Single Honours English Pathway - University of Nottingham [PDF]

School of English

Undergraduate Degree Programmes

Course structures, module information and pre-arrival reading lists

2016-17

The University of Nottingham has made every effort to ensure that the information in this brochure was accurate when published. Please note, however, that the nature of the content means that it is subject to change from time to time, and you should therefore consider the information to be guiding rather than definitive. You should check the University’s website for any updates before you decide to accept a place on a course. © The University of Nottingham 2016. All rights reserved. Please be aware that in any one year, the selection of modules may vary. However, the School is delighted to confirm that there will always be a range of modules covering a unique combination of English disciplines, including literature from the Anglo-Saxon and medieval periods to the present day, English language from its origins to contemporary and applied contexts, drama and performance, and creative writing on offer within our School. If you require further information please contact the School: [email protected]

Contents Course Structures

BA English (Q300) ...................................................................................... 2 BA English Language and Literature (Q392) .................................................. 4 BA English with Creative Writing (Q3W8) ...................................................... 6 All Joint Honours degrees with English .......................................................... 8

Year One Module Information and Reading Lists

Language and Context .............................................................................. 10 Studying Literature .................................................................................. 12 Beginnings of English ............................................................................... 13 Drama, Theatre, Performance .................................................................... 14 Academic Community ............................................................................... 15 Creative Writing Practice ........................................................................... 16 Shakespeare’s Histories: Critical Approaches ............................................... 17 Regional Writers ...................................................................................... 18 The Viking World...................................................................................... 19

Further Pre-arrival Reading

General Reading ...................................................................................... 20 Further Reading for English literature ......................................................... 20 Further Reading for English language ......................................................... 20 Further Reading for Drama and performance ............................................... 21

Course Structures

BA English (Q300) Year 1 You take five year-long compulsory modules (all 20 credits), plus 20 credits of options. Academic Community Either Or 20 credits from

Beginnings of English

Drama, Theatre, Performance

Language and Context

Studying Literature

Creative Writing Practice (20 credits, full year) Shakespeare’s Histories (10 credits, Autumn) The Viking World (10 credits, Autumn) Regional Writers (10 credits, Spring) Other subsidiary modules, for example, in History, Art History, Philosophy, American Studies, Theology, Classics or Modern Languages

Year 2 You choose six options. Five options must be from at least three areas of English study: Literature 1500 to the present; English language and applied linguistics; Medieval languages and literatures; Drama and performance (groups A-D). You can choose up to three choices from any one group. Your sixth option may include the Creative Writing option if you have taken the pre-requisite creative writing module in Year One.

Group A: Literature 1500 to the present 

   

Group B: English language and applied linguistics

From Talking Horses to Romantic Revolutionaries: Literature 17001830 Literature and Popular Culture Modern and Contemporary Literature Shakespeare and Contemporaries on the Page Victorian and Fin de Siècle Literature

   

Language in Society Language Development Literary Linguistics Second Language Learning

Group C: Medieval languages and literatures

Group D: Drama and performance

  



Chaucer and His Contemporaries Ice and Fire Old English: Reflection and Lament

 

From Stanislavski to Stelarc: Performance Practice and Theory Shakespeare and Contemporaries on the Stage Twentieth-century Plays

Group E: Creative Writing 

Creative Writing: Craft Only available to students who took Creative Writing Practice in their first year

All modules are 20 credits unless specified otherwise. Students may substitute one 20 credit English module for 20 credits of Modern Foreign Languages options at Level 2 or above. This means that students can continue languages, but can’t take total beginner courses as these are Level 1. You will still need to cover three out of the four areas of English if you do this.

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Course Structures Final Year You choose six options from a wide range of topics, according to the criteria below: Four options  

Two further options

From at least three areas of English (Groups A-D) A maximum of three choices from any one group.



