character studies to increase series_serials literacy, Mat. 1 explores the two main recurrent protagonists, their iconic looks, personalities, and their working relationship as detectives. It also addresses the evolution of their personal relationship and the gradual discovery of their personal backstories.- Strike’s character study could also be the basis of comparative discussion of generic conventions associated with iconic detectives (cf. Mat. 3). His investigation style is rather traditional, mostly resting on a close examination of evidence. Though a rather solitary outsider character, he uses professional contacts in the police and the underworld, and often conducts face to face interviews with witnesses. This brief overview suggests that he is an iconic character who largely conforms to the British detective genre convention: “Tom Burke’s grubby private eye feels instantly iconic” ( Jeffery 2017). Robin is represented as urban, youthful (24 in the novel), elegant, and light. Her clothes hint at middle-class status (partly associated with her boyfriend’s social aspirations). Her appearance helps to convey common sense and maturity but also a modernity that contrasts with Strike’s timeless looks. Both are often seen outdoors walking in the streets of London or meeting in public places (pubs, bars, cafés, …). Robin also drives Strike around when necessary. 196 13 Strike in English Language Education <?page no="197"?> 3 https: / / youtu.be/ 2vLZ4iAR8eU? si=ehTqgyBYhpNI7GbU (last accessed: 18.06.2024) Robin’s character study is also centred on her personal social background and on the way the viewer gradually becomes aware of a past trauma (cf. Mat. 1). She has recently moved to London from the family home in Yorkshire to live with her good-looking accountant boyfriend Matthew Cunliffe. They have just become engaged as the first season begins and Matthew does not approve of her working for Strike. She, on the other hand, is passionate about detective work. She has the qualities associated with the detective genre: She is pragmatic and intelligent, competent, and resourceful. Unlike Strike, she is empathetic and forthcoming and inspires trust. She reveals surprising talents as the series progresses, such a taste for undercover work and impersonation of accents. Like Strike, she has a past trauma (she was assaulted and suffered from post-traumatic depression which caused her to drop out of university where she studied psychology). She still has nightmares, flashbacks, and suffers from anxiety attacks. 13.4 Close analysis of the first episode Mat. 2 focuses on how the first episode of the series establishes characters, plots, and settings by analysing the first 20 minutes of S01: E01. The material starts by exploring the opening credits. 3 The credits last 45 seconds and are the same for the fifteen episodes. They follow current trends of blending image and sound to create a specific atmosphere (urban, dark colour codes, blurred images) and encapsulate the series’ generic and geographical identity. “I Walk Beside You“ is the catchy atmospheric credit song written by Adrian Johnston and Crispin Letts and performed by Beth Rowley. Its mysterious lyrics emphasise a personal relationship of trust and solidarity and evoke wounds: You and me, Me and you/ Somehow we made it through I may be gone/ I may be far away/ But I walk beside you/ Every step of the way When you’re used/ Bruised/ Black and blued/ Don’t think about it/ Never doubt it/ I’ll walk beside you A close analysis of the prologue of the 1 st episode (00: 00: 01-00: 04: 00) sets the scene and introduces the victim, top model Lula Landry, on the night of her death. The scene contains non-diegetic atmospheric music and sound effects. The first images of Lula are fragmented and edited in fast pace to emphasise her glamorous looks and frantic lifestyle as a top model celebrity out in a trendy nightlife London location. She is gazed at, photographed, posing or not, in close-ups, facing the lens, and filmed from multiple points of view. Camera clicking noises suggest the presence of paparazzi. She is then seen returning to her loft in Kentigern Gardens on a snowy night and changing into comfortable clothes. The only dialogue cue is “Look, I don’t want to see you” when she receives a phone call. The doorbell rings, she goes to the door, the camera lingers on an empty stairway, and the next we know is that she has fallen from the terrace window 13.4 Close analysis of the first episode 197 <?page no="198"?> into the snow. The scene is stylised and edited with close-up inserts and smooth camera movements leading to the discovery of the lifeless body. The prologue ends on siren sounds and the police canvassing the scene. After the credits, a first scene introduces the character of Robin Ellacott travelling in the tube to Tottenham Court Road Station and walking to Strike’s office on Denmark Street to take on a temping job (00: 04: 45-00: 08: 00). There are loud noises coming from the office suggesting a fight. Charlotte comes out and as she opens the door, Strike barges out as Robin is about to enter, knocking her down and pulling her back before she falls down the stairs in a slow-motion stylised shot. As she comes in his first words are “Sit down. You’re OK? Sorry about that”. As he leaves the office at the end of the scene, he adds “Sorry for nearly killing you before”. Their first conversation regarding the confusion about the temp job contains early signs of dry British humour based on understatement and stiff upper lip that sums up their professional relation and their friendship as the series develops. In the following scenes, John Bristow visits Strike in his office (00: 08: 00-00: 12: 45). Bristow is Lula’s adoptive brother. He knew Strike as a child and asks him to investigate her death three months before because he is questioning the suicide verdict of the police. He brings documents and photos of the inquest as well as CCTV images. The scene illustrates the mess of the office and Strike’s casual style as a detective. It also suggests that Robin is bright and settling in quickly in her new job as a resourceful and discreet assistant. Background research on the case now begins (00: 12: 45-00: 16: 50). From a narrative point of view, the viewer who has seen the prologue initially has more information on the circumstances of Lula’s death than the two detectives/ protagonists. The narrative blends different methods for releasing information in the first twenty minutes: the prologue, John Bristow’s account, the fragments of information gathered by Strike and Robin online, and the inquest file provided by Bristow. Robin investigates from the office, while Strike studies the police file in the local pub. The information is mostly conveyed through visual modes with extradiegetic background music. In a quick phone call, Strike finds out who the police officer on the case was. Meanwhile, Robin easily locates the main landmarks about her new boss’s backstory online, which is public and documented in the people’s press - his rockstar father John Rokeby; his serving in Afghanistan and losing a leg; and his relationship with celebrity Charlotte Caldwell. The first twenty minutes of the first episode end with Strike’s visit to Lula’s flat and conversation with the porter (00: 16: 50-00: 20: 00). This is the first reference to the injured leg and the introduction of Derrick, the porter, the neighbours (the Bastiguis) and Lula’s chauffeur Nico. In twenty minutes, the characters and main settings are introduced, the apparent circumstances of Lula’s death presented, and the investigation process has begun. 198 13 Strike in English Language Education <?page no="199"?> 13.5 Revisiting the British detective genre In the British tradition of detective fiction, Strike recycles traditional genre conventions in its narrative structure, character construction and iconicity. The screenwriters adapted the books retaining the codes of detective fiction. They focused on the two protagonists, building backstories and traumas into each season’s criminal plot and enhancing localisation to create a realist atmosphere. As is often the case for British crime series, the dramatic tension does not rely on action, car chases, and shootings but anchors itself into a familiar routine of investigation. Unlike Sherlock, Strike does not rely on spectacular effects, a frantic pace, or intense wordiness of dialogue. Rather, it resorts to a more progressive development of parallel plots - the crime investigation and the two protagonists becoming professional partners. It uses recurrent motifs to explore the psychological and identity-related complexities of crime: relationships, deception, mental health, abuse, guilt, grief, and solidarity. Mat. 3 revisits the conventions of the detective genre in British series and identifies how the BBC tries to modernise the detective drama in the adaptation of the Strike novels as a quality detective series with international scope. Season 1 resorts to familiar murder mystery tropes: rich victim, money, wills, family secrets, feuds. These narrative conventions are in the tradition of Agatha Christie’s plots, or the cases seen in Inspector Morse (1984-2000). The duo of detectives in Strike also fits the crime thriller trope of the gruff and surly detective and his more empathetic assistant (cf. Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson; Poirot and Captain Hastings). Like Hercule Poirot’s and Miss Marple’s, Strike’s cases rest on complex portrayals of British society and plots following red herrings before arriving at an ending with a twist. The information released is fragmented and can be misleading. This poses narrative problems in the adaptation when, as some critics have noted for season 1, the clues are discovered offscreen and the resolution is hastily offered in the form of Strike sitting on a chair mentally reviewing the different elements to find the culprit. It doesn’t quite make up, however, for the deficiencies of the mysteries, which are convoluted in conception and prosaic in presentation. Clues fall from the sky, obtained offscreen between scenes, and amazing leaps of deduction are made. In the initial, three-episode story, Strike settles into a chair near the end and runs through all the major clues in his head. It’s both his case-cracking method and the show’s attempt to convince us that there’s a coherent solution. (Hale 2018) The narrative is driven by the investigators sharing information with the viewer. Their actions control the case’s progress, with subjective points of view and visual devices used to add information (flashbacks, visual evidence). Strike is therefore more interesting for its treatment of characterisation, the social contexts of the cases, and the gritty realism of their settings than for the actual crime plots. In terms of narrative adaptation and the generic convention of crime series, each investigation plot requires simplifications and cuts imposed by the time constraints and serial format, which retains the personal trajectories of the two protagonists, but leads 13.5 Revisiting the British detective genre 199 <?page no="200"?> 4 Reference to the sound made by the pop groups who worked there. For more information on the history of Denmark Street, cf. https: / / tinyurl.com/ rgdenmarkstreet (last accessed: 18.06.2024) to a brief sketching out or deletion of some subplots and secondary characters. These characteristics, that can be seen by some as narrative imperatives for the pace of a crime series, do not prevent including some elements of cultural tourism to contextualise each whodunnit. These can take the form of microcosms of London society, specific areas of London and Cornwall, class accents and registers (cf. also section 6). They offer a valuable pedagogical resource for learners to explore the social representation of modern Britain and analyse recent English crime series genre conventions. The borders between the private and professional life within the detective genre tropes are presented through plots featuring a rich gallery of characters of different backgrounds and social classes in each season - the world of fashion and glamour, the aristocracy, the literary scene, Parliament and politics, the medical profession etc. The fluid narrative continuity rests on the evolution of Robin and Strike’s private lives, the gradual insights the audience has into their backstories (Robin’s attack, her marriage and breakup with Matthew; Strike’s injury in Afghanistan, his childhood, his relation to his mother, and his refusal to see his father), and their relatives (Strike’s sister Lucy, his aunt Joan in Cornwall; Robin’s parents in Yorkshire). These parallel backstories flesh out the characters’ inner lives, they explain their fractures and mental health issues caused by past traumas. More importantly, they cement the professional evolution of Strike and Robin into an effective complementary tandem solving complex mysteries. 13.6 London and rural England as iconic locations for the investigations The representation of space is also an important feature of the originality of the series. Thus, Mat. 4 explores how the series is filmed in iconic identifiable locations representing London and rural England and how settings contribute to the series’ identity. The first season highlights the contrast between the vibrant cosmopolitan city populated by celebrities and the protected London of rich aristocratic families and briefly takes the viewer to more deprived inner-city areas. The other Strike seasons also explore the poor areas and back alleys of London. Increasingly however, the buzzing lifestyles of London are contrasted with rural England, suggesting a sense of regional belonging especially to Cornwall and Yorkshire. From season 1, Strike operates from an improbable office bedsit in 6 Denmark Street in the St Giles district. It is situated off Tottenham Court Road on the edge of London’s trendy West End, near Soho. Nicknamed ‘Tin Pan Alley’ 4 and known for its music shops, it is associated with pop culture and celebrities - the Sex Pistols lived and recorded there. 200 13 Strike in English Language Education <?page no="201"?> Strike inhabits a London that is both quaint and menacing, full of greasy cafés, darkened boozers and the kind of restaurant where villains might have a regular table. (Dowling 2017) The series makes extensive use of this location as a base. The two protagonists are regularly seen walking to the office. They constantly move from one district to the next to conduct their investigations. Real locations are used for pubs, shops, restaurants, clubs, adding some ‘cultural tourism’ interest to the identity of the series. One of the directors fully endorses the importance of the locations: There’s a big thing about the books being London-based. […] I thought it was a great opportunity to discover a gumshoe detective in the city. So, whether it was Soho and Denmark Street and where he lives, Mayfair - which was representative of the money of Lula Landry’s story - and also […] Hackney and Dalston, which is the new London of cool fashion. (Keillor 2017) Different areas of the city are explored and contrasted, highlighting social identities and adding some gritty realism. In season 1, Strike and Robin visit leafy residential areas such as Kensington and Chelsea, but also venture into inner city council estates. The locations and buildings are also iconic. Strike’s office is timeless, yet it is set in a symbolic district of the city. The configuration of Lula’s flat plays an important role in the plot’s resolution and a challenge for the mise en scène (Keillor 2017). 13.7 Class and gender relations The characters featuring in the first investigation illustrate the cultural and class di‐ versity of modern London (Bubíková/ Roebuck 2023: 12 ff.). For example, the trajectory of Lula who was adopted by an upper-class white family deserves attention as part of an identity discussion which is explored in the final Mat. 5. Before Lula’s death, researching her roots, she had embraced her black heritage and was trying to meet her father, an academic, specialising in African and Ghanaian politics, and her brother who served in Afghanistan. Her diverse social circle includes a flamboyant fashion designer, Guy Somé; Evan Duffield, Lula’s on-off boyfriend, an actor with documented drug problems; her best friend, Ciara Porter, who is a celebrity model; and Rochelle Onifade, Lula’s homeless friend that she met in a mental health clinic. A Caribbean immigrant, Derrick, works as Lula’s doorman and her regular chauffeur, Nino, aspires to become an actor. The American rapper Deeby Macc, who wrote a song about Lula and whom she was to meet the night she died, was planning to move next door. These secondary characters - and potential suspects - live alongside the rich and famous and frequent London’s trendy places. They illustrate the class, race, and social diversity in London’s society - racism is for example expressed by some of Lula’s upper-class adoptive family. In contrast to the lavish superficial world of Lula and her friends (from show business, artists and celebrities), Strike inhabits a timeless vintage part of central London that appears quaint and sometimes menacing, full of greasy 13.7 Class and gender relations 201 <?page no="202"?> cafés, dark pubs, and the ‘kind of restaurants where villains might have a regular table’. Robin’s situation also deserves attention. She is not a Londoner; she commutes every day from the suburbs. She seems to discover London and the series’ iconic settings at the same time as the viewers. 13.8 Conclusion The Strike series provides a salient example of accessible and entertaining recent British crime series that can be used innovatively in language teaching to develop a range of series of literacy and meaning-making competences designed for the language classroom and suitable for independent study. This chapter has presented protagonists and plots that modernise the detective genre narrative and aesthetic codes while retaining familiar tropes of British crime fiction tradition. The whodunnit plots are supported by solid characterisation and social commentary that lend themselves to detailed analysis. The series addresses social diversity and can foster stimulating discussions of class and gender relations in modern Britain. The diverse use of language in the series’ dialogue will help language learners to familiarise themselves with a variety of accents and registers and provide opportunities for creative activities. As the investigations take the viewers to a range of socially marked real locations, the series also offers revealing representations of a multicultural and diverse city. These iconic settings help to establish bridges between whodunnit plot conventions and engaging cultural representations of contemporary Britain and Britishness. Series and serials Happy Valley. Wainwright, Sally (creator). Red Production Company/ Lookout Point TV, 2014- 2023. Inspector Morse. Dexter, Colin (creator). Zenith Productions/ Central Independent Televi‐ sion/ Carlton Television, 1984-2000. Normal People. Magee, Catherine (creator). Element Pictures/ Screen Ireland, 2020. Sherlock. Moffat, Steven/ Gatiss, Mark (creators). Hartswood Films Limited/ BBC One, 2010-2017. Strike. Richards, Ben/ Blair, Neil/ Rowling, Joanne K./ Kilgarriff, Elizabeth/ Edge, Tom/ Bulfin, Tommy (creators). Brontë Film and Television, 2017-present. References Bubíková, Šarka/ Roebuck, Olga (2023).-The Place It Was Done: Location and Community in Contemporary American and British Crime Fiction. McFarland & Co, Inc. Bury, Liz (2013). JK Rowling tells the story of alter ego Robert Galbraith. The Guardian. http s: / / www.theguardian.com/ books/ 2013/ jul/ 24/ jk-rowling-robert-galbraith-harry-potter (last accessed: 01.06.2024) 202 13 Strike in English Language Education <?page no="203"?> Dowling, Tim (2017). Strike: The Cockoo’s Calling review - JK Rowling’s detective dalliances come to life. The Guardian. https: / / www.theguardian.com/ tv-and-radio/ 2017/ aug/ 28/ strik e-the-cuckoos-calling-review-jk-rowlings-detective-dalliances-come-to-life (last accessed: 01.06.2024) Hale, Mike (2018). ‘C.B. Strike’ brings J.K. Rowling’s detective novels to TV’. New York Times. ht tps: / / www.nytimes.com/ 2018/ 05/ 31/ arts/ television/ cb-strike-jk-rowling-detective-novels-re view.html (last accessed: 01.06.2024) Jeffery, Morgan (2017). Strike - ‘The Cuckoo's Calling‘ episode 1 review: This could be the next great detective drama. Digital Spy website. https: / / www.digitalspy.com/ tv/ a836408/ strike-b bc-drama-tv-jk-rowling-episode-1-review/ (last accessed: 01.06.2024) Kalantzis, Mary/ Cope, Bill/ Chan, Eveline/ Dalley-Trim, Leanne (2016).-Literacies. 2 nd ed. Cam‐ bridge: Cambridge University Press.- Keillor, Michael (2017). BBC interview with director Micheal Keillor. https: / / www.bbc.co.uk/ m ediacentre/ mediapacks/ strike/ michael/ (last accessed: 01.06.2024) O’Grady, Sean (2022). Strike: Troubled Blood review - This drama should be cherished. It’s the BBC at its best. Independent. https: / / www.independent.co.uk/ arts-entertainment/ tv/ reviews / strike-troubled-blood-locations-tv-cast-review-b2243314.html (last accessed: 01.06.2024) Seale, Jack (2022). Strike: Troubled Blood review - the show’s real hook: will Robin and Strike finally get together? The Guardian. https: / / www.theguardian.com/ tv-and-radio/ 2022/ dec/ 11 / strike-troubled-blood-review-the-shows-real-hook-will-robin-and-strike-finally-get-togeth er (last accessed: 01.06.2024) Websites Robert Galbraith’s Official Strike website: https: / / robert-galbraith.com/ (last accessed: 01.06.2024) Download: Additional Material 13.8 Conclusion 203 <?page no="205"?> Part V: What Future Worlds Can Show Us: Sci-Fi and Dystopian Series and Serials in Foreign Language Education <?page no="207"?> 14 Praise Be Women, Life, Freedom: Promoting Critical Literacy in the EFL Classroom with The Handmaid’s Tale Sandra Winkelmann Numerous narratives envision strange new worlds to captivate their audiences. These worlds are often adapted into films or series and serials that shape a future dystopia: our worst nightmare if catastrophe came to pass. As societies in (post-)apocalyptical scenarios can be understood as a warning against current conditions and differ immensely from ours today, they provide excellent examples to critically discuss cultures, morals, and ways of life both in current and future worlds. This chapter examines the dystopian serial The Handmaid’s Tale, which depicts life in the theonomic, military dictatorship of what once was the USA. A radical political group named The Sons of Jacob has transformed the country into a place where women are no longer allowed to practice a profession, own any possessions, or even read - and fertile handmaids are raped to pregnancy by the political elite. The serial connects the core question of gender equality to current political issues in a globalised world. The overall goal of educating students here is to critically reflect on traditional gender roles and foster the students’ critical literacy as an integral part of series_serials literacy. In the teaching unit for advanced learners of English (CEFR level B2 and above) that will be explored in this chapter, students identify criteria that mark a dystopia and explore how cinematic devices illustrate modern society’s frailty and the gradual takeover by the Sons of Jacob. As a second analytical focus, the students examine how the costumes represent the protagonists’ gendered roles in the new society. Simultaneously, the students are encouraged to assess their own circumstances critically. Controversies such as the metaphor of a glass ceiling, gender stereotypes, or global/ economical discrimination against women could potentially come into play during these lessons. 14.1 Introduction: The fight for equality is far from won The chapter’s title “Women, Life, Freedom” is connected to the fierce waves of protest in Iran in 2022. People rallied against the state’s structural gender discrimination, which marks only one example of a universal phenomenon without country borders and beyond binary distinctions. Every day, people everywhere are being judged based on their looks, language, or gender. While it is admittedly impossible to view the world completely objectively, everyone must be (made) aware of their subjective point of view <?page no="208"?> 1 As a teacher, please make sure to issue a trigger warning to your students before showing these explicit scenes to prepare them emotionally or allow them to forego interaction with the content due to, e.g., personal reasons or trauma. - and strive to overcome personal biases to promote a more tolerant society. As it is, the children in today’s schools that will shape the society of tomorrow must be educated to be self-reflective and critical citizens. As a consequence, the school system is positioned at the forefront of teaching critical literacy (cf. section 3) as well as social norms and values. One possibility for teachers to foster students’ critical literacy presents itself in the English language classroom. Next to a focus on utopian and dystopian future worlds, questions of identity and gender recently found their way into the curricula and textbooks. With the serial The Handmaid’s Tale, teachers can cover both topical foci and create synergetic effects. It portrays a misogynistic, patriarchal dystopia in which women have neither rights nor liberty. By addressing this horrible vision of a future world inside the classrooms of today, students’ points of view will be challenged and hopefully emancipated so that, one day, everyone can indeed praise gender equality in real life. 14.2 The Handmaid’s Tale: Central themes The first season of the critically acclaimed and award-winning serial is largely based on Margaret Atwood’s 1985 novel of the same name (cf. Möller 2022: 24). While the following seasons pick up where Atwood left off, she was consulted by the producers of the show to ensure it did not go against her vision of the story and she even published a 2019 sequel to her novel that took the plotlines of the serial into account. Therefore, The Handmaid’s Tale can be regarded as one example of transmedia storytelling (cf. Leonhardt/ Viebrock in this volume). The TV serial encompasses five seasons so far, with a sixth in production and is, e.g., available on Amazon Prime and Hulu. Its most prominent key issue focuses on a catastrophic worldwide infertility due to the environmental consequences of industrialisation. The leaders of the Republic of Gilead turn to the most drastic of all measures to guarantee humanity’s survival: the utter control of the remaining fertile women to ensure reproduction. The state is built around the single goal of raising birth rates by any means necessary. Most prominently, however, women deemed criminal by the new state order are now doomed to serve as handmaids: enslaved to a political leader and raped 1 in the presence (and with the seeming consent) of the commanders’ wives on a monthly cycle to produce offspring. If a handmaid gives birth, that child is then taken from their birth mother and handed over to their new family. Secondly, the serial depicts the abuse of women and illustrates how men govern every area of their life, from their outer appearance to their names. Gileadean women are mostly without rights: They must not read, write, pursue a profession, vote, or own possessions - in other words, they are forbidden to strive for independence or agency. 208 14 Praise Be Women, Life, Freedom <?page no="209"?> 2 In the book of Genesis, Jacob’s wife Rachel did not conceive any children. She then gave her handmaiden Bilhah to Jacob to bear him children, whom she later claimed as her own. Moreover, the wives jealously guard what little power remains: to run their households under the watchful eye of society and their husbands. Therefore, the abuse of women is not only limited to men, even though they are the driving forces behind women’s actions. Even Gilead’s instructors of handmaids, the aunts, act as willing agents of the state: Instead of protecting their protégées, they indoctrinate them with the ruling ideology and do not shy away from physical or psychological tortures. In Gilead, infertile homosexual women are executed, and fertile ones turned into handmaids or sent to the poisonous colonies to slave away until they die. A third key topic in The Handmaid’s Tale explores how zealotry can be used to establish a totalitarian regime and how religious terms are distorted for political purposes. Gilead is a theocracy, in which there is no separation between religion and state; indeed, faith is claimed to be its foundation. For example, the biblical precedent of Rachel and Bilhah 2 forms the basis on which Gilead justifies the handmaid system. Furthermore, Gilead’s daily phrases incorporate religious terminology. Thus, its pious language whitewashes the suppressive system and serves as an ever-present reminder that the leaders allegedly act on God’s authority. Handmaids are also stripped of their original names and change their patronyms whenever they switch households so that June becomes Offred, i.e., belonging to a commander named Fred. Lastly, women’s access to language is effectively denied by forbidding them to read or write. The protagonist, a handmaid and narrator from the off, is June Osborne/ Offred. The plot follows her growing resistance against Gilead as well as her fight for her family: her exiled husband and young daughter, who has been taken into custody by the regime. Together with her best friend Moira, June is arrested, forced to endure a brainwashing process and become a handmaid. Both are instructed and overseen by a woman named Aunt Lydia at the Red Center. She claims to have their best interests at heart, but in truth proves to be an irascible, violent, and spiteful woman. After her training, June is placed in Commander Fred Waterford’s household. He acted as one of the key figures in the violent overthrow of the former democratic government and has now become a high-ranking member of the political elite. Revelling in his social status, he turns out to be a hypocrite who bends Gileadean laws to his liking. His wife Serena Joy was a political activist in her former life and has published a controversial book on women’s obligations and their place in society. She supported the regime change and, apparently being barren herself, is now desperate to become a mother with the help of a handmaid. Serena exercises strict authority within her household and retaliates brutally whenever challenged. 14.2 The Handmaid’s Tale: Central themes 209 <?page no="210"?> 3 For a list of characteristics regarding dystopian narratives please see the online materials accompa‐ nying this chapter. The collaborative encyclopaedia at https: / / the-handmaids-tale.fandom.com/ wiki / The_Handmaid%27s_Tale_Wiki offers a profound overview of the characters, storyline, and world of Gilead. 14.3 Dystopia: Context and background The concept of dystopia defies a clear definition, maybe because the nagging fear of a world even worse off than one’s own has always been in the back of people’s minds and evolves with every generation. Sargent (2020: n.p.) formulates one of the most widespread definitions of dystopia as “[a] non-existent society described in considerable detail and normally located in time and space that the author intended a contemporaneous reader to view as considerable worse than the society in which that reader lived”. 3 From June Osborne’s perspective, Gilead clearly fits that definition because most handmaids are sexually violated and impregnated against their will. They live in a blatantly sexist hierarchy ruled by men that claims to be the only chance of humankind’s survival. Throughout (literary) history, dystopian narratives have tackled a multitude of topical foci. While for example in the 19 th century literature of the Fin de Siècle focused heavily on the dangerous aspects of scientific progress and industrialisation, 20 th cen‐ tury works often centre around doomsday storylines and/ or totalitarian governments (cf. Meyer 2001: 281 ff.). Many postmodern dystopias expand their range to also refer to ecological, political, social, or economical stressors based on the ruthless exploitation of planet Earth and the development of a technology that ultimately turns against its creators themselves. The Handmaid’s Tale constitutes such a postmodern dystopia as it can also be referred to as a demotopia, i.e., a dystopia that explicitly deals with demographic change. Here, humankind is at risk because they failed to act responsibly towards nature. Dystopian authors anticipate anxieties of the future that already exist subcon‐ sciously in the readers’ minds (cf. ibid.: 145). A new technological invention or an ecological development may act as authors’ impetus for a new narrative. Authors then extrapolate this element, i.e., they identify it as questionable and “project it in an exaggerated form into the future, in order to emphasise the danger that is implicit in the trend” (Maloney 2008: 19). With regard to The Handmaid’s Tale, the serial explicitly addresses questions of gender discrimination such as (unwanted) pregnancies or women’s rights. The serial thus pays homage to the focus on gender issues, which have gained social explosiveness as seen for example in the abortion bans in the USA, 210 14 Praise Be Women, Life, Freedom <?page no="211"?