Windows and Mirrors: Approaching Diversity with the TV series Heartstopper (season 1)

Abstract

This article reports on a two-cycle design-based research project in which the TV series Heartstopper (season 1) was implemented in an elective English Literature class with ninth-grade students in Switzerland. The study examines how a contemporary television series can be integrated into the EFL classroom to support language learning, series_serial literacy, and engagement with diversity. Across both cycles, the teaching design combined language-based tasks, multimodal analysis, and creative production. Students analyzed cinematographic features, used technical terminology, compared media-specific storytelling strategies, and reflected on identity and representation employing Bishop’s metaphor of texts being windows, sliding glass doors or mirrors. Findings suggest that working with a series can productively link linguistic development with multimodal literacy and critical reflection, while allowing for differentiated responses to LGBTQ+-themed content.