Use of an American TV Drama Glee for Moral and Emotional Lessons

Yong, Son Choi

Article

Journal of English Teaching through Movies and Media 2013;14(2):1-21.
Published online September 30, 2013.

Use of an American TV Drama Glee for Moral and Emotional Lessons

Abstract

It is often heard that lately, among the young generation, there is a growing tendency to be generally individualistic, immoral, materialistic, selfish and competitive. How can they change? This study strongly argues that the use of a TV drama, one form of film, is a useful tool for developing a deeper understanding of moral and emotional lessons due to its impact on viewers, or students of all ages. This study aims to investigate what moral and emotional benefits there are in using an English TV drama Glee (Murphy & Falchuk, 2009) as a teaching medium in the language classroom. For this end, this study encourages students to learn the moral and emotional lessons through specific use of Glee episodes. The specific moral lessons the students will learn are Future career: Do what you really want to do; Don't be the bully; Understand others' identity (sexual orientation); Equal opportunity can exist: Diversity, Minority Issues; Appearance - Self-Esteem / Self Image; Physically Challenged; Teen Pregnancy & Celibacy; and Honesty (Lying). Each lesson section includes the storyline of the episode, related dialogue, students' responses and teacher's comments on the issues.

Key Words: TV drama;character education;moral lesson