> the curtailing of rights for women and girls after the renewed rise of the Taliban rule in Afghanistan, or the debate about gendered language in Germany. By vividly depicting humanity’s most radical nightmares about possible future developments, dystopian narratives invite their recipients to reflect on their contem‐ porary world (cf. Baccolini/ Moylan 2003: 5). In this sense, they act as a warning against certain current tendencies that might steer society into a direction that is undesirable from today’s perspective (cf. Zeißler 2008: 17). Regarding the teaching unit in this chapter, students are expected to reflect on their own gender stereotypes and the impact gender discrimination has on their personal lives. That way, the conveyed warning from the serial connects to the hope that students will increase their awareness and, consequently, adapt their mindsets and actions to prevent the depicted consequences. 14.4 Gender equality as one aspect of critical literacy in the English language classroom Matz (2020: 61) points out that dystopian narratives are essentially political texts and can convey critical perspectives best because they “serve as a critical reflection of destructive shifts” in societies. The dystopian serial The Handmaid’s Tale exhibits manifold critical potential regarding the topic of gender at large. König et al. (2016) explain why gender is a highly relevant topic for students of today: They are con‐ fronted with concepts of femininity/ masculinity on a daily basis and the concepts’ social practices shape their everyday lives, even more so during adolescence when they are in search of their own identity. König et al. (2016: 20 f.) stress the double function of school as an institution in this case: On the one hand, school as an agent of socialisation runs the risk of reproducing gender stereotypes by unconsciously reinforcing gender-specific differences. Because of this risk, The Handmaid’s Tale is an appropriate choice for the ELT classroom: As a dystopian narrative, it exaggerates its portrayal of men and women and thereby reveals the chance to track down less obvious issues within the school system itself. König et al. (2016) go on to say that school as an agent of education must be concerned with questioning traditional concepts of gender and encourage students’ individuality. On both accounts, schools are under the obligation of conveying fundamental ethical principles such as tolerance, respect, justice - and gender sensitivity. This is why the future workshop (Zukunftswerkstatt) suggested in this chapter (cf. section 5) provides students with the opportunity to work autonomously on one aspect of gender (in-)equality of their choice. They can pick a focus they are genuinely interested in and gain expertise in their chosen sphere. Moreover, as one’s own sexual identity and gender are personal issues of the utmost degree, the foreign language may provide a welcome distance when discussing these topics so that students might be able to address them more freely than in their first languages (cf. König et al. 2016: 21 f.). Adding to that, Klafki defines gender equality as one of his epochal key problems (epochaltypische Schlüsselprobleme) (cf. Gerlach 2020: 12). Addressing these key issues 14.4 Gender equality as one aspect of critical literacy in the English language classroom 211 <?page no="212"?> inside the classroom will enable students to deal with other problematic issues later on, outside the school context. This is how the teaching unit in this chapter contributes to students’ critical literacy regarding gender equality: By taking this key problem as an example, the unit strives to prepare students for coping with different challenges they will face later in their lives. But what exactly does critical literacy entail? One definition states that the term “refers to the use of the technologies of print and other media of communication to analyze, critique and transform the norms, rule systems, and practices governing the social fields of institutions and everyday life” (Luke 2014: 21). It is important to point out that critical literacy does not stop at only criticising the world around us, but instead aims at transformative processes to level the playing-field for everyone. According to Luke (ibid.: 22 ff.), these changes affect institutions, social relations, people’s political consciousness, but also dominant ideologies and cultures. The teaching unit in this chapter contributes to students’ critical literacy by first analysing and criticising the dystopian world of Gilead. It unveils the patriarchal traditions that come with privileges for the men only before the unit’s last sequence sets out to transform students’ circumstances of life. The teaching unit thus follows a “socio-critical perspective [that] considers gender as a social category and reveals the structural inequalities that are based on the differentiation of human beings into men and women” (König et al. 2016: 24). Critical thinking, democracy education, and preparation for an active (political) participation represent some of the key principles in school education. To accomplish this holistic idea, the English language classroom focuses, for example, on power struggles, prejudices, and social justice (cf. Gerlach 2020: 8 ff.): Students ought to be confronted with central issues that concern hierarchies or disparity in order to develop critical literacy. Ideally, they become critics of the preexisting social order, live their lives in a way that reduces inequality, and contribute to building peaceful communities (cf. Gerlach 2020: 24). In The Handmaid’s Tale, students encounter a glaring disparity of men’s and women’s rights as one example of a biased social hierarchy. They are supposed to discuss the criteria that define Gilead as a dystopian world, draw parallels to their own circumstances, and commit themselves to shaping a better world. By following this critical-emancipatory approach, students will ideally turn into “inventors of the curriculum, critics and creators of knowledge” (Luke 2014: 25) themselves. The teaching unit thus strives to empower learners to deal with questions of gender autonomously. To implement critical approaches into foreign language teaching, Phipps and Guil‐ herme (2004: 1 f.) suggest seven key elements: reflection, dissent, difference, dialogue, empowerment, action, and hope. The designated future workshop in the last sequence of the teaching unit (cf. section 6) contains all of these elements: It builds on students’ personal experiences and explicitly welcomes discussions and divergent opinions. Reflecting their own views requires intense dialogue among the students with the ultimate goal of broadening their horizons. This is especially important because König et al. (2016: 25) point out that while people often perceive gender equality to have been 212 14 Praise Be Women, Life, Freedom <?page no="213"?> achieved in various areas, striking inequalities persist and must be addressed. In that way, students are hopefully enabled to change their perspectives and contribute to a more diverse and harmonic society. Gerlach (2020: 18 ff.) further suggests connecting critical issues to local occurrences, fostering students’ critical language awareness, i.e., how language shapes society, and explicitly including everyday issues and youth topics, e.g., social discrimination and sexual orientation. He recommends for students to bring their own materials like realia and audiovisual materials to the table in order to determine their own focus. Additionally, lessons ought to result in a learning product accompanied by its critical assessment. All of the suggestions listed above can be implemented in a future workshop as depicted in this chapter: Students can pick their own focus that may be tied to their own circumstances and/ or place of birth. They can bring material they researched to the classroom to work on and create a learning product for their project. Next, they present it to their peers, receive feedback and revise their product accordingly before its publication. 14.5 Cinematography The following section expands on certain aspects of cinematography for the three chosen episodes “Offred”, “Late”, and “A Woman’s Place”. The serial’s signature practice is to show the characters’ faces in close-up or even extreme close-up shots, which creates an immediate intimacy between June and the audience who can literally witness her every emotion. Another recurring technique is the point of view shot that aligns the camera with the narrator’s perspective. It lets the viewers see exactly what June sees. Her point of view is sometimes restricted due to the handmaid’s bonnet and the camera mirrors that by narrowing down its image section. These techniques convey the character’s emotions in a way that helps the audience identify and empathise with her. Combined with June’s voice-over narrations, whose tone, lexis, and content differ harshly from what she says out loud, the cinematography portrays June as a prisoner of Gilead, held hostage in her own head, where only her thoughts remain free. Episode 1, “Offred”, will be watched with the whole class to examine the character‐ istics of a dystopian world. The episode begins with June, her husband and daughter’s flight through a winter landscape. It it mostly filmed with a shaky (or hand-held) camera to capture the family’s panic and fear. They are relentlessly pursued by Gileadean guards completely clad in black and wearing masks or helmets. It grants them anonymity and makes them exchangeable so that everyone could potentially be a spy for the system. Guards and people of authority are often filmed from a low angle or even worm’s-eye view to illustrate their powerful status in society. Another recurring element are June’s flashbacks to her life before Gilead as a stark contrast to her current life. They remind the audience of private videos, taken, e.g., on family vacations. If the flashbacks show happy memories, the scenes are brightly lit, saturated in colour, and accentuate her happiness. The episode also depicts the first strained Ceremony 14.5 Cinematography 213 <?page no="214"?> between the Commander, Serena, and June. This Ceremony symbolises the roles and power hierarchies in Gilead. The commander is not allowed to touch the handmaid while his wife holds her down to the bed as a link between the two. The three people do not speak to each other. The fundamental importance of the sexual act for Gilead, however, is made clear by the choral music and the voice-over biblical reading of Rachel and Bilhah’s story. The key scenes of the third episode, "Late" (00: 01: 58-00: 07: 59; 00: 21: 22-00: 24: 28; and 00: 39: 46-00: 42: 52), mostly consist of flashbacks that illustrate the hostile coup d’état by the Sons of Jacob. While watching them, students are supposed to create an overview of how the US democracy fell in order to judge modern society’s fragility. At first, June gives a mournful summary before the episode shifts to a flashback, recounting how she and Moira were out jogging: Close-ups of June’s sweaty skin, décolleté, and naked legs emphasise women’s prior freedom. But the shift in society becomes apparent by the disgusted look on a female passer-by’s face, which clearly conveys her disapproval of such libertine behaviour. Another indicator of Gilead’s subtle take-over is the barista at the café the two visit afterwards. He is unbelievably rude and condescending, insults them when June’s credit card turns out to have been cancelled, and stands in grave contrast to what one would normally expect from a service employee. Yet another scene highlights how Gilead infiltrates every area of everyday life: All the women at June’s workplace suddenly have to leave because they are no longer allowed to work. The scene is mostly filmed with a neutral camera in medium shots, except for reaction shots of the women’s faces. The cinematography thereby mirrors June’s disbelief that all this is really happening. The scene 00: 21: 22-00: 24: 28 echoes a conversation between June, her husband Luke, and Moira once they realise that women’s access to money has been disabled by the banks. The women try to deflect their panic with bad jokes, but tension becomes visible through their (body) language and close-up shots of their faces. Finally, the scene 00: 39: 46-00: 42: 52 pictures how a demonstration is brutally cut down when Gileadean forces open fire on the protestors. At first, rapid cuts provide the audience with impressions of the protestors’ emotions: anger, rage, and despair. The serial’s tempo then slows down to follow June and Moira as they flee from the scene. Slow motion is used as yet another signature element of storytelling whenever violence is depicted on screen. This technique grants the audience time to fully take in all the details. Three longer scenes from the sixth episode, “A Woman’s Place”, are used to analyse how the characters’ costumes represent gender roles in Gilead and how colour coding influences a scene’s atmosphere. When June is first interviewed by the Mexican ambassador, Mrs Castillo, in the scene 00: 09: 41-00: 12: 46, she stands isolated in the middle of the room, surrounded by commanders and guards. June is clad in red and white, which means that she is defined by her ability to menstruate and bear life. The setting is sparsely lit and all the men wear dark suits or uniforms to represent their position within the government. While both the wives and handmaids always wear dresses and their clothing is uniform, the ambassador is clad in a business suit, 214 14 Praise Be Women, Life, Freedom <?page no="215"?> which amplifies her special status to Gilead. The suit’s colour yellow symbolises hope during this scene as both the audience as well as June might hope for her support and help. June’s nervousness as a prisoner of the system is mirrored in the shaky camera movements. Point of view shots let the audience look directly at Commander Waterford or the ambassador, just as June would. She hesitates before her every answer and extreme close-up shots of her face and hands visualise her fight to simply blurt out the truth. When she finally unburdens herself to the ambassador in secret in the scene 00: 44: 21-00: 49: 05, the setting is entirely different. The two of them stand in the brightly lit dining room adjacent to the kitchen, the women’s traditional domain. The camera remains on June’s profile for a long time during her confession, providing her with the stage to tell the truth, and only sometimes shifts to the ambassador’s face to show her reaction. The camera gradually zooms in on June’s face when she pleads for help in the end. The ambassador’s oddly blank face explains why she will not help June even though she feels for her: Just like the rest of the world, Mexico is in need of healthy children as well, and because of that, the ambassador is willing to pay any price that is asked of her, even if this includes human trafficking. The ambassador’s yellow suit now stands for her jealousy and need, maybe even greed, to pursue her political agenda. Lastly, the role of Gilead’s wives is depicted in the scene 00: 12: 46-00: 15: 36. In a mix-and-mingle setting completed with faint piano music, the wives stand or sit congregated and frozen in one corner. All of them are clad in modest blue dresses and thereby portrayed as cold, calculating personalities. They only speak when they are directly addressed by the ambassador. Serena repeatedly looks at her husband, choosing her words carefully to please him and promote their cause. Naturally, Commander Waterford is dressed in a black business suit to emphasise his powerful status as a leader and head of the household. All in all, the serial manages to expand Atwood’s storyline artfully and uses its screentime extraordinarily well to explore human emotions and abysses. Its acclaim can of course also be traced back to the directors’ aesthetic choices, which succeed to portray the characters’ personalities in depth and allow the viewers to empathise with their plights. With its unhurried narrative tempo, the serial takes the time to illustrate the characters’ actions as consequences of their personal backgrounds as well as acute needs. 14.6 Fostering critical literacy with The Handmaid’s Tale In the following, I will sketch a teaching unit with four consecutive sequences that merge dystopian characteristics, the serial’s motifs, and critical methodology. The first lesson sequence focuses on the concept of dystopia and how it is portrayed in the first episode of the serial by using the method of a jigsaw puzzle. Students pick their stem groups and split up the four focal points during watching the episode (cf. Mat. 1). Next, they join their expert group A-D. These expert groups concentrate on one focal 14.6 Fostering critical literacy with The Handmaid’s Tale 215 <?page no="216"?> point each: Group A notes down the main differences between the world they know and the fictional setting of Gilead. Group B analyses the roles of women in Gilead. Group C does the same for the male commanders and guards. Group D is charged with describing the problems Gilead faces as a newly formed society and country. After watching the episode, the expert group members exchange their insights and agree on a written conclusion. After that, the students return to their stem groups to round off the jigsaw puzzle (cf. Mat. 2): They share their various outcomes from the expert groups and discuss to what extent the portrayed world of Gilead is a dystopia. In the end, they prepare a two-minute talk on their findings. The talks are given and discussed in plenum with a particular focus on the varying degrees in judgement as to what extent students regard Gilead as dystopian. This lesson sequence combines analytical while-viewing tasks with a change of perspective for the students: They compare the fictional world with their own and reflect on the impact these changes could potentially have for themselves. Regarding the question whether or not Gilead proves to be a dystopia, there is no easy or right answer: While the new social order is utterly degrading for (most of) the women, men doubtlessly profit from it and may not assess it as negative at all. In sum, the first lesson sequence aims at addressing issues like power struggles, social justice, disparity, and hierarchies based on gender. In the next lesson sequence, students compile an overview of the Sons of Jacob’s take-over of the USA (cf. Mat. 3). Surkamp and Wehrmann (2022: 6) suggest the method of a timeline so that students can recapitulate central events of the ‘revolution’. For that, some key scenes of the third episode are shown (00: 01: 58-00: 07: 59; 00: 21: 22-00: 24: 28; and 00: 39: 46-00: 42: 52). These scenes make topical the attacks on the White House, Congress, and the Supreme Court, as well as the resulting state of emergency. They also depict the gradual social debasement of women: the loss of their money, employment, and human rights. June and Moira’s run and the café scenes are particularly impressive in their cinematography and should therefore be analysed in more detail (cf. Mat. 4). They illustrate that the new social order was not just implemented from the new government in a top-down process, but that it also found many supporters among the citizens from the bottom up. This lesson sequence warns students of the frailty of what they may perceive as stable democratic conditions. The students fill in the narrative blanks between events and use vocabulary specific to film analysis to describe their impressions. Ideally, they become aware of their own political responsibility. Especially the handmaid’s costume has evolved into a global symbol in the fight against patriarchal structures and an impending anti-feminist backlash (cf. Surkamp/ Wehrmann 2022: 2). Based on that, the third lesson sequence revolves around questions of how social hierarchy is portrayed by the costumes in “A Woman’s Place” and what messages clothing conveys in everyday life. Students are divided to focus on one of the characters ( June, Castillo, Serena, or Fred Waterford) and analyse their costumes in detail (cf. Mat. 5). Clothing is consequently characterised as a symbol of people’s status in Gilead - not unlike it is in the here and now. For that reason, students should draw parallels to their own style of clothing to discuss (hidden) messages 216 14 Praise Be Women, Life, Freedom <?page no="217"?> and implications, but also the limitations thereof. The topic of clothing is included in this sequence as a typical youth topic which allows students to draw on their own experiences. The analysis of the costumes provides opportunities for interaction, dialogue, and participation within the classroom. By reflecting on the messages of clothing, students change their perspectives and question their own judgements based on a person’s traditionally gendered clothes. Regarding gender equality, they could also widen their discussion to challenge the concept of gendered fashion itself. In the final lesson sequence, students work on a future workshop according to a self-selected project on gender equality (cf. Mat. 6). Their task is to create a learning product fit for discussion in class and, ultimately, publication. To that aim, they pick an issue tied to gender from their experience realm which they regard as potentially dystopian. After criticising social injustices and formulating critical questions, they envision a utopian world in which these issues do no longer exist, with no regard to its realistic implementation. Lastly, they are then encouraged to find ways of initiating change for the better. The project is concluded with an article for a blog or a gallery in the hallway. In their learning product, students should also reflect on the serial’s effect on them personally and how The Handmaid’s Tale shaped their view on gender equality. In case students seek inspiration, Mat. 7 provides them with some possible focal points. This last action-oriented sequence encourages learners to become active critics of our pre-existing order and initiate transformative processes. The projects treat gender equality as one of Klafki’s epochal key problems and promote tolerance, respect, as well as gender sensitivity. 14.7 Summary This chapter explored possibilities of teaching questions of gender equality in the foreign language classroom with the help of the serial The Handmaid’s Tale. It pointed out the relevance of gender (in-)equality in the lives of students today and stressed the function of school as a mediator between idealistic intent and present reality. The concepts of dystopia and critical literacy served as the foundation for the chosen teaching approach. A concise analysis of relevant aspects of cinematography summarised the most important cinematic devices for three chosen episodes of the first season. The suggested four teaching sequences aim at gradually transforming learners from passive bystanders to critical experts of their own living conditions. In conclusion, the findings of this chapter contribute to the field of English language teaching by proposing one way of implementing critical literacy as a central learning outcome. 14.7 Summary 217 <?page no="218"?> Series and serials The Handmaid’s Tale. Miller, Bruce (creator). Daniel Wilson Productions, Inc./ The Littlefield Company/ White Oak Pictures/ Toluca Pictures/ MGM Television, 2017-present. References Baccolini, Raffaella/ Moylan, Tom (2003). Introduction: dystopia and histories. In: Baccolini, Raffaella/ Moylan, Tom (eds.). Dark horizons: Science fiction and the Dystopian Imagination. New York: Routledge, 1-12. Gerlach, David (2020). Einführung in eine Kritische Fremdsprachendidaktik. In: Gerlach, David (ed.). Kritische Fremdsprachendidaktik: Grundlagen, Ziele, Beispiele. Tübingen: Narr, 7-31. König, Lotta/ Lewin, Sonja/ Surkamp, Carola (2016). What does it mean to teach about gender? Gender studies and their implications for foreign language teaching. In: Elsner, Daniela/ Lohe, Viviane (eds.). Gender and Language Learning: Research and practice. Tübingen: Narr, 19-36. Luke, Allan (2014). Defining critical literacy. In: Ávila, JuliAnna/ Zacher Pandya, Jessica (ed.). Moving Critical Literacies Forward: A New Look at Praxis Across Contexts. New York, NY: Routledge, 19-31. Maloney, Paul (2008). Utopia and Dystopia: Visions of Alternative Societies. Berlin: Cornelsen. Matz, Frauke (2020). Taking a stance: the role of critical literacy in learning with literature in a world at risk. In: Gerlach, David (ed.). Kritische Fremdsprachendidaktik: Grundlagen, Ziele, Beispiele. Tübingen: Narr, 53-67. Meyer, Stephan (2001). Die anti-utopische Tradition: Eine ideen- und problemgeschichtliche Darstellung. Frankfurt/ M.: Lang. Möller, Stefan (2022). Resist the beginnings: Alternative Handlungsverläufe in der TV-Serie The Handmaid’s Tale diskutieren, Gesprächsführungsstrategien erwerben. Der fremdsprachliche Unterricht Englisch 175, 24-31. Phipps, Alison/ Guilherme, Manuela (2004). Introduction: why languages and intercultural communication are never just neutral. In: Phipps, Alison/ Guilherme, Manuela (eds.). Critical Pedagogy: Political Approaches to Language and Intercultural Communication. Clevedon u.a.: Multilingual Matters, 1-6. Sargent, Lyman Tower (2020). Utopian Literature in English: An Annotated Bibliography From 1516 to the Present. https: / / openpublishing.psu.edu/ utopia/ content/ definitions (last accessed: 28.06.2024) Surkamp, Carola/ Wehrmann, Jürgen (2022). Visions of the future: Fremdsprachliche literatur‐ bezogene Kompetenzen mit Dystopien erwerben. Der fremdsprachliche Unterricht Englisch 175, 2-7. Zeißler, Elena (2008). Dunkle Welten: Die Dystopie auf dem Weg ins 21. Jahrhundert. Marburg: Tectum. Download: Additional Material 218 14 Praise Be Women, Life, Freedom <?page no="219"?> 15 Hear Me Out! Difference and Conflict in The Expanse Marta F. Suarez The science-fiction serial The Expanse (SyFy and Amazon Prime) adapts James Corey’s book series. Set hundreds of years into the future, humans have colonised the solar system. In this world, Earth and Mars maintain a tense relationship after a war of independence. A variety of asteroids are populated by the Belters miners and workers in the solar system who have been alienated and disenfranchised by both powers. In this diverse and post-racial world, new social hierarchies have appeared, displacing difference towards their planetary birthplace. The appearance of a strange alien substance ignites tensions that might lead to war between all three factions. The Expanse lends itself to discussions around endemic poverty, colonialism, climate change, societal hierarchies, and the interrogation of the ‘greater good’, among other topics. It is precisely these points what make the serial ideal for creating debate in the English language classroom. This chapter explores the construction of difference that emerges from the char‐ acterisation of the societies on Earth, Mars, and the Belt. It proposes pedagogical approaches that explore the tensions between these factions. In addition, it presents a series of activities around these topics for learners of English at CEFR level B2 and above, with activities addressing screen media literacy, series_serials literacy as well as functional language skills. The chapter outlines a teaching approach where students familiarise themselves with the genre, the different factions, and the key conflicts of the narrative to later design materials and role play factions. 15.1 Introduction to The Expanse This chapter explores the pedagogical potential of the serial The Expanse (2015-2022) for the teaching of English as a Second Language. The serial is an adaptation of the first six novels by James S. A. Corey, the collaborative pen name of authors Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck. The serial only covers a portion of the narrative, and the overall universe of The Expanse includes three books beyond the plot of the serial, shorter stories and novellas, a Telltale videogame serial, and comic book collections that elaborate on personal stories or that continue the serial. Whilst the serial presents opportunities for exploring the story world as a transmedia product, due to the wider availability of the TV serial, the activities will focus on the episodes. <?page no="220"?> The Expanse was originally produced by SyFy, the American cable channel for science-fiction, horror, and fantasy productions. Despite originally commissioning six seasons, the serial was cancelled after the release of the third due to production costs and issues with distribution. When the cancellation was announced, the fans of the serial started a campaign to save it and move to another network. Craig Elvy at ScreenRant (2020) points to these distribution costs as the main reason, whilst also commenting on the fan campaign that was credited for saving the serial. Elvy acknowledges as crucial in this fan movement the social media campaign, a fan-funded plane carrying a banner with the tag #SaveTheExpanse flying over Amazon Studios, and even the public support of George R.R. Martin, who is famous for his Game of Thrones book series. Ultimately, The Expanse was rescued by Amazon Studios and distributed through Amazon Prime, which had already been streaming the first three seasons. However, Amazon only commissioned two more seasons, seasons 4 and 5, which left the storyline unfinished. Given the fan support and the critical acclaim, the studios renewed for a final sixth season that completed the story up to the end of book 6, which provides a natural pause, as the authors called it, before a time jump in book 7. Overall, The Expanse serial comprises 62 episodes over 6 seasons with an average of 45-48 minutes per episode. Most seasons have 10 or 13 episodes, whereas the final season has only 6 episodes. The serial had great success, both with critics and audiences. Rotten Tomatoes gives scores of 95% (critics) and 92% (audiences), while IMDB concedes a robust 8.5/ 10 score. Three times winner of the Hugo Award and five times nominated for the Saturn Award for Best (Streaming) Science Fiction Serial, The Expanse achieved a total of 32 nominations across some of the most prestigious awards for science fiction productions in television or streaming television format. 15.2 The Expanse: Considerations on narrative and genre The overall premise is simple in that the serial explores tensions between factions after the discovery of alien matter. Nevertheless, the storytelling is complex, and the first screening will require some background information for students. From the onset, the plot delves into conflict between the inhabitants of Earth, Mars, and the region of the asteroid belt and outer planets. The serial is rooted in modernity (Royston 2023) as a way to explore human conflict and relationships, making the politics of the narrative relatable to contemporary times by reproducing contemporary structures and issues and extrapolating them to the solar system (O’Brien/ Bellamy 2018). Taking as a starting point the disappearance of a young woman from a wealthy Earther family, the serial allows the audience to explore and interrogate the politics of colonialism, privilege, and oppression in a speculative fiction setting. Julie Mao is a wealthy young woman who joins an activist faction, the Outer Planets Alliance (OPA), after developing suspicions that her father’s company is hiding the discovery of alien material. With a background of rebelling against her father, Earth magnate Jules-Pierre 220 15 Hear Me Out! <?page no="221"?