Publisher's Synopsis
This volume is the second of a series deepening the research understanding and academic study of Language Arts, as an English-language teaching paradigm. Previously used extensively in native-speaking countries, Language Arts has been taken up in the past decade in many parts of Asia. Language Arts uses intrinsically motivating materials such as literature, drama and popular culture to help students develop mastery of written and spoken language and text-types. In recent years, Language Arts has embraced media and multiliteracies, as well as critical and creative thinking, intercultural sensitivity, civics and ethics. This volume offers a breadth of topics, which embody methodologically sophisticated and contemporary language arts research. These include multimodal analysis, virtual environments, the use of comics, anime and film in second language teaching, and learners' experiences of drama and literary tourism.
The use of literature and the arts in humanist education has a long history within Europe. It was traditionally appreciated for its ability to instil ethics and finer sensibilities and teach leadership. But the traditional program was marred by its function in inculcating and preserving elitist, high-culture voices, texts and values. The post-colonial incarnation of Language Arts has been informed by critical and linguistic theory, helping it to embrace a popular scope, and include a wide array of authentic social and media texts. The movement of English-language teaching beyond native-speaker shores has given rise to a vibrant variety of World Englishes, whose literary and media works are now represented within Language Arts. The explosion of media over the past few decades has given rise to an increasing array of media to use in language teaching. These trends invite scholarly analysis, and this is clearly reflected in the chapters in this volume. Linguistics has long had a connection to, and a natural role to play in, analysing the creative verbal and visual arts. As a paradigm, Language Arts now takes an inclusive view of the continuum of spoken, written and performed languages and texts. Cutting edge Language Arts research is now also supported through the new journal Language Arts and Linguistics (Taylor and Francis).
