school of english - university of nottingham...chaucer and his legacy d.h. lawrence / virginia woolf...

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]

mailto:[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

2

BA English (Q300)

Year 1

You take five year-long compulsory modules (all 20 credits), plus 20 credits of options.

Academic

Community

Beginnings

of English

Drama,

Theatre,

Performance

Language and

Context

Studying

Literature

Either Creative Writing Practice (20 credits, full year)

Or 20 credits

from

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

From Talking Horses to Romantic

Revolutionaries: Literature 1700-

1830

Literature and Popular Culture

Modern and Contemporary Literature

Shakespeare and Contemporaries on

the Page

Victorian and Fin de Siècle Literature

Group B: English language and applied

linguistics

Language in Society

Language Development

Literary Linguistics

Second Language Learning

Group C: Medieval languages and literatures

Chaucer and His Contemporaries

Ice and Fire

Old English: Reflection and Lament

Group D: Drama and performance

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.

Course Structures

3

Final Year

You choose six options from a wide range of topics, according to the criteria below:

Four options

From at least three areas of English

(Groups A-D)

A maximum of three choices from any

one group.

Two further options

From any of the groups below

Final Year Topics

You will be able to choose modules based on the indicative topics given below.


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

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

Anglo-Saxon literature

Arthurian literature

Chaucer and his legacy

English place names

Icelandic medieval literature

Poetry in the Middle Ages

Vikings in Britain

Group D: Drama and Performance

Contemporary performance

Language and performance

Shakespeare on screen

Theatre industry and art

Theatre-making

British drama since 1980

Group E: Creative Writing

Advanced Writing Practice

Only available to students who took

Creative Writing: Craft in their second year

Group F: Individual Research Project


Course Structures

4

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

Beginnings

of English

Drama,

Theatre,

Performance

Language and

Context

Studying

Literature

Either Creative Writing Practice (20 credits, full year)

Or 20 credits

from

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

Chaucer and his Contemporaries



1830

Ice and Fire



Old English: Reflection and Lament*


the Page

Twentieth-Century Plays


Language studies

Language in Society


Old English: Reflection and

Lament*


Drama and performance




the Stage

Creative Writing

Creative Writing: Craft

Only available to students who took

Creative Writing Practice in their first

year

* can be chosen as an option from either group

Course Structures

5





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

Anglo-Saxon literature*






Gothic literature

Icelandic medieval literature*





Romanticism





Vikings in Britain

Language studies

Anglo-Saxon literature*

Cognitive poetics



English place names


Icelandic medieval literature*




English

Sociolinguistics

Stylistics


Drama and Performance

Contemporary

performance


Theatre-making

Creative Writing

Advanced Writing

Practice

Only available to students

who took Creative Writing:

Craft in their second year

Individual Research

Project



Course Structures

6

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.




1830




the Page



linguistics

Language in Society






Ice and Fire






on the Stage

Twentieth-century Plays







Course Structures

7

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.




Gothic literature




Romanticism





Linguistics

Cognitive poetics






English

Sociolinguistics

Stylistics


Group C: Medieval Languages and

Literatures




English place names



Vikings in Britain






Theatre-making



Course Structures

8

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):




1830




the Page



linguistics

Language in Society






Ice and Fire




Performance Practices


on the Stage

Twentieth Century Plays


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

to be chosen from two of the groups

A – D.

One option

from any of the groups below

Course Structures

9

Final Year Topics

You will be able to choose modules based on the indicative topics given below.




Gothic literature




Romanticism





Linguistics

Cognitive poetics






English

Sociolinguistics

Stylistics


Group C: Medieval Languages and Literatures




English place names



Vikings in Britain






Theatre-making


Individual Research Project


Year One Module Information

10

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 non-

literary. 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 978-

0582848627)

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.


11

Mullany, L. and Stockwell, P. Introducing English Language: A Resource Book for

Students (Abingdon: Routledge, 2010)


12

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.


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


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)

http://www.rc.umd.edu/editions/LB


13

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.


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.


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)


14

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.


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.


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 500-

word 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)


15

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.


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


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

http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/studyingeffectively


16

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.


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).


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.


17

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.


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.


18

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.


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.


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.


19

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.


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.


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

Further Pre-arrival Reading

20

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)

OR

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

Blackwell, 2008)

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 978-

0582848634)

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)

Further Pre-arrival Reading

21

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.

To request this information in an alternative format, please contact us: t: +44 (0)115 951 4591 e: [email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

school of english - university of nottingham...chaucer and his legacy d.h. lawrence / virginia woolf...

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