From any of the groups below

Final Year Topics You will be able to choose modules based on the indicative topics given below. Group A: Literature 1500 to the present          

Group B: English Language and Applied Linguistics

D.H. Lawrence / Virginia Woolf Eighteenth-century writers Gothic literature James Joyce / Oscar Wilde Modern British fiction Post-colonial literature Romanticism Slavery and black writers Twentieth-century dystopias Victorian literature

        

Cognitive poetics Creativity and language English language teaching Health communication Language and the mind Reading and writing in global English Sociolinguistics Stylistics Texts in a digital world

Group C: Medieval Languages and Literatures

Group D: Drama and Performance

      

     

Anglo-Saxon literature Arthurian literature Chaucer and his legacy English place names Icelandic medieval literature Poetry in the Middle Ages Vikings in Britain

Group E: Creative Writing 

Contemporary performance Language and performance Shakespeare on screen Theatre industry and art Theatre-making British drama since 1980

Group F: Individual Research Project

Advanced Writing Practice Only available to students who took Creative Writing: Craft in their second year

All modules are 20 credits unless specified otherwise.

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Course Structures

BA English Language and Literature (Q392) Year 1 You take five year-long compulsory modules (all 20 credits), plus 20 credits of options: Academic Community Either Or 20 credits from

Beginnings of English

Drama, Theatre, Performance

Language and Context

Studying Literature

Creative Writing Practice (20 credits, full year) Shakespeare’s Histories (10 credits, Autumn) The Viking World (10 credits, Autumn) Regional Writers (10 credits, Spring) Other subsidiary modules, for example, in History, Art History, Philosophy, American Studies, Theology, Archaeology, Classics or Modern Languages

Year 2 You take two compulsory modules: Literary Linguistics

Texts Across Time

You have three options in total to choose from literary and language studies modules (with a maximum of two from one group) and one further option from any of the groups below. (All modules are 20 credits unless specified otherwise.) Literary studies

Language studies

 

  

      

Chaucer and his Contemporaries From Talking Horses to Romantic Revolutionaries: Literature 17001830 Ice and Fire Literature and Popular Culture Modern and Contemporary Literature Old English: Reflection and Lament* Shakespeare and Contemporaries on the Page Twentieth-Century Plays Victorian and Fin de Siècle Literature

Drama and performance  



Language in Society Language Development Old English: Reflection and Lament* Second Language Learning

Creative Writing

From Stanislavski to Stelarc: Performance Practice and Theory Shakespeare and Contemporaries on the Stage

* can be chosen as an option from either group

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

Creative Writing: Craft

Only available to students who took Creative Writing Practice in their first year

Course Structures Students may substitute one 20 credit English module for 20 credits of Modern Foreign Languages options at Level 2 or above. This means that students can continue languages, but can’t take total beginner courses as these are Level 1. You will still need to cover three out of the four areas of English if you do this.

Final Year You choose six options from a wide range of topics, according to the criteria below: Two literary studies options

Two language studies options

Two further options from any of the groups

Final Year Topics The lists of topics below are indicative of the range of topics available to choose from in your final year. Literary studies

Language studies

                 

         

Anglo-Saxon literature* Arthurian literature British drama since 1980 Chaucer and his legacy D.H. Lawrence / Virginia Woolf Eighteenth-century writers Gothic literature Icelandic medieval literature* James Joyce / Oscar Wilde Modern British fiction Poetry in the Middle Ages Post-colonial literature Romanticism Shakespeare on screen Slavery and black writers Twentieth-century dystopias Victorian literature Vikings in Britain

Drama and Performance   

Contemporary performance Theatre industry and art Theatre-making

  

Anglo-Saxon literature* Cognitive poetics Creativity and language English language teaching English place names Health communication Icelandic medieval literature* Language and performance Language and the mind Reading and writing in global English Sociolinguistics Stylistics Texts in a digital world

Creative Writing 

Advanced Writing Practice Only available to students who took Creative Writing: Craft in their second year

* can be chosen as an option from either group All modules are 20 credits unless specified otherwise.

