`Oh No Not the Gay thing`.
Transcription
`Oh No Not the Gay thing`.
28/11/09 10:12:46 NEED MORE INFORMATION? This pack is just one way to start thinking more positively about lesbian, gay and bisexual people and to make sure that homophobic bullying is tackled at school. There’s loads more you and your school can do to ensure that all young people get the best possible education and start in life. Stonewall’s Education for All campaign provides advice, support and resources to schools and education professionals like you to help them tackle homophobic bullying effectively. For more information call us on: 08000 50 20 20 or email [email protected] Alternatively write to us at: Education for All, Stonewall, Tower Building, York Road, London, SE1 7NX You can find us online too. More information about how we can help you, as well as PDF copies of the leaflets in this pack can be found at www.stonewall.org.uk/educationforall Stonewall_Leaflet_MODLANG_FINAL.indd 1 7:;DG: NDJHI6GI So, you’ve read the introduction to this series and hopefully you’re convinced of the benefits not only to the lesbian and gay pupils in your school but to the atmosphere of the school as a whole of taking on ‘the gay thing’. That doesn’t mean becoming a gay campaigner, it just means addressing the fact of life that some people are gay, lesbian or bisexual. Gay people are part of the world – and part of your school – so to ignore them and ignore prejudice against them helps perpetuate a culture of bullying against lesbian, gay and bisexual students. Invisibility is one of the main issues around homosexuality, with gay pupils never hearing anything positive about gay men and women. It’s not just about positive role models, it’s about isolation. By simply mentioning ‘the gay thing’ when appropriate, you make gay pupils feel included and demonstrate to your class that being gay is no big deal and that gay people are the same as everyone else. PRODUCED PRODUCED FOR FOR STONEWALL STONEWALL BY BY SIMON SIMON GAGE GAGE BD9:GC A6C<J6<:H Supported by <6NI=>C <É É <6NI=>C< ÈD=CD CDI I=: : ÈD =CD CDI I= MODERN LANGUAGES VcY ÈI=:<6NI=>C<É Learning about other countries where things are done differently and people think in a different way is eye-opening for many pupils. As well as asking how to get to the library and how to talk about their weekend, pupils learn that other people can seem different and that’s OK. Exciting even. The transference of this into attitudes about gay men, lesbians and bisexuals is obvious, so although it may seem that while you’re teaching the imperfect indicative there are not many opportunities to tackle ‘the gay thing’, the important message that different cultures are valuable and interesting certainly gets through to gay and lesbian students while creating an atmosphere in the classroom that accepts – even È6H6B:"H:M G:A6I>DCH=>E86C 8DB:>CK:GN =6C9N;DGB6@>C< HIJ9:CIHG:6AAN I=>C@67DJI I=:>G<G6BB6GÉ celebrates - difference. Because gay and lesbian young people often feel a conspiracy to ignore them, and because teaching languages often relies on a cast of characters – whether it’s Mme. Lavisse or Juan, el camarero – this is often a great way to casually introduce gay and lesbian faces into lessons. Stonewall_Leaflet_MODLANG_FINAL.indd 2 WHAT THE CURRICULUM SAYS: The curriculum makes it clear that one of the targets for modern languages is to help pupils in ‘recognising that there are different ways of seeing the world and… appreciate different countries, cultures, communities and people. By making comparisons, they gain insight into their own culture and society’. Although that might be referring to France and Germany, it’s obvious that it’s introducing the concept of valuing difference. The curriculum also suggests that the target language be used in conjunction with topics and issues which are ‘engaging and relate to other areas of the curriculum’. Discussions around ideas of equality and social justice are always lively and will provide an ideal opportunity to expand your students’ vocabulary. EXPRESS YOURSELF A key message from the curriculum is that students should be aiming towards using a modern foreign language to ‘express thoughts, ideas, experiences and feelings’. That means that a modern language lesson is one of the few places in school where a pupil can talk about his or her life, so it’s important to make sure everyone has the vocabulary they need. That could include everything from basic fact-giving… U describing family members and considering that some of them might be gay or in same-sex relationships: ‘Le mari de mon oncle s’appelle Keith’ [‘My uncle’s partner is called Keith’ for instance] U a description of famous people to practice features and adjectives e.g. ‘Beth Ditto es cantante lesbiana americana con el pelo negro’. [‘Beth Ditto is an American lesbian singer with black hair’] …to more personal information… U reasons why you like a certain celebrity: ‘J’adore Will Young, le chanteur gay, parce qu’il est beau et très sexy.’ [‘I love Will Young, the gay singer, because he is good-looking and very sexy’] U hopes for the future: ‘In der Zukunft möchte ich einen netten Mann kennenlernen und eine eingetragene Lebensparterschaft eingehen’. [‘One day I would like to meet a nice man and get a civil partnership with him’] DISCUSSION At higher levels, modern languages students are expected to be able to discuss current events but it can be a struggle finding a subject that is genuine and yet excites a real desire to communicate. The subjects of social justice, equality and the role of women are always sure-fire hits. Now, the idea of civil partnerships, which are becoming more recognised across Europe and the rest of the world, can join those discussions. The subject of attitudes towards homosexuality is also a lively one – and relevant bearing in mind the mayors of both Paris and Berlin are openly gay as is Guido Westerwelle, the German foreign minister. It’s also one that needs to be closely managed if it is not going to become a platform for some pretty unsavoury views. CULTURE The culture of a country where the target language is spoken is often the most effective way of provoking a real interest in that language as well as fulfilling the curriculum’s demands of helping students ‘appreciate different countries, cultures, communities and people’. Spain’s favourite filmmaker Almodóvar deals with gay themes in a hilarious way, while as far as gay students are concerned, the one thing that will enthuse them to actually choose to read – maybe even in the target language - is to indicate that certain writers are gay or lesbian or have written on gay themes, from Cocteau and Colette through to Thomas Mann’s short and manageable German classic Der Tod in Venedig. 28/11/09 10:13:09