Language Books
What was analysed?
- Do the pictures in the books show other than heterosexual couples?
- Is sexuality mentioned and discussed in the texts and if so, how do they deal with LGBT people?
- Are the words "sexuality", "gay", "homosexual" or "lesbian" mentioned in the vocabulary lists of the books?
Book series (26 books in total)
English: G21 (Cornelsen), English G - Access (Cornelsen), Green Line (Klett)
French: Découvertes (Klett), À plus! (Cornelsen)
English: G21 (Cornelsen), English G - Access (Cornelsen), Green Line (Klett)
French: Découvertes (Klett), À plus! (Cornelsen)
Generally, it can be said that the two older school books (G21, Découvertes) do not mention LGBT people at all. However, they start to discuss gender roles which is increased in the newer books. They try to overcome gender stereotypes by showing a picture of a strong woman doing judo and a girl playing chess (p. 67, Access 1) or by looking at famous persons who break out of these boundaries (p. 67, À plus! 1).
Lucie Decosse is a French judoka and Mathieu Ganio is a French danseur étoile of the Paris Opera Ballet.
In the first years, family members are introduced as a subject (mostly in form of a family tree) and although divorced couples tend to be more present in newer books, LGBT people are still left out.
When talking about Paris or London, the books do not mention “Le Marais” and “Soho” and therefore don’t explain their role for LGBT culture.
In the first years, family members are introduced as a subject (mostly in form of a family tree) and although divorced couples tend to be more present in newer books, LGBT people are still left out.
When talking about Paris or London, the books do not mention “Le Marais” and “Soho” and therefore don’t explain their role for LGBT culture.
In the book À plus! 3 (p. 71), there is a short description of the film Tomboy. It is a film about a ten year old girl who wants to be a boy and starts to live that role. The last sentence of the description says: "The film shows very well that in life, you cannot live your dreams easily."
However, it is not obligatory to deal with the text as it is in the facultative section of the book.
However, it is not obligatory to deal with the text as it is in the facultative section of the book.
Among the books there is one that is an exception regarding this analysis- the Green Line series. It is the only book where you can find the words “sexual education” (GL6), “sex”, “gay” and “lesbian” (GL5) in the vocabulary lists at the end of the book.
In book 5 (Unit 4 „Human rights“, p.69) it mentions homosexuality and shows a picture of two homosexual men. „It isn’t possible to be so open about same-sex relationships in every country. In some places just being gay or lesbian is illegal.” The students are invited to discuss about this fact.
In the book for the Oberstufe (class 11/12) there are lots of references to LGBT culture.
Topic 1 “Adolescence”, p. 16: The book presents the lyrics of “All that’s known” from Franz Wendekind’s play ‘Spring Awakening’. Next to the lyrics there is a “Fact File: Franz Wendekind’s (…) play (…) caused a scandal when it was published in 1891. It shocked the censors of the time on account of its explicit themes: teenage sexuality, abortion, suicide and homosexuality.”
Topic 3 “Gender Issues”, p. 42: There are quotes about gender roles and images of men and women for magazine covers. During the whole topic, the students shall discuss gender stereotypes and the role of the media concerning this issue.
In book 5 (Unit 4 „Human rights“, p.69) it mentions homosexuality and shows a picture of two homosexual men. „It isn’t possible to be so open about same-sex relationships in every country. In some places just being gay or lesbian is illegal.” The students are invited to discuss about this fact.
In the book for the Oberstufe (class 11/12) there are lots of references to LGBT culture.
Topic 1 “Adolescence”, p. 16: The book presents the lyrics of “All that’s known” from Franz Wendekind’s play ‘Spring Awakening’. Next to the lyrics there is a “Fact File: Franz Wendekind’s (…) play (…) caused a scandal when it was published in 1891. It shocked the censors of the time on account of its explicit themes: teenage sexuality, abortion, suicide and homosexuality.”
Topic 3 “Gender Issues”, p. 42: There are quotes about gender roles and images of men and women for magazine covers. During the whole topic, the students shall discuss gender stereotypes and the role of the media concerning this issue.
Topic 5 “American truths”, p.71: The book presents the lyrics of the song
“Dear Mr. President” by Pink. In that, she sings "What kind of father would take his own daughter’s rights away? And what kind of father might hate his own daughter if she were gay? I can only imagine what the first lady has to say…You’ve come a long way from whiskey and cocaine." The task below the lyrics is: ‘What are the issues the singer wants to talk about with the president?’
“Dear Mr. President” by Pink. In that, she sings "What kind of father would take his own daughter’s rights away? And what kind of father might hate his own daughter if she were gay? I can only imagine what the first lady has to say…You’ve come a long way from whiskey and cocaine." The task below the lyrics is: ‘What are the issues the singer wants to talk about with the president?’
Topic 6 “Religion in the US and UK”, p. 88: The book also looks at policital movements concerning LGBT culture. In the text “The political influence of the evangelicals in the US” many law texts are listed and one of them is this:
“In 1996, Congress passed the federal Defense of Marriage Act and President Clinton signed it. But after Massachusetts legalized gay marriage in 2004, states across the country rushed to pass their own DOMAs and amend their constitutions to prohibit same-sex unions. Though the right has been very successful at the state level- there are now only five states without some kind of ban on gay marriage- it failed to get even 50 votes in the Senate for Marriage Protection Amendment.”
As stated above, this book series stands out compared to the others and treats the issue of LGBT in one or the other way whereas the other books ignore it.