English 20th Century Literature
Code: 100270 ECTS Credits: 6| Degree | Type | Year | Semester |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2500245 English Studies | FB | 1 | 2 |
| 2501902 English and Catalan | FB | 1 | 2 |
| 2501907 English and Classics | FB | 1 | 2 |
| 2501910 English and Spanish | FB | 1 | 2 |
| 2501913 English and French | FB | 1 | 2 |
Contact
- Name:
- Christina A. Howes
- Email:
- Christina.Howes@uab.cat
Use of Languages
- Principal working language:
- english (eng)
- Some groups entirely in English:
- Yes
- Some groups entirely in Catalan:
- No
- Some groups entirely in Spanish:
- No
Teachers
- Christina A. Howes
- Paula Yurss Lasanta
- Francesca Blanch Serrat
External teachers
- Nick Spengler
Prerequisites
There is no previous requirement other than to enjoy reading and literature. We recommend students to have passed the first-year subject "Història i Cultura de les Illes Britàniques."
The entry language level of English is C1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment, according to which the student is able to understand the main ideas of specific and abstract subjects, including technical arguments in his or her field of specialization (in this case, literature). Also, the student has to be able to interact with native speakers fluently without much effort, and to write clear argumentative essays in which opinions are expressed. The target level at the end of the course is C1.
It is the responsibility of the student to read the books and other materials required for the course. Any indication that students have not completed their reading will negatively affect their assessment.
Objectives and Contextualisation
"Literatura Anglesa del s. XX" offers an introduction to the main literary genres of this Literature focused on 20th century texts (short fiction, drama, poetry and the novel) by means of reading, analysis, debate and interpretation.
This compulsory subject offers basic skills, knowledge and training in the main features of each genre and an introduction to a few main representative authors of English Literature in each genre.
It trains students, above all, in reading, interpreting a selection of texts and writing a critical essay. The training offered is essential to follow all subsequent English Literature subjects.
On completion of "Literatura Anglesa del S. XX," students will be able to:
- Show knowledge of the main concerns of twentieth century English literature
- Show a solid reading comprehension of literary texts in contemporary English
- Produce basic literary criticism (short essays)
- Use the resources of any university library in relation to the subject-matter English Literature
- Express an informed assessment of the literary texts in English s/he may read
Competences
- English Studies
- Demonstrate they know a wide variety of texts in English language of any mean (oral, written, audiovisual) and recognising implicit meanings.
- Identify the main literary, cultural and historical currents in the English language.
- Produce clear and well structured and detailed texts in English about complex topics, displaying a correct use of the organisation, connection and cohesion of the text.
- Rewrite and organize information and arguments coming from several sources in English and presenting them in a coherent and summarised way.
- Utilising new technologies in order to capture and organise information in English and other languages, and applying it to the personal continued training and to the problem-solving in the professional or research activity.
- Working in an autonomous and responsible way in a professional or research environment in English or other languages, in order to accomplish the previously set objectives.
- English and Catalan
- Demonstrate they know a wide variety of texts in English language of any mean (oral, written, audiovisual) and recognising implicit meanings.
- Identify the main literary, cultural and historical currents in the English language.
- Produce clear and well structured and detailed texts in English about complex topics, displaying a correct use of the organisation, connection and cohesion of the text.
- Rewrite and organize information and arguments coming from several sources in English and presenting them in a coherent and summarised way.
- English and Classics
- Demonstrate they know a wide variety of texts in English language of any mean (oral, written, audiovisual) and recognising implicit meanings.
- Identify the main literary, cultural and historical currents in the English language.
- Produce clear and well structured and detailed texts in English about complex topics, displaying a correct use of the organisation, connection and cohesion of the text.
- Rewrite and organize information and arguments coming from several sources in English and presenting them in a coherent and summarised way.
- English and Spanish
- Demonstrate they know a wide variety of texts in English language of any mean (oral, written, audiovisual) and recognising implicit meanings.
- Identify the main literary, cultural and historical currents in the English language.
- Produce clear and well structured and detailed texts in English about complex topics, displaying a correct use of the organisation, connection and cohesion of the text.
- Rewrite and organize information and arguments coming from several sources in English and presenting them in a coherent and summarised way.
- English and French
- Demonstrate they know a wide variety of texts in English language of any mean (oral, written, audiovisual) and recognising implicit meanings.
- Identify the main literary, cultural and historical currents in the English language.
- Produce clear and well structured and detailed texts in English about complex topics, displaying a correct use of the organisation, connection and cohesion of the text.
