English Literature (20016)
Acadèmic Year: 2014-2015
Year : 1r
Term: 1
Degree: Grau en Humanitats - UPF
Number of credits ECTS: 6
Student's workload (ECTS x 25): 150 hours
Language of Teaching: English
Instructors: Miquel Berga, Pere Gifra, Maria Antònia Oliver, Anna Asián, Àngels Oliva
1. Course Description
In this course students will acquire, in the first place, basic knowledge on major periods and authors of the English literary tradition. Secondly, they will develop the ability to recognize the literariness of a text, i.e., the ability to appreciate the formal resources that produce certain communicative and aesthetic effects. Equally essential to achieve this competence is the acquisition of a metalanguage on literary and linguistic resources and the ability to apply it to literary texts. Thirdly, this course will reinforce the students' linguistic and discursive skills so as to enable them to read non-abridged literary texts in English, analyze their structure, understand the mechanisms for creating textual meaning, and finally articulate their own ideas about such texts in a coherently organized and grammatically correct manner. The acquisition of this knowledge focuses on the development of the critical analysis of these literary works as well as on the ability to make connections between the literary text and other texts, and between the literary and other artistic discourses.
Important Notice:
•1. It is essential that students read the assigned texts for each unit before the class meets.
•2. It is also essential that students bring to the classroom the texts to be used for each specific unit.
•3. Prior to enrollment in this course, we recommend students to reach level B1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages or to have passed the first-year course "English Language for the Humanities".
2. Competences to be attained
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General Competences |
Specific Competences |
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1. Preparing outlines of texts read in class or lectures heard in class.
2. Writing summaries of texts read in class or lectures heard in class.
3. Writing brief essays on the most relevant ideas in a text or in a lecture.
4a. Speaking in English fluently and with a correct pronunciation.
4b. Speaking in English before a large audience without loss of communication.
5a. Listening to long lectures in English (45-60 minutes).
5b. Getting used to different accents, registers and communicative situations in spoken English.
5c. Taking notes while listening to a lecture in English.
6a. Inferring the meaning of difficult texts (by looking for the text structure, the function of each different paragraph and section, the main ideas, the connection between ideas, etc.)
6b. Knowing the characteristics of the chief genres (poetry, drama, fiction, journalism, academic essays, etc.) and registers (formal, informal) in English.
7a. Knowing and applying the rhetorical conventions of the English-speaking cultural tradition in the writing of academic texts.
7b. Writing well-structured paragraphs.
7c. Using good strategies to write effective introductions, establish cohesion within texts and write good conclusions.
8. Reaching decisions and producing texts and oral presentations in groups.
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3- Course Contents
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PLENARY SESSIONS AND SEMINARS |
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•1. The Beginnings: Old English. TEXTS: Beowulf •2. The Beginnings: Middle English TEXT: The Canterbury Tales (The General Prologue, Portrait of the Wife of Bath in the G. Prologue) •3. The English Renaissance TEXTS: Shakespeare's sonnets, As You Like It (excerpt), Richard III (excerpt), Hamlet, "To Be or Not to Be", etc. •4. 17th C: and the Metaphysical Poets. TEXTS: J. Donne, "The Flea", "Batter my Heart" •5. Restoration and Satire TEXTS; J. Swift, A Modest Proposal (excerpts); D. Defoe, "The Education of Women", Lady M. Chudleigh, "To the Ladies" •6. Development of the Novel. TEXTS: J. Swift, Gulliver's Travels; H. Fielding, Tom Jones, Tristram Shandy; S. Richardson, Pamela; D. Defoe, Robinson Crusoe (excerpts); J. Austen, Pride and Prejudice •7. Romanticism TEXTS: J. Keats "Ode to a Nightingale", P. B. Shelley Ozymandias", M. Shelley Frankenstein •8. The Victorian age. TEXTS: J. Galsworthy, The Forsyte Saga (excerpt), T. Hardy, "The Oxen" •9. Modern Times TEXTS: W. Owen, "Dulce et Decorum Est"; V. Woolf, "Professions for Women" (excerpt); "The Legacy"
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4- Assessment
(40%) Seminars: 3 entries of a class journal to be handed in to your seminar instructor (based on all the texts discussed in both the plenary sessions and the seminar sessions). Seminar instructors will provide specific instructions in class. (Those entries turned in after the due date will be penalized with a deduction of 2 points per week of delay).
