The Queer Stopover: How queer Travels in the Language Classroom

Abstract

Over the last decade or so, developments in queer theory and queer perspectives have resulted in changes to the way that identities are viewed. However, the implications for foreign language classrooms are yet to be fully explored. This paper focuses on the challenges involved in introducing queer theory to the foreign language classroom. Specifically, it seeks to respond to the question How does queer travel to the French, Italian and Japanese classrooms in an Australian university? In doing so, it considers the challenges which emerge due to the structures of the languages, the sociocultural context and the teaching materials used in the classroom. It is written by experienced teachers as they considered, and in some cases trialled, how to integrate queer perspectives into their teaching. The challenges addressed here are not exhaustive, but represent those the authors consider as the most salient at the initial steps of the journey