• Descripción

Students should consider the following aspects:

• The subject: 'Introduction to English Literature' covers the period from the Renaissance (16th century) until the present time. It is, therefore, an introduction to modern and  contemporary English Literature, excluding the Literature in Old English and Middle English because of its obvious linguistic difficulty.
• The use of the adjective 'English' in the label 'English Literature' is currently an object of intense debate: why should we use it in relation to the literature in English of nations different from England, such as Scotland and Wales within the United Kingdom, or the many former British colonies all over the world, including Ireland? This subject deals, thus, with a topic currently undergoing a profound transformation.
• 'Introduction to English Literature' provides the cultural background for diverse professional fields: English language teaching, journalism, management of cultural institutions, publishing, Internet communication and business, etc.

"Introduction to English Literature" offers an introduction to the main concepts related to English Literature, followed by an overview of the different genres and periods from the Renaissance until today. The course follows a reverse chronological order for units 2-5. This is because we consider that most students find the contemporary texts easier to read than the earlier works. We trust that as the students' reading and interpretative skills improve they will be able to understand demanding writers such as the poet John Donne or the playwright William Shakespeare with relatively little difficulty.

• Conocimientos previos

• Studying English Literature is an excellent way to practise and improve your of English. The amount of material the student has to read in English (the obligatory texts, the Handbook, related links etc) and the command of the language itself are aspects to be considered when choosing this subject.
• Students are expected to write the exercises (except CAT4), the Validation Test, the exam and all other types of communication (like messages to the Consultor or contributions to the Forum and Debate) in English. However, they should remember that, as with other English subjects offered by the UOC, the emphasis will always be on the ability to communicate ideas rather than on accuracy in grammar, syntax and vocabulary. 

*Dictionaries are allowed at all times, including during the Validation Test or exam. Students are strongly advised to use both a good English/Catalan or English/Spanish dictionary and an English dictionary. Some good online dictionaries are WordReference (http://www.wordreference.com) for English-Spanish or Spanish-English translation, Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English (http://www.ldoceonline.com/) and Webster's Online Dictionary for English (http://www.websters-online-dictionary.org/)

• Objetivos y competencias

 This subject aims to train students to do the following:

• Read, understand and become familiar with a selection of the most representative works of English Literature from the 16th century to the present.
• Reflect, analyse and comment on a variety of literary and academic texts written in English, of diverse genres and historical periods.
• Develop critical values, summarising information from diverse written and audiovisual sources and from the opinions of their classmates, presenting them in a clear, coherent way.
• Express themselves clearly and fluently in English on subjects related to academic discourses in general and to English Literature in particular.
• Participate in current academic debates in relation to English Literature.

On completion of the subject students will be able to:

• Demonstrate their understanding of the main ideas in complex academic texts, both regarding concrete and abstract themes, including technical debates in English (minimum level: B2).
• Communicate fluently and spontaneously, in English, with native speakers of this language within a virtual environment (minimum level B2).
• Write clear, detailed texts on a variety of subjects, expressing a personal point of view which is argued convincingly (minimum level B2).
• Search for secondary sources to document the writing of academic essays in English (minimum level B2).

On completion of the subject students will be able to:

•   Analyse and critically interpret the cultural transformations, both past and present, of English-speaking countries and, by comparison, of their own culture.
•    Recognise and interpret the complexity of cultural diversity.
•    Interpret their existing cultural context from a multidisciplinary viewpoint.
•    Identify and understand the processes of cultural reproduction and transformations in human interaction.

On completion of the subject students will be able to:

• Demonstrate a sound knowledge of the most representative works and movements of English Literature from the 16th century onwards, and of the relations between literary creation and the general evolution of the corresponding culture.
• Demonstrate a good knowledge and understanding of literary and academic texts in English.
• Apply critical thinking to the reading, analysis and description of literary and academic texts in English.
• Argue complex ideas in a clear, coherent and persuasive way regarding texts and discourses in English.
• Write critical and explanatory academic texts in English.

