Mid Sweden University

This paper has outlined the literary didactics project that was conducted in a Swedish Upper Secondary class, EFL English 6 course during my work placement. The project consisted of me tasking the students with reading Coetzee´s novel Disgrace and to work with assigned assignment that I had created around the novel for the purpose of the project. I introduced post-colonialism and critical feminist theory to the students and related the two theories to the novel. The lessons aimed to introduce literary theory through the utilising of Coetzee´s novel Disgrace, 

In the result section of this essay, I presented and analysed the lessons and the students` performances during the different assignments, discussions, and written assignment. I analysed the students to see how they responded to the novel and how they were able to reflect on their reading by utilising critical literacy and transactional theory. Moreover, I discussed the importance of a multi-purpose classroom and how beneficial it is for students to utilise their classmates as learning tools. Furthermore, I analysed and reflected on the limitations of the project and what could be improved. 

One of the aims of this essay was to develop the students´ reading and listening comprehension and speaking competence, as the students are required, by the English 6 curriculum, to work with literature and theoretical subject areas to acquire insight about different cultures, historical conditions and to develop their knowledge of the English language.

In conclusion, this project has demonstrated how students can use literary theory to learn and broaden their understanding of historical and social issues and aspects. Moreover, this project has demonstrated how through literary theory students can work with several of the English 6 curriculum´s core content. This project and essay have showed how one can successfully embed formative assessment by using literature as a teaching tool. 

This essay argues that utilising Coetzee´s novel Disgrace may be useful when introducing and teaching literary theory in Swedish Upper Secondary EFL English 6.