There a large number of approaches to develop and conduct a young adult literature course. Some professors focus on historical coverage, others on theoretical lenses, some focus on contemporary choices, others focus on pedagogy, and the list can go on. While we share an interest in Young Adult literature, we think about it in different ways. Guest contributors have offered various insights. To see what has happened in the past click on the Contributors Page.
In fact, our guest this week has posted before. This time, Jon Ostenson briefly explains his course and then describes a series of assignments that usher students in to discussion of Disciplinary Discourse using their experience as English and English Teaching majors. I will hand it over to Jon.
In fact, our guest this week has posted before. This time, Jon Ostenson briefly explains his course and then describes a series of assignments that usher students in to discussion of Disciplinary Discourse using their experience as English and English Teaching majors. I will hand it over to Jon.
I, Jon, teach a semester-length course on adolescent (or YA) literature that is designed for English majors (as an elective course) and for English teaching majors (as a required course). Students read from a list of titles during the semester, half of which I choose from amongst more recent YA titles and a couple of classics (like The Outsiders and The Chocolate War) and the other half of which students select on their own. This reading accomplishes one of the major objectives I have for the course, which is that students have a broad exposure to current and significant titles in the field.
A second objective for the course is that students become familiar with issues and discussions in the field of adolescent literature and that they feel comfortable themselves engaging in the broader discourse in our field. This is perhaps a lot of ask of undergraduates, many of whom have been consuming a steady diet of canonical literature typical to the English major. But my students are up to the task, I think, and I have found an important way to scaffold their exposure to these disciplinary discussions and to give them a chance at entering the discussion themselves.
A second objective for the course is that students become familiar with issues and discussions in the field of adolescent literature and that they feel comfortable themselves engaging in the broader discourse in our field. This is perhaps a lot of ask of undergraduates, many of whom have been consuming a steady diet of canonical literature typical to the English major. But my students are up to the task, I think, and I have found an important way to scaffold their exposure to these disciplinary discussions and to give them a chance at entering the discussion themselves.
We do this in my course through a keyword study project. I was first inspired to create a project like this at an NCTE conference where I attended a session on keyword studies in culture and other literary fields. This session described the history of keyword studies, which traces its origins to work by Raymond Williams, who published an early study of key terms in his 1976 book, Keywords: A Vocabulary of Culture and Society. The study of keywords has since been embraced in numerous fields of cultural and literary studies. In keyword studies, the primary goal is to identify the recurring terms that are used in the discourse of a discipline and set out to describe those in a way that helps shed light on the meaning of the word in a specific context, but most importantly on the underlying reasoning behind the use of these words in the discipline. These definitions are not necessarily (no pun intended) definitive, as the meanings of the words are at times the subject of intense debate and struggle. A link to the newest edition can be found here.
In my course, after sharing some brief background on keyword studies, I explain to my students that we will be using this approach to better understand the scholarly field of adolescent literature. Before we identify the terms they’ll define, we read some examples from Raymond Williams’ work; I like to use his essay on the term “literature” as it discusses a concept familiar to my students but one whose meaning they come to see upon reading the definition as being far from certain or simple. I have also used examples from the fine collection Keywords for Children’s Literature (edited by Philip Nel and Lissa Paul); one I like to use is the essay on “literacy,” which is a concept of particular interest to me and to the teaching majors who are enrolled in the course.
As we read, we look to understand not just the content of these essays but to also identify the genre expectations for these texts. We examine how authors seek to define the word while at the same time describing subtle differences that may emerge in how the word is used in certain contexts or by certain groups within a discipline. It is important that students understand how these essays help lay bare the debates and struggles within the discipline around the term. We also identify how the writers of these essays use specific examples (of literary texts or of scholarly writings) to help shed further light on the term’s use.
As we read, we look to understand not just the content of these essays but to also identify the genre expectations for these texts. We examine how authors seek to define the word while at the same time describing subtle differences that may emerge in how the word is used in certain contexts or by certain groups within a discipline. It is important that students understand how these essays help lay bare the debates and struggles within the discipline around the term. We also identify how the writers of these essays use specific examples (of literary texts or of scholarly writings) to help shed further light on the term’s use.
With a clear sense of the expectations of the assignment, we move next to choosing terms to define. I have collected a set of terms that I feel are commonly used in the field, and we look at that list and brainstorm other possible terms that might be worth defining. Students then choose a term that they want to investigate and write an essay for; they can do this either in groups or alone (most choose to do this in groups, which I encourage for the sake of allowing them to research more broadly and to have peers with whom they can exchange ideas about the term).
In the process of defining their term and then writing an essay about it, I encourage students to first look to traditional dictionary definitions for the word and then to consider the etymology and history of the word. This may prove helpful to students when the term (“romance” for example) has been in use for a long time and perhaps is only just recently being used in the context of adolescent literature studies. However, I caution students that these words are often used in specific and sometimes unique ways when we’re talking about adolescent literature and that their essays should reflect this.
To further explore their word, they look through scholarly journals (e.g., The ALAN Review, The Lion and the Unicorn, Children’s Literature Association Quarterly, SIGNAL Journal) for articles that are related to their term in order to get a sense for how the term is used in context in the scholarly field. And they select three young adult novels to read (as part of their elective reading) that have a meaningful connection to their term and can be used in their essay to support their thinking and discussion of the term.
In the process of defining their term and then writing an essay about it, I encourage students to first look to traditional dictionary definitions for the word and then to consider the etymology and history of the word. This may prove helpful to students when the term (“romance” for example) has been in use for a long time and perhaps is only just recently being used in the context of adolescent literature studies. However, I caution students that these words are often used in specific and sometimes unique ways when we’re talking about adolescent literature and that their essays should reflect this.
To further explore their word, they look through scholarly journals (e.g., The ALAN Review, The Lion and the Unicorn, Children’s Literature Association Quarterly, SIGNAL Journal) for articles that are related to their term in order to get a sense for how the term is used in context in the scholarly field. And they select three young adult novels to read (as part of their elective reading) that have a meaningful connection to their term and can be used in their essay to support their thinking and discussion of the term.
In the three semesters that I have been using this project in my class, I have been pleased with the results. The essays provide an important synthesis of students’ thinking and research about the keyword and its importance in the study of adolescent literature. The keyword project helps my students come to understand at least one aspect of the field in more depth, and I am gratified to see them making references to and connections with their keywords study during class discussions. In fact, if I know that a book we’re studying together (like Neal Shusterman’s Unwind) has a connection to a keyword studied by my students (like “dystopia”), I’ll often encourage the authors of that essay to share what light their research sheds on our discussion of the book. It’s become clear to me that this project helps students understand the scholarly discussion around adolescent literature and it has enriched our class discussions of the literature in noticeable ways.
I invite you to see the results of this work by browsing the students’ essays at a web site I’ve created to house them (yalitkw.jonostenson.com). (Please recognize, though, that I’ve recently moved earlier content to this new site and not all of the essays have been updated in terms of formatting and citations yet.) If you’d like more details about the project, you can see the assignment description on our course web site (jonostenson.com/yalit/assignments/keyword-study/).
Thanks Jon
Over the next couple of weeks we will be talking about developing and teaching YA courses, censorship and book approval, and we will be hearing from a couple of authors. If you liked this post, please share it with your colleagues and friends as well as teachers and librarians in your area.
Over the next couple of weeks we will be talking about developing and teaching YA courses, censorship and book approval, and we will be hearing from a couple of authors. If you liked this post, please share it with your colleagues and friends as well as teachers and librarians in your area.
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