> Mao, she sets out to uncover the truth about the alien substance with a view to sharing the discovery for the benefit of the marginalised and disenfranchised people of the Belt. Julie joins the OPA ship Scopuli to intercept the Anubis, a ship carrying the only sample of the alien substance, which is named ‘protomolecule’. Unbeknown to the OPA, the Anubis was not a research ship but a highly armed warship. The Scopuli crew is killed, Julie is confined to a locker, and the Anubis plans a distraction by staging an attack on a common civilian ship, bringing the attention of the media and the governments to a different area of space so they can continue their journey undetected. The first ship that comes to investigate the signal, The Canterbury, is a civilian ice haulier ship from Earth conducting business among the belt and Outer Planets. Despite suspicions that the signal might be a trap, the crew of The Canterbury sets to investigate in a small shuttle, witnessing from a safe distance the explosion of their ship. This event brings all three factions to the verge of war, incites a public outcry for the attack on the civilian ship of workers, and gives celebrity status to the handful of survivors who set to investigate the events afterwards. From the onset, the serial presents the audience with moral choices, conflict between factions, and the escalation of violence. The starting point of the serial sets the narrative around the existing tensions between Earth, Mars, and the Belt; their dynamics of power and history of colonisation and war; and the prospect for science to be both a driver for good but also a catalyst for violence in the wrong hands. The potential for using sci-fi narratives as a learning tool has been explored in some depth regarding its value for working concepts in STEM subjects (Vrasidas et al. 2015; Almanza-Arjona et al. 2020). Other scholars have explored multimodal approaches to writing sci-fi narratives in the classroom for developing an understanding of the theoretical concepts behind the science elicited in these stories (Ran et al. 2020). Yet, as with many other genres across literature, film, and screen media, the science fiction genre allows analysis that unveils issues connected to history, culture, and society. Grant (2007: 4 f.) concluded that “[f]or whether they are set in the past or in the future, on the mean streets of contemporary New York or long ago in a galaxy far away, genre movies are always about the time and place in which they are made”. This statement implies that at their core, genre movies (or series and serials for that matter) employ the conventions of genre to explore contemporary issues of their time under a format that distanced them from their present reality. In doing so, these narratives are able to address debates in society through parallelisms and metaphors, build on similarities to appeal to wider audiences, or even circumvent censorship. According to Nichols (2010), the science fiction genre often explores issues related to social order and the law of state, in contrast to other genres like the melodrama or comedy, which often explore issues around the domestic order and dynamics of power in personal relationships. For Nichols (2010), these narratives often unfold towards resolutions that reestablish the social order or eliminate the main social threat. They reinforce ideals of sacrifice, good governance, community, and wisdom; or establish what constitutes failures and missteps towards that goal. In this regard, Athanasopoulos (2017: 60) affirms that 15.2 The Expanse: Considerations on narrative and genre 221 <?page no="222"?> “some of the most well-known works of science fiction contain implicit references to contemporary political events, socioeconomic problems and cultural controversies”. As such, under the shape of future or alternative worlds, these narratives can be approached in the classroom to discuss important aspects of society, power, culture, and history within a fictional setting. The Expanse, in particular, engages with these elements throughout the narrative, as the conflict between the factions is at the core of all the plot points and narrative arcs. 15.3 Character arcs As the characters come from very different backgrounds, the main group represents humanity working together for the well-being and survival of the species, although suspicions often arise about their motivations, particularly from those outside the group. Most of the characters have clear character arcs that allow for in-class discussion related to the values they represent and the transformations that they suffer along the way. The choices made by the characters shape the structure of the narrative, thus making these transformations valuable in the context of a discussion of moral decisions and consequences in the storytelling. McKee (1997: 106) establishes that the “event structure of a story is created out of the choices that characters make under pressure and the actions they choose to take”. In The Expanse, many of these situations are interlocked with questions of morality, the survival of humanity, and the survival of those close to the characters. Similarly, Mullins (2022) indicates that a character’s choices move the story forward at the same time that they shape their arc. Whilst not universal, this is often characteristic of Western screenwriting, as the popular conventions tend to favour narratives that follow three-act structures, the hero’s journey (Vogler 2007) and Snyder’s beat sheet (Snyder 2005). In this regard, The Expanse closely follows these conventions and can be analysed in relation to the characters’ choices, the moral and ethical questions behind them, and the consequences that these have in the narrative. 15.4 Themes of the serial The serial offers key areas of discussion through its themes, many of which can also be mapped against the seasons, as the story slowly unfolds and raises the stakes. The first season engages with the ethics of research experimentation, the influence of multinational corporations in government policies, and the historical tensions between the factions. The second season explores issues around the new discovery, such as the desire to control the protomolecule, the attempts to hide it, the manipulation of truth to preserve or gain power, the need to destroy the new substance, and the issues that arise from keeping it ‘just in case’. Season 3 addresses the ethics of human enhancement and human testing, a race to control technology, and the vulnerability of the galaxy 222 15 Hear Me Out! <?page no="223"?> against advanced alien devices. The fourth season invites the audience to consider a new space race, the implications of planetary colonialism, whilst season 5 expands this with questions about planetary nationalism, activism, terrorism, and resistance. In the concluding sixth season, the audience is offered resolutions to many of the previous arcs and conflicts, exploring questions about collaboration between the factions, equity, and survival. The many themes of the serial allow for a varied discussion of ethical and moral choices in the narrative, which can be adapted depending on the interests of the students. The ethical considerations of research and private investment are interrogated from the outset. Several scholars have approached analysis of the serial through its ethical, moral, and philosophical elements. Indeed, a full volume has been dedicated to philosophy in The Expanse (Nicholas 2021), with chapters on how the serial explores through speculative fiction contemporary issues around threats to existence and colonialism (Kahn 2021; Simpson 2021), the nature of evil and fanatism (Leiby 2021), moral choices in times of war (Atkinson/ DeWitt 2021; Gemeinhardt 2021), or practices of resistance (Husmann/ Kusko 2021; Treiber 2021), among others. Moral deterioration and the upholding of moral values are at the core of Lanzendorfer’s (2018) comparison of The Expanse with Shakespeare’s Caliban in his play The Tempest. The pedagogical potential of this serial for exploring contemporary issues in the area of international relations is addressed by Bang (2022), bringing to the forefront the suitability of the serial for discussions around conflict resolution, diplomatic relationships, and political negotiation. Reid (2021) discusses the overlapping nature of different collectives in the dialogue between politics and ethics, whereas Fleischhack (2020) explores how this collective can lead to more hopeful actions of the formation of human kinship. The possibilities of human connection are also explored through gender relations and the different relationships that the characters initiate, which present a diverse and inclusive universe (Clitheroe/ McCutcheon 2021). With a less positive outlook on the universe that the serial sets, Banker (2019) interrogates how race and class are intrinsically and irremediably connected in the serial and the way that they produce prejudice. In line with wider narrative fiction that allows ethical deliberation, the serial provokes the audience to “to reconsider their values and what they believe a good life is in the actual world” (Marcus 2012: 405). At its core, the events of the serial are set in motion by the discovery of the protomolecule, an alien substance that can alter the composition of matter, alive or otherwise. The impact of the discovery of the protomolecule in the politics of Mars, Earth, and the Belt allow for exploring issues around the ethics of research or the weaponisation of new discoveries. Later in the serial, the substance has grown enough that it can reshape itself into an interstellar gate in the shape of a thousand-kilometres wide ring. Once its function is understood by the three factions, a new race emerges for the control of the ring and the space that can be travelled within it. These events are surrounded in the plot by conflict over colonisation, the preservation of native life forms, the possibility of controlling new alien technology, the hierarchy of command, 15.4 Themes of the serial 223 <?page no="224"?> 1 A system of planets, including Earth and Mars, and other natural satellites orbiting the sun. or tensions among the factions that emerge from the existing prejudices between their cultures. As it turns out, the protomolecule was a tool to reach new confines in the universe and transform the space to suit the Builders, the name given to the extinct alien race who sent the protomolecule. In this way, the serial interrogates the ethics of modifying and adapting new spaces through cellular modification. The Expanse proposes a world in which the Martian Congressional Republic (MCR) attempts to terraform Mars to make it suitable for human life, which is portrayed as a centuries-long pursuit that can improve the survival of the human race. Additionally, the transformations derived from the exposure to the protomolecule are perceived as corrupting and a danger to life; yet the sacrifice made by one of the characters, Miller, means that despite having been assimilated into the protomolecule, he can still guide and help the main characters. The serial constantly ponders the limits between adaptation, transformation, the creation of new forms, and their potential to either improve or hinder survival. Whilst the original protomolecule research seems to infuse children with powerful abilities, the hybrids who survive exposure become dangerous killing machines. On the potential for adaptability, the Belters have an advantage in space due to their bodies being accustomed to zero gravity, yet the Earthers use gravity as a form of torture for interrogations. Change, transformation, and adaptation are seen as positive and enriching when it is a result of human interaction, such as in the cultures of the Belt, but less so when it is a product of experimentation or for financial gains. Thus, evolution and change might appear as positive when led by human contact and exchange, such as the new language of the Belters or the influence of Texan culture on Mars. However, it can lead to conflict and tragedy when forced upon, inflicted or abused by other people. To work with any of the above themes, it is necessary to understand the differences between each of the factions. The Earthers suffer the aftermath of climate change, over‐ population, diminishing resources, unemployment, severe poverty, extreme inequality, and increasing mental health issues in the population. The Martian government drives a terraforming project that involves all its citizens, although the younger generations are starting to lose vision and belief in the project after being accustomed to living in domed cities, first, and having the possibility of settlement beyond the Sol system 1 , later. However, as a consequence of the project, Mars has developed a culture and work ethic of intense planning, organisation, and efficiency. The research efforts to transform the planet have also funded science and technology programmes that give Mars an advantage in these areas, fronting all matters of STEM developments. Those in the navy and security forces are presented as particularly strong because, due to lower gravity, they are usually taller than Earthers but have trained in environments that replicate Earth’s gravity to not be disadvantaged against Earthers in a potential battle. 224 15 Hear Me Out! <?page no="225"?> 2 Having emerged from the United Nations as we know it today, in The Expanse the UN has grown to a federation of nation states that spans across several planets in the Sol System and the Milky Way Galaxy. Those living in the outer planets and the belt, known as Belters, are also taller than Earthers and slightly taller than Martians, with slim constitutions and brittle bones due to low or no gravity conditions, which sometimes earns them the pejorative nickname of ‘Skinnies’. The Belters have developed better resistance and recovery periods to the effect of high acceleration but suffer greatly under Earth’s gravity conditions. Belters are mostly manual workers in the mines, ice haulers, shipping industries, docks, maintenance systems and other everyday businesses supporting the general running of the settlements. They speak a distinctive creole language, Belter Creole, which combines characteristics of the languages of the first settlers in the Belt. Developed by linguist Nick Farmer for the show, the language derives from English with influences and roots from multiple languages, such as Spanish, German, Portuguese, Polish, Japanese, and Persian among many others. Taking as inspiration the language from the books, Farmer constructed thousands of words, grammar, and pronunciation, for which a language coach was also used during filming. As some scholars note (Colbert/ Peterson 2016; Sandrai et al. 2023), a key difference between Belter creole and other artificial languages created for fantasy and sci-fi narratives is that it aims to mimic real languages that have evolved naturally. The success of the language in encapsulating a sub-culture and dynamics of resistance, standing as a marker of identity, and its role in excluding outsiders meant that the writers of the novels started to incorporate the show language in subsequent parts of the collection. Indeed, the language is consciously used as a marker of nationalism and identity throughout the serial (Husmann/ Kusko 2021), with a great potential to be subversively used in the context of resistance (Magrath 2021). As a consequence of their working-class status and weaker physiology, the Belters are discriminated against and perceived as second-class citizens in this universe. Over a century of bad working conditions, prejudice, oppression, and violence against Belters have incited the formation of the OPA (Outer Planets Alliance), a sociopolitical movement derived from a working union that is perceived as a terrorist group by the United Nations (UN) 2 and the MCR. Far from being an organised movement, the OPA has several factions with different aims, leaders, and political stances. These scenarios and themes present a wide range of opportunities to open debate and guide the students towards the pondering of moral choices, which are considered in the following teaching approach and materials. 15.5 Implementing The Expanse in English language teaching One aspect explored in the teaching materials that accompany this chapter and that is also adaptable to all levels of language is work on the sci-fi narrative genre. For 15.5 Implementing The Expanse in English language teaching 225 <?page no="226"?> example, activities exploring the conventions and expectations of the genre help the students to acquire specialised and thematic vocabulary and definitions to use thereafter, familiarise the students with the conventions of the genre, and initiate discussion about the serial and its formal aspects. The more technical aspects of genre in connection to film and television analysis allow the tutor to explore terminology related to what is usually known as film language, such as establishing shots or diegetic music, whereas more narrative aspects of the genre allow exploration of character design, internal conflict, character development, or even the concerns of sci-fi as a genre that usually explores societies, as opposed to more intimate genres like the rom-com that often preoccupies itself with the dynamics of relationships or the configuration of family units at that time. Another key point in this serial is the different factions that set the narrative in motion; that is, the Earthers, the Martians, and the Belters. Each of these societies has distinctive origins, characteristics, a set of recent historical events, and a variety of expressions of culture and language that could be explored in the lessons. Each of them has also very clear goals and obstacles that prevent them from reaching them. These aspects make the serial suitable for implementing debates and expressing difference through speculative fiction groups. Issues around colonialism, prejudice, oppression, and resistance can also be integrated into the classroom within the confines of the fictional narrative and extrapolated, if desired, to other examples in history. Activities exploring Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) could also be approached through these factions and characters, to discuss barriers, privilege, and potential solutions towards a more equitable society. The materials are aimed at learners of English at CEFR level B2 and above, with activities addressing language, storytelling, and critical analysis. Mat. 1 engages students with the conventions of sci-fi. The students work first to identify common elements in the storytelling and the format, such as tropes, usual characters, or the premise underneath the plot (e.g., we must collaborate to fight evil, the vulnerable should be protected). The material aims to give students the tools to understand the common elements of the genre before using them in later activities, enhancing their understanding not only of the audiovisual form and the storytelling, but also of the vocabulary, expressions, and register used in the genre. As “regular work with screen media helps to increase incidental vocabulary acquisition” (Herrero et al. 2023: 25), the material sets the foundations for students to be able to discuss the tools and conventions of the genre, as well as the specific vocabulary and structures employed in the serial. Mat. 2 explores the characters and their design within the narrative, paying attention to their appearance, background, motivations, character arcs etc. These activities encourage students to increase the range of vocabulary related to descriptions, develop their understanding of character design in storytelling, and identify common characteristics between the characters from The Expanse and other sci-fi serials. Mat. 3 focuses on plot points and the usual storytelling elements of the ‘hero’s journey’, which is a common structure for genres such as sci-fi, the Western, or 226 15 Hear Me Out! <?page no="227"?> Fantasy, both in audiovisual and literary form. This activity develops the students’ understanding of narrative structure so that they can identify common plot points across many popular screen media products. The collaborative group work aims to develop critical thinking and negotiation. After working with the conventions, the characters, and the structure, Mat. 4 brings these elements together to analyse more closely each of the factions of the serial. With the help of online resources, the students are divided into the three factions and guided to design materials for recruiting support, such as leaflets, memes, blogs etc. These activities are suitable for working with instructions in the imperative form, sentences connected to providing support and encouragement (e.g., “I’ve got your back”), and forms with the conditional ‘would’ or the future form ‘will’. A suggestion of alternative activities focuses on modal verbs through expressions of needs, prohibitions or obligations, such as ‘must’, ‘should’, ‘ought to’, ‘to be supposed to’, ‘have to’ etc. In this material, the students engage in playful activities that encourage students to experiment with the artificial language of the show, create memes, and guess the accuracy of statements. By bringing elements of play and ludic activities, the aim is to encourage curiosity and role-play for each of the factions, which is valuable for the debate activity in Mat. 5, for which identification with the faction improves participation. In Mat. 5, the students are given causes of tension between the different factions in The Expanse and asked to find solutions through discussion. The type of content can be adapted to the specific level of the learners, but the activity is specifically suited to work with sentences used for expressing opinion, giving turns, conceding, refuting ideas, disagreeing etc. The participants could decide the tone and register of the debate, depending on whether they choose a formal setting such as a discussion between ambassadors, or a discussion between three of the main characters in a corridor. These activities are particularly suitable for conditional structures for future actions, such as in “If you do X, I will do Y”. Learners with higher levels of language could explore hypothetical scenarios with the subjunctive, as in “If you were to do X, I would do Y”. Based on the outcomes of the previous materials, the sixth and final material focuses on producing a written review of the serial, for which prompts are given to guide the students. All in all, the worksheets aim to develop the students’ understanding of storytelling, conventions of the sci-fi genre, and character design as integral parts of series_screen media literacy (Herrero et al. 2023) and series_serial literacy (cf. Leonhardt/ Viebrock in this volume), at the same time that they develop specific language skills. After building the knowledge of the students in relation to narrative and genre, many of the activities turn to project-based learning, such as in the creation of the marketing materials. This “facilitates the development of other competences (problem solving, willingness to learn, collaboration, creativity, innovation, groupwork skills, etc.)” (Herrero et al. 2023: 35), bringing a holistic approach to the students’ learning. 15.5 Implementing The Expanse in English language teaching 227 <?page no="228"?> Resources useful for student use SyFy The Expanse website (Seasons 1-3): https: / / www.syfy.com/ the-expanse IMDb entry for The Expanse (Seasons 1-6): https: / / www.imdb.com/ title/ tt3230854/ Rotten Tomatoes entry for The Expanse (Seasons 1-6): https: / / www.rottentomato es.com/ tv/ the_expanse Roger Ebert’s Blog entry for The Expanse: https: / / tinyurl.com/ theexpanseblog. The blog is an excellent resource for reviews of screen media from professional critics and writers. Series and serials The Expanse. Fergus, Mark/ Ostby, Hawk (creators). Penguin in a Parka/ SeanDanielCo (s. 1-3)/ Alcon Television Group/ Just So (s. 4-6)/ Hivemind (s. 4-6)/ Amazon Studios (s. 4-6), 2015- 2022. References Almanza-Arjona, Yara C./ García-Rivera, Beatriz E./ Jorge Membrillo-Hernández (2020). Writing sci-fi stories: a pedagogic challenge. In: IEEE (ed.).-2020 IEEE Global Engineering Education Conference (EDUCON), 1728-1734. Athanasopoulos, Harald K. (2017). Where no European has gone before: representations of Europe (an integration) in science fiction.-Space Policy-41, 60-64. Atkinson, Matthew D./ DeWitt, Darin (2021). Moral obligation in an anarchic world. In: Nicholas, Jeffery L. (ed.), 74-83. Bang, Jiun (2022). Pedagogical utility of science fiction & the neither impossible nor possible universe of The Expanse. APSA Preprints. https: / / doi.org/ 10.33774/ apsa-2022-nwntp Banker, Bryan (2019). The modality in which class is ‘lived’: literaliz-ing race and class in The Expanse.-In: Heim, Cécile/ Vejdovskly, Boris/ Pickford, Benjamin (eds.). The Genres of Genre: Form, Formats, and Cultural Formations, 85-104. Clitheroe, Heather/ McCutcheon, Mark A. (2021). Review of The Expanse (TV series). SFRA Review 51 (2), 274-277. Colbert, Lee/ Peterson, Christopher (2016).-The Expanse: Nick Farmer on conlanging and the intersection of language and scifi. In: Decipher Media (prod.).-Decipher SciFi Podcast 46, 01: 04: 26.-https: / / deciphermedia.tv/ decipherscifi/ language-expanse-feat-nick-farmer-epi‐ sode-46 (last accessed: 23.06.2024) Elvy, Craig (2020). Why The Expanse was cancelled (& why Amazon saved it). ScreenRant. http s: / / screenrant.com/ expanse-show-syfy-cancel-amazon-save-why/ (last accessed: 23.06.2024) Fleischhack, Maria (2020). Against all odds: kinship and collective action in The Expanse.-In: Bauer, Gero/ Heise-von der Lippe, Anya/ Hirschfelder, Nicole/ Luther, Katharina (eds.). Kinship and Collective Action: In Literature and Culture, 229-250. 228 15 Hear Me Out! <?page no="229"?> Gemeinhardt, Max (2021). We can be gods: remorseless logic or shared humanity.-In: Nicholas, Jeffery L. (ed.), 145-150. Grant, Barry K. (2007). Film Genre: From Iconography to Ideology. London: Wallflower Press. Herrero, Carmen/ Suarez, Marta F./ Sánchez-Requena, Alicia (2023). Screen media in language education: towards a student-centred approach. In: Herrero, Carmen/ Suarez, Marta F. (eds.). Teaching Languages with Screen Media: Pedagogical Reflections. London: Bloomsbury, 17- 45. Husmann, Caleb McGee/ Kusko, Elizabeth (2021). Being Beltalowda: patriotism and nationalism in The Expanse. In: Nicholas, Jeffery L. (ed.), 102-110. Kahn, Leonard (2021). Humanity's dilemma before Abaddon's gate. In: Nicholas, Jeffery L. (ed.), 25-32. Lanzendorfer, Judith (2018). “You weren’t acting like you: ” Holden as Caliban in Caliban’s war.-Humanities-1 (2), 193-204. Leiby, Rebeccah S. (2021). The banality of evil: Hannah Arendt and Jules‐Pierre Mao. In: Nicholas, Jeffery L. (ed.), 45-56. Magrath, Andrew (2021). Language games in The Expanse: if a lion could showxa, we would not pochuye him. In: Nicholas, Jeffery L. (ed.), 203-214. Marcus, Amit (2012). The ethics of human cloning in narrative fiction.-Comparative Literature Studies-49 (3), 405-433. McKee, Robert (1997). Story: Substance, Structure, Style and the Principles of Screenwriting. Kent: Methuen. Mullins, Anthony (2022). Beyond the Hero's Journey: Crafting Powerful and Original Character Arcs for the Screen. Harpenden: Oldcastle Books. Nicholas, Jeffery L (ed.) (2021). The Expanse and Philosophy: So Far Out into the Darkness. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons. Nichols, Bill (2010).-Engaging Cinema: An Introduction to Film Studies. New York, NY: WW Norton & Company. O'Brien, Sean/ Bellamy, Brent R. (2018). Solar accumulation: the worlds-systems theory of The Expanse.-Science Fiction Studies-45 (3), 515-529. Ran, Hua/ Shen, Ji/ Smith, Blaine/ Kolovou, Maria/ Wang, Changzhao (2020). Storytelling for science learning: developing an assessment framework to examine adolescents’ multimodal sci-fi narratives. In: Gresalfi, Melissa/ Horn, Ilana S. (eds.). The Interdisciplinarity of the Learning Sciences. 14th International Conference of the Learning Sciences (ICLS), n.p. Reid, Eamon (2021). The dialogic expansion of Garcia’s we: chronotopes, ethics, and politics in The Expanse series.-Open Philosophy 5 (1), 168-191. Royston, Edward (2023). Enclosing, opening, and redefining modern space in The Expanse. In: Hawkes, Joel/ Christie, Alexander/ Nienhuis, Tom (eds.). American Science Fiction Television and Space: Productions and (Re)Configurations (1987-2021). Cham: Springer International Publishing,145-161. Sadrai, Edward/ Dando, Michael/ Kishimoto, Kyoko/ Barton, Matt/ Cogdill, Sharon (2023). Wel‐ wala at the borders: language, space, and power in The Expanse. In: -Hawkes, Joel/ Christie, 15.5 Implementing The Expanse in English language teaching 229 <?page no="230"?> Alexander/ Nienhuis, Tom (eds.). American Science Fiction Television and Space: Productions and (Re) Configurations (1987-2021). Cham: Springer International Publishing, 21-38. Simpson, Sid (2021). The Inners must die: Marco Inaros and the righteousness of anti‐colonial violence. In: Nicholay, Jeffery L. (ed.), 91-101. Snyder, Blake (2005). Save the Cat! The Only Book on Screenwriting You'll Ever Need: The Last Book on Screenwriting You'll Ever Need. Los Angeles, CA: Michael Wiese Productions. Treiber, Guilel (2021). The lives of Naomi Nagata: intersectionality and the impossible choices of resistance.-In: Nicholas, Jeffery L. (ed.), 171-178. Vogler, Christopher (2007). The Writer's Journey. Los Angeles, CA: Michael Wiese Productions. Vrasidas, Charalambos/ Avraamidou, Lucy/ Theodoridou, Katerina/ Themistokleous, Sotiris/ Pan‐ aou, Petros (2015). Science fiction in education: case studies from classroom implementa‐ tions.-Educational Media International-52 (3), 201-215. Download: Additional Material 230 15 Hear Me Out! <?page no="231"?> Part VI: Deconstructing Difference: The Potential of Series and Serials to Foster Social Change <?page no="233"?> 1 Oseman uses the term ‘Heartstopper moments’ in her TV script for those incidents when emotions are involved, and it feels to be more than friendship. On a visual level, Heartstopper moments are shown through graphic symbols like leaves or blossoms. 16 Exploring Heartstopper Moments 1 and Diversity with Teenagers in the Serial and Graphic Novel Nikola Mayer/ Lena Schwarz Just one normal, loving relationship. ALICE OSEMAN Alice Oseman, author and illustrator of the Heartstopper webcomic/ graphic novel who also wrote the script for the Netflix TV serial, has achieved enormous accomplishments in the past few years. Heartstopper is set at a British school and tells the story of a romance between two teenage boys. It tackles topics such as friendship, romance, growing up, and the overall issue of discovering and shaping one’s own identity and sexual orientation. By doing so, Heartstopper offers positive representations of diverse and alternative life models. Focusing on topics that are particularly relevant to teenagers and young adults, Heartstopper is well-suited to stimulate communication and foster exchange in the EFL classroom (grades 8-10), encouraging a more diverse understanding of our world. In this contribution, we explore how storytelling is put to use by Alice Oseman in the graphic novels (volumes 1 and 2) and the TV serial (S01). In a first step, both media are introduced and analyzed regarding their specific means of storytelling; we also trace the development from the webcomic to the serial. In a next step, we show how Heartstopper can be brought into the EFL classroom. We illustrate how the students’ visual and series_serials literacy can be built up through a variety of tasks; we elaborate on how the overarching issue of diversity, which is at the center of Heartstopper, can be addressed with teenagers. We thereby employ Bishop’s (1990) concept of stories as windows, sliding glass doors, or mirrors to raise awareness for the need of different kinds of readers/ viewers for stories they can relate to. Finally, we follow Nick, one of the protagonists, in his search for sexual orientation which leads to his acceptance of being bisexual, and link this to a unifying model of sexual identity development. For these different aspects, we provide teaching ideas for the secondary EFL classroom. <?page no="234"?> 2 The term queer has undergone several changes over time: “Once considered a pejorative term, queer is now used by many LGBT people to describe themselves. However, it is not universally accepted within the LGBT community. When Q is seen at the end of "LGBT," it typically means queer” (GLAAD 2016: 4; for a longer discussion, cf. Merse 2020: 109 f.). 3 As a matter of fact, there is a backward movement regarding the openness towards LGBTQ+ representations especially in the US, where the Heartstopper graphic novels have been banned from several schools (cf. https: / / diva-magazine.com/ 2023/ 08/ 25/ heartstopper-books-banned/ ). 