Teaching Short Science Fiction Stories in English as a Foreign Language in Mexico.

This paper describes an advanced English course at a Mexican university entitled, "Short Science Fiction Stories in English." The course is based on an ecological, co-emergent approach in which the various components of curriculum action are understood to exist in a dynamic and mutually specifying relationship. With this conceptual approach, the course provides enriching transcultural encounters. The paper describes the theoretical-methodological framework of the course, its objectives, the choice of the short story, the syllabus, class management, and evaluation policy. Science fiction provides university students with a vision of the impact that science and technology project on society from the Anglophone point of view, offering spaces for critical transcultural encounters. The course's three objectives include stimulating appreciation and enjoyment of literature in English, offering a critical analysis of the manifestations of Anglophone cultures as they are revealed in science fiction, and promoting the improvement and diversification of English knowledge and competence. Students complete 24 stories and 2 essays on science fiction, meeting twice weekly for 2 hours. They read and discuss in groups and complete portfolios. Some students prepare film scripts or write original science fiction stories. A course syllabus is appended. (Contains 15 references.) (SM)