EL1536: RETHINKING READING (2018-2019)

Last modified: 22 May 2019 17:07

Course Overview

Rethinking Reading invites you to consider what we do when we study literature. What shapes the idea of literature as we know it? How, and why, might we want to change the ways in which we think about texts? Who gets to decide, and why does it matter? Designed as an introduction to critical theory for students of literature, Rethinking Reading introduces several key topics in critical studies: literature, authorship, genre, sexuality, and posthumanism.

Course Details

Study Type	Undergraduate	Level	1
Term	Second Term	Credit Points	15 credits (7.5 ECTS credits)
Campus	None.	Sustained Study	No
Co-ordinators	Dr Elizabeth Elliott

Qualification Prerequisites

Either Programme Level 1 or Programme Level 2

What courses & programmes must have been taken before this course?

Any Undergraduate Programme (Studied)

What other courses must be taken with this course?

None.

What courses cannot be taken with this course?

None.

Are there a limited number of places available?

Course Description

'Rethinking Reading' complements the module ‘Acts of Reading’. Intended primarily for students with degree intentions in English, this course is structured around the exploration of key areas in critical theory: literature, authorship, genre, sexuality, and posthumanism. It will develop students' ability to reflect on foundational critical questions, offering a basis for understanding some of the main theoretical approaches and current methodologies informing the study of literature. Four literary texts are explored as case studies, together with indicative critical reading: the poetry of E. A. Markham, Naomi Novik’s Uprooted, Shakespeare’s Sonnets, and Karen Joy Fowler’s We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves.

Contact Teaching Time

Information on contact teaching time is available from the course guide.

Teaching Breakdown

More Information about Week Numbers

Details, including assessments, may be subject to change until 30 August 2024 for 1st term courses and 20 December 2024 for 2nd term courses.

Summative Assessments

1st Attempt: 1x 2000 word essay (80%), Course journal (online) (10%) Tutorial Assessment Mark (10%)

Resit: 1 x 2000 word take home exam essay.

Formative Assessment

Draft Essay Plan

Feedback

Students will receive prompt oral feedback in seminars, and will receive formal written feedback on essays within three weeks of submission.

Course Learning Outcomes

- Show contextual understanding of a range of critical approaches to literary study.
- Analyse texts from different periods and in different genres.
- Demonstrate the ability to communicate clearly, effectively, and at an appropriate intellectual standard both orally and in writing.
- Demonstrate understanding of key critical questions in literary studies, both orally and in writing.
- Reflect upon their own learning process in relation to prescribed texts and topics.