16.1 Introduction Teenage life is full of first times, feeling lost and being disoriented, controversial emotions and drama. In the serial Heartstopper, Mr Ajayi, the art teacher at Truham Grammar School, brings this to the point: “Being a teenager is terrible” (S01: E02, 00: 08: 24). Charlie has come for advice to sort out things with Nick, on whom he has a crush but no hope that Nick might like him back. Mr Ajayi suggests that Charlie should distance himself from Nick, which is not what Charlie wants to hear. Thus, Mr Ajayi concludes the conversation with an observation gained from experience: “I’m afraid, you’re just gonna have to suffer then” (S01: E02, 00: 08: 46). In Heartstopper we go through drama, and experience a heartwarming love story between two boys, which turns the serial into what a critic described as “a hug in TV form” (Nicholson 2022: n.p.). Oseman’s intention for creating the Heartstopper story was to deal with teenage disaster and to tell a romance that is relatable to teenagers. Heartstopper is all of that. It is the story of two boys who meet in their form class at an all-boys school, who become friends and like hanging out with each other. They grow more and more attached and attracted to each other and explore where this might take them over the process of season 1 of the serial on Netflix and volumes 1 and 2 of the Heartstopper graphic novels. One might take Heartstopper for a superficial romance, but it is much more than this. It breaks with an old habit from the 1960s where stories about queer 2 life would often be “tragic representations of lesbian and gay characters, partly as a way to push readers to strive for sexual and gender ‘normality’” (Schwab 2023: n.p.). Even though nowadays the visibility and awareness of gender diversity in society and education (for ELT cf. Eisenmann/ Ludwig 2018; Elsner/ Lohe 2016; König et al. 2015; Leonhardt/ Viebrock 2020; Merse 2020) as well as the publication numbers of texts (including film) on queer themes (cf. Fachstelle für Gleichstellung/ SIKJM/ PBZ 2022; Jenkins/ Cart 2018; Schwab 2023) have increased continuously, there have not yet been so many positive representations of queer life. 3 Heartstopper fills the gap by showcasing queer teenagers as main characters and not side characters as it often used to be the case, offering positive models for identification for this age group. Bringing Heartstopper to the EFL classroom holds the promise to fulfill all the criteria formed by Vega (2015) for opening classrooms to diversity, i.e., to include representations of LGBTQ+ students in the classroom, to engage students in socially relevant and necessary dialogues, to provide teachers and students with accessible and enjoyable texts, and to demand that teachers and students reflect on their relationship to the LGBTQ+ community and the perspectives of their peers (cf. 234 16 Exploring Heartstopper Moments and Diversity with Teenagers in the Serial and Graphic Novel <?page no="235"?> 4 The webcomics are still available (on Tumblr, Tapas, and Webtoon) and continuously added on. 5 Oseman published the short novella Nick and Charlie (2015) about their relationship after Solitaire but has not gone further from here in this genre. Vega 2015: 39). Heartstopper started out as a webcomic, then as a graphic novel and eventually the TV serial came out. In our approach, we go back and forth between both media: In a first step the graphic novels will be analyzed before moving on to the TV serial and equally investigating key features thereof. We then move on to presenting our teaching ideas. Since we work with both media representations of Heartstopper, our tasks are designed to foster series_serials literacy as well as visual literacy for decoding the graphic narratives. On the one hand, we define series_serials literacy with Leonhardt/ Viebrock (in this volume: 23) “as the learners’ ability to use audio-visual series and serials […] critically and autonomously in the context of English language education”. The process of becoming visually literate related to graphic narratives, on the other hand, includes aspects like identifying and understanding different kinds of images, knowing how images function, and being able to create graphics to communicate ideas and feelings (Chik 2014; Newman/ Ogle 2019). We designed a set of tasks that are especially geared at promoting these literacies (cf. Mat. 4 and 5). In combination with this, our tasks evolve around how the friendship between Nick and Charlie turns into romance and the theme of diversity (cf. Summer/ Eisenmann 2023: 31). In total, we have designed the following materials accessible online: Boy meets boy (cf. Mat. 1), Moving from friendship to romance (cf. Mat. 2), Windows and mirrors (cf. Mat. 3), “Help! ” - Nick’s research on the internet (cf. Mat. 4), Design your personal Heartstopper page (drawing/ tablet version; cf. Mat. 5), Tracing Nick’s journey in Heartstopper (post viewing activity; cf. Mat. 6), Key terminology graphic novels and camera shots (info sheet). 16.2 The Heartstopper phenomenon In 2016, Alice Oseman launched the Heartstopper comics online as a free resource on Tumblr and Tapas. 4 Nick and Charlie had already been introduced as side characters in Oseman’s debut young adult novel Solitaire (2014). Charlie is the younger brother of Tori Spring, the protagonist of Solitaire. He and Nick are then in a steady relationship. Oseman wanted to tell how the story between Nick and Charlie began. It soon became clear to her that she could not write this as a novel. 5 She decided to work with shorter episodes, which made her fall back on her other skill apart from writing, i.e., drawing and to the idea of creating a webcomic that would appear several times per month (cf. https: / / aliceoseman.com/ heartstopper/ the-history/ ). Based on her experience as an author of young adult fiction, she explains her reasons: Nick and Charlie’s story is made up of fragments. Episodes. There are episodes of their lives; small stories that make up something larger. The story of them meeting. The story of them becoming friends. The story of them falling in love, becoming boyfriends, finding their way 16.2 The Heartstopper phenomenon 235 <?page no="236"?> through a new relationship, fighting back against mental illness. It doesn’t work as a novel because there’s no overarching drama - because it’s just real life. Just one normal, loving relationship between two people. (Oseman in ‘A word from the artist/ author’ on Tumblr) Oseman self-published volume 1 in 2018 through a crowd-funding campaign. This brought Hachette/ Hodder on the scene, which has since edited all Heartstopper volumes in the UK: Volumes 1 and 2 in 2019, volume 3 in 2020, volume 4 in 2021. In December 2023, a 5 th volume was published, and there will be a final 6 th volume after that. As a Heartstopper fan, one can dive into the ‘Osemanverse’ and find abundant extra materials such as special editions of the graphic novels, a coloring book, The Heartstopper Yearbook (2022b), teaching materials developed by her including an interview, her young adult novels many of which link to the Heartstopper gang alongside with vast amounts of fan videos and posts etc. Oseman is very present in the media and openly addresses burnout issues as well as her sexual orientation identity as aromantic and asexual (cf. Jays 2023). The graphic novels Heartstopper tells the story of Nicholas, “Nick”, Nelson and Charlie Spring. Charlie is in year 10 and the only openly gay boy in an all-boys school. He was severely bullied the year before by some of the older guys who accidentally had found out about this. Nick, who is one year older than Charlie, is “a cheerful, soft-hearted rugby player” (Oseman on webtoon) with a strong physiognomy. The first volume is about them becoming friends and hanging out together, texting and teasing each other and going through both fun as well as challenging situations. Whereas Charlie has already involuntarily gone through the public revelation of his homosexuality and dealt with his gayness from childhood on, Nick struggles with his unexpected feelings for Charlie since he used to like girls. Volume 1 ends with Charlie and Nick kissing at Harry’s party, one of Nick’s rugby friends. As volume 2 starts, both boys are clueless how to go on from here, but when Nick comes over to Charlie’s house, he reveals his feelings for Charlie. They decide to keep it a secret since Nick is stuck in a “full-on gay crisis” (vol 2: 297). For the first time, the word “bisexual” comes up (vol 2: 320). At the bowling night for Charlie’s 15 th birthday, Nick meets Charlie’s friends, Tao, Elle, and Aled. Sometime later, Charlie joins a movie night with Nick’s friends, which ends up with Nick and Harry getting into a fight. Finally, Nick and Charlie go on their first official date and label themselves as boyfriends. Volume 2 ends with Nick revealing his bisexuality to his mother. 236 16 Exploring Heartstopper Moments and Diversity with Teenagers in the Serial and Graphic Novel <?page no="237"?> 6 Early sketches of Nick and Charlie make this influence obvious (cf. Oseman 2022b: 16 ff.). Fig. 1: Charlie’s profile page (excerpt from The Heartstopper Yearbook, Oseman 2022b: 6 f.; text and illustrations copyright © Alice Oseman 2022b. Reproduced with permission of the Licensor through PLSclear). The Heartstopper graphic novels come in black and white evoking a manga style. 6 Grey-colored shades convey different skin colors, backgrounds, simulate evening or night hours and transport situations where the atmosphere is gloomy. The page layout suits the scrolling habit of a webcomic. There are often 3 to 4 panels (i.e., the frames that hold the images) per page allowing the speech balloons (holding the dialogue language in graphic novels) to get more prominent. A typical feature of Oseman’s style are the interconnected speech balloons which intersect longer texts of a speaker (cf. figure 2) almost like text messages, connecting thus several panels. 16.2 The Heartstopper phenomenon 237 <?page no="238"?> Fig. 2: Oseman’s comics style (excerpt from Heartstopper vol 2: 317; text and illustrations copyright © Alice Oseman 2019b. Reproduced with permission of the Licensor through PLSclear). Oseman puts a strong emphasis on creating dialogues that mirror teenage language, including humor. The font imitates Osman’s handwriting, which adds a personal touch and the feeling of these comics being ‘handmade’. And there are the leaves, blossoms, stars, and birds etc. - symbolic messages floating through the books, visual comments from Oseman alluding to an additional emotional layer: The leaves are first linked to Charlie’s feelings but more and more appear in scenes where the boys have a ‘Heartstopper moment’ together. When they have their first kiss at Harry’s party, lots of little blossoms explode on the page. The final scene in 238 16 Exploring Heartstopper Moments and Diversity with Teenagers in the Serial and Graphic Novel <?page no="239"?> 7 Oseman left a comment on this in the appendix of vol. 2 with Nick and Charlie in smart clothes: “Do the boys even own other shoes than these? ” (Heartstopper vol. 2, appendix n.p.). 8 In 2022, over 8 million copies of the graphic novel Heartstopper (vol. 1) were sold in more than 35 countries (cf. http: / / mediaroom.scholastic.com). This was a huge surprise since graphic novels had so far been non-existent on digital charts such as The Bookseller, a British trade magazine. volume 2, where Nick comes out to his mum, is also garnished with flowers, underlining the emotional quality of this moment for mother and son. Oseman’s comics style includes many close-ups of facial expressions, eyes only or relevant details like the touching of hands (cf. figure 2). There is a surprising number of close-ups of sneakers, which ties in nicely with the back cover of volume 1, where Charlie and Nick are presented through their shoes. In volume 2 these become their signature style, a visual pars pro toto metonymy for Nick (black and white sneakers reminding of Vans) and Charlie (Converse chucks), a feature that is picked up in the serial. 7 The TV serial In 2019, Oseman wrote the script for the TV show for See-Saw-Productions, which was taken over by Netflix. She participated in selecting the cast and spent three months on the TV set which she describes as “the strangest, most stressful, and most exciting experience” (Oseman 2022b: 50). Euros Lyn came in as the director. Season 1 was released in April 2022; season 2 in August 2023 and season 3 in October 2024. Each of the 8 episodes last for roughly 30 minutes. The instant success of the Netflix serial “lit a rocket under Osmean’s four-part series in the print charts” and turned the graphic novels into a “sales phenomenon” 8 (O’Brian 2022: n.p.), indicating that it might even be “a more enjoyable read if the audience goes in with prior knowledge from the series” (Gudge 2023: n.p.). Heartstopper clearly qualifies as a serial where all episodes follow a ‘horizontal narration’ and have to be watched continuously in order to follow plot development and understand the story (Leonhardt/ Viebrock in this volume). Even if one did not know that Heartstopper was based on a graphic novel, watching the serial displays obvious links to Oseman’s graphic talent. Split screens evoke the idea of looking at the panels from a comic; frequent close-ups of faces or other details (shoes! ) directly connect to scenes in the graphic novels. The Heartstopper leaves, blossoms, birds etc. are animated and enliven the serial. The Heartstopper title banderoles, too, are animated. They always announce what is coming - e.g., in episode 4, the banderole is dripping with rain, paralleling the internal drama of the boys. At the beginning of episode 2, Charlie’s demons, a group of schoolboys from Nick’s year, are shown as scary comics characters, foreshadowing his mental problems which will be unpacked in season 2. Moving from a graphic novel to a serial with real people as actors and palpable settings and sounds creates a whole new atmosphere. The main story line stayed the same, but Oseman was aware that in the graphic novel the focus was mainly on Nick 16.2 The Heartstopper phenomenon 239 <?page no="240"?> and Charlie and that for the serial to work, she needed to add additional dimensions through character development, introducing new characters - Imogen and Isaac - and through developing side stories which support the main theme (i.e., the story between Tao and Elle as well as Tara and Darcy) (cf. Jones 2022). Many scenes are almost identical in both formats down to gestures and facial expressions (e.g., the kiss in episode 3) but there are also many new scenes included (e.g., the milkshake date in episode 5). The first two volumes of the graphic novel are condensed into season 1: Episodes 1-3 covering volume 1, episodes 4-8 corresponding to volume 2. All episodes come with telling titles: “Meet“ - “Crush” - “Kiss” - “Secret” - “Friend” - “Girls” - “Bully” - “Boyfriend”. The school setting is at the heart of the serial. We see the schoolyard in the morning, during breaks, after school; the corridors where the boys head to their classrooms; the form class where Nick and Charlie sit next to each other with the bright window behind them; the art room, Charlie’s safe space; the cafeteria; the rugby field with the changing rooms; the sports facilities; the music room and the aula. Oseman insisted on keeping this a British setting. The school where many scenes were filmed is in Kent, near to where Oseman grew up and still lives. The serial is dipped into a light blue and yellow color scheme, which influences the atmosphere and the aesthetics: The corridors are half blue, half yellow. When Nick’s mum talks to him in their kitchen about Charlie, she wears a yellow pullover and Nick is in his blue outfit (S01: E02, 00: 15: 00) etc. This provides a positive tone which can be traced but is not overpowering. Additionally, there are many references to the rainbow colors of the LGBTQ+ community, most strikingly the locker scene (S01: E01, 00: 14: 27) where Charlie imagines that Nick will ask him to be his boyfriend and envisions Nick in a pink cloud. As an original character, the serial introduces Imogen, a girl from Higgs High, the neighboring all-girls school, who wants to go out with Nick. This adds to Nick’s personal crisis, but helps him realize that he likes Imogen, just not in a special way (S01: E05, 00: 21: 10). Charlie’s circle of friends consisting of Tao, Elle, and Isaac, who replaces Aled from the comics, also have a greater presence in the serial. Together with the story of Tara and Darcy, they widen the diversity spectrum of the serial. The choice of actors for Heartstopper turned out to be successful. Kit Connor was selected as Nick, Joe Locke as Charlie. A decisive element for selecting them had been that they were teenagers. Both Connor and Locke were still at school when season 1 was shot. Yasmin Finney, a transgender woman, was chosen to play the part of Elle. There are very few famous actors in the serial: Stephen Fry lent his voice to the school announcements. Olivia Colman is Nick’s mum. She has been praised for her emphatic portrayal of the mother as “the crucial, unexpected ingredient” (Wong 2023: n.p.). One should not forget to point out the Heartstopper soundtrack, which is a selection of indie bands many of which are from the LGBTQ+ scene like Baby Queen or Orla Gartland. The music creates a sonic tapestry upon which the episodes unfold, switching between background and foreground sounds where the lyrics take on a prominent part (cf. Mat. 4). 240 16 Exploring Heartstopper Moments and Diversity with Teenagers in the Serial and Graphic Novel <?page no="241"?> 9 Despite the strong conviction to promote a diverse and gender sensitive EFL classroom, we are aware that certain groups of students, e.g., from strict religious backgrounds might struggle with these materials in the classroom. In general, even though the serial is rated 10+, it might need a certain maturity of the students to work with Heartstopper. 16.3 Bringing Heartstopper to the EFL classroom When working with Heartstopper, we open the EFL classroom to two main aspects: On the one hand, we want to foster series_serials literacy in combination with visual literacy through close analyses of selected scenes from the serial and the graphic novel and tasks that connect words and images; on the other hand, we bring in the issue of diversity linked to a claim for social justice, put forward by authors promoting critical pedagogy and as a consequence thereof critical foreign language teaching (cf. Gerlach 2020). It is part of a diversity-sensitive (cf. Eisenmann/ Ludwig 2016; Merse 2020; Summer/ Eisenmann 2023) and an anti-bias approach to foreign language learning (Loder Buechel 2022) connecting to the social justice standards (cf. Chiarello et al. 2022). Within these two overarching themes we situate our teaching approach and the tasks for Heartstopper for the secondary EFL classroom (grades 8-10). 9 Fostering series_serials literacy and visual literacy To deepen the students’ awareness of how to decode and analyze both the graphic novel and the serial, i.e., to foster their series_serials literacy as well as their visual literacy, we have designed two tasks. The first design task (cf. Mat. 4) is a close comparison between the graphic novel to the serial. The focus is on the scene where Nick does research on the internet to find help for his pressing questions (vol 1: 188-195). Step by step, the students move through the scene with short reflective or descriptive activities: For pages 192-193, the students receive cutout panels (keep the clock connected to a panel). This helps to build up visual literacy, as it slows down the reading process and draws attention to the individual panels and the gutters (the empty space between two panels). We conclude this task with the final double spread (194-195) in which Nick’s desperateness (“help me…”), but also his feelings for Charlie (the leaves) become evident. In the serial, the scene is split up into two parts: We see Nick in his room looking at old photos of himself with the rugby mates and new ones with Charlie. The scene switches to Charlie chatting with his friends. Nick’s search for help on the internet ends the episode as a cliffhanger emphasized through the song “Why am I like this? ” (S01: E02, 00: 26: 00-28: 20). Since the students first watch the scene without sound, they can decide for themselves how the song influences their perception. With an establishing shot at the beginning of episode 3 we see Nick on the next morning as he browses the internet. The camera zooms in to photos of Pride, rainbow symbolism, gay couples, and a gay quiz (Nick’s result: 62% gay). Again, the music plays a prominent role. Lines such as “I don’t feel like I’m my own person” or “I just feel like some other version of me”, pick up Nick’s struggle. The close-ups of Nick’s tear-blurred eyes show 16.3 Bringing Heartstopper to the EFL classroom 241 <?page no="242"?> how much this troubles him. The next scene switches to the schoolyard, where Imogen pushes Nick to invite her to Harry’s party. On the surface, the heterosexual norm has been re-established (S01: E03, 00: 00: 00-00: 01: 22). In the second task the students select two stills from the serial, which are then transformed into comics style (either by drawing or by using a tablet computer - cf. Mat. 5). The students’ task is to connect the scenes and fill the space between the stills with a panel from the graphic novel and other graphic elements. We provide an example where we have used two stills from episode 4: the boys are parting at the entrance door (still 1) and meet again in the rain under the umbrella with Charlie looking back to check if anyone is around just before kissing Nick (still 2). The connecting panel illustrates the movement between these stills (cf. figure 3). Through this task we want to raise the awareness for graphic storytelling by visually filling the gutters with meaning which usually takes place in the reader’s mind only. Fig. 3: Linking serial and graphic novel - tablet version (our example on the left and a student example on the right) Diversity in the EFL classroom - windows and mirrors A reappearing name in the discussion on LGBTQ+ texts is that of Rudine Sims Bishop and her article “Mirrors, windows and sliding glass doors” (Bishop 1990). It is originally geared towards the inclusion of African American perspectives in (children’s) litera‐ 242 16 Exploring Heartstopper Moments and Diversity with Teenagers in the Serial and Graphic Novel <?page no="243"?> ture. Bishop claims that literature must offer multiple ways, ‘windows’, of how people are represented so that readers are able to identify a character in the text that could be a possible role model or as Bishop puts it, a ‘mirror’. Referring to Heartstopper, Allen states that “media with mirrors have the potential to serve as developmental tools for students who are exploring a particular identity” (Allen 2023: 203). Books are sometimes windows, offering views of worlds that may be real or imagined, familiar or strange. These windows are also sliding glass doors, and readers have only to walk through them in imagination to become part of whatever world has been created or recreated by the author. When lighting conditions are just right, however, a window can also be a mirror. Literature transforms human experience and reflects it back to us, and in that reflection we can see our own lives and experiences as part of the larger human experience. (Bishop 1990: ix) In the serial, metaphorical windows and mirrors, but also physical windows and reflections are employed. Episode 1 holds a key scene with a physical window which could become a mirror for the viewers. Tori and Charlie are on the bus going to school with the windowpanes all fogged up. Tori asks Charlie “Hypothetically, what sort of boy do you want to go out with? ” Charlie responds: “Just someone I can have a laugh with. Who is nice and kind. And who likes being with me” (S01: E01, 00: 12: 40-00: 13: 20). He then turns to the steamy window and wipes it clean revealing Nick Nelson in the background outside, which feels like another answer to Tori’s question. We link this scene back to the first meeting between Charlie and Nick where the moment of Charlie seeing Nick is delayed through other boys blocking his sight before they “part like the red sea” (Oseman’s script instructions cf. Oseman 2022a). The students’ series_serials literacy is fostered as they reflect on the effect this delay had on them and as they reconnect this with the bus scene. The second scene features Elle looking through a windowpane into the classroom at Tara and Darcy touching each other (S01: E02, 00: 05: 50-00: 07: 28). Here, too, we pick up Bishop’s concept as the window in this scene can be interpreted as a mirror for Elle. We use this for a discussion on identity based on the shared narrative the students just watched (for both scenes, cf. Mat. 3). 16.3 Bringing Heartstopper to the EFL classroom 243 <?page no="244"?> Positive representations of bisexuality In Heartstopper, we follow Nick on his journey from an uninterrogated self-under‐ standing in conformity with the heteronormative structure of society to his coming out towards his mother as bisexual. In society, being bisexual brings along several challenges: Bisexual people are much less visible than other LGBTQ+ members. Even though a high percentage of the LGBTQ+ community identifies as bisexual, they open up much less towards their colleagues than other queer members. The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) states that bisexuality is often seen as a transitional status and that people who come out often face ‘bisexual erasure’, i.e., “a pervasive problem in which the existence or legitimacy of bisexuality […] is questioned or denied outright” (GLAAD 2016: 4). This ties in with the issue of ‘biphobia’, i.e., negative representations of bisexual characters in narratives. The expectation is that bisexual characters in order to be acceptable have to convert either to a homoor heterosexual relationship and deny their bisexuality (cf. Allen 2023: 198). One of the most powerful actions to counteract stereotypical representations therefore lies in confirming that bisexuality is a unique and legitimate identity (cf. Dillon et al. 2011: 26 f.). Oseman succeeded in representing Nick’s development in a careful way, never erasing his bisexuality or falling prey to biphobia (cf. Allen 2023: 207 ff.). When working with Nick’s process in the EFL classroom, it is important to fully allow for his bisexual identity. The post task uses the unifying model (Dillon et al. 2011) for outlining Nick’s developmental process. Through identifying individual steps in connection with the model, a deeper understanding for Nick’s bisexual identity could be reached (cf. Mat. 6). The unifying model of sexual identity development The unifying model of sexual identity development (Dillon et al. 2011) regards the search for sexual identity as a universal process. The model is characterized by a high degree of fluidity which is marked through the multi-directional arrows between several statuses. Through defining the starting and the (ideal) end point, the model allows for individualized processes instead of one given path (cf. figure 4). The benefits for using this model in the EFL classroom are that it is approachable and relatable for students since it does not need prior knowledge of other models. Additionally, all characters from Heartstopper could be analyzed with this model (and the analyses could be completed with further details from the coming seasons). Sexual identity development is defined as “individual and social processes by which persons acknowledge and define their sexual needs, values, sexual orientation.” (Dillon et al. 2011: 657). In the model, individuals can enter five statuses: In most cultures, they start out with the status of ‘compulsory heterosexuality’ which is institutionalized by many 244 16 Exploring Heartstopper Moments and Diversity with Teenagers in the Serial and Graphic Novel <?page no="245"?> societies. This is the only status an individual cannot go back to as it relates to an initial state of naivety - “the presumption that heterosexuality is normal and good is accepted without question” (Dillon et al. 2011: 660). From here, three possible pathways open: Individuals identifying as heterosexuals can move directly to the status of ‘deepening and commitment’. Those who are not certain about their sexual orientation are most likely to enter a phase of ‘active exploration’ which is characterized by “purposeful exploration, evaluation, or experimentation of one’s sexual needs, values, orientation and/ or preferences” (ibid: 660). From here, these individuals move to the status of ‘deepening and commitment’ where they “exhibit a movement toward greater commitment to their identified sexual needs, values, sexual orientation and/ or preferences” (ibid: 663). The third option is the status of (carefree) ‘diffusion’ which is inhabited by individuals who are “unconcerned and content with not having strong commitments or having actively explored” (ibid: 662). Ultimately, one is meant to reach the status of ‘synthesis’, the most mature status, which has to be entered through the gateway of ‘deepening and commitment’. In the status of ‘synthesis’ people “come to an understanding of sexual identity that fulfills their self-definitions” which is reflected in their attitudes and behaviors towards members of the LGBTQ+ community as well as those who identify as heterosexual (ibid: 664). Compulsory Heterosexuality Synthesis Deepening & Commitment Active Exploration Diffusion Fig. 4: Processes of sexual identity development (Dillon et al. 2011: 658) used with permission from Springer Nature. 16.3 Bringing Heartstopper to the EFL classroom 245 <?page no="246"?> Nick’s search for his sexual identity Nick starts out as the straight rugby lad. He has not questioned his sexual orientation and fully accepted the status of compulsory heterosexuality. Nick and Charlie spend time together and become close friends. Early on, Nick’s mum had noticed a crucial quality in their friendship: “He [Charlie] is very different from your other friends, isn’t he? You seem so much more yourself around him” (vol 1, 157, panel 1; S01: E02, 00: 15: 10). After the movie night, Nick is consciously confronted with feelings that go beyond mere friendship. He is now leaving the status of compulsory heterosexuality and entering the phase of active exploration which culminates in their first kiss. This process goes along with a lot of confusion and uncertainty. Nick looks for help on the internet. Charlie brings in the option that Nick could be bisexual. Nick experiences both push and pull factors at this stage: His rugby friends try to set him up with Tara; Imogen actively pursues Nick to go on date with her. As pull factors apart from Charlie, Nick’s learning about Tara’s relationship with Darcy and meeting Elle, who now attends the girls’ high school as a transgender girl, introduce him to alternative life models. This helps him to come to terms with what his sexual orientation could be. As he and Charlie get more involved, the wish to label their relationship as boyfriends and to come out to close friends and family arises. At the beach date, Nick releases his long-suppressed feelings in an outcry to the ocean: “I like Charlie Spring! In a romantic way, not just a friend way” (vol 2, 535; S01: E08, 00: 25: 40). Back home, Nick shares his bisexuality with his mother in the safe haven of their kitchen. In these final scenes, Nick crosses the threshold to the status of deepening and commitment, which is particularly visualized through Nick picking up Charlie and holding him as if he would carry him over a symbolic threshold. 16.4 Concluding thoughts The story of Nick and Charlie offers a positive representation of the romance between the two boys. Oseman employs different storytelling strategies in both media, the comics and the serial, but always remains truthful to the story and the integrity of her characters. Letting the students experiment with the design tasks where they go back and forth between the graphic novel and the serial, can raise their awareness for the differences in storytelling through the direct comparison of one scene in both media as well as through the backward movement from stills to graphic storytelling where the usually empty gutter is filled in with linking elements taken from the graphic novel. Through applying Bishop’s approach of windows, sliding glass doors, and mirrors in the two scenes from the serial, students can observe and experience the power of windows becoming mirrors reflecting back to themselves. Taking Nick’s process as an example and combining it with the unifying model of sexual identity development allows the students to look back at the serial (and the graphic novels) and develop tolerance and empathy for Nick, his confusion and his strong commitment to Charlie. 246 16 Exploring Heartstopper Moments and Diversity with Teenagers in the Serial and Graphic Novel <?page no="247"?