Learning outcome

The student is to develop the ability to realise the significance of cultural and literary history not just for modern Britain, but for all the countries that have been connected with the British tradition. The student is also expected to enhance his/her ability to reflect critically, in oral as well as written form, about the topic of the course. Finally, the students are expected to achieve a basic knowledge of central writers and their works, together with cultural currents from the period in question, and thus be able to orient themselves and develop further their own knowledge in the field.

Course Objectives

The objective of the course is to acquaint the student with the basic outlines of the rich literary and cultural tradition in Great Britain from Shakespeare until 1980. The course will thus also place the course "2009: The Contemporary English-Speaking World" in an historical perspective.

Course Description

From the Renaisance onwards, Britain developed a rich and comprehensive literary tradition, which proved important far beyond the country's borders. At the same time, the country went through major cultural and political changes. The core of the course is a selection of primary texts of poetry, fiction and non-fiction from this period of nearly four hundred years. The texts will be placed within their historical context through survey lectures, but will also be discussed as individual works. The majority of the texts will be from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

Learning Methods

The teaching will be organised as lectures and seminars of altogether four hours a week. The lectures will provide the background for the texts and topics under discussion. The seminars will be used for discussions of pensum texts, and will put emphasis on the active participation of the students, with a particular view to improving their oral competence.

Assessment Methods

The mid-term evaluation in the course will include written or oral tests and/or essays that count in total 40 percent of the final mark. The final written or oral exam counts 60 percent. Both of these tests need a pass mark in order for the student to pass the course, and in both cases marks will be given on a scale from A to F, where E is the lowest pass mark, and F is a fail.

Minor adjustments may occur during the academic year, subject to the decision of the Dean