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Individual Research Project

Course Structures

BA English with Creative Writing (Q3W8) Year 1 You take six year-long foundational modules (all 20 credits): Academic Community

Beginnings of English

Creative Writing Practice

Drama, Theatre, Performance

Language and Context

Studying Literature

Year 2 You take two compulsory specialist creative writing modules: Creative Writing: Craft

Creative Writing: Pages and Stages

You then have four optional modules to choose, covering at least three areas of English. Group A: Literature 1500 to the present 

   

Group B: English language and applied linguistics

From Talking Horses to Romantic Revolutionaries: Literature 17001830 Literature and Popular Culture Modern and Contemporary Literature Shakespeare and Contemporaries on the Page Victorian and Fin de Siècle Literature

   

Language in Society Language Development Literary Linguistics Second Language Learning

Group C: Medieval languages and literatures

Group D: Drama and performance

  



Chaucer and His Contemporaries Ice and Fire Old English: Reflection and Lament

 

From Stanislavski to Stelarc: Performance Practice and Theory Shakespeare and Contemporaries on the Stage Twentieth-century Plays

* can be chosen as an option from either group All modules are 20 credits unless specified otherwise. Students may substitute one 20 credit English module for 20 credits of Modern Foreign Languages options at Level 2 or above. This means that students can continue languages, but can’t take total beginner courses as these are Level 1. You will still need to cover three out of the four areas of English if you do this.

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Course Structures Final Year You take the following modules: Advanced Writing Practice

Creative Writing Dissertation

Creativity and Language OR Digital Story: Craft and Technique

You also have three options to choose from at least two of the groups below.

Final Year Module Topics The lists of topics below are indicative of the range of topics available to choose from in your final year.

Group A: Literature 1500 to the present          

D.H. Lawrence / Virginia Woolf Eighteenth-century writers Gothic literature James Joyce / Oscar Wilde Modern British fiction Post-colonial literature Romanticism Slavery and black writers Twentieth-century dystopias Victorian literature

Group B: English Language and Applied Linguistics         

Group C: Medieval Languages and Literatures       

Cognitive poetics Creativity and language English language teaching Health communication Language and the mind Reading and writing in global English Sociolinguistics Stylistics Texts in a digital world Group D: Drama and Performance

     

Anglo-Saxon literature Arthurian literature Chaucer and his legacy English place names Icelandic medieval literature Poetry in the Middle Ages Vikings in Britain

Contemporary performance Language and performance Shakespeare on screen Theatre industry and art Theatre-making British drama since 1980

All modules are 20 credits unless specified otherwise.

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Course Structures

All Joint Honours degrees with English Year 1 You take three out of the four year-long foundational modules (all 20 credits) in English: Language and Context

Beginnings of English

Studying Literature

Drama, Theatre, Performance

You also take 60 credits of modules from the partner School/Department. Academic Community You are given online access to the Academic Community module materials to help deepen your understanding of English as a broad discipline.

Year 2 You choose three options from at least two of the groups below (along with 60 credits from the partner School/Department): Group A: Literature 1500 to the present 

   

Group B: English language and applied linguistics

From Talking Horses to Romantic Revolutionaries: Literature 17001830 Literature and Popular Culture Modern and Contemporary Literature Shakespeare and Contemporaries on the Page Victorian and Fin de Siècle Literature

   

Language in Society Language Development Literary Linguistics Second Language Learning

Group C: Medieval languages and literatures

Group D: Drama and performance

  



Chaucer and His Contemporaries Ice and Fire Old English: Reflection and Lament

From Stanislavski to Stelarc: Performance Practices  Shakespeare and Contemporaries on the Stage  Twentieth Century Plays All modules are 20 credits unless specified otherwise.

Final Year You choose three options from a wide range of topics according to the criteria below (along with 60 credits from the partner School/Department): Two options

One option





to be chosen from two of the groups A – D.

