Surveying L2 Shakespeare studies in Canadian secondary schools

Abstract

The study of Shakespeare in secondary school literature classes remains a global phenomenon across L2 contexts. Understanding said spaces is important, as the study of Shakespeare is known to expand learner knowledge of normative conventions of academic literacy – this, in service of building the cultural and linguistic capital necessary for learners to succeed on their own terms. However, little is known about how best to research this context so as to assist language learners with their academic literacy needs. To address this gap, this study employs thought modeling – an analytic tool informed by complex dynamic systems theory – to investigate the teaching and learning environment of seven secondary school ESL programs in the Canadian province of Ontario. Mining the educational experiences of 106 participants, this research explores five primary components of the educational landscape: conditions, timescales, interactions, artifacts, and agents. Thematic analyses and descriptive statistical analyses were performed on a dataset comprised of surveys and interviews. This study initiates a framework for continuing research into L2 secondary school Shakespeare studies by identifying and describing substantive avenues of research (i.e., control parameters) informing conditions for best practice and highlights thought modeling as an effective analytic framework for understanding educational dynamics.