SFE11520 English: American Literature (Spring 2022)

The course is connected to the following study programs

Mandatory course in the one-year English programme.

Obligatory course in the 60 ECTS part of the Bachelor's Programme in Languages for students with English as one of their chosen languages.

Lecture Semester

One-year English programme: 2nd semester (spring). Bachelor's Programme in Languages: 2nd or 4th semester (autumn).

The student's learning outcomes after completing the course

Knowledge

The student has:

• knowledge and understanding of American literature

• knowledge of  literary periods, genres and themes in American literature 

• knowledge of the intellectual investigation processes practised in literature studies

Skills

The student:

• has analytical and critical skills in his and her encounters with literary texts

• is capable of studying literary works in tke context of their history

• is capable of using the close reading technique as an important analytical tool in the literature field 

• preparing written assignments and taking part in discussions as part of the process of  analysing and interpreting American literary texts 

• is capable of using the MLA style of referencing

 General competence

The student is capable of

• independent and critical thinking in the analysis of American literature

• performing a more critical analysis of written material to understand both direct and underlying content in written texts

• using research components from the internet and the library to complete written assignments

• using various digital tools in academic work

Content

The course places emphasis on developing in-depth reading skills for literary texts, as well as developing efficient tools for writing about literature.

The course is a wide-ranging review of the devolopment of American literature from the founding of the USA until the present, with a main focus on the twentieth century. The compulsory part of the syllabus includes novels, plays, works of fiction and poetry. The texts are studied from the perspective of the age and the society from which they emerged. 

Forms of teaching and learning

Teaching varies between online and physical lectures, seminars, talks and activities in small groups. The students are expected to read the course material every week and take active part in classroom or online discussions and group assignments. Students are encouraged to study in groups where they can go through the literature and work together on assignments outside the scheduled teaching sessions. Each student is required to keep their webcamera and microphone turned on when participating in online classes.

Workload

Approx. 280 hours.

Coursework requirements - conditions for taking the exam

• One individual written assignment with an extent of 3-4 pages. 

Required coursework must be approved before the student can sit the exam.

Examination

Individual written exam (5 hours)

Permitted aids: English dictionary.

Grade scale A-F.

As a main rule the examination is arranged on campus. Students who wish to take the written exam in another pre-approved location must apply for this on a special form.

Examiners

One external and one internal examiner or two internal examiners.

Course evaluation

Feedback from our students is vital in order for us to be able to offer the best possible courses and study programmes. The course is evaluated every semester.

The results are considered by/in teacher groups, the head of studies and the local programme committee.

Literature

The reading list may be subject to change until the start of the semester.

MLA Handbook. 8th Edition. The Modern Language Association of America (MLA). 2016. ISBN: 9781603292627 (paperback).  

The Norton Anthology of American Literature. Shorter Ninth Edition, volume 2. Robert S. Levine, editor, W. W. Norton & Company, 2017. ISBN: 978-0-393-2645 (paperback).