124183 VK BEd 08b.3: VK Cultural Studies for Language Teachers (2018S)

Scotland lost its political independence in 1707 but has maintained a strong sense of its distinct national and cultural identity. In this course tailored for the specific needs of future teachers we will discuss the articulation and representation of Scottishness in a great variety of cultural artefacts. Our theoretical approach will be informed by the well-known concepts of the “imagined community” and “the invented tradition”, whose manifestations labelled “Scottish” we will examine in greater detail. We will, for example, look at the tartan, examine the hype about the blockbuster Brave Heart and the recent series Outlander, have a look at Queen Victoria’s obsession with all things Scottish and learn that the well-loved local Whisky distilleries are actually owned by a multi-national company named Diageo. Classwork will be hands-on with a focus on the intricacies and practicalities of the EFL classroom.