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from any of the groups below

Course Structures Final Year Topics You will be able to choose modules based on the indicative topics given below. Group A: Literature 1500 to the present          

Group B: English Language and Applied Linguistics

D.H. Lawrence / Virginia Woolf Eighteenth-century writers Gothic literature James Joyce / Oscar Wilde Modern British fiction Post-colonial literature Romanticism Slavery and black writers Twentieth-century dystopias Victorian literature

        

Cognitive poetics Creativity and language English language teaching Health communication Language and the mind Reading and writing in global English Sociolinguistics Stylistics Texts in a digital world

Group C: Medieval Languages and Literatures

Group D: Drama and Performance

      

     

Anglo-Saxon literature Arthurian literature Chaucer and his legacy English place names Icelandic medieval literature Poetry in the Middle Ages Vikings in Britain

Individual Research Project

All modules are 20 credits unless specified otherwise.

9

Contemporary performance Language and performance Shakespeare on screen Theatre industry and art Theatre-making British drama since 1980

Year One Module Information

Language and Context 20 credits

Full Year

Q31103

Summary This module is concerned with investigating the main forms and functions of English vocabulary, grammar and discourse; showing how that are used in real social and cultural psychological contexts. The module explores how language varies according to different communicative purposes and how people learn, understand and use language to reveal and conceal social and psychological realities. These linguistic issues are explored through a variety of different texts; spoken and written, literary and nonliterary. Additional general issues involve consideration of the relationship between language and broader issues such as language acquisition and development, gender and ideology. These multiple foci function as an introduction to core topics in linguistics covered in subsequent years of the degree (for example, discourse analysis and sociolinguistics, psycholinguistics, literary linguistics). Aims / Learning Objectives  To introduce you to, and explore, the theory and applications of language study within a broad applied linguistic framework.  To enable you to analyse linguistic data for structural units and to make links between language forms and functions, patterns and meanings. Teaching and learning methods Each week, there is a one-hour lecture which is delivered by a different member of staff in order to represent the diversity of research interests within the School. The material in the lecture is followed up with a weekly one-hour seminar with a regular seminar tutor. Each week, your tutor will guide you through material that gives you a chance to gain a practical understanding of the theoretical concerns covered in the lectures. In addition, there is a weekly one-hour workshop which focuses on improving your understanding of language structures. Assessment  Autumn exam: 1-hour computer-based, multiple-choice exam (weighted at 20%)  Spring coursework: 500-word reflective piece on psycholinguistic experiment (weighted at 5%)  Spring exam: 1-hour computer-based, multiple-choice exam (weighted at 20%)  Spring project: 2000-word project (weighted at 55%) Reading The core textbook will be:  Fasold, R. W., & Connor-Linton, J. (Eds.). (2014). An introduction to language and linguistics. Cambridge University Press. For students without A-level English Language, you might like to start thinking about English language study by reading:  Crystal, D. The English Language: A Guided Tour of the Language, revised 2nd edition (London: Penguin, 2002. ISBN 978-0141003962) Even if you did A-level English Language, you may not have looked much language structure, so one or both of the following will provide useful grounding:  Crystal, D. Rediscover Grammar, 2nd edition (Harlow: Longman, 2004. ISBN 9780582848627) On the module the following title offers useful additional information on the areas we cover. It is available in the library in hard copy and e-copy.

10

Year One Module Information 

Mullany, L. and Stockwell, P. Introducing English Language: A Resource Book for Students (Abingdon: Routledge, 2010)

