vanna,

A quick scan of my mountain of textbooks from uni (undergrad and postgrad) revealed a very small number of American texts. Two, to be exact, and they were guides for my American Literature course (an oxymoron, some would say).

Almost all of the textbooks I have used in schools are generated in Australia. In fact, most are from Queensland. I'd be quite surprised to find that books such as "Secondary Maths for Queensland" would be American texts. I'm not sure why they would go to all the trouble of substituting local place names, using local maps and local terminology, either.

Similarly, the SOSE textbooks used in every school I attended or have worked in in Queensland are tailored specifically to Queensland SOSE curriculum needs. Again, no Americanisation there.

Not sure about software. Most tends to be internet-based these days, some American, some from elsewhere.

I just wanted to set the record straight, as the Americanisation issue is clearly one of great importance to you.

Son of a Gun and Chris C,

Would either/both of you be interested in writing a short opinion piece voicing your views on Teach for Australia for print publication? Please email me at leech@acer.edu.au

Thanks.

Otokonoko

American literature is no more of an oxymoron than any other category.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_novelists_from_the_United_States
gives a fair list of novelists -

Then there are 5 poets off the top of my head - Ezra Pound, Wallace Stevens, Theodore Roethke, Allen Ginsberg and Ed Dorn. And plenty more where they came from, including TS Eliot, born and raised a Yank. Best of my knowledge, those I've selected are all dead or male. My guess is there are plenty of other US writers living, male and female, who can spin a better tale than you can. Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler, F Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway & Hunter S Thompson aren't in the running though, because they're dead, too. And Djuna Barnes.

I wouldn't expect much from you the way of a list of favourite American authors from your days at uni - just as Australian literature was not covered at Kickatinalong State College, my Alma Mater. But then again, maybe you went to a better class of tertiary institution. It's a shame if some of your instructors were needlessly snobbish.