> This allows for the integration if gender diversity in the EFL classroom and the development of mutual acceptance. Through the positive representation of LGBTQ+ individuals, Heartstopper can be both, a window and a mirror. In conclusion, we turn again to Mr Ajayi for advice. After Nick’s fight with Harry, Charlie feels that he is the cause of all trouble and wants to withdraw. Once again, he goes to the art room. Mr Ajayi, who as a gay teacher at an all-boys school knows what he is talking about, does not allow him to go invisible and encourages him to stand his ground: “Don’t let anyone make you disappear” (S01: E08, 00: 11: 10). Series and serials Heartstopper. Oseman, Alice (creator). See-Saw Films, 2022-present. Further primary sources Oseman, Alice (2014). Solitaire. London: Harper Collins. Oseman, Alice (2015). Nick and Charlie. London: Harper Collins. Oseman, Alice (2019a). Heartstopper, volume 1. London: Hodder & Stoughton. Oseman, Alice (2019b). Heartstopper, volume 2. London: Hodder & Stoughton. Oseman, Alice (2020): Heartstopper, volume 3. London: Hodder & Stoughton. Oseman, Alice (2021): Heartstopper, volume 4. London: Hodder & Stoughton. Oseman, Alice (2022a): Heartstopper, volume 01. TV tie-in. Hodder & Stoughton. Oseman, Alice (2022b). The Heartstopper Yearbook. London: Hodder & Stoughton. References Allen, Melissa (2023). ‘In a romantic way, not just a friend way! ’: exploring the developmental implications of positive depictions of bisexuality in Alice Oseman’s Heartstopper. Journal of Bisexuality 23 (2), 197-228. Bishop, Rudine Sims (1990). Mirrors, windows and sliding glass doors. Perspectives 6 (3), ix-xi. https: / / scenicregional.org/ wp-content/ uploads/ 2017/ 08/ Mirrors-Windows-and-Slidin g-Glass-Doors.pdf (last accessed: 25.05.2024) Chiariello, Emily/ Olsen Edwards, Julie/ Owen, Natalie/ Ronk, Thom/ Wicht, Sarah (2022). Social Justice Standards: the teaching tolerance anti-bias framework. 2 nd ed. Southern Poverty Law Center, Alabama, USA. LFJ-Social-Justice-Standards-September-2022-09292022.pdf (last accessed: 25.05.2024) Chik, Alice (2014). Visual Literacy. Fremdsprachen Lehren und Lernen 43 (2), 43-55. Dillon, Frank R./ Worthington, Roger L./ Moradi, Bonnie (2011). “Sexual identity as universal process”. In: Schwartz, Seth J./ Luyckx, Koen/ Vignoles, Vivian L. (eds.). Handbook of Identity, Theory and Research. New York: Springer. https: / / doi.org/ 10.1007/ 978-1-4419-7988-9_27 16.4 Concluding thoughts 247 <?page no="248"?> Eisenmann, Maria/ Ludwig, Christian (2018). Introduction: gender and literature in the EFL classroom. In: Eisenmann, Maria/ Ludwig, Christian (eds.). Queer Beats: Gender and Literature in the EFL Classroom. Frankfurt a.M.: Lang, 17-38. Elsner, Daniela/ Lohe, Viviane (eds.) (2016). Gender and Language Learning. Research and Practice. Tübingen: Narr. Fachstelle für Gleichstellung/ Schweizerisches Institut für Kinder- und Jugendmedien (SIKJM)/ Pestalozzi Bibliothek Zürich (PBZ) (ed.) (2022): Kinder- und Jugendmedien mit vielfältigen Geschlechterrollen. Gerlach, David (2020). Einführung in eine kritische Fremdsprachendidaktik. In: Gerlach, David (ed.). Kritische Fremdsprachendidaktik. Grundlagen, Ziele, Beispiele. Tübingen: Narr, 7-31. Gudge, Eliot (2023). The biggest changes Netflix’s Heartstopper made to the webcomic. A faithful adaption, Netflix’s Heartstopper uses its deviations to enrich the original webcomic, leading to a more satisfying experience. https: / / www.cbr.com/ heartstopper-netflix-webcomicchanges/ (last accessed: 25.05.2024) Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) (2016). In focus: reporting on the bisexual community: a resource for journalists and media professionals. GLAAD. https: / / www.glaad.org/ sites/ default/ files/ BiMediaResourceGuide.pdf (last accessed: 25.05.2024) Jays, David (2023). Royal Academy of Dance Podcast: Why dance matters. Interview with Alice Oseman. https: / / www.youtube.com/ watch? v=k3TOHGjsjJ8 (last accessed: 25.05.2024) Jenkins, Christine A./ Cart, Michael (2018). Representing the Rainbow in Young Adult Literature: LGBTQ+ Content since 1969. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield. Jones, Owen (2022): Heartstopper creator Alice Oseman: “It was just me telling a story that brought me joy”. Guardian Live. https: / / www.youtube.com/ watch? v=D6eqEsHRsjU (last accessed: 25.05.2024) König, Lotta/ Surkamp, Carola/ Decke-Cornill, Helene (2015). Negotiating Gender. Aushand‐ lungs- und Reflexionsprozesse über Geschlechtervorstellungen anstoßen. Der Fremdspra‐ chliche Unterricht Englisch 49 (135), 2-9. Leonhardt, Jan-Erik/ Viebrock, Britta (2020): Ausgewählte Materialien für einen kritisch orien‐ tierten Fremdsprachenunterricht: Jugendliteratur mit Trans-Gender Thematik. In: Gerlach, David (ed.). Kritische Fremdsprachendidaktik. Grundlagen, Ziele, Beispiele. Tübingen: Narr, 37-52. Loder Buechel, Laura (2022). Anti-bias education in English language teaching: unpacking textbooks, packing a new suitcase. In: Robin, Jesabel/ Zimmermann, Martina (eds.). Fremd‐ sprachendidaktik in der Schweizer Lehrer*innenbildung. An welchen wissenschaftlichen Positionen orientiert sich die Praxis? Frankfurt: Peter Lang, 169-189. Nicholson, Rebecca (2022). Heartstopper review - possibly the loveliest show on TV. Published 22 April 2022. https: / / www.theguardian.com/ tv-and-radio/ 2022/ apr/ 22/ heartstopper-review -alice-oseman-netflix-tv-drama (last accessed: 25.05.2024) Merse, Thorsten (2020). Queere Interventionen in die Kritische Fremdsprachendidaktik: The‐ oretische Überlegungen und praxisorientierte Implementationen. In: Gerlach, David (ed.). Kritische Fremdsprachendidaktik. Grundlagen, Ziele, Beispiele. Tübingen: Narr, 107-123. 248 16 Exploring Heartstopper Moments and Diversity with Teenagers in the Serial and Graphic Novel <?page no="249"?> Newman, Mark/ Ogle, Donna (2019). Visual Literacy: Reading, Thinking, and Communicating with Visuals. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. O’Brian, Keira (2022). Children’s: world’s worst pet pads into the number one as Heartstopper invades the charts. https: / / www.thebookseller.com/ bestsellers/ childrens-worlds-worst-pets -pads-into-the-number-one-as-heartstopper-invades-the-charts (last accessed: 25.05.2024) Schwab, Katie (2023). Publishing queer literature: a comparison between the adult and young adult markets from the cold war to present day. Publishing Research Quarterly Springer. https: / / doi.org/ 10.1007/ s12109-023-09959-9 Summer, Theresa/ Eisenmann, Maria (2023). Diversity in ELT. Einen Englischunterricht der Vielfalt gestalten. Englisch 5-10 63, 28-34. https: / / www.friedrich-verlag.de/ friedrich-plus/ sekundarstufe/ englisch/ lernstrategien/ diversity-in-elt-15636 (last accessed: 25.05.2024) Vega, Jaqueline (2015). Making a case for the LGBT graphic novels. Language Arts Journal of Michigan 30 (2), 39-43. https: / / doi.org/ 10.9707/ 2168-149X.2070 Wong, Henry (2023). Olivia Colman is the best part of Heartstopper. Published 21 August 2023. https: / / www.esquire.com/ uk/ culture/ tv/ a44866730/ olivia-colman-heartstopper/ ? utm_source=flipboard&utm_content=EsquireUK%2Fmagazine%2FTop+Stories (25.05.2024) Websites https: / / aliceoseman.com/ Hachette (last accessed: 25.05.2024) https: / / heartstoppercomic.tumblr.com/ post/ 148737198070 (last accessed: 25.05.2024) https: / / tapas.io/ series/ Heartstopper/ info (last accessed: 22.06.2024) https: / / www.webtoons.com/ en/ canvas/ heartstopper/ list? title_no=329660 (last accessed: 25.05.2024) https: / / diva-magazine.com/ 2023/ 08/ 25/ heartstopper-books-banned/ (last accessed: 31.05.2024) http: / / mediaroom.scholastic.com (last accessed: 25.05.2024) Download: Additional Material 16.4 Concluding thoughts 249 <?page no="251"?> 17 White Feminism: An Intersectional Analysis of the Serial Dickinson Natalie Güllü/ Mareen Lüke/ David Gerlach Emily Dickinson, today considered one of the most important US poets of the 19 th century, was barely recognized during her lifetime. Most of her poems were not published until after her death. Little is known about her life as an unmarried daughter in a privileged white household in Amherst, Massachusetts. The TV show Dickinson, a serial biopic about Emily as a young woman first released in 2019, works with historical sets and costumes. Language and narrative, however, are interpreted in a contemporary way and enhanced with pop-cultural references. Emily Dickinson is characterized as a passionate rebel who expresses her non-conformity through her behavior and poetry. Also, she is involved in a romantic relationship with her brother’s later fiancée Sue. Our contribution focuses on the first episode of the first season, which largely adheres to the historical order of events. As a coming-of-age-story, Dickinson appeals to EFL learners through modern storytelling, negotiating highly relevant issues such as (queer) feminism. Race and class, however, are hardly addressed although slavery and labor exploitation impacted society and granted privileges to the Dickinson family. Racist beliefs even become visible in Dickinson’s poems. But while she rebelled against her oppression, the liberation of other oppressed (women) was none of her concern. This multitude of potentially critical phenomena is an opportunity to discuss white feminism in a critical EFL Classroom and to introduce the concept of ‘intersectionality’, i.e., an approach that helps to understand how different forms of discrimination relate to each other. Against this framework, learners analyze selected scenes and elaborate on how the serial ignores issues of race and class. In a final complex task, learners create and present a diorama of an alternative scene depicting the perspective of a Black/ working class character to raise awareness for their non-/ misrepresentation and to expose the white feminism of the serial. 17.1 Introduction The TV show Dickinson (Apple TV+) tells of the life of young Emily, taking up many biographical and historical facts but staging them in a pop-cultural way. Sets and costumes represent 19 th century New England, whilst language and narrative are interpreted in a contemporary way and enhanced with pop-cultural references through modern songs or slang expressions. In the show, Emily Dickinson is characterized as <?page no="252"?> a passionate rebel who expresses her nonconformity with gender roles through her behavior and her poetry. She rebels against her patriarchal father, which repeatedly leads to conflict. A scene in which this becomes evident is analyzed in section 2 below. Mr Dickinson learns that Emily has submitted a poem for publication behind his back, which is not only against his will but also, in his opinion, reflects badly on the family’s reputation because it gives the impression that he, as head of the family, does not have the women in his household under control. Also, Emily is involved in a secret romantic relationship with her brother’s later fiancée Sue with whom she has had a close relationship since childhood. In section 2, a scene is analyzed in which she and Sue have a dispute over the engagement. Emily refers to their secret intimate relationship, which she sees endangered by the upcoming marriage of Sue and Austin Dickinson. This reference to the homosexuality of the historical figure Emily Dickinson would be an excellent occasion to look at the queerphobia of the time, especially in Puritan, bourgeois households and communities. However, the impossibility of an open love affair between the two is not dealt with in depth in this chapter. As a coming-of-age-story, Dickinson appeals to EFL learners through modern story‐ telling, tackling highly relevant issues such as (queer) feminism which we consider to be of value in a critical language classroom. Race and class, however, are hardly addressed in the show although slavery and economic inequalities severely impacted society at that time and granted vast privileges to the Dickinson family, including political, economic, and social power. In the examination of the historical figure Emily Dickinson, racist beliefs become visible in her poems and in her correspondence with a newspaper editor (Bernat Bennet 2002). But while Emily is portrayed as a rebel against her own oppression in the show, the liberation of other oppressed women is none of her concern, neither in real life nor in the cinematic adaptation. The stylistic device of anachronism in Dickinson, with its pop culture references to the present day, fulfills the appealing criterion of integrating contemporary perspec‐ tives and might make it easier for learners to identify with the characters in the show (in contrast to a historically accurate presentation that might seem boring to a younger audience): The show self-consciously draws overt parallels between past and present to emphasise the familiarity of the past, rather than its strangeness, thus rejecting triumphalist readings of history and positing a new way for contemporary audiences to understand and access history. Dickinson also suggests a definition of authenticity that is not reliant on the development of a sense of verisimilitude. In its use of intentional anachronism and its insistence on capturing a sense of affective accuracy, Dickinson suggests a new way of thinking about the function and form of historical fiction in the twenty-first century. (Russo 2021: 534) These anachronisms are stylistic devices, but they also cover up white feminism, the exploitation of the working class, and racism. This concealment could be seen as woke-washing that tries to compensate for discriminatory practices through repre‐ 252 17 White Feminism <?page no="253"?> 1 A diaroma is a three-dimensional miniature scene or display that depicts a specific moment, incident, or concept. sentation in an area which then could (and should) be uncovered through series_serials and critical literacy (cf. Leonhardt/ Viebrock in this volume). With a critical EFL classroom (Gerlach 2020) in mind, we would like to take this mul‐ titude of potentially critical phenomena as an opportunity to discuss white feminism by introducing the concept of intersectionality (Crenshaw 1991) to learners. Following the principles of critical language education (Gerlach 2020; Gerlach/ Lüke 2023), the implementation of this particular case of period drama could be considered a three-part process: Learners need to gain a broad knowledge base about the relevant constructs (in this case: historical context, Emily Dickinson as a person, white feminism, race and class). Learners employ series_serials literacy to understand white feminism, racism, and class struggles (and how they interact/ intersect). And they transform this discriminatory practice or message by re-conceptualizing a scene from the serial in an action-oriented way (Abendroth-Timmer/ Gerlach 2021) in order to reflect about the critical issues during a classroom presentation. Against this framework, learners analyze selected scenes through a series_serials literacy lens and elaborate on how the serial ignores issues of race and class and thus runs the risk of normalizing them by casually mentioning them, while ignoring the struggles and victories of workers and the enslaved taking place at the same time. To counteract this effect, learners critically analyze two selected scenes and then create and present a diorama 1 of an alternative scene depicting the perspective of a Black/ working class character in a final complex, genre-oriented competence task (Hallet 2016). 17.2 An intersectional analysis of Dickinson I am not free while any woman is unfree, even when her shackles are very different from my own. AUDRE LORDE (1981: 10) Audre Lorde’s celebrated words are quoted whenever people position themselves as intersectional feminists, which means that their fight against patriarchy aims at including - for instance - racialized, working-class women, and queers. This feminism is meant to go hand in hand with, for instance, anti-racism, class struggle, anti-ableism and fat liberation. White feminism, i.e., a feminism that does not do this, will be presented here. 17.2 An intersectional analysis of Dickinson 253 <?page no="254"?> White feminism White feminism is “a feminism that centers the experiences of white, middle-class women whose racial and economic privilege grants them the spotlight” (Dalley 2021: 2) often neglecting or excluding Black, Indigenous, and women of Color, as well as other marginalized groups (disabled women, queer women, trans women, etc.). The positioning in a capitalist society remains unaddressed, so that the liberation of the working class and labor exploitation is not part of the agenda. White feminism is further criticized for perpetuating systems of privilege and oppression, seeking not to abolish patriarchy (or white supremacy and capitalism) but to improve white upper middle class women’s position within these hegemonial systems. Intersectionality as a theoretical lens on relations of inequality was first coined by Crenshaw (1991) and “means the examination of race, sex, class, national origin, and sexual orientation and how their combination plays out in various settings” (Delgado/ Stefancic 2017: 58). Intersectionality as an analytical tool is not only relevant for contemporary feminisms: Dalley criticizes “the treatment of Victorian white femi‐ nisms as simply ‘feminism’ [which she considers to] be particularly problematic when Victorian feminisms are positioned as the antecedents for contemporary feminism” (2021: 7, our addition). The suffragette movement in the US, which was dominated by white women and excluded the interests of Black (enslaved) women, serves as a historical example from the time of Emily Dickinson: the right to vote and economic independence was fought for, but not for all women. The National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA) led by prominent suffragists such as Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton prioritized the suffrage rights of white women and actively excluded Black women from their organizations and events. An infamous quote by Stanton about the right to vote goes: “I will cut off this right arm of mine before I will ever work or demand the ballot for the [N****] and not the woman” (cited in Dorr 1928: 183, our substitution). The extent to which an intersectional critique of the white liberal feminism of Emily Dickinson is justified is certainly open to debate. Ultimately, as Aldalabeeh (2018: 65) points out, she “is essentially a poet, not a thinker or philosopher”. Likewise, she was not a political activist, as her influence was limited to the domestic sphere. However, it should also be taken into account that Dickinson has been staged and celebrated in recent times as a feminist and rebellious person, which is not least visible in a cult of personality that is unusual for women poets: Dickinson has become an industry, providing jobs for scholars and laypersons alike, her elusive texts the engine that keeps the entire show running. With the aid of this scholarly apparatus, a constant stream of articles, books, and papers (not to mention paintings, plays, novels, poems, post-cards, postage, stamps, CDs, films and videos) inundate the market every year. (Bernat Bennet 2002: 58) And it is this rebellious, non-conformist image that Dickinson takes up and centers in the plot, while not sufficiently addressing that Emily Dickinson was rather conservative 254 17 White Feminism <?page no="255"?> and not interested in political and social issues of her time whilst sharing the racism of the dominant white Protestant population (ibid.). However, this approach to the figure of Emily Dickinson and her literary work is not unusual as “most Victorian feminisms […] fall under the classification of white feminism because they elide issues of race and racism within their analyses and implicitly identify white women as their subjects” (Dalley 2021: 4). This approach to 19 th century women literature is canonized: Even a cursory glance at the Norton [Anthology of English Literature, 10 th edition] table of contents reveals a preoccupation with the problems of white, middle-class women: marriage, education, economic autonomy. Rarely mentioned are slavery, domestic violence, sexual violence, hunger, family planning, or social justice. (ibid.: 7, our addition) When looking at the racism in Dickinson’s letters and poems, one could argue that it is not unusual, and that Emily was a child of her time. Portraying her as particularly evil or devious is not the aim of an intersectional critique of white feminists either. Rather, the aim is to point out systems of violence that otherwise tend to be disregarded, which is also going to be one of the key goals of teaching this critical perspective by fostering “the learners’ ability to use audio-visual series and serials […] critically and autonomously in the context of English language education” (Leonhardt/ Viebrock in this volume: 23). To prepare this, two selected scenes will be analyzed that illustrate how the character of Emily in the serial dismisses, ignores or ridicules the issue of class and slavery in the tradition of Victorian white feminism, and, with the help of a critical lens, its effects on the entertainment seeking (young) viewer will be pointed out. In the task developed for the critical engagement with this serial, this will be taken up again in that learners depict the reality of non-white and working-class characters in a diorama. Potential learners’ perspectives on white feminism through Dickinson In Dickinson, Emily herself embodies white feminism. Although the show explores limitations and challenges faced by a white upper-class woman in the 19 th century, particularly in terms of societal expectations and gender roles, a deeper engagement with the experience of women less privileged is missing. Portrayed as a rebellious and independent thinker, Emily challenges the traditional roles assigned to women of her class. She defies the expectations of marriage and domesticity and pursues her passion for writing poetry. This can be seen as a form of white feminism, as she seeks personal freedom and self-expression within the confines of her privileged white identity. In the first season, the plot almost exclusively takes place in and around the Dickinson’s house, with Emily occasionally visiting other places in Amherst and New England, such as Amherst College or Henry David Thoreau’s hut. Thus, the spatial limitations alone deny insights into the lives of women who do not have the same societal status as Emily. You do not see the workers who build the railways, nor the Indigenous peoples 17.2 An intersectional analysis of Dickinson 255 <?page no="256"?> who have been killed or displaced from their lands, nor the enslaved who are exploited on plantations hundreds of miles to the south. These three examples could serve as a basis for the creation of a diorama in the task presented below. White feminism and race in Dickinson In a scene in episode 1 (for transcript, see appendix) that reveals the family’s attitude towards slavery, which is still legal in the southern states of the USA at this time, the Dickinson family and Sue sit at a richly set table and eat dinner. The father talks about his ambitions to pursue a political career and the others congratulate him. Emily’s sister, Lavinia, who is portrayed as rather naive, asks the father out of the blue if he is an abolitionist. He answers: “Oh, no, I wouldn’t say that. I don’t take any kind of radical position. I think slavery is wrong, of course. But I also believe in compromise. I certainly don’t think it’s something we ought to go to war over”, which his wife then comments with “Very sensible, dear.” At this point, the tacit acceptance of systematic oppression, exploitation, murder, and rape of Black enslaved people for capitalist purposes is accepted by Mr and Mrs Dickinson to not endanger the own secure position by averting war. By saying that he finds slavery wrong, the father withdraws from moral responsibility while subordinating justice to his own interests. This also reflects the racist beliefs of white people at the time, who justify slavery by dehumanizing Black people. No one sitting at the table criticizes the father’s statements or picks up on the cruel and violent practices that constitute slavery, which he euphemistically calls a “messy business”. As a viewer of the scene, which was largely shot in close-ups and over-the-shoulder shots, you sit outside the table in the dark and are thus deliberately neutralized. All emotions are carried purely by the confrontations (and not, for example, by additional background music) and thus also require a certain contextual, historical-cultural knowledge on the part of the viewer to decode the background. What the life under slavery is like is not depicted cinematically. A critical analysis of this scene conducted by learners could be used as desideratum to develop a diorama. Learners first ask whose perspectives and realities are being left out and then fill this void by researching the historical context of slavery. Through their research work and an analysis of the scene including the father’s statement, they break out of the confines of the Dickinsons’ dining room. At this point, it should be noted that problematization may have to be initiated and accompanied by the teacher or the teaching material. It is not possible to say for sure whether learners will notice this while they face other (linguistic, cognitive) task demands. A further relativization of the Maafa, or African Holocaust, is Emily’s response to her father’s statement: “I feel like a slave” [emphasis on “I”]. Her mother, portrayed as a woman with a limited horizon who does little to oppose the behavior of her rebellious daughter or her authoritative husband, then calls Emily a “spoiled girl from Amherst […] far from a slave” which could be interpreted as an astute criticism of her daughter's words and basically contradicts her portrayal. So in this scene it is the naive sister 256 17 White Feminism <?page no="257"?> 2 Twerking is a certain form of booty dancing prevalent in the African diaspora. It originally derives from Bantu-speaking peoples of Central Africa. Like other practices of marginalized groups, twerking is stigmatized and rejected from the ruling classes, while at the same time it is appropriated by white artists through pop cultural expansion (Pérez 2016). 3 “The peripheral black character offers support to the white lead. In these features, in which the Magical [N****] serve as supernatural beings with commensurate powers, the plot remains filtered through the prism of the white protagonist, who, by dictates of the genre, has overcome an obstacle or gained special knowledge” (Ringle 2019: 272, our substitution). who raises a critical question (“Father, are you an abolitionist? ”) and the mother who puts Emily’s comparison in its place. What makes this scene interestingly historically accurate is the comparison of the situation of a white middle-class woman with that of a slave, which often is an argument of Victorian Feminism (Dalley 2021). At this point, learners could apply what they have learnt about white feminism to what Emily says. Referring back to the historical context of slavery, they can be encouraged to critically address her behavior and examine the cinematic depiction of this flawed comparison. From a critical antiracist perspective, the pop-cultural staging of the show is interesting in general; towards the end of episode 3, 19 th century upper class children twerk 2 at a house party appropriating the culture of those suffering under enslavement and racism. Further, Emily has recurring dates with the personified death. The character and its function in the plot show characteristics of the Magical N**** trope 3 for he merely gives her life advice while smoking cannabis in a carriage in front of her house. This could be taken up again at the end of the learning unit. Learners discuss the effect this pop cultural staging can have, as it appropriates Black culture while equally silencing the perspectives of Black characters. Furthermore, the only Black character, as a superhuman being, speaks to Emily only about her personal affairs. He is thus further dehumanized and despite the appearance of a Black character there is no representation of Black perspectives. White feminism and class in Dickinson In terms of Emily’s class consciousness, or the lack thereof, another scene from the first episode is relevant; she talks to Sue after learning that her brother Austin and Sue are engaged, which makes her furious (for transcript, see appendix). She accuses Sue of acting contrary to her values and of breaking a promise to become unmarried writers, which they made when fourteen years old. Emily does so knowing that Sue’s sister was her last living relative, which is why she is not only in mourning but also facing economic hardship as an unmarried, orphaned woman. When Sue argues “I’m not like you, Emily. I didn’t grow up with money. I don’t have your perfect life” Emily responds with “You think my life is perfect? Do you even know me? ”, redirecting the focus on her individual, emotional struggle. Only when Sue elaborates on how they are both positioned completely differently and their lives are incomparable by stating “I am all alone in this world. I’m destitute. If I don’t marry Austin, I will literally starve to death” Emily is pacified, asking Sue to promise to love her more than she will ever love 17.2 An intersectional analysis of Dickinson 257 <?page no="258"?> Austin. However, she does not go further into the economic struggle and dependency in which her friend has to enter this marriage. This would be an opportunity for her as a feminist to address structural injustices and economic dependencies of women in society. Instead, Emily directs the focus to her own personal interests and her emotional claims of ownership over Sue, who seems to have no agency left anyway. In exploring this, against the background of knowledge about class and white feminism, learners work out the different positioning of the two women and how this shows in the scene. This is done along the analysis of the plot. But also on a cinematic level, learners can approach critical scene analysis with the aspects of class and white feminism: The dialogue in this scene shows how Emily is positioned higher than Sue in matters of class because she is not subject to economic constraints. Although she is unfree as the daughter of a patriarch, she has a home and food on the table. She is freer than most women and does not have to fear class relegation. On a cinematic level, this is represented visually: When Sue approaches her, Emily sits in a tree in the orchard and looks down on her which is presented through a low angle shot. Only when Sue speaks up for herself pointing out her dead-end situation, Emily climbs down the tree and approaches her on a more equal footing but still remains slightly higher which is visible through over-the-shoulder shots respectively. The dramaturgy of the scene and the background music are particularly interesting considering Sue’s hopeless situation and Emily’s behavior towards her; the end of the scene culminates in a passionate kiss between the two in the rain, accompanied by a dreamy, playful indie-pop song which leaves the viewer soothed and comfortable and depoliticizes the circumstances of the two lovers. Again, at this point in the analysis, the teacher or the material should draw the learners’ attention to this discontinuity if necessary. Sue’s statement about her current situation should be contrasted with the end of the scene at the level of the plot and the cinematic realization and critically examined. After analyzing the orchard scene, another scene at the end of the first episode serves to further explore white feminism and class and characterize Emily with our critical analytical lens: In an intimate conversation between Emily and her father, her disinterest in the struggle of working-class women shows. He begs her to never get married and thereby leave the family’s household. She agrees and asks him in return: “Promise me that we can get a maid” to avoid having to fulfill housework. She is always annoyed when her mother or sister ask her to join in with the housework. Although she criticizes the fact that her brother, as a man, is exempt, she does not care that her refusal leaves the work to the two other women in the household ‒ her mother and her sister. She neither discusses this sexist practice with her father. As a solution to this problem, she sees the outsourcing of care work to a woman worker. A quote by writer and activist Audre Lorde from her essay “The Master’s Tools Will Never Dismantle the Master’s House” shall be considered in this context: If white American feminist theory need not deal with the differences between us, and the resulting difference in our oppressions, then how do you deal with the fact that the women who clean your houses and tend your children while you attend conferences on feminist 258 17 White Feminism <?page no="259"?