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Year One Module Information

Studying Literature 20 credits

Full Year

Q31314

Summary This module introduces you to some of the core skills for literary studies, including skills in reading, writing, researching and presentation. The module addresses topics including close reading, constructing an argument, and handling critical material, as well as introducing you to key critical questions about literary form, production and reception. These elements are linked to readings of specific literary texts, focused on poetry and prose selected from the full range of the modern literary period (1500 to the present). The first semester will mainly be concerned with interpretive approaches and concepts; the second semester will examine literary-historical movements and transitions. Aims / Learning Objectives  To introduce you to selected literary texts at a level of imaginative engagement and analytic response appropriate to university study  To provide you with a basis of knowledge, working methods and appropriate terminology for subsequent work at university level  To provide you with knowledge and understanding of the literary, cultural and historical contexts for literature from the period 1500 to the present, and the relationship between period and genre Teaching and learning methods One 2-hour lecture each week and one 1-hour seminar each week; directed research towards the essay. Assessment  Autumn coursework: 2500-word essay submitted with a portfolio (weighted at 50%)  Spring exam: A 2-hour exam (weighted at 50%) Reading You will be studying a range of genres over the whole year: novels, poetry, prose and drama. Given their length, it would be extremely helpful to read some of the novels before you join us in September. The principal work to read ahead of time is the following book which will be studied upon your arrival in the first few weeks of the Autumn semester. Milton’s epic poem is best not left until the actual week of study, so do try to read it before your arrival. 

John Milton’s Paradise Lost (if you don’t already own a copy, the Penguin is a fine edition and readily available).

 If you want to be prepared for the rest of the module, other novels you could read are:     

Aphra Behn's Oroonoko (Penguin or Oxford World's Classics are good editions) William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night (Arden or Oxford edition) William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s Lyrical Ballads (Routledge Classics) – An excellent digital edition can be found at www.rc.umd.edu/editions/LB Thomas Wyatt’s (selected) poems (Good electronic editions are available online, or look for his poetry in anthologies) Charlotte Bronte Jane Eyre (any edition will do)

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Year One Module Information

Beginnings of English 20 credits

Full Year

Q31207

Summary This module introduces you to the language, literature and culture of medieval England. You will read a variety of medieval texts from Old and Middle English, as well as comparative texts from Old Norse sources, and will discuss ideas of Englishness and identity. You will become familiar with the philological knowledge necessary for the reading and understanding of medieval texts, and will be introduced to the basics of grammar and spelling conventions. Aims   

/ Learning Objectives To introduce you to linguistic vocabulary and terminology To enable you to become proficient in reading Old English and Middle English To give you an understanding of the complexities of English grammar, past and present  To give you an understanding of the origins of English, and its development over the medieval period  To familiarise you with the themes and genre of medieval English literature.

Teaching and learning methods Two 1-hour lectures each week and one 1-hour seminar each week. Assessment  Autumn mid-semester exam: 1 hour online exam (weighted at 25%)  Autumn end of semester exam: 1 hour exam (weighted at 25%)  Spring coursework 1: One 1000-word essay (weighted at 25%)  Spring coursework 2: One 1000-word commentary (weighted at 25%) Reading You will be given a handbook with readings on arrival. It is recommended that you also buy the following books which will be the basis of the first year module and will also be used in some second- and third-year module options:  

Peter S. Baker, Introduction to Old English (Blackwell, 2003) Stephen Greenblatt, et al. eds, The Norton Anthology of English Literature: The Middle Ages, Volume A (W.W. Norton and Co., 2012)

You may also wish to consult or purchase a copy of:  John Burrow and Thorlac Turville-Petre, A Book of Middle English (Blackwell, 2005)  Hugh Magennis, The Cambridge Introduction to Anglo-Saxon Literature. (Cambridge University Press, 2011)  Thorlac Turville-Petre, Reading Middle English Literature (Blackwell, 2006)  Heather O'Donoghue, Old Norse-Icelandic Literature: A Short Introduction (Blackwell, 2004)

