English II

The overall aim of the course is that students further develop their knowledge of English and of the academic basis of the English subject within linguistics and literary studies. This includes an understanding of basic types of variation in English and of the history of British and American literature and ideas from the Renaissance to postmodernism. Another aim is that students apply linguistic and literary theories and methods in their analyses of texts. Students are expected to further develop their academic approach and communicative skills and to develop more independence in their studies.

Modules

On completion of the module, students will be able to:

• reflect on the use and functions of English with reference to basic linguistic concepts 
• describe English as a formal system 
• explain basic aspects of variation in English, by referring to social variables (such as age and socioeconomic status) and situational variables (such as formality and time pressure)
• identify and explain basic methods of analysis from core areas of linguistics 
• analyse different types of English-language data and reflect on differences and similarities between fundamental categories such as speech and writing
• describe key developments in the English language, including historical stages and present-day trends, as well as its place in the global linguistic landscape
• independently carry out small-scale data analysis in an area of English linguistics
• demonstrate that they are proficient users of English by the appropriate use of vocabulary and grammar in the different ways of communicating within the course.

 On completion of the module, students will be able to:

• demonstrate knowledge of the historical development of British and American literature from the perspective of the history of ideas
• account for main features in the Anglo-Saxon world of literarature and history of ideas, from the Renaissance to Postmodernism, by associating representative literary works with corresponding trends in the history of ideas
• explain and argue for similarities and differences in the historical development of British and American history of ideas and literary history
• critically reflect, analyse and interpret literary texts from a historical and contextual perspective, with a certain degree of independence, both orally and in writing
• orally and in writing communicate their own and others’ interpretations of trends in the history of ideas and in literary texts, showing inter-cultural understanding and ethical awareness
• write an academic essay.

The course consists of two modules.

Modules

This module is a survey of English linguistics. It offers students new perspectives on language and equips them with analytical tools to uncover its underlying structures and meaning in different contexts. Theory and method are studied in a selection of core areas of English linguistics, including morphology, syntax, semantics, pragmatics and sociolinguistics. A range of authentic data in English will be analysed to promote a deeper understanding of theory and method, and to provide opportunities to practice applying linguistic terminology. Toward the end of the module, students perform an independent analysis in an area of English Linguistics. 

The module consists of the study of British and American literature and their history of ideas from the Renaissance to Postmodernism.The historical development is studied by examining the history of ideas in conjunction with a close reading of a selection of representative works of literature. In this way, greater importance is given to the student’s own understanding of the significance and function of the literary texts rather than knowledge of historical events. Special attention is given to the contemporary viewpoint and, to a certain extent, the reassessment of historical Anglo-Saxon history of ideas and literature by highlighting aspects such as colonialism, imperialism, power, gender, race and class. The module contains the writing of an academic literary essay and a critical review of the essays of others.

• Active participation in seminars
• Written assignments
• Oral assignments
• Written supervised online examination
• Written unsupervised online examination
• Academic essay

The grading scale used for the final course grade is U–VG.

For a final course grade of VG, students must achieve a VG for 24 credits.

Grades are reported as follows:

• Introduction to English Linguistics: Core Areas of Linguistics - 7.5 Credits | U–VG
• Introduction to English Linguistics: Language in its Social Context - 4.5 Credits | U–VG
• Introduction to English Linguistics: Project in Linguistics - 3 Credits | U–VG
• The History of British and American Literature and Ideas: History of Literature and Ideas from Renaissance to Postmodernism - 10 Credits | U–VG
• The History of British and American Literature and Ideas: Essay - 5 Credits | U–VG