Incorporating the standards into a 3R model of literary and cultural analysis

Abstract

Although useful for providing directions and continuity for foreign language programs at the high school and university levels, the Standards for Foreign Language Learning in the 21st Century (2006) seem to overlook the specific skills of literary analysis, a traditional focus for many college-level language programs. This chapter attempts to address that oversight by offering a 3R Model of Literary and Cultural Analysis (Recognize-Research-Relate). The 3R Model combines literary, linguistic, and cultural acquisition within a general analytical model that fulfills the Standards’ Five Cs of foreign language learning. Based on research in schema theory and reader-response theories, the 3R Model helps students identify literary and linguistic elements that seem representative of a target culture, research the target culture through various resources to arrive at a multifaceted view of that culture, and apply the newly developed background knowledge to the text for a more culturally informed reading. Specific examples taken from Francophone literature provide a detailed presentation of the three steps of the model, accompanied by suggestions for using the model with other languages and levels of linguistic competency, thereby demonstrating its wide-ranging application within postsecondary language programs.