American Literature and Culture
Undergraduate course
- ECTS credits
- 10
- Teaching semesters Autumn
- Course code
- ENG122L
- Number of semesters
- 1
- Teaching language
- English
- Resources
- Schedule
Course description
Objectives and Content
This course provides students with an introduction to and knowledge of different aspects of American literature and culture from historical, social, and aesthetic perspectives. A central element of ENG122L is textual analysis in the main literary genres of prose, poetry, and drama, which are taught with the aim to develop the student's abilities to identify and discuss thematic concerns and (formal and thematic) literary and aesthetic features while also addressing a variety of approaches to reading and interpretation.
Through analyses of a range of literary works students gain an understanding of the most important periods and main developments in American literature and culture, often in relation to key socio-cultural and political contexts. In addition, the course aims to develop students' critical, analytic, linguistic, and problem-solving skills. Through written assignments and oral presentations, students also enhance their oral and written skills in academic English.
Learning Outcomes
Knowledge
Having completed ENG122L the student:
- has a basic understanding of American literature and culture in a historical context
- has developed the ability to independent, critical reading of primary texts, based in analyses of fictional and non-fictional texts
- has an understanding of the relationship between primary texts and the broader historical, social and political frameworks that they are in dialogue with.
- has an understanding of the characteristics of the different literary genres included in the course, such as the novel, short story, drama, poetry, as well as non-fiction texts.
Skills:
Having completed ENG122L the student has learnt to:
- express, in writing and orally, their knowledge of American literature and culture clearly organized and formulated in appropriate, academic English
- identify and analyze the main aspects of literary works, dramatic genres, and narrative techniques
- describe generally the main periods and movements in American literary history and the transitions between them
- identify the origin and development of main literary genres and understand the relation between historical- cultural context and texts
- analyze texts according to genre and central literary terms
- read across literary periods and themes
- show understanding that literary texts can be analyzed with different theoretical/methodological approaches
- critically engage with scholarly concepts and methods
General competence:
Having completed ENG122L the student
- can demonstrate their familiarity with basic analytical tools and techniques
- can respond independently and creatively to various literary works in appropriate academic oral and written English
- can describe, explain, and analyze specific topics in American literature
- describe, analyze, and interpret a variety of literary texts
- discuss and assess the significance of historical and cultural contexts for the interpretation of language and texts
- think and argue analytically, critically, and independently about topics within the course
ECTS Credits
Level of Study
Semester of Instruction
Place of Instruction
Required Previous Knowledge
Recommended Previous Knowledge
Access to the Course
Teaching and learning methods
Lectures and seminars: up to 72 hours.
Students are expected to participate in the scheduled teaching consistently and actively. This expectation is also the basis for the preparation towards the exam.
Compulsory Assignments and Attendance
Seminar attendance is obligatory. Students must attend at least 80% of the seminars.
In order to take the exam, students are required to complete and pass two different, compulsory assignments connected to the seminars. They will be a combination of one individual oral presentation, and/or oral presentation in groups of two or three students, and/or respond to oral presentation, and/or short written assignments on site in the seminars with peer review, and/or submission of short written works of 300 words, and/or leading discussions in seminars. The exact combination of assignments and their deadlines will be announced on Mitt UiB at the beginning of the semester. All compulsory assignments must be completed in the same semester.
Compulsory assignments are valid for two semesters after the teaching semester.
Forms of Assessment
Grading Scale
Assessment Semester
Reading List
The curriculum includes literary and historical periods, historical events, and representative fictional and non- fictional texts starting with the seventeenth century.
The reading list will be available byJuly 1 for the autumn semester.