Till Lindemann in meinem Französischunterricht? Zu Entscheidungen der Lehrperson und Rezeption der Schüler*innen bezüglich „Le jardin des larmes“ (Zaz/Lindemann) in der Sekundarstufe I

Abstract

Music is expected to have beneficial effects on foreign language learning and teaching, particularly as a link between students’ personal lives and curricular subjects. Unexpectedly, a student brought the song and video “Le jardin des larmes” by French singer Zaz and German Rammstein vocalist Till Lindemann to the author’s sixth-grade French class. The video depicts highly violent scenes, which are generally considered inappropriate for children. However, neither the children nor their parents responded visibly or noticeably. The teacher’s decision making and its connection to the students’ reception processes are analyzed within an autoethnographic framework, pointing to the heightened normativity of pedagogical decisions when confronted with polarizing topics.