> theory are, for the most part, poor women and women of Color? What is the theory behind racist feminism? (Lorde 2007: 105) At this point in the serial, Emily has no interest in the liberation of enslaved women and men and wants to avoid her unappealing tasks in the house by assigning them to working class women in exchange for a salary. Here, too, learners could gain and give insights into the realities of a working-class woman or a bourgeois woman who is suffering economic hardships by showing an alternative scene that depicts those whose perspectives are hardly considered in the serial, e.g., Sue, a maid, a railway worker, a farmer. Overall, the first season of Dickinson depicts Victorian white feminism but fails to make it the subject of criticism. Through the colorful, pop, adventurous world of Emily, that also appropriates Black culture, questions of racial and economic exploitation fall under the table. The young viewer is invited to identify with a frustrated teenager who seeks self-fulfillment but lives beyond (racist) violence and labor exploitation. This conclusion should also be discussed with the learners. In the end, it also serves as a reason and basis for the creation of the diorama. With the diorama, the learners show their version of the first episode, which attempts to fill this gap and criticizes the power relations from which the Dickinsons, including Emily, benefit. 17.3 An overview of the practical tasks and methodological considerations The overall aim of the teaching unit on Dickinson is to present a diorama on a scene of the serial in which working class and Black characters are (better) represented in contrast to the scenes analyzed and discussed above. This is of special importance as the analysis shows how working class and Black characters are non-/ misrepresented. Since the unit deals with sensitive topics such as racism, which may affect learners and can therefore (re-)traumatize them, care must be taken to ensure that violent language is not (re-)produced or that it does not remain unaddressed. One way to prevent (re)traumatization can be to communicate a trigger warning in advance according to the following example: The following lesson will address topics that may trigger strong feelings and memories because the lesson addresses issues such as racism and sexism. If these topics trigger negative feelings in you, we will work together to find a solution that makes you feel safe. (cf. Langensiepen et al. 2022: 35) Based on the research of Emily Dickinson as a historical person (cf. Mat. 1), learners watch the first episode of Dickinson with the help of listening and viewing strategies, including guiding questions while watching, formulating definitions of ‘white femi‐ 17.3 An overview of the practical tasks and methodological considerations 259 <?page no="260"?> nism’ and ‘working class’. Learners relate the concepts of white feminism and working class to Dickinson (cf. Mat. 2). With help of internet research techniques, learners should then inform themselves about the historical context Emily Dickinson lived in to become aware of the social circumstances (cf. Mat. 3). Especially the Industrial Revolution, the Civil War, the abolition of slavery, and the beginning of the women’s suffrage movement were important historical events that must be considered when analyzing the serial. The learners select one of two suggested scenes from Dickinson (analyzed above; for transcript see appendix) in which Black and/ or working-class characters are non-/ misrepresented and watch it in a small group (cf. Mat. 4). Eventually, learners create a diorama depicting an alternative scene of the first episode of Dickinson, which (better) represents the realities of Black and working-class characters. To acquire techniques for making a diorama, learners watch tutorials and take notes on the steps for making the diorama. Based on the tutorials, learners are given different materials for building the diorama. Groups of learners then select a scene they already analyzed individually and reflect on necessary adaptations, which they then put into practice by creating the diorama. Finally, learners present their diorama with the presentation strategies already acquired in a gallery walk. With help of post-its, learners give feedback on each diorama. An optional worksheet is dedicated to the analysis of cinematic tropes from a critical perspective on racism (cf. Mat. 5). Here, learners learn to look for recurring racist narratives in other cinematic representations beyond this teaching unit. Series and serials Dickinson. Smith, Alena (creator). Tuning Fork Productions/ Sugar 23/ wilp/ Anonymous Content, 2019-2021. References Abendroth-Timmer, Dagmar/ Gerlach, David (2021). Handlungsorientierung im Fremdsprache‐ nunterricht. Stuttgart: Metzler. Aldalabeeh, Yousef. A.N. (2018). Ordinary themes presented with an extra-ordinary talent: an overview of Emily Dickinson’s notable poems. International Journal of Applied Linguistics and English Literature 7 (3), 60-66. Bernat Bennett, Paula (2002). “The negro never knew”. Emily Dickinson and racial typology in the nineteenth century. Legacy 19 (1), 53-61. Crenshaw, Kimberlé (1991). Mapping the margins: intersectionality, identity politics, and violence against women of color. Stanford Law Review 43 (6), 1241-1299. Gerlach, David/ Lüke, Mareen (2023). Critical Literacy als Beitrag zur Bildungsgerechtigkeit im Englischunterricht - Eine unterrichtspraktische Annäherung. In: Boesken, Gesine/ Krämer, Astrid/ Matthiesen, Tatiana/ Panagiotopoulou, Julie A./ Springob, Jan (eds.). Zukunft Bildung‐ 260 17 White Feminism <?page no="261"?> schancen: Ergebnisse und Perspektiven aus Forschung und Praxis. Münster: Waxmann, 215-221. Gerlach, David (2020). Einführung in eine Kritische Fremdsprachendidaktik. In: Gerlach, David (ed.). Kritische Fremdsprachendidaktik: Grundlagen, Ziele, Beispiele. Tübingen: Narr, 7-31. Dalley, Lana L. (2021). Confronting “white feminism” in the Victorian literature classroom. Nineteenth-Century Gender Studies 17 (1), 29. Delgado, Richard/ Stefancic, Jean (2017). Critical Race Theory: An Introduction. 3 rd ed. New York: NYU Press. Dorr, Rheta Childe (1928). Susan B. Anthony: The Woman who Changed the Mind of a Nation. New York: Frederick A. Stokes. Hallet, Wolfgang (2016). Genres im fremdsprachlichen und bilingualen Unterricht: Formen und Muster der sprachlichen Interaktion. 1 st ed. Seelze: Klett Kallmeyer. Langensiepen, Natalie/ Lüke, Mareen/ Leonhardt, Jan-Erik (2022). I can’t wake up one day and not be fat: Ein Konzept für ein Musikvideo zum Thema anti-fatness entwickeln. Der fremdsprachliche Unterricht Englisch 179, 34-39. Lorde, Audre (1981). The uses of anger. Women’s Studies Quarterly 9 (3), 7-10. Lorde, Audre (2007). Sister Outsider. London: Penguin Books. Pérez, Elizabeth (2016). The ontology of twerk: from ‘sexy’ Black movement style to Afro-Dia‐ sporic sacred dance. African and Black Diaspora: An International Journal 9 (1), 16-31. Ringle, Carter (2019). Fear and loathing in the Americas: white fanatics and the cinematic colonial mindset. Terrae Incognitae 51 (3), 271-280. Russo, Stephanie (2021). ‘You are, like, so woke’: Dickinson and the anachronistic turn in historical drama. Rethinking History 25 (4), 534-554. Download: Additional Material Appendix Transcript scene “Race” [S01: E01, 00: 21: 07-00: 26: 34] (The Dickinson family and Sue sit at a richly set table and eat dinner.) MR DICKINSON: Now, now. Listen here: I have a rather exciting announcement. As you know, in addition to running my successful law practice as well as maintaining my position as treasurer of Amherst College, I served two terms in the Massachusetts House of Representatives. Well, now I have my eye on something bigger. I’ve decided to run for Congress. AUSTIN: Father, that’s marvelous! LAVINIA: Way to go, Dad. MR DICKINSON: Thank you. I appreciate your enthusiasm. Your mother was quite opposed to the idea. Appendix 261 <?page no="262"?> MRS DICKINSON: Well, I just don’t want you away from home so much. Candidates are always moving about. MR DICKINSON: Well, we’ve gotta get out the vote, now, don’t we? The vote and the message. LAVINIA: Father, are you an abolitionist? MR DICKINSON: Oh, no, I wouldn’t say that. I don’t take any kind of radical position. I think slavery is wrong, of course. But I also believe in compromise. I certainly don’t think it’s something we ought to go to war over. MRS DICKINSON: Very sensible, dear. MR DICKINSON: Yes. EMILY: Sometimes I feel like a slave. MRS DICKINSON: You are a spoiled girl from Amherst, Emily. Far from a slave. MR DICKINSON: It’s a messy business, but we must keep the Union together at all costs. That’s my platform. That and let’s bring the railroad to Amherst. That too. LAVINIA: Oh, the railroad? That’s fancy. MR DICKINSON: Yes, Lavinia, if I’m elected, you will hear a train whistle outside your bedroom window. LAVINIA: That sounds like a nightmare. AUSTIN: Yes, well, congratulations, Father. Now we have an announcement to make as well. Sue and I have discussed it and we’ve decided we’re not moving to Detroit. We’re staying here in Amherst, with the family. MR DICKINSON: Excellent. Excellent. MRS DICKINSON: This is wonderful news. EMILY: Hooray! MR DICKINSON: You can hold the firm together while I’m off running my campaign. (The Dickinsons continue their dinner and conversation. Emily announces that she has published a poem in the college magazine. Her father becomes angry and sees his reputation endangered because of his daughter’s actions. The other family members leave the table. Mr Dickinson punishes Emily by telling her to clear the table and clean up the kitchen all by herself. He leaves. Emily breathes heavily. She gets up, smashes a plate on the floor in front of the fireplace and rushes out of the room.) Transcript scene “Class” [S01: E01, 00: 14: 50-00: 17: 36] (Emily sits in a tree in the orchard. Sue approaches her and looks up at her.) EMILY: Is this some kind of joke? You’re marrying my brother, are you insane? SUE: What else was I supposed to do, Emily? My entire family is dead. 262 17 White Feminism <?page no="263"?> EMILY: Yes, I know, and I feel terrible about that, but AUSTIN? You don’t even like him. You told me you don’t respect his intellect. Besides, I thought we were never getting married. I thought that we were gonna grow up and become great writers together. SUE: That’s a stupid promise we made when we were fourteen years old. And even then, I knew it was a lie. I’m not like you, Emily. I didn’t grow up with money. I don’t have your perfect life. EMILY: You think my life is perfect? Do you even know me? SUE: I am all alone in this world. I’m destitute. If I don’t marry Austin, I will literally starve to death. (Emily sighs, climbs out of the tree and walks towards Sue.) EMILY: I’m sorry about Mary. I really liked her. SUE: Yeah, I liked her, too. She was my favorite sister. (Sue wipes away a tear that runs down her cheek.) EMILY: Well, I guess, since you’re marrying Austin, I’ll be your sister now. Promise me something, Sue. Okay, promise me two things. One: That you won’t move away to Michigan. And two: That you’ll always love me more than him. SUE: As far as the first one goes, it’s really Austin’s decision. But as far as the second… EMILY: Yeah? SUE: Well, I wouldn’t worry too much about that one. (There is thunder. Emily and Sue walk towards each other and kiss intimately. It begins to rain. Music starts.) Appendix 263 <?page no="265"?> 18 Promoting Series_Serials Literacy with When They See Us Katharina Delius This chapter looks at the US American mini serial When They See Us, by Ava DuVernay. The four-part crime drama serial touches upon true events that happened in New York City in 1989 and explores the lives of the five Black and Latino male suspects who were falsely accused and prosecuted on charges related to the rape and assault of a white woman. The City of New York later vacated the men’s convictions, and in 2014 they were all exonerated. When They See Us tells the story of the five youths mainly from the perspective of the teenagers and their families. The mini serial has received critical acclaim because it brought to light the issues of a biased criminal justice system, coercive police interrogations, and sensationalist media coverage that are still relevant today. The chapter deals with the fictional representation of the real case and provides further information about the themes presented in it. On the basis of an analysis of the audio-visual design of the serial and its effects on viewers, practical teaching suggestions for advanced learners in upper secondary school will be presented. Students will learn how a fictional serial can both reflect and shape socio-cultural discourse. Both analytical and creative tasks aim at developing learners’ series_serials literacy, focusing especially on aesthetic and critical competences. 18.1 The story Since When They See Us (WTSU) deals with a real criminal case, it is helpful to first learn about the events in the following brief description. Context and Background: The Central Park Jogger Case from 1989 New York in 1989 is described as “a city of jangling nerves and rising fears. […] Violent-crime rates were rising for the third straight year, and homicides would set a record” (Smith 2002). Harlem and Central Park were considered the most dangerous places of the city, especially at night. Racial tensions resulted “in calls for more oppressive policing and pressure for more significant judicial sentencing” (ARRAY101 2020: 7). In this atmosphere the following events occurred: On the night of April 19, there were several reports of physical assaults by dozens of teenagers in Central Park. The brutal beating and rape of 28-year-old jogger Trisha Meili, however, led to a public outcry. Five of the arrested teens of color - Antron McCray, <?page no="266"?> Kevin Richardson, Yusef Salaam, Raymond Santana Jr., and Korey Wise, all between 14 and 16 years old - were convicted of the charged offenses, although no physical evidence confirmed their guilt. The case was widely discussed in the media, for the most part with a biased view on the suspects. In 2002, after the convicted had served sentences ranging from seven to 13 years, the confession from the lone attacker, Matias Reyes, and DNA evidence proved the innocence of the five men, whose convictions were vacated. In 2003, they filed a suit against the city for wrongful conviction, which resulted in a $41 million settlement in 2014. In four episodes lasting between 64 and 88 minutes, WTSU fictionalizes the case depicted. Episode 1 introduces the main characters and retells the night of the attack and the arrests. The episode lays the foundation for the exploration of the convictions and the impact they have on the lives of the five teens and their families. In episode 2, the focus shifts to the trials. It portrays the racially charged atmosphere surrounding the case, with the media frenzy amplifying the pressure on the boys. The episode highlights the inadequate legal representation they received and the biases within the justice system that resulted in their convictions. Episode 3 delves into the aftermath of the convictions, exploring the years of Kevin, Antron, Raymond, and Yusef spent in prison. It showcases the harsh realities of their incarceration and the impact it had on their lives, relationships, and sense of self after their release. Episode 4 shines a special light on Korey’s journey and how the juvenile was brutally treated in the adult prison system. The episode also introduces Reyes, the real perpetrator of the crime. 18.2 Central themes The mini serial reflects key socio-cultural issues such as systemic racism and injustice prevalent in the criminal justice system, coercive police interrogations, and sensation‐ alist media coverage, all of which are briefly discussed below. In the beginning of episode 1, Kevin is brutally hit by a police officer. In the later interrogation, police officers attribute the injury to Kevin’s own violent involvement in the crime, denying their own abuse of force. After the attacks in Central Park, an entire room of juveniles of color is held overnight in the police station. Linda Fairstein, head of the sex crimes unit, quickly assumes that at least some of them must have been involved in the crime. Based on this initial suspicion, Fairstein says that she wants “an army of blue up in Harlem” (00: 20: 25-00: 20: 35). Such a description already points to the underlying view of the police as an entity ready to use force. And indeed, during the arrests, but especially during the interrogations, the police officers use violence against the youths in order to force confessions. Fairstein is increasingly convinced of the five teens’ guilt and speaks of them as animals. In order not to jeopardize her own credibility and ultimately her career, she finds herself pressured to obtain confessions that can be used in court. She passes this pressure on to the investigators, who apply it 266 18 Promoting Series_Serials Literacy with When They See Us <?page no="267"?> during their interrogations, using coercive practices such as physical and psychological violence, partly in the absence of parents or lawyers. The described approaches by both the prosecution and the investigators are prob‐ lematic because they violate US citizen rights, such as the presumption of innocence until conviction, or that every suspect in US police custody should be informed prior to interrogation with what is known as the Miranda warning. Generally, this warning advises suspects of their right to remain silent and thus of the protection against self-incrimination and to consult with an attorney before speaking with police as well as to have an attorney present during questioning. Although no definitive conclusions should be drawn from the fictional portrayal as to the real circumstances of the case, the actions of the prosecution and the police officers as portrayed can be related to real facts and figures from the past and today (cf. info box 1). Info box 1: Some figures about the unequal treatment of people of color in the US criminal justice system Going back to the myth of racial hierarchy in the days of slavery, the presumption of innocence often did not apply to people of color in the past: they were more likely to be considered guilty (Stevenson 2017: 3 f.). A study by Pierson et al. (2020) sheds light on the current situation. The researchers looked at a dataset of nearly 100 million traffic stops across the US and found that “black drivers were less likely to be stopped after sunset, when a ‘veil of darkness’ masks one’s race, suggesting bias in stop decisions” (ibid.: 736). Statistics by the Bureau of Justice (Beck 1991) on the incarceration in US prisons and jails show that in 1989, 41.7% of all inmates were black and 17.4% Hispanic. These figures must be seen against the background of population figures: The 1990 US Census identified 12.1% people as black and 9% as Hispanics (US Census Bureau 1992). The 2021 annual report of the Bureau of Justice Statistics showed that “most sentenced prisoners were black (32%), white (31%), or Hispanic (24%)” (Carson 2022: 10). The 2020 US census identified 12.4% people as black and 18.7% as Hispanics (US Census Bureau 2022). Explicit and unconscious racial biases can also influence charging decisions and trial outcomes. According to the National Registry of Exoneration, black people are seven times more likely to be wrongly convicted of murder than white people and black sexual assault exonerees often received harsher sentences (Gross et al. 2022). While the figures listed would need to be further differentiated, they provide some initial insight into the disproportionate police stops and detentions of people of color that have existed in the past and still exist in the present. And they have consequences on all kinds of levels (cf. info box 2). 18.2 Central themes 267 <?page no="268"?> Info box 2: Consequences of discrimination and incarceration A 2012 report by the Center for Constitutional Rights documents the impacts of the New York Police ‘stop-and-frisk’ practices, providing evidence of emotional, psychological, social, and economic harm. Incarceration is a major life-altering that makes it difficult to build a stable life after release, such as finding housing. According to a study which investigated the impact of incarceration during late adolescence and early adulthood on offenders’ employment outcomes (Apel/ Sweeten 2010), imprisonment leads to a deterioration in employment prospects and lower income in the longer term. A US Bureau of Justice Statistics report on the recidivism of prisoners released in 34 States in 2012 showed that two-thirds of those released are rearrested for at least one serious new crime, and more than half are re-incarcerated within three years of release (Antenangeli/ Durose 2021). Next to consequences at the individual level are those at the societal level: High incarceration rate in communities lead to high crime rates and deteriorating neighborhoods, which in turn lead to greater inequalities (Clear 2009). When a community experiences increased levels of victimizations and the loss of members to incarceration, the trust in law enforcement is diminished (Kirk 2016). Some of the consequences are also addressed in WTSU. Episodes 3 and 4 retrace the stories of the five men during and after their incarceration. While they are exposed to violence in prison, they feel the consequences of their conviction as sex offenders especially after their release: Due to their criminal record and lack of education, it is difficult for them to find a job or an affordable apartment. Raymond’s example shows the spiral effect of these circumstances: To get out of the tense living relationship with his father, he needs his own apartment, which he finances with profits from the drug business. Eventually, he is imprisoned again. The serial portrays how the teens’ families are affected by the incarceration, too, e.g., by having to pay off the high legal charges, by losing their jobs or by the emotional toll. In addition to these negative consequences, the serial, however, also illustrates the support for the five by their families and friends, the community, churches, or human rights associations. Another topic addressed is the media attention towards the case and their influence on the mood during a trial. Indeed, in 1989, much of the coverage was on the side of law enforcement and biased against the five youths of color. WTSU incorporates excerpts from real-life reporting, e.g., voice-over reports dehumanizing the suspects (“wolf pack”). A particularly serious example of media influence was Donald Trump’s advertisement campaign (cf. info box 3). Info box 3: Trump’s advertisement campaign in 1989 Two weeks after the attack in Central Park and before any trials had begun, Donald Trump - a real estate tycoon at that time - called for the reinstatement of 268 18 Promoting Series_Serials Literacy with When They See Us <?page no="269"?> 1 Access the advertisement via this link: http: / / apps.frontline.org/ clinton-trump-keys-to-their-charac ters/ pdf/ trump-newspaper.pdf (last accessed: 24.06.2024) the death penalty for murder in full-page advertisements in all four city’s major newspapers, having paid $85,000 for the advertising space. 1 With the headline “Bring Back The Death Penalty. Bring Back Our Police! ”, Trump wrote: “I want to hate these muggers and murderers. They should be forced to suffer and, when they kill, they should be executed for their crimes.” In a 1989 interview, Trump further said: “I have never done anything that’s caused a more positive stir. I’ve had 15,000 - 15,000 - letters in the last week and a half ” (in Kaczynski/ Sarlin 2016). In an interview in 2016, Yusef Salaam stated that he and his family received more death threats after the newspapers ran Trump’s ad (Laughland 2016). Even after the exoneration, Trump stood by his controversial role in a statement to CNN in 2016 (Kaczynski/ Sarlin 2016). 18.3 Motivation for and impact of the serial On her goal with the mini serial, director DuVernay is quoted as saying: My goal when making When They See Us was to create a project that could be a catalyst for conversation and change. Entertainment serves many purposes and the mission was to create something that might move us into action while challenging us to evaluate why we believe what we believe. (in ARRAY101 2020: 2) In an interview, she further pointed out that she wanted “to tell the stories of the men and certainly to illuminate larger injustices within the system” (in King 2019). In 2016, DuVernay previously released a documentary called 13 th on the unjust treatment of people of color, attributing it in part to the addition of the 13 th Amendment. To bring the issues of social injustice and failures of the justice system raised in the serial into the realm of education, DuVernay’s production company, ARRAY, has partnered with Participant Media and created, amongst others, a learning companion for the mini serial (ARRAY101 2020). WTSU has received widespread critical acclaim and a number of awards. In 2019, Netflix announced that the serial had been streamed by over 23 million viewers within its first month of release, making it one of Netflix’s most watched series up to this point (Warner 2019). Many reviews highlight how the serial evokes strong emotions about the depiction of psychological and physical violence, especially towards people of color. The serial has revived interest in the real case, leading to a reassessment of the events and, more generally, a resurgence of socio-cultural discourses such as structural racism and police violence (Baliño 2020). In an interview with Oprah Winfrey, DuVerney expresses her astonishment at this impact: 18.3 Motivation for and impact of the serial 269 <?page no="270"?> And I thought and I hoped that the piece would be respected. I really wanted the men’s stories to be told, and I wanted them to be heard. But I didn’t understand that it had the possibility to shift the cultural conversation in the way that it is doing now. (in Ritchie 2019: 00: 08: 15-00: 08: 30) After the public uproar following the serial’s release, the former district attorney of the case, Elizabeth Lederer, resigned from her teaching post at a university in 2019 (Baliño 2020). WTSU thus exemplifies an often-neglected dimension of literature, namely its ability to intervene in socio-cultural debates, to be politically effective and to influence discourses (Leonhardt/ Viebrock 2020: 39). Linda Fairstein filed lawsuits against DuVernay, Locke, and the Netflix film studio, claiming that the serial had defamed her by portraying her as a “racist, unethical villain who is determined to jail innocent children of color at any cost” (Levenson 2020). The question of the extent to which the dramatization of the case corresponds to the actual events is somewhat unavoidable, especially in light of the filmmaker’s intentions associated with the serial and the effects it had on the public. On the title screen of the serial on Netflix it is positioned as ‘based on a true story’, but as Trisha Meili, the victim of the rape, has stated in an interview, she was “troubled that the series is not a factual account” (in Richards et al. 2019). Critics have pointed out that the serial occasionally becomes sentimental and the families of the five teens are portrayed as too moral and heroic (Schenz 2019). Although the boys had been part of a larger group of teenagers who chased and attacked joggers and cyclists, WTSU leaves little room to doubt their complete innocence. Against this background, it is important to acknowledge that the fictionalization or aestheticisation of events carries with it a dangerous power: that of being able to construct and propagate narratives subject to distortions […]. By virtue of the same elements, however, this aestheticisation can also be a force for the continuous reconstruction of narrative, reclaiming the names and stories of those individuals who have been wrongfully accused, providing a counterbalance of sorts to those same distortions and the violence they engender and opening up a more complex conversation that does not privilege one contradiction over another, but rather engages with them all directly. (Baliño 2020: 88 f.) Especially with regard to the use of WTSU in the classroom, it is essential to deal with the questions of how the serial narrates the story and how the audio-visual design influences its perception. 18.4 The audio-visual design A first striking aspect regarding the audio-visual design of WTSU is the casting of the roles. In the case of Kevin, Antron, Raymond, and Yusef, there is each one actor portraying the juvenile and one the adult role. This harsh transition between the actors from one frame to the next via match cuts in episode 3 underlines the fact that the four 270 18 Promoting Series_Serials Literacy with When They See Us <?page no="271"?> missed most of their last childhood years (Baliño 2020: 82). With changes in his hairstyle and body shape demonstrating the time that has passed, Korey is played by one actor throughout the serial. His story is covered in detail in episode 4. Allowing this narrative strand to be presented more or less detached from the overall story, underlines the fact that the seemingly unified identity of the so-called Central Park Five „was imposed on the real men by the press, by the prosecutors, by the police” (DuVernay in Ritchie 2019: 00: 06: 51-00: 07: 06). It also gives Korey’s story a special significance providing insights into the cruelty of adult prisons. Overall, the serial makes use of many flashbacks. When the investigators reconstruct the night of the attack in episode 1 (00: 34: 50-00: 36: 30), flashbacks show Trisha Meili jogging from her house to the park, giving the viewer a picture of the victim. The flashbacks to the scenes from the beginning, which illustrate the carefree lives of the five boys on the day before their arrest (00: 00: 00-00: 04: 50), are particularly memorable. The scenes appear several times, e.g., in the end of episode 1, when the youths are transferred to jail (00: 59: 30-01: 01: 10), where only the images are shown and a very sad, slow song is played. These flashbacks serve as reminders of the lives before the arrest but can also be interpreted as glimpses of what the characters remember at the particular moments. This also applies to scenes in episode 4, where Korey, in solitary confinement, remembers both scenes from the night of the attack as well as from his childhood (e.g., 00: 21: 15-00: 26: 20). His memory of his last moments with his girlfriend makes hallucinations unfold (00: 49: 00-00: 53: 55). Both, flashbacks and hallucinations, allow insights into the character’s state of mind, his experiences and hopes. It is noteworthy how original TV and radio reports of the case from 1989 are woven into the plot (e.g., in episode 2 by people in Harlem listening Trump’s radio interviews on TV). Reality and fiction are further mixed by the inclusion of snippets from the restaged video confessions that closely match the archival videos (E02, 00: 55: 36-00: 58: 20). Integrating real footage and artefacts into the fictional story makes the realism of the serial seem even stronger than it probably would have been by retelling the story alone (cf. Viebrock 2024). At the end of episode 4, images of the five characters are shown together with images of the real men, ultimately reaffirming the claim that the serial is ‘based on a true story’. The camera work is also central to the audio-visual design of WTSU. Different settings such as the places in Harlem are introduced by an aerial shot, some of which linked to a zoom out (e.g., E01, 00: 01: 20-00: 01: 40). Most of the time, however, the camera is kept at a distance with either long or medium (long) shots. Close-ups are used only rarely, but very effectively, e.g., in episode 1 during the interrogations in the police office (starting from 00: 23: 30), where the close-ups of the five teens focus on their incomprehension, fear, and despair. Another prominent close-up is the one of Kevin when he tells the other three boys how he lied in his interrogation about their involvement in the crime (E01, 00: 57: 40-00: 59: 25). The low-angle close-up allows the audience to see the tears in his eyes and his lips trembling. Together with the slow and sad music as well as the reaction shots of the others, the audience can relate to how 18.4 The audio-visual design 271 <?page no="272"?