- (60%) Final Exam (based on all the texts discussed in both the plenary sessions and the seminar sessions)
Important Notice! To pass this course students must obtain a mark of 5 out of 10 in the final exam.
- Remedial Exam: The remedial exam is comprehensive. Its mark does not average with the mark of the written work done during the term. However, a pre-requisite to do the esam is to have submitted and passed at least 50% of the written work assigned during the term (two journal entries)
5- Bibliography and resources
• Primary Bibliography
•· CLASS READINGS: Coursepack titled "Dossier de Textos" (Literatura Anglesa), available at OCÉ. Some of these texts may also be found at: www.upf.edu/materials/fhuma/angles2/
•· COMPLEMENTARY READINGS: Estefania Villalba's Claves para interpretar la literatura inglesa (Alianza, 1999); English at Carter, R. & McRae, J. The Routledge History of Literature in English. London: Routledge, 1997.
• Secondary Bibliography
Alvarez Amorós, José Antonio (ed.). Historia crítica de la novela inglesa. Salamanca: Almar, 1998.
Barnard, R. A Short History of English Literature. (2nd ed.). Oxford: Blackwell, 1994.
Blamires, H. A Short History of English Literature. (2nd. ed.). London: Routledge, 1984.
Borges, Jorge Luis. Literaturas germánicas medievales. Madrid: Alianza, 1980.
Bregazzi, Josephine. Shakespeare y el teatro renacentista inglés. Madrid: Alianza, 1999.
Carter, R. & McRae, J. The Penguin Guide to English Literature: Britain and Ireland. Hardmonsworth: Penguin. 1995.
Drabble, M. (ed.). The Oxford Companion to English Literature. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991.
Fowler, A. A History of English Literature. Oxford: Blackwell. 1987, 1994.
Galván, Fernando. Literatura inglesa medieval. Madrid: Alianza, 2001.
Gower, Roger. Past into Present. London: Longman, 1990.
Kermode, F. & Hollander, J. (eds.). The Oxford Anthology of English Literature. (7 vols.). Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1973.
Oliva, Salvador. Introducció a Shakespeare. Barcelona: Empúries, 2000.
Poplawski, Paul (ed.). English Literature in Context. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 2007.
Sanders, A. The Short Oxford History of English Literature. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1994.
6- Methodology
This course follows a communicative methodology based on the analysis of literary texts and the acquisition of reading skills in a foreign language. Therefore, this course is methodologically different and is organized in a different manner from that of the other literature courses in the Degree in Humanities at UPF.
We want students to understand literary texts in a foreign language and we will do so by means of close readings. Although emphasis is placed above all on reception, we will also work on the production of students' responses. We work on the 4 basic skills (reading, listening comprehension, written production and oral production), with a particular emphasis on the first three. The language to which students are exposed (input) is mainly related to academic discourse analysis and literary criticism, as well as to the referential (non figurative) and representational (figurative) language of literature. Apart from paying attention to the input and output, we also foster the interaction between students and teachers and among students themselves, as it is proven that this is a fundamental key in the acquisition and development of language skills as well as literary competition. In short, we want to build the meaning of the text by means of collaboration; the role of the teacher is to facilitate and guie the classroom seminars.
Another key aspect to creating conditions conducive to the learning of the English language through literature is a focus on the linguistic forms of the language (grammar and syntax, vocabulary, phonetics and phonology, among other aspects) and structure of written discourse. Thus, students will complete activities in which these mechanical or structural aspects of the language are the object of study, yet always bearing in mind that the first priority is communication and fluency.
D'altra banda el curs pretén que els alumnes es familiaritzin amb algunes de les obres fonamentals de la tradició literària en llengua anglesa i els períodes i moviments literaris als quals pertany
Moreover, the course aims to familiarize students with some of the key works of the English literary tradition and periods and movements to which they belong.
7- Academic Performance and Requirements
•1. Students should follow the syllabus and our Aula Global for updates about the course.
•2. Students are required to bring to class the assigned text for each unit.
•3. They are also required to have read and thought about the assigned texts before class.
•4. Successful performance in this course depends on attendance and regular work. We encourage you to participate actively in class. You should try to participate in English, but you are welcome to do so in Spanish or Catalan if you feel more comfortable.
•5. Students should hand in all assignments on time. Failure to do so will result in a penalization of two points per week of delay.
•6. Plagiarism is severely penalized with an automatic fail ("suspens") in the assignment. Students who plagiarize more than once will automatically fail the whole course.
