Star Wars English Class
Star Wars English Class
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Julia and Fern explore the Star Wars franchise from the perspective of English teachers and literature enthusiasts. They analyze themes, characters, and language used in the films and series. The podcast is aimed at English learners and fans of Star Wars who want to deepen their understanding of the storytelling.
Epizode
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SWA101: Narration and Point of View (ESB) 14.07.2025 1h 26minThis week in "Star Wars Appreciation 101," Julia and Fern tackle The Empire Strikes Back from a certain point of view (sorry, we had to!). This episode covers narration and POV in literature and film, including how we identify a scene's point-of-view character or characters and what that can teach us. Other points of interest: What is narration, and how does it work in movies compared to literature? What is a work of fiction asking us to consider by taking certain points of view? Read F... -
SWA101: Plot (ANH) 15.10.2024 1h 4minThis week in "Star Wars Appreciation 101," Julia and Fern try not to lose the plot while watching Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. Analyzing the film’s structure, conflicts, and (weird) pacing, they make some surprising discoveries about the story we think we know. Spoiler Alert: However long you think the Death Star sequence is, no it’s not. On the Syllabus this Week: Lucas, George, director. Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. Twentieth Century Fox, 1977. Mays, Kelly J. The Norto...
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Star Wars Appreciation 101: What We Do With Star Wars 30.09.2024 1h 17minWelcome to Star Wars Appreciation 101! (#SWA101). In this episode, Fern and Julia explore "What We Do With Star Wars" by reading "The Force Provides" by Justina Ireland (Tales of Light and Life YA High Republic Anthology) through three main "principles" that challenge how we engage with stories. On the Syllabus Today: "The Force Provides" by Justina Ireland. Tales of Light and Life. Disney Lucasfilm Press, 2023, pp. 181-214. Mays, Kelly J. The Norton Introduction to Literature: Shorter ...
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Office Hours #2: Syllabus Week 16.09.2024 53minIn this episode, Fern and Julia finally explain where they've been and where they (and the podcast) are going. Tl;dr: New season "Star Wars Appreciation 101", coming soon! Social Media: @swenglishclass on Twitter, TikTok, and Instagram Julia is on TikTok @juliachristine77 Fern is on TikTok @alwaysfern Business inquiries: starwarsenglishclass@gmail.com Logo by Jacob David Earl (@jacobdavidearl) Music by ZapSplat.com -
Office Hours #1 13.11.2023 39minWelcome to the first in a series of rambling, casual episodes where Fern and Julia do not hold themselves to pesky things like "academic standards" and "research" and just kind of chat, like you would during your professor's office hours. Points of Interest: -Julia's Broken Brain -Sometimes, Star Wars is Book -SWCC London Live Episode THANK YOU!! -Talking Back to Our Own Podcast -This is a Pro Union Podcast -You Can Podcast from the Woods Social Media: @swenglishclass on Twitter, T... -
The Hero's Journey LIVE from Star Wars Celebration 2023 22.05.2023 55minRecorded live from the HoloNet News Stage at Star Wars Celebration London, Fern and Julia explore Joseph Campbell's The Hero with a Thousand Faces and the impact of "The Hero's Journey" on Star Wars and mass-media storytelling in general. (Psst...the audio isn't great in this one because Julia forgot she saved the audio we recorded with the nice microphone to her external hard drive...which is currently 2000 miles away from her. We'll upload the improved audio as soon as we can)... -
Summer School: Obi-Wan Kenobi Part 2 (Episodes 4-6) 01.08.2022 1h 36minJoin Julia and Fern for a special Summer School session with in-depth exploration of the themes, story elements, character arcs, and more of the final three episodes of Obi-Wan Kenobi (2022). Our Obi-Wan Kenobi Media Recommendations for Further Reading: Brotherhood by Mike Chen Padawan by Kiersten White Obi-Wan Kenobi (2022) comic mini-series Social Media: @swenglishclass on Twitter and TikTok Julia is on TikTok @juliachristine77 Fern is on TikTok @alwaysfern Business inquiries: starwars... -
Once Upon a Time in a Galaxy Far, Far Away...Star Wars as Fairy Tale 20.06.2022 1h 56minIn this week’s episode, Fern teaches Julia about fairy tales! Join us as we explore the history of folktale, the rise of the literary fairy tale, the tropes and conventions of the genre, and J.R.R. “Jorts” Tolkien’s most famous essay, “On Fairy Stories.” How does our understanding of Star Wars shift and develop when we consider it in the context of this literary tradition? What do fairy tales and stories like Star Wars “offer” us in our adult lives? And will Hank Green finally admit that Star...
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Summer School: Obi-Wan Kenobi Part 1 (Episodes 1-3) 06.06.2022 1h 29minJoin Julia and Fern for a special Summer School session with in-depth exploration of the themes, story elements, character arcs, and more of the first three episodes of Obi-Wan Kenobi (2022). Social Media: @swenglishclass on Twitter, TikTok, and Instagram Julia is on TikTok @juliachristine77 Fern is on TikTok @alwaysfern Business inquiries: starwarsenglishclass@gmail.com Logo by Jacob David Earl (@jacobdavidearl) Music by ZapSplat.com -
Broken on Purpose: Star Wars and Serial Storytelling 23.05.2022 2h 1minIn this episode, Julia teaches Fern about serialization! We explore the differences between series and serials, discuss the effects of serialization on storytelling and audience engagement, and consider what it means to be agents of narrative continuation as members of the Star Wars fandom. How does serialization determine story structure? Is Star Wars broken (on purpose)? And was George Lucas right when he said that Star Wars is like poetry? On the syllabus: Star Wars: The Clone Wars ...