> Kevin becomes aware of the actual crime he has committed, but also what was done to them all. The camera angles with lots of low angle shots are also of interest, e.g., when Lederer speaks her final statement in court (E02, 01: 05: 00-01: 05: 20), or when Korey is threatened by a guard (E04, 00: 47: 16-00: 48: 45). In these scenes, the person in focus appears more powerful because of the low angle perspective. However, there are also other low angle shots that do not have this effect, e.g., when the incarcerated youths are talking to their families (e.g., Raymond in E02, 00: 03: 30-00: 04: 00), and later after they have been released (e.g., Antron in E03, 00: 11: 30-00: 11: 50). Here, the low angle has a different effect on the viewers: They feel like (small) invisible observers of the intimate scene that would otherwise remain closed to the public. Episode 4 uses high-angle shots when Korey’s cell is shown (e.g., 00: 21: 20-00: 23: 30) to emphasize the extreme confinement of the cell, which, together with the dark lighting, creates a great sense of trepidation. Another central element of WTSU is its score. The music and lyrics used do not only set the tone and tempo of the serial, but also deepen or evoke emotions in the audience such as sadness, fear, despair, happiness, or hope. Hip hop and rap songs are integrated - music genres that historically have a special meaning for the African-American community. In the opening scene introducing the five teens, the rap song “I got it made” by Special Ed from 1989 reflects both in tone and lyrics the exuberant mood of teenagers enjoying their carefree youth. The song “Fight the Power” by the hip hop group Public Enemy from 1989 is played when the five join the larger group of youths heading towards Central Park. The lyrics are about fighting for the civil rights of people of color and not giving up, a foreshadowing of what is to come. In episode 2, the soulful song “Love & Hate” by Michael Kiwanaku accompanies Antron, Raymond, and Yusef and their families to their first court hearing (00: 20: 40-00: 21: 55). With its urgent sounding sequence consisting of nine notes and its lyrics that connect to the experience of the defendants, the song reflects the mood of the accused teens and their supporters before the upcoming events. 18.5 Approaching the serial in the classroom Examining the serial in the foreign language classroom offers a high potential to promote series_serials literacy. In order to understand the discourses influenced by the serial and, above all, to participate in them themselves, learners need to be supported in (further) developing the following specific competences (cf. Leonhardt/ Viebrock in this volume): First, learners need to understand the serial in the foreign language (perceptive competences). Secondly, they must be able to analyze its design and interpret its effects on them as viewers (aesthetic competences). Thirdly, they must be able to discuss the serial and their personal reception experiences and take a stand on the topics addressed and messages transported by the serial. They have to critically engage with the question for which purpose the ficitionalization of a true crime case 272 18 Promoting Series_Serials Literacy with When They See Us <?page no="273"?> has been created and whose purposes the serial serves (critical competences) - all in the foreign language (communicative competences). For the entire teaching unit on the topic, it is central not to leave the view exclusively on the structural racism towards people of color in the US, but to extend it to the learners’ own contexts as well. Rather than letting learners observe, analyze, and comment on the issues from an uninvolved external perspective, they should realize how they themselves are connected to the topics and how they can position themselves in the global discourses or even participate in them (Römhild/ Matz 2022: 2). With only four episodes, which together add up to about five hours, WTSU is a comparatively short serial, which can be particularly attractive for the classroom: The entire serial can be watched in class. As the episodes are relatively self-contained, they can be watched individually with interruptions and flanking tasks. It is helpful to work with pre-, while-, and post-viewing tasks around the individual episodes. The condensed narrative allows attention to be paid to the particular audio-visual design of the serial. Because there are strong dialects and slang used, which learners might not be familiar with, English subtitles can be helpful, especially in the beginning. The following section presents suggestions on how to implement WTSU in the classroom by providing specific tasks as well as methodological considerations. Preliminary remarks Many reviews have pointed out that WTSU evokes strong emotions, whether because of the violence depicted or the suffering caused by the racist and unjustified treatment of the five youths. Executive Producer Oprah Winfrey responded to these concerns on social media as follows: “And for everyone who says it’s ‘hard to watch,’ think about the people who still find it ‘hard to live’” (Twitter post, 03.06.2019). Although this is certainly an important argument, as is the fact that education should prepare young people for dealing with demanding audio-visual formats in a critical, autonomous, and responsible manner (cf. Leonhardt/ Viebrock in this volume), teachers must weigh up the use or handling of the serial carefully. Parents should be informed about the serial. If teachers decide to work with WTSU, they should gently introduce learners to the serial and allow time to process their feelings. Guided reflections, which deal in particular with the effects of the audio-visual design, can be helpful. Students should be given the chance to take a break from viewing or opt out if needed. On the teachers’ side, the preparation for the topic should include a reflection on their own experiences with personal and structural racism, and the term ‘race’ in general. Our own identity and personal experiences shape the way we deal with the topic and our reactions to the serial. This reflection should also be related to the individual students in order to deal with the topic sensitively and avoid situations where they feel uncomfortable (cf. Römhild/ Matz 2022). 18.5 Approaching the serial in the classroom 273 <?page no="274"?> Getting started: The night of the attack To introduce learners to the serial and familiarize them with the five main characters, the unit starts by watching the opening sequence (E01, 00: 00: 00-00: 04: 50). During the first viewing, students should get an overview of the sequence and then report their initial observations: What do you learn about the general setting (time, place, atmosphere, characters)? During the second viewing, learners pay specific attention to the individual boys (cf. Mat. 1): How old could they be? What are their names? How do they live? Can you guess what they like to do? In the subsequent comparison, the teacher adds the names of the five young people. The interrogations Episode 1 is shown until 00: 22: 30 before the interrogations begin. Students first focus on the sequence of events: the night of the crime, the search for suspects, the arrests. After a joint reconstruction of the plot, learners watch the rest of the episode until 00: 56: 00. They take notes on the methods used by the police during the interrogations (cf. Mat. 2). In an additional task, they deal with the rights of US citizens in the event of a police arrest by working with one of the three relevant amendments of the US Constitution. After presenting their results to each other, they check their knowledge via a short quiz from the Learning Companion (ARRAY101 2020: 23-25). Based on their knowledge, they analyze to what extent the rights of the five boys in WTSU were violated. A final focus is placed on the scene at the end of episode 1, in which four of the five boys meet in a cell after their confessions. Learners are asked to reflect on the filmmaker’s intentions and to link them with specific aesthetic means and their effects (music, use of camera). Finally, they should conduct some short research on their rights as citizens in their own country. A task that accompanies the entire unit is to fill in a glossary in which the learners explain central terms from the area of justice in their own words. A wiki tool can be used to collaboratively work on the glossary. The teacher should check this at regular intervals and give advice on how to revise it or also suggest additional terms. The trials To better understand the agitated mood portrayed in the beginning of episode 2, learners should gain insights into the social conditions of Harlem in the 1990s. They watch the first sequence (until 00: 03: 20) and describe the atmosphere, before reflecting on the influence that the media might have on the course of the legal proceedings (cf. Mat. 3). Episode 1 is shown until minute 00: 20: 05. Learners summarize how the different teenagers and their families have dealt with the circumstances so far, which lawyers they have found. The next sequence (00: 20: 05-00: 23: 30) is first watched without sound. Learners discuss what kind of music they would add to the sequence. After presenting 274 18 Promoting Series_Serials Literacy with When They See Us <?page no="275"?> their ideas, they watch the sequence again with sound on: How does the music change the perception of the sequence? They read the lyrics and listen to the whole song. Learners critically engage with the question to which extent music can influence the audience’s perception. Students watch nearly of all of the remaining episode (until 01: 05: 20), in which the trials are presented. While watching, they create a mood chart, in which they note their emotions during the scenes. To prepare the activity, the teacher should model the beginning of a mood chart and let learners brainstorm about possible emotions. Next, learners discuss the question of the portrayal of the trials. Before watching the last sequence, students are asked to speculate on the verdicts. As this last sequence is very emotional, learners should be given time to process their emotions by writing or drawing their thoughts or emotions. During the second viewing, they should pay attention to the audio-visual design: How are the strong feelings evoked (e.g., through the voice-over by Sharonne Salaam, specific camera angles such as zoom in and reaction shots, music, lighting, etc.)? Optionally, students find out more about the US jury system, which can lead to a discussion on the composition of a jury and a comparison to the legal system of their own country. Looking back at episode 2, learners should reflect on the influence of the media on the outcome of the case (cf. Mat. 3), with a focus on Trump’s advertising campaign. They are asked to prepare interviews with the parents of the accused, leading to a final reflection on the media’s influence on the trials. The learning companion offers an additional assignment on data analysis (https: / / wtsu101.org/ field-study/ ). In prison and after the releases Episode 3 covers the lives of Kevin, Antron, Raymond, and Yusef during their incarceration and after their release. To activate the students, the teacher gives a brief preview about the episode before letting them speculate on how the serial could cover the more than eleven years in only one episode. While watching the episode, they are asked to fill in a grid with guiding questions on the lives of the four teens and on the audio-visual realization of the episode (cf. Mat. 4). Afterwards, learners meet up in groups and exchange their findings, each group focusing on one character. They watch again the scenes from the very beginning of the serial displaying the lives of the teenagers before their arrest and discuss how their character’s family dynamic has changed to the situation after their release. Learners discuss how the men and their families were affected by the incarceration and what challenges they faced after their release. They watch the last sequence of episode 3 again (01: 07: 50-01: 10: 17) and comment on Raymond’s voice-over. They come back to their own ideas of how to cover the years of prison and the time afterwards in only one episode and compare them with the filmmaker’s realization. Finally, learners are asked to conduct research on the impacts of incarceration. Optionally, they expand this research on ways to support re-entry. 18.5 Approaching the serial in the classroom 275 <?page no="276"?> Episode 4 is probably the most challenging episode of WTSU to watch as it portrays the excessive use of violence Korey is exposed to in adult detention. Teachers should consider working only with extracts from the episode if their learners are at risk of becoming too emotionally upset. To begin, learners watch the first few minutes (until 00: 02: 00), in which Korey’s verdict is announced, taking them back the eleven years that have been covered in episode 3. They speculate about what might have happened to Korey (cf. Mat. 5). While watching the episode until the Matias Reyes’ confession (00: 59: 50), they keep a viewing log. As it is challenging to both watch the serial and keep track of the log, students can work in groups, each focusing on one aspect. They share the results in class and explain which scene made the most lasting impression on them. They sum up the challenges Korey was confronted with and link those to research about juveniles in US prisons in general. Optionally, they research the situation in their own countries to realize that although there are structural differences, detained juveniles face similar problems all over the world. Next, learners deal with more specific questions on Korey’s incarceration. While watching the rest of the episode (until 01: 19: 00), students learn about the Reyes’ confession. They summarize their observations of how the different characters involved react to the new development. They furthermore comment on a statement by the real Korey in the context of the exonerations of the five men. Finally, they research other exonerations in the National Register of Exonerations and analyze similarities and differences. Reflecting on the mini serial and beyond After working with the individual episodes, the task now is to guide students to a critical examination of the story, but also of the cinematic realization of the whole serial. To do this, they first interpret its title (cf. Mat. 6). They then reflect on the question why DuVernay chose to make a fictional mini serial out of a case that took place 30 years ago. In task 2, students deal with the reception of the serial in social media as well as the consequences to which the serial led. They try to find explanations why WTSU caused these consequences - also in contrast to a well-received documentary about the same case released in 2012 (Burns et al.). Learners should be encouraged to recapitulate their own reception. They comment on DuVernay’s statement that the serial shifted “the cultural conversation”. Optionally, students could also watch the talk show special with Oprah Winfrey (Ritchie 2019) and reflect on the extent to which this mix of fiction and fact might change the reception of the serial. The final project combines the results of all previous tasks. Learners create a video podcast about WTSU and the topics addressed. This podcast should give other interested people the opportunity to deal with the topics in more depth beyond the fictional serial. In preparation, learners first collect possible topics. In groups of 3-4, they work on these topics on the basis of selected scenes from the serial, the results of previous tasks and their own research. Learners should be encouraged to broaden their perspective and include their own experiences. There are many aspects from the serial 276 18 Promoting Series_Serials Literacy with When They See Us <?page no="277"?> that can be connected to topics and challenges in current politics in the learners’ own socio-cultural contexts. It is important to value the joint product beyond a presentation in the classroom. The podcast format can be used for other serials/ series and feature films. Finally, learners reflect on the work process and their experience. They explain whether and how their perspectives on the serial or the topics have changed. 18.6 Conclusion This chapter has dealt with the mini serial When They See Us. Its potential for foreign language teaching became clear through an examination of the themes portrayed and its specific audio-visual design. Central to the analysis was the question in what way the socio-culturally relevant discourses are reflected and processed in the serial and how the serial itself has influenced those discourses. The suggested tasks, however, do not only aim at the receptive processes and the critical analysis of the audio-visual design of the serial, but also at encouraging students to actively engage with the topics in more depth and to position and participate in the discourses themselves. Films, series, and serials When They See Us. DuVernay, Ava (creator). Harpo Films/ Tribeca Productions/ ARRAY/ Partici‐ pant Media, 2019. The Central Park Five. Burns, Ken/ Burns, Sarah/ McMahon, David (creators). Sundance Se‐ lects/ WETA/ Florentine Films/ PBS/ The Central Park Five Film Project, 2012. 13 th . DuVernay, Ava/ Barish, Howard/ Averick, Spencer (creators). Kandoo Films, 2016. Oprah Winfrey Presents: When They See Us Now. Ritchie, Mark (creator). Netflix, 2019. References Antenangeli, Leonardo/ Durose, Matthew R. (2021). Recidivism of Prisoners Released in 24 States in 2008: A 10-Year Follow-Up Period (2008-2018). Washington, DC: Bureau of Justice Statistics. Apel Robert/ Sweeten, Gary (2010). The impact of incarceration on employment during the transition to adulthood.-Social Problems 57 (3), 448-79. ARRAY101 (2020). When They See Us. Learning companion for students, teachers and everyone who wants to learn. https: / / wtsu101.org/ wp-content/ uploads/ sites/ 6/ 2022/ 01/ WTSU.Compa nionGuide101.pdf (last accessed: 28.06.2024) Beck, Allen J. (1991). Profile of jail inmates, 1989. Washington, DC: Bureau of Justice Statistics. 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Policing the Black Man: Arrest, Prosecution, and Imprisonment. New York: Pantheon Books, 3-30. US Census Bureau (1992). 1990 Census of population. General population. Characteristics. Uni‐ ted States. https: / / www.census.gov/ library/ -publications/ 1992/ dec/ cp-1.html (last accessed: 28.06.2024) US Census Bureau (2020). 2020 Census of population. General population. Characteristics. United States. https: / / www.census.gov/ 2020census (last accessed: 28.06.2024) Viebrock, Britta (2024). The Dark Horse: exploring the dimensions of fictionality and factuality in biographical films for the development of film literacy. In: Mayer, Nikola/ Prusse, Michael (eds.): ‘This is my Story’: Biographical and Autobiographical Narratives in ELT. Bern: hep, 40-54. Warner, Sam (2019). Netflix reveals that over 23 million watched When They See Us - one of its most-watched shows ever. Digitalspy. https: / / www.digitalspy.com/ tv/ ustv/ a28195968/ net flix-when-they-see-us-23-million-most-watched-shows-ever/ (last accessed: 28.06.2024) Download: Additional Material 18.6 Conclusion 279 <?page no="281"?> 1 The term Black is written in capitals to mark it as a political self-designation (Eigenbezeichnung) that stands for self-empowerment and a symbol of resistance against racism (Akhtar 2012: 17). 19 Dear White People: Deconstructing Racism and Negotiating Black Perspectives in the Upper Secondary EFL Classroom Lena Hertzel/ Thorsten Merse This chapter is concerned with how the complexities of racism with the example of the serial Dear White People (Netflix) can be turned into engaging classroom work that combines critical cultural perspectives with detailed analyses of this serial as a multilayered text. The serial takes its viewers to the world of Black 1 students at the fictitious elite university Winchester, and it retraces how they negotiate racist experiences within their life contexts while establishing a self-empowered sense of Black agency. In the ensemble cast of characters, Sam White moves center-stage, whose student radio broadcast Dear White People aims at addressing racist incidents occurring on their university campus. At the same time, the presence of queer protagonists - in particular Lionel Higgens, a student journalist - sheds light on the intersectional interplay of racial and queer self-identification. Dear White People consists of four seasons in total with ten episodes of 30 minutes each. In this chapter, we will focus on the first two seasons and their implementation in the upper secondary EFL classroom. The critical cultural perspectives on racism emerging across these two seasons will be transferred into tasks that allow learners to explore Dear White People from serial as well as thematic vistas. 19.1 Racism and antiracist pedagogy: Current state in EFL research “Race does not exist. But it does kill people.” This statement by Guillaumin (1997: 107) draws attention to the fact that even though the existence of the human race has been scientifically disproved (Arndt 2015a: 185), race as a social construct still remains one of the central categories by which differences and unequal relations of power are consolidated in society (Kubota 2021: 238 f.). In this context, Arndt (2015b: 42) and Barskanmaz (2019: 24, 78) highlight that this does not mean that biological features such as skin color have lost their significance in constructing differences and power hierarchies - rather the opposite is the case, they argue. This is evident, for example, through racial profiling in police controls carried out disproportionately on Black, <?page no="282"?> 2 The terms whiteness and white do not refer to a person’s skin color but to a political and social construction wherefore the terms will be italicized (Arndt 2013: 19). Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPoC) (Barskanmaz 2019: 64 f.), or through dividing and formulating a hierarchy between people according to sociocultural characteristics such as national identity, language, religion, or ancestry (Barskanmaz 2019: 66). Against this background, racism can be defined as “discourse, knowledge, and social practices that, by means of inferiorization, denigration, marginalization, and exclusion, construct and perpetuate unequal relations of power between groups of people defined by perceived racial difference” (Kubota 2020: 712 f.). Furthermore, racism manifests itself in the following intertwined forms: ● individual or interpersonal racism describes intentional or unintentional racist behaviors through, for example, microaggressions, othering, or unconscious biases by individual people or groups (Braselmann 2023: 169; Kubota 2021: 239); ● institutional racism refers to “systematic injustice seen in social institutions” (Kubota 2021: 240), leading to inequality in various areas of society, such as the housing and labor markets or in education and health care; ● epistemological racism refers to the dominance of Eurocentric and white  2 knowledge systems that predominate in our society (Braselmann 2023: 169); in Kubota’s (2021: 240) words, “[i]t is a lens through which we see and interpret social, cultural, and historical products, practices, and perspectives”, and hence, this form of racism is deeply engrained in everyday patterns of thinking. When taking a look into EFL education, the review article by Von Esch et al. (2020) shows that the classroom is not immune to racism and its different manifestations. Rather, their overview indicates that individual racism is experienced by learners in the English language classroom through, for example, racialized comments of their peers followed by a non-intervention of teachers (ibid.: 402 f.). In a similar vein, institutional and epistemological racism become obvious, for instance, in language learning curricula and textbooks that reproduce Eurocentric and racialized knowledge archives (ibid.: 400 f.). Info box 1: white gaze The term white gaze problematizes how whiteness, as both a visible and an invisible norm, guides and dominates the way people think and act in societies marked by colonialism and racism. It further constructs non-white knowledge, perspectives and narratives as inferior and different, and therefore contributes to a reproduction and consolidation of white supremacy (Güllü/ Gerlach 2023: 24). Thus, the white gaze clearly draws on colonial knowledge archives which construct a particular knowledge as legitimate by which the ‘other’ is measured, differentiated, and devaluated (Hall 1992: 297 f.). 282 19 Dear White People <?page no="283"?> For the German context in particular, only a few studies are available so far that analyze the manifestations of racism in the English language classroom. Güllü and Gerlach (2023), for example, discuss how the white gaze (cf. info box 1) is prone to being perpetuated in EFL education, e.g., through conceptualizations of ‘foreign cultures’ in core curricula. Kreft (2020) shows how classroom interactions based on the engagement with literature can yield differentiated negotiations of racism, which might include implicit assumptions about cultural stereotypes or behaviors being voiced in the classroom (next to learners actively contesting potentially racist remarks, too). In addition, textbooks also may reproduce the white gaze, for example, through trivializing representations of colonialism and its effects which, for example, ignore the genocide of Indigenous Americans - while favoring the viewpoint of the colonizers. Recent empirical studies on textbook representations of race also confirm a continuation of white as the norm (Bönkost 2020), or of representations of BIPoC without agency and accomplishments of their own, as Alter et al. (2021: 90 f.) highlight. With these findings in mind, the question of more inclusive and antiracist classroom methodologies gains momentum, too, which stretches out to the selection of innovative text formats such as series and serials - and how they can be curated into tasks to address various forms of racism in ELT. Against the background of these current realities in ELT classrooms, the need for implementing antiracist pedagogy on a larger scale emerges as a crucial call for action. Kishimoto (2018: 546) highlights that antiracist pedagogy is not only about selecting content, but also about making the classroom a learning space for all - learners and educators. Braselmann (2023: 172) further cautions against reducing antiracist pedagogy to simple teaching guidelines as “anti-racism is also an attitude [that] always requires a commitment by the educator”. Thus, educators are constantly challenged to reflect on their own positionality (cf. info box 2) in order to create an antiracist learning environment, which links directly to Güllü and Gerlach (2023: 32) who emphasize that antiracist education has no end point but should be thought of as a never-ending learning process. Based on Critical Race Theory and Critical Whiteness Studies, scholars generally agree that antiracist pedagogy aims at making Eurocentric and racialized knowledge archives and power structures visible, questioning and challenging them in a next step, and finally enacting antiracism, meaning to engage with a “reflexivity of power dynamics, one’s own privilege, and potential pitfalls of enactment” (Kubota 2021: 241). This, in turn, means that racism should not only be perceived as an individual, but indeed an institutionalized and epistemological problem (see above). Info box 2: Positionality and allyship In antiracist pedagogy, positionality means to be aware of one’s own racial identity, to critically reflect on it, and to place it in the context of systemic racism. This is particularly relevant for white people, as they often do not recognize their whiteness. This leads to a lack of awareness of one’s own privileges and racist 19.1 Racism and antiracist pedagogy: Current state in EFL research 283 <?page no="284"?> ways of thinking, whereby white people unconsciously support a racist system (Braselmann 2023: 169; Kishimoto 2018: 542 f.; Mihan/ Graf 2021: 234 f.). Thus, a constant reflection on one’s own complicity is highly important and also forms the basis for allyship. Allyship refers to a person of privilege who decides to fight with marginalized communities against systems of oppression such as racism (Ogette 2022: 87 f.). The question remains how these aims can be implemented in the English language classroom. Here, Mihan and Graf ’s (2021: 235 f.) distinction of antiracist pedagogy into a “constructive-practical” and an “analytical-deconstructive” dimension is of substantial value: ● The constructive-practical dimension refers to embracing diversity and multi-perspectivity by giving center-stage to voices and perspectives of BIPoCs. Braselmann (2023: 172) further emphasizes that representing marginalized groups should be sensitive towards depicting their agency in all social roles to avoid stereotyping, victimization, and tokenism. A carefully crafted text selection can significantly influence this dimension, especially if texts are chosen that reveal unequal power dynamics and their influence on how they operate in society (Castro Varela 2020: 88). ● The analytical-deconstructive dimension is concerned with making racism visible and reflecting on the various ways racism manifests itself in societies. Mihan and Graf (2021: 235 f.) draw particular attention to the aspect of positionality, which aims at critically reflecting on one’s own entanglement and complicity in a society marked by racism, through which a responsibility arises in particular for white people as they might run the risk of reproducing and consolidating these power structures due to their socialization. While the first dimension is more concerned with representation, the analytical-de‐ constructive dimension comes with additional pedagogic challenges, as Braselmann (2023: 170) points out, because by “questioning, criticizing, and rearticulating one’s own positionality […] learners are confronted with issues that make them uneasy”. Nevertheless, she also emphasizes that such feelings of discomfort can turn into trans‐ formative learning experiences because they can be a starting point for challenging dominant belief systems and social norms that otherwise sustain social inequities. Engaging with “the normative, socially constructed power of whiteness”, Braselmann (2023: 171) continues, can lead to racism being seen as a problem that not only affects BIPoCs, but also white people in that racism provides them with a whole range of privileges. Thus, racism can become personal and relatable for all learners in careful processes of reflection (Braselmann 2023: 171). Another challenging task lies in what Kubota (2021: 241) calls “de-essentializing” antiracism, meaning the consideration of intersectionality in antiracist pedagogy. 284 19 Dear White People <?page no="285"?> Kubota highlights this point since social injustices are often not caused by a single factor alone, such as race, but by a variety of factors - often in combination - such as gender, class, sexual identity, body, and race. Thus, antiracism “cannot be conceptualized as a catch-all remedy of social injustice in an essentialized way. Instead, the experiences of subordination and oppression need to be understood through a lens of intersectionality” (Kubota 2021: 241), which considers overlapping forms of oppression people might face. While strategic approaches that single out racism for analytical and critical clarity remain necessary in antiracist pedagogy especially in the beginning of antiracist reflection (Luft 2009: 114), Ogette (2022: 167) recommends both approaches - intersectional and single-focus - if the aim is to provide a vital force for transformation to achieve social justice for everyone. 19.2 Addressing racism and Black perspectives: The potential of Dear White People Based on the key tenets of antiracist pedagogy outlined above, the Netflix serial Dear White People that premiered in April 2017 will be used as a concrete example to show how serials can be employed in ELT to address and challenge racism. Dear White People was produced by director and screenwriter Justin Simien as a sequel to his 2014 film of the same name. The serial takes its viewers to the world of Black students at the fictitious and predominately white elite university Winchester. Thus, Simien focuses almost exclusively on Black perspectives through which racism on campus and in society are explored in an almost microscopic fashion (Bavaro 2018: 19 ff.). In this context, Armstrong Parker House (hereafter AP House) is highly important since it serves as a safe space in which Black students negotiate and take action against their racist experiences. The Black Caucus is the central organizational unit in AP House consisting of different student unions (Bavaro 2018: 23; S01: E01, 00: 12: 15-00: 13: 25), empowering Black students to take ownership of AP House for their own antiracist actions. Info box 3: White privilege and white fragility White privilege describes the social advantages of white people in a society marked by racism, like preferential treatment on the labor market or the option to ignore racism because one is not negatively affected by it (Ogette 2022: 65 ff.) These privileges consolidate racism in society and are often not recognized by white people. Therefore, a confrontation with these privileges often generates a defensive reaction, called white fragility (DiAngelo 2021: 180 ff.). This can take various forms, such as denying the existence of racism as a problem, emphasizing that we are all equal and simply human (color evasive racism), or considering racism as an individual problem that results from evil intention, which means good people cannot be racist (ibid.: 169 ff.). Confronting white privilege also 19.2 Addressing racism and Black perspectives: The potential of Dear White People 285 <?page no="286"?