Advanced Literature and Culture Courses
LC001. British Literature I [英國文學史（一）]
3 credits
Ms. Jennifer Chiu
For Sophomores and above
Class size: 10-45; Non-English Dept.: 5 (must all have taken at least one course related to literature such as "Introduction to Western Literature")
Prerequisite: Introduction to Western Literature
Course Description
This course is to survey the English Literature from the Middle Ages to the Eighteenth Century by sampling the major writers and works in all periods. The object is not just to study a succession of writers and works but also to learn a tradition in which each individual author and text plays a part. We cannot, even in a lifetime, read all the works that make up the tradition, but we can learn enough about it from a selection of works to relate these works and their authors to one another and to their common heritage.
Textbook: The Norton Anthology of English Literature: The Major Authors. 7th ed. Vol. I. London: W.W. Norton & Company, 2000.
Tentative Schedule (subject to change)
Week / Assigned reading / Keywords1 / Introduction to the course
Introduction: The Middle Ages to ca. 1485
Anonymous: "The Dream of the Rood" / allegory, elegy, epic, kennings
Celtic, runes; warrior, scop, comitatus, wergild, wyrd,
mead hall
2, 3 / Anonymous: Beowulf
5, 6 / Chaucer: "The General Prologue, " "The Wife of Bath’s Prologuee and Tale," and "The Pardoner's Prologue and Tale" from The Canterbury Tales / Examplum
7, 8 / Anonymous: Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
Malory: from Morte D’Arthur / romantic-allegorical epic, knight(hood), chivalry
9 / Midterm Exam
10 / Introduction: The Sixteenth Century: 1485-1603
Marlowe: Doctor Faustus
Shakespeare: selections from Sonnet Sequence / tragedy, blank verse, pride, knowledge; Petrarchan/Italian sonnets, Shakespearean/English sonnets
11 /
Introduction: The Early Seventeenth Century: 1603-1660
Donne:"The Canonization"Marvell: "The Definition of Love"
Milton:Lycidas
/ Metaphysical conceits, dramaticmonologue/dialogue; passion/
intellect
12, 14 / Milton: from Paradise Lost / pastoral elegy, evocation/
apostrophe; epic, blank verse, Satanichero; sonnet
15 / Introduction: The Restoration and the Eighteenth Century: 1660-1785
Dryden: "MacFlecknoe"
Swift: "A Modest Proposal" / mock heroic, heroic couplet,
satire
16-17 / Swift:from Gulliver's Travels
18 / Final Exam
Requirements
- Lateness and absences are strongly discouraged. You will automatically fail this course after five absences.Points will be taken out in accordance with the number of lateness and absences.
- You need to write a 1000-word term report on one of the topics provided by the instructor. If you want to use any secondary sources, your papers must include parenthetical citations for all paraphrasing and quoting, as well as a list of works cited at the end. You will automatically fail this course if you plagiarize.
- Once in a while, you may be asked to write a 2-page journal on a question related to a specific reading. And quizzes will be given whenever necessary.
- Late assignments will not be accepted. When absent on the day for an assignment to be turned in, you must hand it in the first day you come back to school (not a week after!)
Tentative Grading Scale (subject to change)
Midterm & final exams50%
Papers, journals, quizzes, class participation 50%
NOTE: Try to prepare your reading during the summer vacation by starting with the longer works such as Beowulf, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus,andGulliver’s Travels, whose complete texts we will read for the class. You can get the textbook from the Caves Books (敦煌書局) at Fu Jen, or the Bookman (書林書局), across from National Taiwan University.
LC002. American Literature I [美國文學史（一）]
3 credits
Fr. Daniel Bauer
For Juniorsand above
Class size: 10-45; Non-English Dept.: 5 (must all have taken at least one course related to literature such as "Introduction to Western Literature")
Prerequisite: Introduction to Western Literature
Survey of American Literature (3 credits) introduces students to some of the most influential poetry, historical narratives, and autobiographical works of American writers in the 17th-18th centuries. Among the writers the course will study are a women poet (Anne Bradstreet); a woman captured by a band of American Indians and allowed to go free, who later offered readers an autobiographical account of her suffering-filled adventure (Mary Rowlandson); a gifted Protestant minister who preached fiery sermons (Jonathan Edwards); and a n American patriot who contributed mightily to American literature by his call for tolerance and appreciation of Indian culture, his humorous and yet serious autobiography, and his collection of wise sayings in “The Way to Wealth” (Benjamin Franklin).
