Interactive Oral
Note: students must probe into the cultural and contextual
underpinnings of the work and to consider how these considerations affect their
understanding of the work.
Cultural Context
Cultural Context focuses on the society in which the story is set. We look for evidence of beliefs and values held by the writer and characters. The social, political, religious and
economic structure of society is examined. The different roles of men and women,
the notion of race, social class, customs, rituals and the importance of work can also be included in an answer. The study of context is intended to embrace the cultural underpinnings of the works by looking at specifics such as:
Things to look out for:
Power structure
Status
Role of women
Institutional influence
Race and Class differences
Materialism
Corruption
Fear
Outside world influence
Limitations of world
Value system
Norms and artifacts
Repression
Attitudes to work
Family relationships
Communication
Interactive Oral Suggestions:
The following suggestions show the range of possible types of interactive orals. In all cases it is advisable to ensure the prompts (or stimulus for discussion) have a tight focus that relates directly to a specific part of the work:
For those who have read more than one translation of the work, you might consider:
How is it translated? How is it received in translation? What is lost in translation?
Note:
There is one guiding question for the reflective statement, which is:
How was your understanding of cultural and contextual considerations of the work developed through the interactive oral?
underpinnings of the work and to consider how these considerations affect their
understanding of the work.
Cultural Context
Cultural Context focuses on the society in which the story is set. We look for evidence of beliefs and values held by the writer and characters. The social, political, religious and
economic structure of society is examined. The different roles of men and women,
the notion of race, social class, customs, rituals and the importance of work can also be included in an answer. The study of context is intended to embrace the cultural underpinnings of the works by looking at specifics such as:
- The time and place in which the work was written
- Information about the author (particularly as it relates to the way in which the author’s ideas as presented in the work do, or do not, accord with situations in the contemporary society)
- Philosophical, political and social contexts
- Ideas that the students themselves bring to the work.
Things to look out for:
Power structure
Status
Role of women
Institutional influence
Race and Class differences
Materialism
Corruption
Fear
Outside world influence
Limitations of world
Value system
Norms and artifacts
Repression
Attitudes to work
Family relationships
Communication
Interactive Oral Suggestions:
- In what ways do time and place matter to this work?
- What was easy to understand and what was difficult in relation to social and cultural context and issues?
- What connections did you find between issues in the work and your own culture(s) and experience?
- What aspects of technique are interesting in the work?
- Attitudes and emotions of the central character(s)?
- In what ways does the use of language reveal underlying tensions?
- Significance of the setting of the work?
- How the central ideas of the work are conveyed?
- Foreshadowing?
- Structure of the plot?
The following suggestions show the range of possible types of interactive orals. In all cases it is advisable to ensure the prompts (or stimulus for discussion) have a tight focus that relates directly to a specific part of the work:
- During the course of one lesson, several students could introduce a problem they have in understanding the culture or the context, with the class and the teacher discussing each issue raised.
- Students could introduce the discussion, adopting the teacher’s role for lessons on the work, and lead the class discussion.
- Students, either individually or working in groups, could choose a clip of a film or other visual medium and lead a discussion on how it may deepen understanding of culture or context.
For those who have read more than one translation of the work, you might consider:
How is it translated? How is it received in translation? What is lost in translation?
Note:
There is one guiding question for the reflective statement, which is:
How was your understanding of cultural and contextual considerations of the work developed through the interactive oral?