Introduction to English Studies

Undergraduate course

Course description

Objectives and Content

ENG100 consists of two parts, one in linguistics and one in literature.

Linguistics gives an introduction to and basic knowledge of linguistics as a discipline, emphasizing various topics in English language which the student will encounter in their further studies of English.

Literature gives an introduction to and basic knowledge of literary analyses and interpretation by focusing on different genres like short stories and poetry and gives the students a foundational terminology for use later in their studies.

The objective is for the students to practice essential skills in the form of oral and written academic discussions about problems and texts in English linguistics and literature.

Learning Outcomes

On completion of the course the following learning outcomes will be obtained, defined below as knowledge, skills, and general competency. These are achieved through the student's independent study of the course material, preparation for lectures and seminars, participation in discussions, and submission of obligatory written assignments.

Knowledge

The student

- has a basic understanding of linguistics as discipline, and some of the topics that pertain to, e.g., English grammar, phonetics, language variation and change, attitudes to language and history of language

- has a basic knowledge of the tools and techniques used in relation to linguistic data and sources

- has a basic understanding of a selection of fundamental concepts and/or methods in linguistics

- has a basic knowledge about literary analyses and interpretation of literature in relation to structures and devices fundamental to different literary genres

- has a basic knowledge of different textual patterns

- has a basic understanding that there are different approaches to literary analysis

- has a basic understanding of the connection between literature and culture

- has knowledge about basic literary terminology used in critical reading

Skills

The student

- can describe and summarize a selection of fundamental concepts and/or methods in linguistics

- can discuss different kinds of language data

- can identify structures in different kinds of texts, also on the word level

- can formulate a thesis statement relating to a literary text

- can recognize different genre characteristics in texts and discuss these with basis in a selection of central literary concepts

General competences

The student

- has a fundamental understanding of linguistics as a discipline and basic skills in the use of linguistic tools and techniques

- has a basic knowledge of literary analyses and interpretation of literature in relation to structures and devices that characterize different genres

- has a good foundation for further studies in English linguistics, literature, and culture

- has basic knowledge of the use and search for sources, including search in the library databases and other electronic bases

- has knowledge of how to avoid plagiarism, and how to cite correctly and academically

- has basic skills in academic writing as a genre, and can produce a text that fulfills the linguistic and structural generic requirements appropriate to academic texts

ECTS Credits

10

Level of Study

Bachelor

Semester of Instruction

Autumn

Place of Instruction

Bergen
Required Previous Knowledge
None, see under Recommended previous knowledge.
Recommended Previous Knowledge
One strongly recommends that the students, in addition to general study competency, have specialization with good grades in English from high school.
Credit Reduction due to Course Overlap
None.
Access to the Course
The course is obligatory for students accepted to the Bachelor program in English and students in the Teacher Training program with an MA in foreign languages at UiB. The course is open to students in the English one-year program.
Teaching and learning methods

The teaching is organized as lectures and seminars in each of the disciplines, linguistics and literature. The lectures provide a general overview of different frameworks and topics in linguistics and of literary concepts and genres in literature. The seminars involve students' active participation in discussions and group work and focus on more specific areas of the two disciplines.

Lectures and seminars: up to 24 hours total.

It is expected that the students are present and participate actively in lectures and seminars. This is also part of the preparation for the exam.

Compulsory Assignments and Attendance

Seminar attendance is obligatory. Students must attend at least 80% of the seminars.

The students submit one text of 1000 words (+/- 10 %) in each discipline (1 in linguistics and 1 in literature). These texts discuss different topics/questions provided in the seminars or lectures and must have a list of references each.

Drafts are submitted in Mitt UiB. All drafts must be approved to be able to submit the final exam.

Compulsory assignments are valid for one semester following the semester of instruction.

Forms of Assessment
The assessment in the course is a 4-hours school exam with tasks from both disciplines, where one of the tasks is a reflection task where students are asked to present their thoughts on the relevance of the course content in the two disciplines in relation to their studies, society and/or professions. The remaining tasks are related to the syllabus. The final exam must be passed in both disciplines in order for the student to get a passing grade.
Grading Scale
Pass/fail
Assessment Semester
Fall. There is also an exam early in the spring semester for students with valid and approved obligatory assignments.
Reading List

The reading list is a selection of texts which provide an introduction to English linguistics and linguistic methods, and which give an introduction to literary analysis and interpretation.

The reading list will be available by July 1 for the autumn semester .

Course Evaluation
Evaluation of the course is carried out in accordance with the University of Bergen Quality System for Education.
Examination Support Material
None
Programme Committee
The Programme Board is responsible for the academic content and structure of the study programme, and for the quality of all the subjects therein.
Course Coordinator
Programme Board for English
Course Administrator
The Department of Foreign Languages at the Faculty of Humanities has the administrative responsibility for the course and the study program.