> regularly ends in the assumption that white people also experience racism (‘reverse’ racism), which is an attempt to distract the attention from one’s own responsibility since racism cannot simply be reversed, as it is embedded in a long history of oppression that privileges white people to this day - and not the other way round (Ogette 2022: 70 ff.). AP House and the Black Caucus become particularly important for three central racist incidents that guide the first two seasons (Bavaro 2018: 24). First and foremost, a blackface party titled “Dear Black People” organized by the satirical white campus newspaper Pastiche opens the serial. The aim of the party is to shed light on what they call ‘reverse racism’ and to protest against Sam’s radio broadcast Dear White People that addresses racism on campus daily and confronts white people with their privileges, fragility, and color evasiveness (see info box 3). Even though the party was originally prohibited by the university’s administration, its outreach clearly shows that blackfacing (see info box 4) is not a problem of the past (Bavaro 2018: 24; S01: E01 and E02). Info box 4: Blackfacing Blackfacing has its roots in the so-called minstrel shows which were very popular in the US from the 1830s until the beginning of the twentieth century. The main subject of the minstrel shows were white actors who painted their faces and hands black and portrayed stereotypical Black people on stage for the amusement of the white audience. This objectification and consumption of Black bodies has continued to this day, as can be seen at numerous carnivals and Halloween parties in and outside the US (Bavaro 2018: 24 f.). This discriminatory practice is known and discussed as cultural appropriation (Ogette 2022: 156). The second central incident revolves around police brutality that takes place on a campus party hosted by a white student named Addison. The incident occurred due to an argument between Addison and Reggie Green, another Black student. The fight was triggered by Addison’s use of the n-word when singing along to a Black rap song, and the situation escalated so harshly that a campus officer is called to the situation, who then automatically assumes that Reggie is the troublemaker. The whole situation reaches its climax with the campus officer pointing his gun at Reggie. This five-minute scene makes the viewers witness a violent case of police brutality that would not have appeared if Reggie were white (Bavaro 2018: 3 ff.; S01: E05, 00: 18: 20-00: 25: 00). The last racist incident takes the viewers to the Hancocks, a white supremacist family and one of the university’s main donors. In their view, Black protests and activism got out of control after the recent incidents on campus, which causes them to blackmail the administration by saying that they would withdraw their annual donation of $10 286 19 Dear White People <?page no="287"?> million if the situation does not get better. As a solution they suggest integrating AP House into the other houses, which obviously aims at suppressing Black activism by destroying their only safe space on campus (Bavaro 2018: 33; S01: E10). By encountering these racist incidents, the viewers get to know different strategies of Black people to take action against racism. With this in mind, Sam and Lionel gain particular importance in the serial as key antiracist activists who draw on their expertise as media students to employ campus media for their actions. While Sam uses the radio broadcast Dear White People, Lionel embraces his position as a journalist at The Winchester Independent to dismantle racism on campus. Moreover, both take part in organizing and leading protests. Other main characters also use their positions to work against racism on campus. In this regard, Troy Fairbanks tries to tackle racism in more moderate ways by engaging in dialogue with university executives. Another form of activism is exemplified by Reggie as he processes his trauma from police brutality artistically in form of a poetry slam. This brief summary already indicates that the serial Dear White People has promising potential for antiracist pedagogy in the EFL classroom. It clearly amplifies and embraces Black perspectives, voices, and agency, which ensures that Black people no longer appear as a homogenous group, but instead as individuals with their unique viewpoints. Thus, the white gaze is turned upside down, and the viewers almost develop a Black gaze on whiteness (Rutter 2022: 128). But the serial does not only offer various opportunities for antiracist pedagogy on a practical-constructive dimension, but also in an analytical-deconstructive way as it negotiates racism in its different manifestations and even addresses the more challenging aspects of positionality and intersectionality. Regarding positionality, Sam’s broadcast was already mentioned as a format that is used to confront white people with their privilege, fragility, and color evasiveness. Moreover, numerous encounters between Black and white people on campus such as the fight between Reggie and Addison show how ignorant many white people on campus actually are. While these encounters primarily happen with minor white characters, Gabe Mitchell, the only white main character, shows what it means to begin an antiracist journey with the goal of becoming an ally (cf. info box 2 above) - with many racial missteps happening along the way (Rutter 2022: 127). This negotiation of white complicity, privilege, and fragility may lead to uncomfortable situations, especially for a white audience, in which viewers (and learners as viewers) have to question themselves. Intersectionality, on the other hand, becomes central through the diverse backgrounds of characters that differ with regard to gender, sexuality, and class (Rutter 2022: 125). The most prominent example is the intersection of racism with homophobia which is negotiated through Lionel and his queer awakening. While Lionel struggles with his queer identity at the beginning of the season, he eventually decides to come out to his roommate and former crush Troy. This sets the starting point for Lionel to slowly embrace his identity and recognize the strength that lies in him being queer and Black (Sewell 2020). A first step towards this development becomes obvious, for example, when he talks with his future partner Wesley Alvarez about 19.2 Addressing racism and Black perspectives: The potential of Dear White People 287 <?page no="288"?> how their races effect the way they are treated in white queer communities. In doing so, they shed light on how some queer spaces are no safe spaces for them (S01: E10, 00: 20: 28-00: 21: 31). 19.3 Methodological views on serials in the classroom With a view to activating the potential of the serial Dear White People for learning about racism (following the distinction of serial made by Leonhardt/ Viebrock in this volume), we will now take stock of available methodological and practice-oriented approaches that capture the nature of serials as complex texts regarding their design, thematic make-up, and their references to the cultural discourses in which they are embedded. By extension, such methodological decisions also need to be capable of fostering the multidimensional character of series_serials literacy as a learning objective (cf. Leonhardt/ Viebrock in this volume). In the overview of suitable approaches that follows, we will couple the concern with fostering this particular literacy with a consistent thematic focus on racism as it is facilitated through learners engaging with Dear White People. For the purpose of categorizing classroom ideas that implement this merger in practice, we offer a pathway into various methodological decisions that consider the different layers of the typical textuality of serials (cf. Leonhardt/ Viebrock in this volume; Merse 2017a, 2017b), which include serial, literary and narrative, as well as cinematographic and dramatic aspects. Serial aspects: Here, learners retrace the overarching storyline across several episodes or even seasons, e.g., by documenting how the continuous efforts to address and confront racism on the Winchester campus change and develop over time. This can be coupled with learners following closely how central protagonists or side characters from the usually broad ensemble cast in serials develop in character arcs, e.g., by following how Lionel comes to terms with his ‘double struggle’ of being queer and Black, or how individual characters such as Sam or Troy employ their different (media) tactics to address racism. Another typical feature of serials is the efficient use of beats that dramatically push forward the narration or introduce new storylines, or of cliffhangers at the end of episodes or seasons that leave open how the story continues - with both features creating suspense and turning-points in the fast, dense, and ongoing narration of a serial. In Dear White People, central beats include instances of police brutality, the blackface party, or the manoeuvres of the Hancock family, all of which influence profoundly how the characters engage with race-related issues ranging from white privilege and fragility to confronting racism in its multi-levelled manifestations. A telling example of a cliffhanger is how Gabe’s somewhat clumsy journey to becoming antiracist will continue into season 3, leaving open what racial missteps might follow in the third season. Literary and narrative aspects: In this dimension, learners engage with features that are typical of literary texts, but that are clearly observable in the construction of narrative in serials as well. An engagement with such features may include 288 19 Dear White People <?page no="289"?> analyzing the building blocks of how the narrative is composed over time (e.g., through describing the effects of fast expositions, turning points, or open endings), detecting narrative perspectives (e.g., through identifying how the narrative might be one-sided or all-encompassing depending on the viewpoint taken, or how the voice-over in Dear White People adds a pinch of irony by commenting on the protagonists), or by speculating how a literary/ narrative gap can be closed that the serial leaves open for interpretation to the viewers. In Dear White People, literary and narrative aspects can closely be associated with the serial aspects described above, e.g., how beats such as police brutality in the fifth episode of the first season leads to taking action against police brutality in the episode that follows, or how Lionel’s character arc in the third episode of the second season shows how he enters different queer communities on campus into which he does not really fit, leaving open a gap for the plot and character development in view of his struggle to fit in somewhere with his intersectional identity. Cinematographic and dramatic aspects: When learners focus on cinematogra‐ phy and dramatic aspects, they work on aesthetic decisions typically associated with films that are also necessary to bring serials to life. While engaging with Dear White People, it makes particular sense for learners to analyze how the negotiation of racism - in all its facets and experiences - is enacted and represented through filmic means. From a dramatic vantage point, learners can, for example, document, appraise, or discard the quality of the acting (e.g., by focusing on how different protagonists like Sam, Troy, or Lionel perform their commitment against racism in more cautious or up-front ways), or describe the effects of set, costume design, or other elements of the mise-en-scène such as props to create the atmosphere of the storyworld (e.g., by documenting the elements that create the atmosphere of antiracist protests in Dear White People, in particular the protest signs and their messages as props). With a detailed cinematographic analysis, learners can also voice their impressions of how camera angles and movements, shot sizes, color schemes, or editing techniques influence or manipulate their viewing experience - and what this means for their perception of racism and Black perspectives. Additionally, we suggest distinguishing between close and wide viewing of serials and incorporate both into teaching (cf. Henseler/ Möller 2017 for a detailed task typology, or Merse 2017a for concrete suggestion at the example of Downton Abbey). Close viewing tasks encourage learners to work on issues that are contained in the serial itself, which can range from exploring a set of cinematographic devices, retracing a character arc, or elaborating on a thematic sociocultural issue that becomes evident in a scene. Such tasks support learners in developing the perceptive and aesthetic competences of their series_serials literacy, and moving from dedicated individual interpretations and analyses to a critical and holistic perception of the series or serial in focus. In this sense, what works well in close viewing tasks is also to establish connections between serial, narrative, and cinematographic aspects rather than keeping them separate, e.g., to explore how they work together in a scene to represent how the students at Winchester challenge or contribute to racism. 19.3 Methodological views on serials in the classroom 289 <?page no="290"?> Wide viewing tasks seek to embed a serial into its wider sociocultural and textual discourses and, while still engaging with what the serial offers as a springboard, leave the core text behind to explore the wider ‘universe’ the serial is connected with. Such a serial universe might contain, for example, the reception discourse in the shape of online reviews or fan comments (to which learners as viewers or as audience can certainly contribute, too), or the production discourse through interviews with actors or producers. Hence, wide viewing contributes to the critical and generic aspects of series_serials literacy in that learners evaluate and comment on serials as unique cultural products, the reciprocal influence between audiences and a serial, or co-creating the discourse that surrounds the serial in focus. As the task examples will show, there is indeed a very lively discourse that surrounds Dear White People, showing in particular how audiences react to the negotiation and representation of issues such as white privilege, systemic racism, and allyship, or how Simiens as the creator of Dear White People himself contributes to such discourse with his own comments and reactions. In the section that follows, we will present a choice of task examples that draw on Henseler and Möller’s (2017: 9) suggestions of tasks for TV series, and that bring to life close and wide viewing options with serial, narrative, and cinematograpic dimensions of Dear White People as a serial. 19.4 Implementing Dear White People in the classroom Reconstructing the main plot and identifying systemic racism in the first season In this task, learners reconstruct the main plot (including the blackface party, police brutality, the Hancock’s manoeuvres) of the first season and put it in the context of systemic racism (cf. Mat. 1 in the additional material). To gain the necessary background information, learners watch a short YouTube video by KGW News (2020) about systemic racism and complement a mind-map in which they add information to each dimension of racism: interpersonal, individual, and institutional. The definition in the video differs a little form the definition of racism above, and it uses systemic racism as an umbrella term for the different dimensions of racism. Despite these differences, the underlying core elements of racism remain similar, and the terminology here is easier for learners to understand. In groups, learners then apply the information on racism to the three main racist incidents of the plot in Dear White People. Each group focuses on scenes about one of the racists incidents. After watching the scenes, learners identify the racist incident shown and reconstruct the setting, the plot, and the character’s actions by filling in a table. The results of all groups are collected in a digital timeline via Padlet or Trello. In the end, learners analyze why these incidents are particularly revealing for systemic racism at Winchester University. 290 19 Dear White People <?page no="291"?> Engaging with the serial aspect of cliffhangers With this task (cf. Mat. 2), learners can explore their viewpoints and perceptions of the various cliffhangers that appear in Dear White People - and thus, retrace how they create suspense, foreshadow what might happen in the upcoming episode - and establish a desire to continue watching to find out how the storyline unfolds further. Methodologically, one option could be to watch the various episodes step by step and engage with each cliffhanger separately after each episode, which would mirror a more natural viewing process that invites discussion regarding what might happen next. Another option could be to engage with the serial aspect of cliffhangers once learners have watched both seasons in full, and determine with hindsight what the most effective, or their most favorite cliffhanger, has been. Criteria for evaluating the perceived effectiveness of a cliffhanger may include the actual suspense it creates, the speculative power it has for foreshadowing how the storyline continues, and the degree to which there is a desire to actually watch the next episode. Analyzing character arcs: Focus on Lionel and Gabe An analysis of individual characters and their identity formation offers numerous links to antiracist pedagogy, as individual challenges of Black protagonists as well as their strategies for dealing with diverse and intertwined forms of discrimination can be examined. Moreover, engaging with white characters offers ample opportunities to engage with white fragility, white privilege, and allyship. Against this background, the following task example will engage with the queer Black protagonist Lionel and the only white main character Gabe (cf. Mat. 3). The example of Lionel offers ample opportunities for recognizing how different types of discrimination intersect in one person that negotiates and reconciles two non-normative identities (queer and Black). The task about Lionel can start with collecting characteristics learners link to Lionel. Afterwards, learners form groups and engage with the voice-over narrator’s comment “Lionel Higgens was not always a revolutionary. Don’t let the Afro fool you! ” (S01: E02, 00: 00: 40) and analyze how he becomes a queer Black activist. This is achieved through engaging with selected episodes from which learners extract key scenes that describe Lionel’s revolutionary actions and their overall impact on challenging racism on campus (e.g., by uncovering the Hancocks white supremacist actions in an article for The Winchester Independent, or mobilizing other Black students to crash the blackface party). To shed light on how Lionel’s activist development goes hand in hand with coming to terms with his sexuality, the groups will also engage with Lionel’s queer awakening by working with different episodes to fill in a mind-map that pays attention to Lionel’s experiences with homophobia and racism, his coming out, his love stories and his engagement with queer communities on campus. To broaden this perspective into larger cultural discourses, learners then engage with an additional autobiographic text in which a 19.4 Implementing Dear White People in the classroom 291 <?page no="292"?> queer Black person talks about what it means to navigate these two intersecting identities (Hoston-Hughes 2021). Moving onwards with the example of Gabe, learners are supposed to define and apply the concept of allyship. The task sequence will start with the following statement by Gabe, “Just because I am white doesn’t mean I am an asshole” (S01: E07, 00: 01: 34), and learners’ suggestions about possible reasons for this statement. This serves as a starting point for a critical engagement with whiteness, with learners retracing Gabe’s development at the example of different scenes from which they extract his racial missteps, his processes of self-reflection, his actions against racism, and the critique he receives by Black students. Gabe’s development towards allyship is then compared with various aspects of allyship presented in an additional text titled “10 things Allies Can Do” (YWCA n.d.). Analyzing the cinematographic and dramatic construction of Dear White People When it comes to analyzing how the cinematography and the dramatic elements in Dear White People depict and negotiate racism and Black perspectives, we suggest working on scenes in which these thematic vistas densely culminate, e.g., in scenes of Black protest, police brutality against Black people, or radio broadcasts in which Sam dissipates racist comments. Such analyses can take the form of a while-viewing commentary of the chosen scene (with the option of pausing it or watching it twice), meaning that the moving image unfolds and learners collect the findings of their analysis, e.g., in terms of camera field sizes, props, costumes, or color schemes (cf. Mat. 4). Such a while-viewing approach mirrors a more natural and holistic engage‐ ment with a scene, as opposed to working with isolated film stills used for annotations. A suitable scene for such an analysis can be found in the tenth episode of the first season (00: 18: 20-00: 22: 20) in which a town hall on race and gun safety takes place (attended by Lionel and others), accompanied by antiracist protests outside of the town hall (led by Sam). Both settings are edited together in a highly effective cross-cutting technique: While inside the town hall panel, Lionel asks President Fletcher how much the Black students of Winchester are worth to him, the setting constantly shifts to the protests outside depicting Sam among loud protesters, vividly brought to life by props like a megaphone and protest signs. Inside the town hall, the power hierarchy between Lionel and President Fletcher is reflected by shifting camera angles, and Lionel’s nervous emotional state is clearly visible through medium close-ups that depict his face and upper body. Interestingly, the same camera field size is used in the outside setting to show Sam’s anger and her agitated emotions. Suddenly, Lionel announces the publication of his article on The Winchester Independent website titled “A.P. House Held Ransom” that contains delicate information about the university’s handling of this Black safe space, and both settings are then connected by dramatic music, people’s smartphones pinging inside and outside the town hall, and a faster 292 19 Dear White People <?page no="293"?> editing pace mirroring the stir caused by Lionel’s article. The scene concludes with a close-up shot of the article and its headline, bringing both the town hall and the protest to an impactful end while foreshadowing the effects of the article’s publication. Engaging with the serial’s reception discourse and the notion of white fragility In this task students engage with the reception discourse of Dear White People at the example of audience comments on the serial’s trailer on YouTube (One Media 2017) in order to identify and critically reflect on the notion of white fragility (cf. Mat. 5). Indeed, the YouTube comments almost exclusively mirror white fragility, and they give the impression of an overall negative audience reaction to the serial - which is a one-sided (and often racist) reaction as reviews by critics and audiences who have watched the whole serial (and not only the trailer) are mostly positive. As a reaction to the negative YouTube comments, Simien even included a social media troll who harasses Sam in the second season in order to raise awareness of this issue, which shows that reception and production discourses of a serial can be closely intertwined (Villarreal 2018). To engage with white fragility, learners gain necessary background knowledge by watching a video by NBC News (2018) in which Robin DiAngelo, who coined the term, explains the concept. Learners derive key aspects of white fragility from the video and place them around the picture of a horse with blinders which DiAngelo often uses to visualize the concept as it illustrates the ignorance of white people when it comes to racism (BigSpeak 2020). While the video covers many important aspects already, it lacks a problematization of ‘reverse’ racism. In the same vein, white people who completely ignore racism are not addressed. To explain these aspects for this task the teacher can draw on info box 3 about white privilege and white fragility. In the next step, learners work in pairs and watch three sequences (S02: E01, 00: 03: 50-00: 04: 24; S02: E01, 00: 08: 20-00: 12: 26; S02: E01, 00: 17: 18-00: 21: 59) in which Sam is harassed by a social media troll in order to identify aspects of white fragility and critically reflect on the role of social media. Statements that are particularly revealing are, for example, “Dear Black People, tell me again how attending an elite Ivy League = oppression? ” (S02: E01, 00: 03: 50). After this, learners analyze a range of YouTube comments (One Media 2017) provided in the material showing different patterns of white fragility, such as color evasive racism (“Not bad, I don’t know why people feel offended for this. I really don’t care any color on skin, because we are human”; heavyrain4485 2017), ‘reverse’ racism (“This [Dear White People] is literally racism but ok”; bickle0922 2020), and complete ignorance of racism (“I just want to go to the USA, go to one of your woke universities or colleges and scream: YOU’RE NOT FUCKING SLAVES ANYMORE! ! THERE IS NOTHING YOU CANNOT DO! ! ”; ghostknight2011 2020). At the end of this task, learners read a text by the Los Angeles Times (Villarreal 2018) from which they will derive Simien’s viewpoint on the YouTube comments and his reasons for including a social media troll in the second season. 19.4 Implementing Dear White People in the classroom 293 <?page no="294"?> 19.5 Conclusion As this chapter sought to show, engaging with series and serials in English language teaching and developing series_serials literacy can gain powerful and promising momentum if coupled with a serial that is rich in thought-provoking and topical content such as racism in diverse layers and manifestations. Hence, choosing Dear White People as an example serial and curating a set of tasks that can unearth its potential in the classroom was meant to illustrate how the merger of ‘literacy’ and ‘content’ can play out productively vis-á-vis learners’ critical engagement with how racism is represented, constructed, and negotiated in Dear White People and its surrounding discourse. Yet, the methodological challenge lies in reducing the density and richness of such a serial - both in terms of its content and in terms of its serial features - for concrete classroom application. Therefore, the tasks and teaching ideas presented can only serve an exemplary function - and possibly as a springboard to design further tasks that concentrate on other nuances contained in Dear White People, or to embrace a different series or serial altogether that addresses other critical cultural issues of current times. Series and serials Dear White People. Simien, Justin (creator). 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YWCA (n.d.). 10 Things allies can do. https: / / de.scribd.com/ document/ 465931331/ 10-things-alli es-can-do (last accessed: 28.06.2024) Download: Additional Material 296 19 Dear White People <?page no="297"?> Contributors to This Volume Dr. Grit Alter, Professor of Teaching English as a Foreign Language, Department of Research and Development in Teacher Education, University College of Teacher Education Tyrol grit.alter@ph-tirol.ac.at Dr. Katharina Delius, postdoctoral researcher at the Department of British and American Studies, Teaching English as a Foreign Language, University of Potsdam katharina.delius@uni-potsdam.de Rieke Dieckhoff, researcher at the Institute of English and American Studies, Department of Teaching English as a Foreign Language, Goethe-University Frankfurt r.dieckhoff@em.uni-frankfurt.de Dr. Maria Eisenmann, Professor of Teaching English as a Foreign Language, Depart‐ ment of English and American Studies, Julius-Maximilians-University Würzburg maria.eisenmann@uni-wuerzburg.de Ariadne Geiling, teacher at Heinrich-Mann-Schule Dietzenbach ariadne.geiling@gmx.de Dr. David Gerlach, Professor of Teaching English as a Foreign Language, Department of English and American Studies, University of Wuppertal gerlach@uni-wuppertal.de Natalie Güllü, researcher at the Department of English and American Studies, Teaching English as a Foreign Language, University of Wuppertal guellue@uni-wuppertal.de Celine Göbel, teacher at Mons-Tabor-Gymnasium Montabaur celine.goebel@mtg-mt.de Dr. Carmen Herrero, Reader (Associate Professor) in Hispanic Studies at Manchester Metropolitan University, Director of FLAME research Group (https: / / www.mmu.ac.u k/ languages/ flame/ ) C.Herrero@mmu.ac.uk Lena Hertzel, researcher at the Department of Anglophone Studies, English as a Foreign Language Education, University of Duisburg-Essen lena.hertzel@uni-due.de Dr. Annika Janßen, postdoctoral researcher at the Institute of English and American Studies, Department of Teaching English as a Foreign Language, Goethe-University Frankfurt Annika.Janssen@em.uni-frankfurt.de <?page no="298"?> Dr. Jan-Erik Leonhardt, postdoctoral researcher at the Institute of English and Ameri‐ can Studies, Department of Teaching English as a Foreign Language, Goethe-University Frankfurt leonhardt@em.uni-frankfurt.de Dr. Viviane Lohe, lecturer at the Chair of Language Teaching and Learning Research, University of Erfurt viviane.lohe@uni-erfurt.de Dr. Mareen Lüke, programme director at Bildungszentrum HVHS Hustedt mareenlueke@gmail.com Dr. Nikola Mayer, Professor of Teaching English as a Foreign Language, Zurich University of Teacher Education nikola.mayer@phzh.ch Dr. Thorsten Merse, Professor of English as a Foreign Language, Department of Anglophone Studies, University of Duisburg-Essen thorsten.merse@uni-due.org Dr. Marta F. Suarez, lecturer of Latin American and Spanish Studies (Screen Media), Manchester Metropolitan University M.Suarez@mmu.ac.uk Dr. Carola Surkamp, Professor of English as a Foreign Language, Department of English and American Studies, University of Regensburg carola.surkamp@sprachlit.uni-regensburg.de Lena Schwarz, secondary school teacher, Schule Rychenberg, Winterthur lena.schwarz@win.ch- Karoline Thorbecke, researcher at the Institute of English and American Studies, Department of Teaching English as a Foreign Language, Goethe-University Frankfurt thorbecke@em.uni-frankfurt.de Dr. Isabelle Vanderschelden, independent film educator, co-founder of FILTA (filta. org.uk), and research associate at the Université d’Orléans isavds21@outlook.com Dr. Britta Viebrock, Professor of Teaching English as a Foreign Language, Institute of English and American Studies, Goethe-University Frankfurt viebrock@em.uni-frankfurt.de Sandra Winkelmann, researcher at the Department of British and American Studies, English Teacher Education, University of Bielefeld sandra.winkelmann@uni-bielefeld.de 298 Contributors to This Volume <?page no="299"?> ISBN 978-3-381-10701-8 English language education that wants to be relevant for today’s learners in a media-influenced social environment needs to include series and serials. Our publication enables (future) language teachers to implement series and serials in their English language classrooms purposefully and equip their learners with series_serials literacy, i.e. the ability to deal with series and serials in an autonomous and critical manner. Three introductory chapters provide substantial theoretical and conceptual considerations on serial narratives, objectives and methods of teaching series and serials. Subsequently, experts in the field of language teaching introduce 17 selected series and serials from different genres, ranging from comedies to sci-fi. Each chapter provides in-depth analyses of the chosen example as well as practical teaching suggestions which are accessible online. Leonhardt / Viebrock (eds.) Popular Series in English Language Education Popular Series in English Language Education Jan-Erik Leonhardt / Britta Viebrock (eds.)