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Year One Module Information

Drama, Theatre, Performance 20 credits

Full Year

Q31501

Summary This module explores the extraordinary variety of drama in the Western dramatic tradition. You will examine dramatic texts in relation to their historical context, moving from the theatre of ancient Greece, English medieval drama, the theatre of Shakespeare and his contemporaries, the Restoration stage, to nineteenth-century naturalism. In addition to texts produced by writers from Sophocles to Ibsen, you will also consider a variety of extra-textual features of drama, including the performance styles of actors, the significance of performance space and place, and the composition of various audiences. You will study selected plays in workshops, seminars and lectures, during which we will explore adaptation and interpretation of the texts through DVD extracts. You will also have the opportunity to engage in practical theatre-making, exploring extracts from the selected play-texts in short, student-directed scenes in response to key questions about performance. Aims / Learning Objectives  To provide you with an understanding of drama as a performance medium, in which real people and objects are presented to other people in real, shared space  To introduce you to a range of historical performance conventions, including Ancient Greek tragedy and nineteenth century naturalism.  To enable you to recognise and analyse the varied elements which constitute performance.  To provide you with knowledge and understanding of the social, historical and cultural contexts of various play-texts. Teaching and learning methods A one-hour lecture per week and a two-hour workshop/seminar every fortnight. Assessment  Autumn coursework: 5 minute practical workshop assignment, followed by a 500word reflection (weighted at 40%)  Spring exam: 2.5 hour performance analysis exam (weighted at 60%) Reading Over the course of the year on the module, you will study 10 plays, including Medea (Euripides), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Shakespeare), The Rover (Behn) and A Doll’s House (Ibsen). When you arrive we will give you the primary texts (either in a reader or via access to online resources), along with suggestions for a key theoretical reading each week. You will find it useful to have a copy of the following book for reference: 

Lennard, J & Luckhurst, M, The Drama Handbook: A Guide to Reading Plays (Oxford University Press, 2003)

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Year One Module Information

Academic Community 20 credits

Full Year

Q31401

Summary This module offers an introduction to key issues and skills in English for those making the transition to university-level study and emphasises points of intersection between the diverse disciplines contained within the study of English at Nottingham. Taught in small groups, you are encouraged to explore – critically and reflexively – what it means to be a student of English, and will be supported in developing a toolkit of study, research and communication skills which can be transferred to other modules. Aims / Learning Objectives  To introduce key issues of university study in general and the discipline of English in particular to students making the transition from school to university.  To enable you to develop your understanding of the intersections between different branches of the discipline of English.  To enable you to reflect on and begin to develop effective skills for study and research, reflective writing, and oral presentation.  To provide knowledge and understanding of elements of the literary, cultural and historical contexts for literature, language and drama Teaching and learning methods One 1-hour lecture per fortnight and one 1-hour tutorial with your personal tutor per fortnight, involving student-led discussion and presentation; set reading and preparation in intervening weeks. Assessment  Autumn presentation: 7 minute presentation (weighted at 25%)  Spring coursework: Reflective portfolio of 5 x 700 word pieces (weighted at 75%) Reading There is no specific reading in preparation for this module, but it would be helpful to look at the University resources on Studying Effectively which will introduce you to a range of key skills: www.nottingham.ac.uk/studyingeffectively

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Year One Module Information

Creative Writing Practice 20 credits

Full Year

Q31701

Summary The module introduces you to the process of writing drama, poetry and fiction by engaging in a variety of forms of reading, writing and performance practice. Activities include creative and analytical responses to published writing, writing exercises in poetry, drama and fiction, and revision of work written over the course of the module. The poetry content includes imagery, line and metre, and poetic form; the fiction content includes character, narrative, and point of view; the drama content includes scene, dialogue and character. The module also includes material on the contexts of writing, including: publication, performance and literary interviews. Aims / Learning Objectives  To guide you in the practice of the process of writing, including using notebooks and making revisions  To develop your skills in writing and reading to develop an awareness of literary contexts and creative and aesthetic possibilities  To provide knowledge and understanding of elements of poetry (rhythm, imagery, and poetic form), fiction (character, narrative and point of view) and drama (scene, dialogue, character). Teaching and learning methods One 1-hour lecture each week and one 1-hour seminar each week. Assessment  Autumn coursework 1: Portfolio comprised of responses to exercises on the themes of creativity and context (weighted at 10%)  Autumn coursework 2: Portfolio of poetry (weighted at 30%)  Spring coursework 1: Portfolio of writing for performance (weighted at 30%)  Spring coursework 2: Portfolio of fiction (weighted at 30%) Required Reading (please buy)  May, Steve. Doing Creative Writing. London: Routledge, 2007.  Royle, Nicholas. (ed). Best British Short Stories 2016. Cromer: Salt Publishing, 2016.  (Ed. Anon.), The Forward Book of Poetry 2017, London: Forward Foundation/ Faber, 2017. Further Reading (these will be really useful)  Jauss, David. On Writing Fiction: Rethinking Conventional Wisdom About the Craft. Cincinnati: Writer’s Digest, 2011.  Wainwright, Jeffrey. Poetry The Basics (2nd edition). London: Routledge, 2011.  Spencer, Stuart. The Playwright's Guidebook. London: Faber & Faber. 2003.

