| Unit name | Literature 1150-1550 |
|---|---|
| Unit code | ENGL10042 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | C/4 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12) |
| Unit director | Dr. Cathy Hume |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
None |
| School/department | Department of English |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
Why is this unit important?
This unit will introduce you to the diverse literature written in Britain between 1150 and 1550, which you will explore in more detail later in the programme. You will encounter several literary genres - romance, fabliau, and religious writing - and both popular and courtly writing. You will learn to read, translate and analyse Middle English poetry and prose, including unfamiliar forms such as alliterative poetry. You will read some texts in other languages in translation, and you will study texts by both male and female writers – for example, Marie de France, who wrote French texts in England. You will be introduced to key contexts, such as manuscripts and cultures of oral performance, to help you understand the literature. You will study how literary texts explore medieval ideologies about, for example, chivalry and gender, and how they engage with the Christian and fairy supernatural.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study?
Core units provide an accessible and stimulating introduction to university-level English. You will gain knowledge of and insight into literary forms, from poetry and prose to critical essays and drama. You will practice essential academic skills in close analysis and argument, encounter key critical concepts, and develop your confidence as a researcher. Core units will further enable you to understand and appreciate the importance of historical contexts from the medieval period to the present day, and the development of literary studies as a discipline.
An overview of content
This unit will survey a range of texts from medieval and early Tudor Britain, including authors such as Geoffrey Chaucer, romance, comic, lyric and religious literature and drama. It will place emphasis on close reading and analysis as well as introducing contexts from the medieval world that will help you better understand the literature. You will develop the ability to read, understand and translate Middle English and encounter a range of literary modes and ideas.
How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit?
On completion of this unit you will be familiar with the distinctive qualities and breadth of the literature of this period, allowing you to choose an aspect of it to study in further detail in year 2. You will be reading Middle English with greater confidence and ease, and will have developed your skills in approaching texts from earlier historical periods, both in terms of how to access linguistic resources to aid your understanding, and in how to deal with cultural and generic differences.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the unit, students will be able to:
The unit is taught by seminars and a lecture programme. Teaching includes group discussion, research and writing activities, and peer dialogue. Students are expected to attend all timetabled teaching, engage with the reading, and participate fully with the weekly tasks and topics. Learning will be further supported through the opportunity for individual consultation
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
1,250 word critical commentary (50%) [ILOs 2, 3]
2 hour exam (40%) [ILOs 1-3]
Contribution mark (10%) [ILO 4]
When assessment does not go to plan
When required by the Board of Examiners, you will normally complete reassessments in the same formats as those outlined above. However, the Board reserves the right to modify the format or number of reassessments required. Details of reassessments are confirmed by the School/Centre shortly after the notification of your results at the end of the year.
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. ENGL10042).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
