Open this publication in new window or tab >>2023 (English)In: Confero: Essays on education, philosophy and politics, E-ISSN 2001-4562, ISSN 2001-4562, Vol. 9, no 1, p. 102-125Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]
This essay delves into questions that emerge within the teaching of Swedish (L1) when encountering new media and the challenges posed by Education for Sustainable Development. A crucial aspect of L1 education involves training students to adopt a critical approach to how we think and talk about our world, understanding how language in all its forms affects us. Through this essay, we aim to demonstrate that even non-traditional media like digital games carry linguistic structures that shape our perspectives, showcasing their relevance for the teaching of Swedish. Consequently, this essay serves a dual purpose: firstly, contributing to discussions on how the school subject of Swedish can promote ESD, and secondly, exploring ways in which different representations, such as digital games, can be analyzed in school.
Our aim is to analyze the game Valheim (2021) through an ecolinguistic perspective (Stibbe 2021) to uncover the representations of human relationships with animals and nature embedded in the game. These representations serve as a basis for concluding the didactic relevance of such analyses within the school subject of Swedish.
The following questions have been formulated: How is the relationship between human and nature constructed in the game Valheim? What stories can be identified based on these constructions? What didactic relevance does the analysis have for the school subject of Swedish in working with ESD?
The essay presents five stories from the game that centers on human relation to nature: 1) Humans as the centre of Earth 2) Nature is a collection of resources 3) Nature is hostile 4) Meat as a vital resource 5) Life on Earth is temporary.
In conclusion, we propose that the role of the Swedish subject is to unveil and challenge linguistic structures within texts and stories surrounding us, thereby exposing the "truths" we embrace in contemporary society. Ideas from Janks (2014) and within the Swedish context, Molloy (2017), support this claim. As children increasingly engage themselves in digital environments, games, and social media, these digital spaces become more significant within educational settings.
This prompts a crucial need for research and critical discussions about the convergence of schools and digital culture. Within the realm of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), this intersection gains particular significance. Our examination of Valheim has shown the complex interplay and tension between digital culture and the processes through which meaning is constructed within the contexts of L1 and ESD.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Linköping: , 2023
Keywords
Ecolinguistics; digital games; multimodality; L1; Valheim; Education for Sustainable Development
National Category
General Literature Studies Didactics
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:liu:diva-199619 (URN)10.3384/confero.2001-4562.231212 (DOI)
2023-12-142023-12-142024-01-19