Examples of NSA’s intercultural contributions to extensive reading

Examples of NSA’s intercultural contributions to extensive reading

Course: English Language III. TTC: I.S.P. “J.V. González”. Teacher: Analía Kandel

1.     Auster, Paul. 2001 (ed.) True Tales of American Life. London: Faber & Faber. This book compiles stories edited by well-known author Paul Auster, who read them out on NPR (National Public Radio). The T asked the NSA to select a tale with rich cultural content and plan pre-, while- and after-reading activities. The NSA (K. Curtis, Fulbright NSA 2009) selected a tale on the theme of discrimination/racism, shared the biography of Billie Holiday, the famous American jazz singer, and presented and played the song “Strange Fruit” through a video with the picture that inspired the lyrics: a lynched African-American man, hanging upside-down from a tree. A discussion on slavery, the Civil War, the KKK, the Civil Rights movement, discrimination in the U.S. today, and other related issues ensued. Ss shared examples of discrimination/racism in Argentina. As a follow-up, the T set the writing task "A True Tale of Argentine Life". Ss published it on their e-Portfolio (Blog) and the NSA added comments.

2.     Hornby, Nick. 2005. A Long Way Down. London: Penguin. T asked the NSA to focus on JJ, an American character who, together with the other three main characters (British) point to stereotypes British people tend to have of Americans.

3.     Raban, Jonathan. 2006. Surveillance. New York: Vintage. The T asked the NSA (Scott Clark, Fulbright NSA 2010) to read the novel and plan an activity on the theme of post-9/11 U.S.A. The NSA conducted a very thought-provoking debate.