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Year One Module Information

Shakespeare’s Histories: Critical Approaches 10 credits

Autumn Semester Q3109S

Summary Shakespeare is a cultural and literary icon. This module seeks to explore some of the many reasons behind that fact by focussing on one particular genre of drama ─ the history plays ─ which was hugely popular in England’s commercial playhouses in the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries. Looking in detail at a sequence of four plays – Richard II, Henry IV parts 1 and 2, and Henry V – the module will consider key themes, including kingship, power and authority, national and regional identities, sexual politics, war, and ideas of community. In addition, we will use these plays as a lens through which to examine Shakespeare’s engagement with the linguistic, performative, and socio-political contexts of his time. Bringing matters up to the present day, the module will deploy a range of media resources, including film and performance archives, to consider the ways in which these plays continue to resonate and reverberate in the modern era. The relevance of the history plays within new social and political contexts and in new eras of war and conflict will be the focus of analysis, allowing us to think about Shakespeare in performance, on the screen, and in various forms of adaptation. Aims / Learning Objectives  to provide you with an understanding of key issues related to the production and reception of Shakespeare’s plays and sonnets  to consider Shakespeare’s position as cultural and literary icon  To provide you with knowledge and understanding of the genre of early modern history plays with specific reference to Shakespeare Teaching and Learning Methods 1½ hour lecture each week. Assessment One 2500-word essay (weighted at 100%) Reading Students interested in taking this module may wish to get a head-start by reading the four Shakespeare plays we are studying:  Richard II  Henry IV Part 1  Henry IV Part 2  Henry V Good editions include the Arden Shakespeare, Oxford Shakespeare or New Cambridge Shakespeare.

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Year One Module Information

Regional Writers 10 credits

Spring Semester

Q3108S

Summary This module introduces you to the work of selected regional writers, including Nottinghamshire writers (e.g. DH Lawrence), considering how their work engages with regional landscapes, the literary and industrial heritage of their area, and other distinctive cultural elements such as dialect. The module will allow you to reflect on recent theoretical developments in the field of literary geography, while also equipping you to read and appreciate literary works through a focus on their tangible social and historical contexts. Aims / Learning Objectives  To provide you with knowledge of a range of literary works by notable regional writers;  To provide an introduction to the study of literary geography, place and space in literary works. Teaching and Learning Methods 1½ hour lecture each week Assessment One 2-hour exam (weighted at 100%) Reading Please purchase and read the following texts::  Thomas Hardy, Tess of the D’Urbervilles (any edition)  Alan Sillitoe, The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Runner (any edition)  Irvine Welsh, Trainspotting (any edition) Other texts studied on this module will be available in a module reader that will be given to all students opting to take this module.