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The Bedrock All Goodness is Built Upon: An Obi-Wan Kenobi Character Study 25.04.2022 2h 11minFern and Julia are back for Star Wars English Class's sophomore year! We're kicking off swenglishclass season two with our first Character Study. Join us as we perform an in-depth exploration of Obi-Wan Kenobi's characterization and character development within both Canon and Legends materials. How does Obi-Wan's narrative purpose shift between the Original Trilogy and the Prequels? Which Legends story beats inform Obi-Wan's Canon characterization? And what exactly is a character, anyway? On...
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Star Wars Book Report: Queen's Hope with Camila (@boricuawookiee) 06.04.2022 1h 59minHey class, it's time for another Star Wars Book Report! In this special bonus episode and second installment in our Book Report series, Julia is joined by fellow Star Wars TikToker, Camila (@boricuawookiee) to discuss the final installment in E.K. Johnston's Padmè-focused YA Queen's Trilogy, Queen's Hope. TIMESTAMPS BELOW. (00:14:13) General Padmè Discussion(00:29:24) Queen's Trilogy General Discussion(00:41:08) Queen's Hope No Spoilers(01:02:05) Queen's Hope Spoilers DiscussionCamila i... -
Star Wars Book Report: The Fallen Star 04.01.2022 2h 6minIt's a Star Wars Book Report! In this special bonus episode, Fern and Julia review and discuss the latest adult novel in The High Republic era, The Fallen Star by Claudia Gray. Thank you to Del Rey for an early review copy. Social Media: @swenglishclass on Twitter, TikTok, and Instagram Julia is on TikTok @juliachristine77 Fern is on TikTok @alwaysfern Business inquiries: starwarsenglishclass@gmail.com Logo by Jacob David Earl (@jacobdavidearl) Music by ZapSplat.com -
Intertextuality 28.12.2021 1h 33minIn the penultimate episode of season one of Star Wars English Class, Julia overcomes her fear of French literary theory to teach Fern about intertextuality. We explore the The Ferdinand de Saussure to Disney Star Wars Canon Pipeline, analyze some of George Lucas's cultural and historical "references," Fern goes on a Quick Adventure Zone Tangent™️, and we discover two ultimate truths: language is a prison and there is no Star Wars. On the Syllabus Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awake...
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Happy Holo-ween! (Bonus) 30.10.2021 52minHappy Holo-ween! (Thanks TikTok User @natethegirl!) Or, Unalive Day? Death Day? In this chaotic and spooky live episode, Fern and Julia discuss all things spooky and scary in a galaxy far, far away including: haunted artifacts in The High Republic, Mothman Truther Quinlan Vos, and what exactly we should call Halloween in Star Wars. On the Syllabus: Into the Dark by Claudia Gray Dooku: Jedi Lost by Cavan Scott Wild Space by Karen Miller The Travels of Sir John Mandeville by John Mandeville ...
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From a Certain Point of View 2: Electric Boogaloo 11.10.2021 1h 52minIt's FACPOV 2: The Empire Strikes Back -- or, wait a minute, nope, we gave this episode a different funny name. In today's episode, Fern and Julia return their discussion of point of view as Fern teaches the class about 1st, 2nd, and 3rd person POV, the difference between an involved and an uninvolved narrator, and the way POV shapes a narrative. Why might an author choose to write in the 3rd person subjective POV instead of the 1st person? What can we learn from uninvolved narrators like Nic...
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Starting with Revenge: Star Wars and the Revenge Tragedy 27.09.2021 2h 4minOn today's episode, Julia teaches Fern about revenge tragedy and Shakespeare's favorite Star Wars character, Maul. Julia and Fern discuss the elements of a revenge tragedy, Maul's backstory, and the ultimate fate of all revengers. Essential questions: What makes Maul a revenger? What stops the cycle of revenge? And what would have happened if Maul had been found by a traveling Shakespeare troupe instead of Palpatine? On the Syllabus: Charles and Elaine Hallett, The Revenger's Madness: A Stud...
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Galaxy's Edge 09.08.2021 1h 22minIn this special "mini" episode, Julia and Fern discuss their recent trip to Disneyland's Star Wars-themed park, Galaxy's Edge. They discuss the concept of transmedia, specifically how Star Wars exists in multiple forms: movies, TV series, books, video games, and now, amusement parks. How does Galaxy's Edge function as a greater part of the intertextual web of Star Wars? How can a theme park be "canon?" And most importantly, is Domhnall Gleeson's performance on Rise of the Resistan...
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The Queer Coding Episode 21.07.2021 1h 56minIn this week's episode, Fern teaches the class about queer coding! Join us as we delve into the history of queer coding and discuss queerbaiting, the Hays Code, and compulsory heterosexuality. Why do so many Star Wars fans think Luke Skywalker is gay? Why does Sabine Wren's dyed hair indicate queerness? And how can we read Ahsoka Tano as a queer figure despite her relationship with one Lux Bonteri? On the Syllabus: "Compulsory Heterosexuality and Lesbian Existence" (1980) by Adrienne Rich"T...
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Selling Your Soul to the Sith 14.06.2021 1h 50minThis week, Julia teaches Fern about Faustian bargains and deals with the devil! We discuss the plot and themes of Christopher Marlowe's Doctor Faustus, the Dark Side and Sith apprenticeship, and Sidious's role as Star Wars Satan. Do Sidious's apprentices (Maul, Dooku, and Vader) sell their souls when they turn to the Dark Side? How do these characters respond when they're offered the possibility of redemption? And is it possible to study the Dark Side without being corrupted by it...
