Contemporary Literature in English

6 ECTS credits
180 h study time

Offer 2 with catalog number 4021115DNR for all students in the 2nd semester at a (D) Master - preliminary level.

Semester

2nd semester

Enrollment based on exam contract

Impossible

Grading method

Grading (scale from 0 to 20)

Can retake in second session

Yes

Taught in

English

Faculty

Faculty of Languages & Humanities

Department

Linguistics and Literary Studies

Educational team

Janine Hauthal
Elisabeth Bekers (course titular)

Activities and contact hours

13 contact hours Lecture
13 contact hours Seminar, Exercises or Practicals
75 contact hours Independent or External Form of Study

Course Content

This course addresses the post-war diversification of the British literary canon by studying contemporary Black British Women’s Writing. It draws on feminist literary criticism as well as black criticism to discuss a selection of older and more recent literary texts of different genres and with different thematic interests, written by women of African descent (once) resident in Britain.

Course material

Digital course material (Required) : VUB Writing Guide for Students of Literature in English, Bekers, Elisabeth, et al, annual update, Canvas
Handbook (Required) : MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, Gibaldi, Joseph, 8de, MLA, 9781603292627, 2016
Digital course material (Required) : Course slides, Bekers, Elisabeth, updated annually
Handbook (Recommended) : The Oxford Dictionary of Literary Terms, Baldick, Chris, Oxford University Press, 9780198715443, 2015

Additional info

Introductory lectures are followed by discussion seminars in English. Active participation in the lectures and in the discussion seminars is essential. Students prepare for each seminar by means of list of discussion topics and/or additional reading assignments (mostly critical and theoretical texts) and lead the seminar discussion of one of the assigned topics. They are encouraged to confer with their instructor when preparing for their presentations. Critical evaluation of texts and literary criticism is expected.

The reading list (incl. the literary works to be studied) and additional reading material (incl. ppts) will be made available via Canvas. Students complement this information with their own notes.

Learning Outcomes

Algemene competenties

The students gain insight into the development of Black British Women’s Writing. They learn to use feminist (literary) criticism as well as black (literary) criticism to analyse individual literary works by black British women. They develop their reading, speaking and writing skills by analysing and interpreting literary texts and by reporting on their interpretations.

Grading

The final grade is composed based on the following categories:
Written Exam determines 50% of the final mark.
Practical Exam determines 50% of the final mark.

Within the Written Exam category, the following assignments need to be completed:

Paper with a relative weight of 1 which comprises 50% of the final mark.

Within the Practical Exam category, the following assignments need to be completed:

Presentation + discussion with a relative weight of 1 which comprises 50% of the final mark.

Additional info regarding evaluation

Students are required to participate in both the oral (50%) and the written (50%) parts of the evaluation in order to receive a mark for the course. Students who fail to do so automatically are marked as "absent" (AFW).

Students are required to obtain at least 08/20 for either part of the evaluation in order to receive a pass mark for the course. Students who fail to do so automatically receive the lower mark of the two as the overall mark for the course.

Students who have to be reevaluated in the second exam session, write an exam paper (50%) and take an oral exam (50%). Pass marks (at least 10/20) for either part of the evaluation are automatically transferred to the second session.

In order to take this class, compulsory additional costs may be charged in addition to the invoice sent to you as a student by the Student Administration Centre: for participation in literary events off campus a minimum contribution of €5 and a maximum contribution of €15 will be required. The costs are borne by the student and can neither be passed on to fellow students nor recovered from the lecturer or faculty. The amounts stated are approximately correct. If you experience payment difficulties as a result of these additional costs, you can contact Student Social Services via sociale.dienst.studenten@vub.ac.be or + 32 2 629 23 15. More information can also be found on https://my.vub.ac.be/en/social-services.

Allowed unsatisfactory mark

The supplementary Teaching and Examination Regulations of your faculty stipulate whether an allowed unsatisfactory mark for this programme unit is permitted.

Academic context