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Year One Module Information

The Viking World 10 credits

Autumn Semester Q3107S

Summary More than any other group, the Vikings shaped the history of Europe. Their stories and myths are still the subject of fiction, poetry, film and art. This interdisciplinary module introduces you to the impact of the Viking Age and of the Viking Expansion. You will be made familiar with concepts such as diasporic settlements and identity, as well as being introduced to the various ways of evaluating sources from the Viking Age and beyond (such as historical sources, material culture etc.). You will also learn about the myths and the language, as well as the culture of the Viking Age and beyond. This module is specifically designed as an introduction to Viking Studies. No previous knowledge of history or archaeology is necessary. Aims / Learning Objectives  To introduce you to the culture of medieval Scandinavia and the Viking-settled areas  To introduce you to the study of different source types (text, language and material culture) and to interdisciplinary research, including an awareness of the sources of medieval literature.  To provide you with knowledge and understanding of the history and culture of Northern Europe and the North Atlantic around the first millennium  To explore concepts of migration and identity in the early Middle Ages  To provide you with understanding of the relationships between texts and historical contexts. Teaching and Learning Methods 1½ hour interactive lecture each week. Assessment A 1.5 hour multiple choice question paper (weighted at 100%) Reading: Core texts  Julian D. Richards, The Vikings. A Very Short Introduction, Oxford University Press, 2005 

Jayne Carroll, Stephen H. Harrison and Gareth Williams, The Vikings in Britain and Ireland, British Museum Press, 2014.

Recommended texts  Brink, S. (ed), The Viking World (Routledge 2012) - available as an e-book or as a paperback

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Further Pre-arrival Reading Works that will help you to prepare for studying English at university level are listed below. Please note that it is not essential to buy these books, but they will provide helpful context.

General Reading 

E. Chambers and A. Northledge, The Arts Good Study Guide, 2nd edition (Milton Keynes: Open University Worldwide, 2008). This contains useful advice on reading, note-taking and writing essays.

Further Reading for English literature To prepare for studying literature at university level, you might find ONE of the following useful: 

R. Eaglestone, Doing English: A Guide for Literature Students (London: Routledge, 2002)



A. Bennett and N. Royle, An Introduction to Literature, Criticism and Theory (Harlow: Pearson, 2004)

You should read at least ONE general history of English literature. For example, you might consider reading one of the following: 

M. Alexander, A History of English Literature (Basingstoke: Macmillan, 2000)



R. Carter and J. McRae, The Routledge History of Literature in English: Britain and Ireland, 2nd edition (London: Routledge, 2001). This text also focuses on language issues.



P. Poplawski, ed. English Literature in Context (Cambridge, 2007)



A. Sanders, The Short Oxford History of English Literature, 2nd edition (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000)

You might find it helpful to read an introduction to literary theory. For example: 

J. Culler, Literary Theory: a Very Short Introduction, 2nd edition (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2011)



T. Eagleton, Literary Theory: An Introduction, 25th anniversary edition (Oxford: Blackwell, 2008)

OR

Further Reading for English language To prepare for studying English language at university level, you might find one of the following useful:  D. Crystal, Making Sense of Grammar (Harlow: Longman, 2004. ISBN 9780582848634) 

G. Yule, The Study of Language, 5th edition (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2014)



R.L. Trask, (2004) Language: The Basics. 2nd edition. Abingdon: Routledge.



D. Crystal, How Language Works: How Babies Babble, Words Change Meaning and Languages Live or Die (London: Penguin, 2007. ISBN 978-0141015521)

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Further Pre-arrival Reading

Further Reading for Drama and performance You will find it useful to have an understanding of some of the key ideas for drama and performance. The following is a good text to refer to beyond the reading you will be given on the modules:  M. Wallis & S. Shepherd, Studying Plays, 3rd edition (London: Bloomsbury Academic;, 2010)

Although the following are not studied on any particular module, reading them and making yourself familiar with their contents will make your study of English literature and language much more rewarding. Academic staff will assume that you are familiar with this material, and it will be your responsibility to chase up references that you don't understand. 

The Bible, eds. R. Carroll and S. Prickett (Oxford World's Classics, 2008). Begin with the Gospel of Mark, Genesis, Exodus, and Revelation



R.L. Green (ed), Tales of Greek Heroes (Harmondsworth: Puffin, 2010)



R. L. Green (ed), The Tale of Troy (Harmondsworth: Puffin, 1994)



N. Davies, The Isles: A History (Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2000)

You would also find it useful to have a copy of: 

G. Taylor, J. Jowett et al (eds), William Shakespeare: The Complete Works, 2nd edition (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2005)

You might also find it useful to own a map of Great Britain and Ireland.

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