Since its inception, the detective genre has crossed borders and languages and everywhere it has gone it has been appropriated and rewritten to fit local concerns and taboos.
In this journey across cultures and languages the crime genre – through its exploration of death and life – provides insight into how different communities conceive crime.
Moreover, many authors use the conventions of the detective plot to reflect on and engage with a range of social, cultural and political issues pertinent to the novels’ intended readership.This seminar has two objectives. First, it seeks to reframe the use of literary texts within the L2 curriculum in order to develop students’ cultural literacy. Second, through specific examples of classroom practice, it will show how the study of the crime genre in the L2 classroom can assist students to engage critically with the target culture.