Unit 1: Literature in English: Definitions and debates

On completion of this unit students will be able to:

• Demonstrate a good knowledge of the current debates on the Literature in English.
• Argue complex ideas in a clear, coherent and persuasive way regarding these debates.
• Apply critical thinking to the comparison between the culture in English speaking countries and their own cultures (Catalan or Spanish)
• Write critical and explanatory academic texts in English on the nature of Literature and how it is defined within the English-speaking world.
• Apply the theoretical and methodological tools acquired in the production and comprehension of texts of diverse academic areas within the Humanities.

Unit 2: Contemporary English fiction: The literary novel today

On completion of this unit students will be able to:

• Demonstrate knowledge of the most representative fiction of contemporary English Literature.
• Demonstrate good reading comprehension of this genre, with an emphasis on literary fiction.
• Apply critical thinking to the reading, analysis and description of fiction in English.
• Argue complex ideas in a clear, coherent and persuasive way regarding this genre in their contemporary manifestations.
• Write critical and explanatory academic texts in English on the fiction written in English.
• Apply the knowledge acquired to understanding and participating in current debates on multilinguism, nationalism, and the traditions of their immediate cultural context.

Unit 3: Popular narratives of the 19C

On completion of this unit the student will be able to:

• Demonstrate sound understanding of the selected 19th century popular narratives in English.
• Apply critical thinking to the reading, analysis and description of 19^th century popular narratives.  
• Argue complex ideas in a coherent and persuasive manner regarding 19th century popular literature.
• Write critical and explanatory academic texts in English on the selected 19th century popular narratives written in English.
• Integrate quotations from primary sources in written academic essays.

Unit 4: English poetry: A panoramic view

On completion of this unit students will be able to:

• Demonstrate a sound knowledge of the most representative works and movements of English poetry from the Renaissance to the present.
• Demonstrate a good understanding of this genre in different historical periods.
• Apply critical thinking to the reading, analysis and description of a selection of poetry from the past and the present written in English.
• Argue complex ideas in a clear, coherent and persuasive way regarding the poetry written in English of the past and the present.
• Write a critical text on the poetry written in English and and record themselves (either on a voice recorder or on a camera) reading it.
• Apply the knowledge acquired to the reading, analysis and comparison of poetry written in other languages.

Unit 5: Shakespeare

On completion of this unit students will be able to:

• Demonstrate a basic knowledge of the plays and life of William Shakespeare.
• Demonstrate a good understanding of one of Shakespeare's plays in its original English version.
• Argue complex ideas in a clear, coherent and persuasive way regarding the plays by William Shakespeare.
• Write critical and explanatory academic texts in English analysing, in detail, a play by William Shakespeare.
• Apply the knowledge acquired to the reading, analysis and comparison of drama written in other languages

• Contenidos

• Consulta de los recursos de aprendizaje de los que dispone la asignatura

• Informaciones sobre la evaluación en la UOC

La Normativa académica de la UOC dispone que el proceso de evaluación se fundamenta en el trabajo personal del estudiante y presupone la autenticidad de la autoría y la originalidad de los ejercicios realizados.

La falta de originalidad en la autoría o el mal uso de las condiciones en las que se hace la evaluación de la asignatura es una infracción que puede tener consecuencias académicas graves.

El estudiante será calificado con un suspenso (D/0) si se detecta falta de originalidad en la autoría de alguna actividad evaluable (práctica, prueba de evaluación continua (PEC) o final (PEF), o la que se defina en el plan docente), ya sea porque ha utilizado material o dispositivos no autorizados, ya sea porque ha copiado de forma textual de internet, o ha copiado de apuntes, de materiales, manuales o artículos (sin la citación correspondiente) o de otro estudiante, o por cualquier otra conducta irregular.

La calificación de suspenso (D/0) en la evaluación continua (EC) puede conllevar la obligación de hacer el examen presencial para superar la asignatura (si hay examen y si superarlo es suficiente para superar la asignatura según indique este plan docente).

Cuando esta mala conducta se produzca durante la realización de las pruebas de evaluación finales presenciales, el estudiante puede ser expulsado del aula, y el examinador hará constar todos los elementos y la información relativos al caso.

Además, esta conducta puede dar lugar a la incoación de un procedimiento disciplinario y la aplicación, si procede, de la sanción que corresponda.

La UOC habilitará los mecanismos que considere oportunos para velar por la calidad de sus titulaciones y garantizar la excelencia y la calidad de su modelo educativo.

• Consulta del modelo de evaluación