Cultural Studies in the English Classroom

A thoughtful introduction . . . [the writers] have responded to recent debates about the status of language, literature, and culture, and they invite and challenge us to consider how we might do likewise. - The Quarterly Many students are taught composition and literature as two unrelated disciplines. What's more, languageas it is often conceived of and presented within our educational institutionsis regarded as the privileged domain of those with the cultural keys, only available to students when in the presence of the keyholders.Cultural Studies in the English Classroom opens up ways of teaching and devising programs which place the students' cultural experiences at the center of language production and consumption. It is the first book of its kind to provide concrete models of cultural studies programs and classrooms for high school and college teachers who would like to try this approach and are looking for effective examples.The text opens with a jargon-free definition of cultural studies, describing its potential as an innovative method for teaching English and developing programs. Specific classroom approaches to teaching literature and composition are provided throughout, including ideas for discussion, writing assignments, even classroom organization. Teachers who have tried these approaches write about the successes and failures they've had in the classroom.Readers of Cultural Studies are invited to replicate the courses and programs presented as is, or adapt the general principles and theory contained within the text to create versions best-suited to their teaching environment. The book's discussion of institutional politics will be useful to administrators and department chairs looking to modify their own programs.For anyone interested in understanding the nature of cultural studies and the impact it's having on English teaching, Cultural Studies in the English Classroom is a ground-breaking text. There are no other books in the field which provide models of actual practices and functioning programs within cultural studies.Berlin, James A. is the author of 'Cultural Studies in the English Classroom' with ISBN 9780867093209 and ISBN 086709320X.