- Rewrite and organize information and arguments coming from several sources in English and presenting them in a coherent and summarised way.
Learning Outcomes
- Analysing and interpreting contemporary literary texts in English in a basic level.
- Applying the acquired methodologies of work planning to work in an environment in the English language.
- Applying the acquired scientific and work planning methodologies to the research in English.
- Applying the information in English that is available on the Internet, in databases, etc. to the work and/or research environments.
- Carry out oral presentations in English about a variety of topics of public interest.
- Carrying out oral presentations in English about topics related to contemporary English literature.
- Describing the historical and thematic evolution of contemporary English literature.
- Distinguish the main ideas from the secondary ones and summarising the contents of contemporary literary texts in English.
- Distinguishing the main ideas from the secondary ones and summarising the contents of contemporary literary texts in English.
- Drawing up brief argumentative essays or text comments in English about topics related to contemporary English literature.
- Identifying the main currents, authors, genres and texts of contemporary English literature.
- Localise secondary academic sources in the library or on the Internet related to contemporary English literature.
- Localising secondary academic sources in the library or on the Internet related to contemporary English literature.
- Locating and organising relevant information in English that is available on the Internet, in databases, etc.
- Participating in face-to-face and virtual debates in English about topics related to contemporary English literature.
- Summarising the content of primary and secondary sources about contemporary English literature.
Content
- UNIT 1 The short story: Basic features. Analysis of 3 representative Modernist texts. – The early 20th century and Modernism: 1900s-1930s
- UNIT 2 Drama and theatre: Analysis of one play – War and Post-war 1940s-1960s
- UNIT 3 The novel: Analysis of one novel – End of century: 1980s.
- UNIT 4 Poetry: Basic features. Analysis of a selection of 20th century poems. – Towards Post-Modernism 1970s-1980s
Methodology
The teaching methodology is based on:
1 credit ECTS = 25 tuition hours > 6 credits = 150 hours
- Guided activities (maximum 50%, 30%, theory and 20% practice, 1,8 cr)
- Supervised activities (maximum 25%, 0,9 cr)
- Autonomous (maximum 50%, 3 cr)
- Assessment Activities (maximum 25%, 0,3 cr)
Annotation: Within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.
Activities
| Title | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type: Directed | |||
| Lectures | 30 | 1.2 | 1, 7, 9, 6, 11, 13, 15, 10, 16 |
| Practice, readings and debates | 20 | 0.8 | 1, 7, 9, 6, 11, 10 |
| Type: Supervised | |||
| Assessment activities: writing and class assignments | 25 | 1 | 1, 7, 9, 6, 11, 10 |
| Type: Autonomous | |||
| Reading and study | 50 | 2 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 9, 13, 14, 16 |
Assessment
Assessment is based on:
- 4 Evaluated items (1 per Unit) = 100% of total course mark
- Item 1 (20%)= critical essay (short stories)
- Item 2 (30%)= essay/activity (play)
- Item 3 (30%)= critical essay (novel)
- Item 4 (20%)= oral presentation (poems)
Please, note:
- All the subjects in this course follow continuous assessment. There is no final exam.
- All the exercises are COMPULSORY. Undelivered evaluation activities will be equivalent to a 0 for that activity, and therefore, this will negatively affect the average grade of the 4 evaluation elements.
- The submission of any exercise invalidates the student to get a final mark of "No Avaluable".
- The minimum pass mark for the whole subject is 5.
- The student’s command of English will be taken into account when marking all exercises and for the final mark. It will count as 25% of this mark for all the exercises and will be assessed as follows: Grammar (morphology and syntax): 30%; Vocabulary (accuracy and variety): 15%; Consistency (among sentences and paragraphs): 15%; Organization (sound argumentation of ideas): 20%; Style (expression and register): 15%; Spelling: 5%.
- In the event that classes or any evaluation activities cannot be taken onsite, they will be adapted to an online format made available through the UAB’s virtual tools (original weighting will be maintained). Homework, activities and class participation will be carried out through forums, wikis and/or discussion on Teams, etc. Lecturers will ensure that students are able to access these virtual tools, or will offer them feasible alternatives.
- Reviewing procedure: Students have a right to review their exercises with the teacher in a personal tutorial. On carrying out each evaluation activity, lecturers will inform students (on Moodle) of the procedures to be followed for reviewing all grades awarded, and the date on which such a review will take place. The student loses this right if s/he fails to collect the exercise/exam within the period announced by the teacher.
