Learning objectives
The course aims to provide students with historical-literary knowledge and enable them to develop advanced critical-analytical skills in relation to the British cultural environment, through specific and monographic examinations of authors, works and phenomena from the Middle Ages to the contemporary age (A.A. 2021-22: “Modes of the Romance in English and British Literature”). In terms of learning goals, during the course the student will be invited to develop and acquire: in-depth knowledge of theoretical questions, authors, works, movements and aesthetic ideas, with the support of an updated critical bibliography; the ability to contextualise and analyze complex texts in English from both a formal and a thematic-ideological point of view; the ability to delineate research and analytical itineraries autonomously, using traditional and digital resources; the ability to formulate critical judgments based on a careful decoding of the text; communication skills in English based on the acquisition of the linguistic register and vocabulary appropriate to literary studies and to the level of linguistic competence assigned to the year of the degree to which the student belongs; the ability independently to apply the skills developed during the course to other types of text besides the literary. In addition, in line with the learning-and-teaching project of the Laurea Magistrale, students will be encouraged to develop a 'savoir etre' approach to literature, as well as more broadly transversal communication skills, engagement and problem-solving skills, in individual and group contexts, allowing them to acquire a diversified and transferable skill-set aimed at different professional and non-professional situations.
Prerequisites
Knowledge of written and spoken English at C1 level of CEFR, of the main lines of development of English and British literature, and of the language of literary criticism and theory.
Course unit content
The course contents concern historical-literary aspects related to the British cultural sphere, through through specific and monographic examinations of authors, works and phenomena from the Middle Ages to the contemporary age (2020-21: The modernities of Romanticism). In particular, part of the course will be dedicated to the study of aspects of literary translation relevant to the course’s main theme. In particular, in 2021-22, classes will focus on the genre and mode of the 'romance' from the Middle Ages to the end of the 19th century, with particular attention to the forms of representation of otherness, in order to explore the ways in which the romance contributes both to delineate and to destabilize certainties, conventions and dogmas, within literary processes of identity construction. Detailed information is provided during the first class.
Full programme
The exam syllabus will be available after the end of the course.
Bibliography
Bibliographic references are provided during the course and are specified in the exam syllabus.
Teaching methods
Generally, during the lectures, held in English, the teacher will introduce the main aspects of the historical-cultural context, authors and texts, with reference to the course bibliography and additional textual or visual materials available in the Library of Foreign Languages and Literatures (UNIPR), or in online archives and the (Elly) teaching platform of UNIPR. Students will be encouraged to develop individual in-depth explorations and original approaches to the themes and problems raised during the course. At the same time, in accordance with the learning-and-teaching project of the Laurea, the course also includes a number of seminar-style classes, in which students are invited to develop their own insights and analyses. In these seminar moments, where possible, students are encouraged to develop and acquire transversal and transferable skills through group work, debate and discussion activities, and oral presentations. In 2021-22, it is expected that teaching can be held in “mixed mode” - in person teaching and with recording of lessons. This will be confirmed at the beginning of the course.
Assessment methods and criteria
Assessment of knowledge, skills and competences is through an oral test in English of about 20 minutes. This test aims to verify the following: - oral competence in English corresponding to level C1-C2, as well as the acquisition of an appropriate linguistic register and the specific lexicon of literary studies; specific and in-depth knowledge of writers, texts and contexts of the periods and themes studied in the course; ability to interpret texts autonomously, re-elaborate the course contents individually, undertake further research on the topics addressed, and formulate judgments autonomously. The oral exam aims to evaluate the acquired knowledge, ability to re-elaborate and expand it, as well as to propose new and individual interpretative paths supplementing those suggested in the lectures.
Based on these premises, the evaluation will be carried out according to the following criteria: - insufficient evaluation: during the oral exam, the student does not demonstrate that s/he has acquired the level of knowledge required; does not know how to express him/herself in English as suitable for the topics under discussion and corresponding to a C1-C2 level; s/he is unable to re-elaborate contents autonomously, nor can s/he formulate judgments based on personal insights; - sufficient assessment (18-23 / 30): the student demonstrates that he/she has learned the minimum contents of the course; knows how to express her/himself in English at a level suitable to the topics under discussion and approaching the threshold of C1-C2; s/he demonstrates a level of autonomous preparation sufficient for the personal re-elaboration of the contents, as well as for the formulation of judgments based on personal in-depth analysis; - average assessment (24-27 / 30): the student demonstrates a level that is more than sufficient (24-25 / 30) or good (26-27 / 30) of all the indicators listed above; - outstanding evaluation (28-30 / 30): the student fully satisfies all the above evaluation criteria.
Other information
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