SML1018 : Introduction to Literature
- Offered for Year: 2021/22
- Module Leader(s): Dr Kathryn Robson
- Lecturer: Dr Helen Ferstenberg, Professor Shirley Jordan, Professor Beate Muller
- Other Staff: Miss Alba Griffin
- Owning School: Modern Languages
- Teaching Location: Newcastle City Campus
Semesters
| Semester 1 Credit Value: | 10 |
| Semester 2 Credit Value: | 10 |
| ECTS Credits: | 10.0 |
Aims
• To introduce you to four different types of text: the short story, the play, poetry, and the novel.
• To show and enable you to practise critical approaches to these different types of text.
• To equip you with tools for close reading and textual analysis.
• To enable you to develop critical, widely contextualised, and theoretically informed approaches to the subject.
The course assumes no prior knowledge of the texts to be studied and no previous experience of studying literature to Advanced level is necessary.
Outline Of Syllabus
There are 36 contact hours in the module, all of them obligatory:
• Each week there is a one hour seminar in language groups (i.e. 23 hours of seminars).
• In semester 1 in weeks 1–3 and 5–6 and in semester 2 in weeks 1–2 and 5–6, there are additional one hour plenary lectures (i.e. 9 hours of lectures).
• In semester 1 and semester 2 in weeks 4 and 7, there are additional individual "surgery hours" (i.e. 4 hours of surgery).
Teaching Methods
Teaching Activities
| Category | Activity | Number | Length | Student Hours | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Structured Guided Learning | Lecture materials | 16 | 0:30 | 8:00 | Recorded lecture videos each teaching week for students to listen to and respond to before each PIP |
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 30 | 1:00 | 30:00 | N/A |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Small group teaching | 20 | 1:00 | 20:00 | 20 hours of PIP seminars |
| Structured Guided Learning | Structured research and reading activities | 22 | 1:00 | 22:00 | Key reading tasks with questions to prepare each week. |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Drop-in/surgery | 4 | 1:00 | 4:00 | 4 hours of drop in surgery offered both PIP and on Zoom |
| Guided Independent Study | Independent study | 22 | 1:00 | 22:00 | Guided independent study themed to the week’s lecture and seminar topic. |
| Guided Independent Study | Independent study | 93 | 1:00 | 93:00 | Free reading on topic with peers. Student-led discussion. Other independent research and study |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Module talk | 1 | 1:00 | 1:00 | Introductory recorded module talk (40 mins). |
| Total | 200:00 |
Jointly Taught With
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| SML1118 | Introduction to Literature - Part 1 |
| SML1218 | Introduction to Literature - Part 2 |
Teaching Rationale And Relationship
Lecture materials (in the form of recordings) will provide essential introductions to the set texts and their authors and to their literary genres (short story, play, novel, poetry) more widely. They will also offer guides to the use of literary terms. Students will be expected to work through the lecture materials and accompanying
directed reading/viewing which will be clearly signposted on Canvas.
In seminars, students will analyse the chosen texts in detail, working through specific questions and specific extracts; emphasis will be placed on close literary analysis, and they will be given support to develop and practise their skills. Students will be expected to carry out guided independent reading and to prepare questions – of a simple but also more extensive nature – in advance of seminars.
The module talk will provide an introduction to and benchmark of the module and its teaching methods (that students can refer back to) and the Q&A will facilitate debate around the key topics and issues in the module.
The drop-in sessions will be mainly to go through assessment queries in person.
Assessment Methods
The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners
Other Assessment
| Description | Semester | When Set | Percentage | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essay | 1 | M | 40 | 1500 word essay in the form of a critical commentary on the play, in English. |
| Essay | 2 | M | 60 | 2000 word essay on the novel or poetry, in English. |
Formative Assessments
| Description | Semester | When Set | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Written exercise | 1 | M | A practice commentary in English of 600 words (optional) |
Assessment Rationale And Relationship
The commentary essay in semester 1 allows students to practise and develop their close reading skills and textual analysis.
The summative essay in semester 2 assesses students’ ability to write about the novel or poetry studied in semester 2, using the terms taught and the skills practised throughout the academic year. The students will be expected to analyse the text (s) in detail and in depth and to use detailed examples.
The formative commentary-essay in semester 1 on the short story allows students to develop and test out their close reading skills and receive feedback before going on to write the longer summative essay-commentary. They will be given guidance on essay writing before the formative essay is written and be given individual and full-cohort feedback on the formative essay that will support them to write the summative essays.
Reading Lists
Timetable
- Timetable Website: www.ncl.ac.uk/timetable/
- SML1018's Timetable