•7. Before enrolling in this course we recommend having the B1 English level in the CEFR and having passed the first year subject "Llengua Anglesa per a les Humanitats".
•8. Please do not hesitate to ask any questions about the course directly to your instructors during or after class, as well as during their office hours. Instructors have no obligation to answer questions about the course through email.
•9. Do not submit any assignments online or thorugh email unless otherwise instructed by your instructor.
8- Course Schedule
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ENGLISH LITERATURE
TENTATIVE SYLLABUS, SEPTEMBER 2014
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WEEK
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PLENARY SESSIONS (Mondays, except for the first two weeks) |
SEMINAR SESSIONS (Wednesdays and Fridays) |
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WEEK 1 Sept Thu 25, Fri 26
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PLENARY SESSION (Friday 26th)
Introduction to the course U1. Old English. Beowulf (excerpt)
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WEEK 2 Sept Mon 29- Oct Fri 3
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TWO PLENARY SESSIONS (Mon 29th and Wed 1st)
U1. Beowulf cont'd U2. The Beginnings: Middle English. The Canterbury Tales ("The General Prologue")
U3. The English Renaissance (Intro) Intro to Shakespeare: Hamlet ("What a Piece") and As You Like It ("The Seven Ages of Man")
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U2. The Beginnings: Middle English Portrait of the Wife of Bath in "The General Prologue" (this seminar only on Friday 3rd; seminars 203, 204, 103, 104, but other students may also attend)
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WEEK 3 Oct Mon 6- Fri 10
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U3. The English Renaissance Hamlet ("To Be or Not to Be", continued)
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U3. The English Renaissance Henry V ("Saint Crispin's Day speech")
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WEEK 4 Oct Mon 13-Fri 17
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U3. The English Renaissance William Shakespeare, Sonnet 73
THURSDAY OCTOBER 16TH: OUTING TO TEATRE LLIURE, Victòria d'Enric V
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U3. The English Renaissance William Shakespeare, Sonnet130
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WEEK 5 Oct Mon 20-Fri 24
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U4. The 17th C & the Metaphysical Poets. John Donne, "The Flea"
U5. Restoration and Satire
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U4. The 17th C & the Metaphysical Poets. John Donne, "Batter My Heart"
U5. Restoration and Satire Lady M. Chudleigh introduced
Journal entry 1 due:
Option A: Write a journal entry on one of the texts by Chaucer (Opening of The General Prologue, "Portrait of the Wife of Bath") or Shakespeare (Hamlet, Henry V, Sonnet 73, Sonnet 130) Option B: Write a review of the performance of Victòria d'Enric V (further details will be provided in class by your seminar instructor).
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WEEK 6 Oct Mon 27- Oct Fri 31
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U5. The Augustan Age: Restoration and Satire Jonathan Swift, A Modest Proposal (excerpt)
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U5. The Augustan Age: Restoration and Satire
Lady Mary Chudleigh, "To the Ladies" Daniel Defoe, "The Education of Women"
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WEEK 7 Nov Mon 3- Fri Nov 7
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U6. The Development of the Novel: Swift, Richardson, Defoe, Fielding and Sterne. Analysis of texts of front pages and excerpts.
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U6. The Development of the Novel Samuel Richardson, Pamela (Letter XI)
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WEEK 8 Nov Mon 10-Fri 14
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U6 Continued. The Development of the Novel. Excerpts.
U7. Romanticism. Introduction.
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U7. Romanticism. Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (excerpt) Percy B. Shelley, "Ozymandias"
Journal Entry 2 due: Write a journal entry on one of the texts by Swift, Lady Mary Chudleigh, Donne, Richardson, Defoe, Fielding and Sterne.
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WEEK 9 Nov Mon 17-Fri 21 |
U7. Romanticism
John Keats, "Ode to a Nightingale"
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U7. Romanticism Jane Austen Sense and Sensibility (excerpt)
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WEEK 10 Nov Mon 24- Fri 28
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U8.The Victorian Age (Intro) Charles Dickens (excerpts)
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U8. The Victorian Age Thomas Hardy, "The Oxen"
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WEEK 11 December Mon 1-Wed 3
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U8. The Victorian Age (continued) John Galsworthy, The Forsyte Saga
Review for the Exam
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U9. Towards Modern Times Virginia Woolf (text to be announced) (this seminar only on Wed. 3rd; seminars 201, 202, 101, 102, but other students may also attend)
Journal Entry 3 due: Write a journal entry on one of the texts from Keats to Woolf. |