JoLIE 3/2010
A CROSS-CULTURAL ANALYSIS OF HEMINGWAY'S CAT IN THE RAIN FOR THE IRANIAN EFL CONTEXT
Mohammad Reza Hashemi
Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Iran
Hesamoddin Shahriari Ahmadi
Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Iran
Abstract
Hemingway is characterised by simplicity in style and language, which renders his works suitable for the EFL classroom. Nonetheless, his discourse has seldom been critically analyzed to determine to what extent it is suitable for foreign language learners coming from a distinct cultural background. Aiming to fill the niche, a Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) of Cat in the Rain was undertaken to not only understand the beliefs imparted by Hemingway through this short story, as understood by the Iranian reader, but also to inform teachers of the possible effects the narrative might have on readers. To this end, a number of 30 learners of English as a Foreign Language were asked to read the designated short story and respond to a series of open-ended items. The findings of this study suggest that EFL teachers should take heed of and consider a multitude of factors before choosing to use any particular literary text in the language classroom.
Key words: Critical Discourse Analysis; Literary symbolism; Language curriculum.
References
Apple, M. (1999). Power, meaning and identity: Essays in critical educational studies. New York: Peter Lang.
Apple, M., & Christian-Smith, L. (1991). The politics of the textbook. London: Routledge.
Fairclough, N. (1989). Language and power. London: Longman.
Fairclough, N. (1992). Discourse Analysis and social change. Cambridge: Polity Press.
Fairclough, N. (1995). Critical Discourse Analysis. London: Longman.
Kress, G. (1990). Critical Discourse Analysis. Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, 11, 84-99.
Pennycook, A. (1994). Incommensurable discourses. Applied Linguistics, 15(2), 115-138.
Sleeter, C.E., & Grant, C.A. (1999). Race, class, gender, and disability. In M. Apple, & L. Christian-Smith (Eds.), The politics of the textbook (pp. 78-110). London: Routledge.
Widdowson, H.G. (1998). Review article: The theory and practice of Critical Discourse Analysis. Applied Linguistics, 19(1), 136-151.
Wodak, R. (2001). What CDA is about: A summary of its history, important concepts and its development. In R. Wodak, & M. Meyer (Eds.), Methods of Critical Discourse Analysis (pp. 1-13). London: Sage.
Wodak, R., & Meyer, M. (2001). Methods of Critical Discourse Analysis. London: Sage. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4135/9780857028020
How to cite this article: Hashemi, M., & Ahmadi, H.S. (2010). A cross-cultural analysis of Hemingway’s Cat in the Rain for the Iranian EFL context. Journal of Linguistic and Intercultural Education – JoLIE, 3, 101-110. DOI: https://doi.org/10.29302/jolie.2010.3.6
For details on subscription, go to: http://jolie.uab.ro/index.php?pagina=-&id=19&l=en