Developing Literary Competences through Aldous Huxley's "Brave New World"

Lesson Plan from the year 2021 in the subject Didactics for the subject English - Literature, Works, grade: 13, Justus-Liebig-University Giessen (Anglistik), course: Basismodul TEFL II: Developing Literary Competences: Models, Methods, Tasks, language: English, abstract: "Brave New World" is an excellent choice for the classroom, as it addresses crucial issues that may still be relevant in the future, and the novel is immensely topical. Besides, Huxley offers a multifaceted language register, which makes the book all the more entertaining. The connection to the realities of life offers potential for discussion, which further enhances the book's appeal to students and teachers, as students can, for example, discuss fears about genetic engineering and engage in debates about the dangers and opportunities of scientific progress in the future. Furthermore, Huxley's work offers a motivational basis for personal statements and reflective discussions about the (un)desirable developments of our time. At the same time, students can reflect on the possibilities and dangers of their future.
This teaching unit, which includes a total of 3 double lessons, serves to introduce the book and to get to know the prevailing social system. In addition, it is interesting to find out how the students imagine the future without having been in contact with the book before. Do they also have a rather gloomy and pessimistic vision of the future? Or do they see good chances of scientific progress and its impact on humans or even on earth? Are there any interfaces that can be further addressed? The main topics presented are only a small part of what the book covers. One could also look at the most important characters in class or focus on the Shakespearean references since there are a number of Shakespearean quotations in Brave New World.