- Re-assessment conditions: Only students who have completed the continuous assessment and passed at least TWO of the exams given throughout the course may take reassessment. Students who are eligible for reassessment have got a final average exam mark between 3,5 and 4,9. If the final average exam mark is lower than 3,5 or they haven't passed at least 2 of the 4 items, the student will have failed the subject.
- The reassessment consists of a two-hour written exam on matters related to the subject. The exam is awarded a Pass/Fail mark and the maximum possible final mark is a 5.
- Evaluation Activities Excluded from Reassessment: Presentació oral i/o creació de un bloc en grup
- VERY IMPORTANT! Partial or total plagiarising will immediately result in a FAIL(0) for the plagiarised exercise or the WHOLE SUBJECT if plagiarism is repeated. PLAGIARISING consists of copying text from unacknowledged sources –whether this is part of a sentence or a whole text–with the intention of passing it off as the student’s own production. It includes cutting and pasting from internet sources, presented unmodified in the student’s own text. Plagiarising is a SERIOUS OFFENCE. Students must respect authors’ intellectual property, always identifying the sources they may use; they must also be responsible for the originality and authenticity of their own texts. In the event of a student committing any irregularity that may lead to a significant variation in the grade awarded to an assessment activity, the student will be given a zero for this activity, regardless of any disciplinary process that may take place.
Assessment Activities
| Title | Weighting | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Critical essay (Unit 3: novel) | 30% | 8 | 0.32 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 9, 8, 6, 5, 11, 13, 12, 14, 15, 10, 16 |
| Critical essay (short stories) | 20% | 4.5 | 0.18 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 9, 8, 6, 5, 11, 13, 12, 14, 15, 10, 16 |
| Critical essay/activity (Unit 2: play) | 30% | 8 | 0.32 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 9, 8, 6, 5, 11, 13, 12, 14, 15, 10, 16 |
| Oral presentation/blog (Unit 4: poems) | 20% | 4.5 | 0.18 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 9, 8, 6, 5, 11, 13, 12, 14, 15, 10, 16 |
Bibliography
Students are advised to buy the books before the course starts.
UNIT 1: Short Story
The short stories will be uploaded in the Campus Virtual: Katherine Mansfield, “Bliss”; James Joyce, “The Sisters” i Virginia Woolf, “Kew Gardens"
UNIT 2: Drama
John Osborne, Look back in Anger. Faber and Faber Plays
- ASIN: B00VYOBTYC
Recommended Guide:
Aleks Sierz, John Osborne's Look Back in Anger (Modern Theatre Guides). Continnuum-3PL; Edition: Annotated ed (10 de marzo de 2008)
- ISBN-10: 0826492010
- ISBN-13: 978-0826492012
Kazuo Ishiguro, The Remains of the Day. Faber and Faber
- ISBN-10: 9780571258246
- ISBN-13: 978-0571258246
UNIT 4: Poetry
A collection of poems will be uploaded in Campus Virtual.
Recommended Reading:
Caserio, R. (Ed.). (2009). The Cambridge Companion to the Twentieth-Century English Novel (Cambridge Companions to Literature). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. doi:10.1017/CCOL9780521884167
Cavanagh, Dermot; Alan Gillis, Michelle Keown, James Loxley, Randall Stevenson (eds.), The Edinburgh Introduction to Studying English Literature. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2010. 248 pages, ISBN 13: 9780748640256 ISBN 10: 0748640258.
Furniss, Tom & Michael Bath, Reading Poetry: An Introduction. Longman Inc., 1996. ISBN-13: 978-0133552980. ISBN-10: 0133552985
Thody, Phillip, Twentieth-century Literature: Critical Issues and Themes. MacMillan Press, 1996. ISBN-13: 978-0333615348 ISBN-10: 0333615344
Thomas, C. Foster, How to Read Literature like a Professor Revised Edition: A Lively and Entertaining Guide to Reading Between the Lines. HarperCollins Publishers Inc; Edition: Revised ed (13 de octubre de 2017).ISBN-13: 978-0062301673 ISBN-10: 9780062301673
Webs:
- English Literature on the Web: http://www.lang.nagoya-u.ac.jp/~matsuoka/EngLit.html
- Voice of the Shuttle: http://vos.ucsb.edu/index.asp
- Library Resources for English language and literature: http://www.hull.ac.uk/oldlib/subjects/english.htm
Recommended dictionaries:
- Castellà-anglès-castellà: http://www.wordreference.com/
- Anglès-anglès: http://dictionary.cambridge.org/
- https://www.wordhippo.com/
IMPORTANT: Wikipedia, Sparknotes and similar webs are not academic sources. Students who plagiarize will get a FAIL.
Software
Moodle, Wikis, Microsoft Teams