Boys and Foreign Language Learning Real Boys Don't Do Languages

by Carr, Jo; Pauwels, Anne

• ISBN13: 9781403939678
• ISBN10: 1403939675
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2006-03-03
• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan

Summary

This book examines the continuing poor relationship between boys and the study of foreign languages and is framed by discussion of gender socialization, gendered curriculum practices and cultural narratives about boys and schooling. The core of the book is constructed by boys themselves. Their commentaries raise important issues for language teachers and curriculum planners, but also for everyone involved in wider conversations about boys, language, literacy and education.

Author Biography

Jo Carr is Senior Lecturer in the School of Cultural and Language Studies in Education at the Queensland University of Technology, Australia. Anne Pauwels is Professor of Linguistics and Dean of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Western Australia.

Table of Contents

Preface	ix
Acknowledgements	xiv
Introduction	1	(4)
Contextual frame	1	(2)
The structure of the book	3	(2)
Setting the Scene	5	(15)
Foreign language learning: the learning of another language	5	(1)
Foreign language learning in English language countries: a historically gendered area of study?	5	(3)
Boys and girls participating in school-based foreign language learning: a statistical overview	8	(12)
The Gendering of Languages Education	20	(34)
Gender and schooling debates: focus on the boys	21	(4)
Theoretical framing	25	(29)
Boys Talking	54	(35)
Background to the project and methodology	56	(1)
The study	57	(32)
Other Boys Talking	89	(22)
School A: Beaconsfield College	92	(8)
School B: Pensborough College	100	(4)
School C: St Barnaby's College	104	(5)
Summary	109	(2)
Teachers Talking	111	(39)
Nature or nurture?	111	(39)
Girls Talking About Boys	150	(14)
Girls' talk	151	(13)
Reading Between the Lines	164	(27)
Reconnecting with theory	165	(3)
Our research questions	168	(23)
Changing Thinking, Transforming Action	191	(17)
Navigating new times in old style: the outer frame	191	(4)
The school curriculum and administration frame	195	(3)
The teaching and learning frame	198	(3)
The inner boys--languages frame: boy-friendly pedagogy?	201	(7)
Bibliography	208	(11)
Author Index	219	(3)
Subject Index	222