Approaches to the Literary Canon in English

6 ECTS credits
150 h study time

Offer 1 with catalog number 1020982BNR for all students in the 1st semester at a (B) Bachelor - advanced level.

Semester

1st semester

Enrollment based on exam contract

Impossible

Grading method

Grading (scale from 0 to 20)

Can retake in second session

Yes

Enrollment Requirements

Om Approaches to the Literary Canon in English te kunnen opnemen, moet je geslaagd zijn voor Literature in English: 19th to 21st Centuries, of dit vak tenminste opnieuw registreren. Geef steeds voorrang aan vakken uit de laagste fase van je opleiding. Als je een verkort programma volgt, kan je dit vak zo opnemen.

Taught in

English

Faculty

Faculty of Languages & Humanities

Department

Linguistics and Literary Studies

Educational team

Hannah Van Hove
Elisabeth Bekers (course titular)

Activities and contact hours

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

Course Content

This course encourages critical reflection on the literary canon in English and gives insight into major literary debates and critical approaches. It considers, in particular, literature’s complicity in (Western) knowledge construction and image formation as well as its manifold contributions to challenging artistic traditions and established perceptions.

Course material

Handbook (Required) : MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, Gibaldi Joseph, 8, MLA, 9781603293518, 2021
Handbook (Recommended) : Trees, Maps, and Theorems, Effective Communication for Rational Minds, Doumont Jean-Luc, Principiæ, 9789081367707, 2009

Additional info

Active participation in the lectures and seminars is essential. The lectures are accompanied by reading assignments and the discussion topics are introduced by additional reading and research suggestions that guide the students’ home preparation as well as the discussion in class. Students prepare for each discussion seminar by means of list of discussion topics and/or additional reading assignments and may be invited to lead the seminar discussion of one of the assigned topics. They are encouraged to adopt a critical attitude towards the sources they consult and to confer with their instructor when preparing for their presentations.

Learning Outcomes

Algemene competenties

Students develop a deeper understanding of the literary canon in English studied in the preceding years. They are familiar with major literary debates and critical approaches. 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:
Oral Exam determines 70% of the final mark.
LEC Practical Assignment determines 30% of the final mark.

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

Oral exam with a relative weight of 1 which comprises 70% of the final mark.

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

Presentation, discussion, quiz with a relative weight of 1 which comprises 30% of the final mark.

Note: • Permanente evaluatie with a relative weight of 1 which comprises 30% of the final mark.

Note: presentatie (20 %) en deelname aan de discussie (10 %)

Additional info regarding evaluation

In the second exam session, the format and weight of the exam and practical assignment may differ.

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