This course asks students to write four journals, each 4 pages A-4 paper in length, and to take an active part in class with Q and A, feedback on the literature and small group discussion. The course also offers a mid-term and final exam. Grades will be tabulated according to this table: journals 60%, exams 30%, and class participation 10%
LC003. Literary Criticism: Love, Desire and Class
[文學批評：愛、欲望與階級]
3 credits
Dr. Kate Chiwen Liu
For Juniorsand above
Class size: 10-45; Non-English Dept.: 5
Prerequisite: Introduction to Western Literature
"Ah--ha, that's great! I love it." 「本詩意境深遠，耐人尋味﹒」
Are these examples of literary criticism? No.
Objectives
Literary criticism is different from Literary appreciation: the latter involves expressions of your feelings and pleasure in reading, your likes and dislikes of a text, while the former, as a formal training for literature majors, requires both literary sensibility and critical thinking. In other words, literary criticism consists of careful analysis of literary texts with a conscious use of some critical frameworks and methods and an active engagement in their critical issues.
(For further details on what literary criticism is, please view this animation.
In this course, therefore, we will try to improve our abilities in:
- analyzing literary texts from more than one critical perspective;
- responding critically to the issues raised by the chosen literary or cultural texts;
- placing, with the help of some critical theories, literature and the issues involved in a larger context, such as those of the texts' contemporary society, our society and our lives.
In order to have a sense of focus in the vast fields of critical theories, we will choose Love, Desire and Class as our major topics. The questions we discuss will be:
How does a text produce its meanings both through form and content?
What do the texts we examine say about love, desire and class differences?
Are there meanings hidden in the texts and/or unknown to their authors? If so, what are they and why?
Four critical schools will be used to help us examine the texts' meanings and hidden meanings from various perspectives:
New Criticism (2 wks)-textual meanings constructed through formal unity, or with the assumptions of human liberalism.
Psychoanalysis (5 wks) -textual meanings driven or repressed by desires of the authors or society;
Marxism (5 wks) -textual meanings of social relations and ideologies;
Cultural Studies (4 wks)- textual meanings produced in our culture or global culture.
* This is NOT a course on the history of love in literature. Rather we choose the texts related to love, desire and class difference for a sense of thematic focus. As we proceed, however, you are welcome to bring in Taiwanese and cultural texts related to these topics. This, I believe, will bring Literary Criticism home to us.
Requirements
Besides the usual stuffs - attendance, punctuality, journals, class participation, group report and final exam, the course requires 1) regular online discussion; 2) using internet teaching materials, outside of class and before the discussion in class.
LC004. Poetry in the Works of Bob Dylan[鮑伯迪倫作品中的詩]
3 credits
Mr. Thomas Nash & Dr. Raphael Schulte
For Juniorsand above
Class size: 10-45; Non-English Dept.: 5
Prerequisite: Introduction to Western Literature
Bob Dylan is a performer and songwriter widely credited with changing popular music to include serious topics and poetic language. In fact, his influence goes far beyond popular music to contemporary literature, art, and politics. This course will look at the lyrics of Dylan's songs as poetry, to explore their expressiveness, meaning, and structure, and to learn to enjoy them as works of art. Students will read a large selection of song lyrics and listen to the songs, and we will also watch some filmed performances and biographical and critical material. Requirements: purchase of three albums*, weekly journal, group presentation, final paper, transcriptions, and active participation.
*These three albums will form the core of the course: Highway 61 Revisited (1965), Blonde on Blonde (1966), and Blood on the Tracks (1975). See Tom Nash for suggestions on purchasing the albums. It is strongly suggested that you buy and listen to them (repeatedly) before the course begins. Many other songs from before and after these albums (up to 2006) will also be covered.
LC005. Modern Drama [現代戲劇]
3 credits
Dr. Llyn Scott
For Juniorsand above + M.A. students
Class size: 10-20; Non-English Dept.: 0 (must all have taken at least one English Literary course previously such as "Introduction to Western Literature")
Prerequisite: Introduction to Western Literature
Textbook: Milly s. Barranger, ed. Understanding Plays. 3rd Edition. Boston: Pearson Education, Inc., 2004.
This course prepares students to read and understand representative works of modern drama divided into six parts: (1) understanding drama as it connects to performance, dramaturgy, stages, space, time, landscapes, and meanings and messages; (2) understanding play structure, character, and the language of drama; (3) understanding types of dramatic writing to focus on farce, satire, and new forms such as solo drama; (4) understanding modern writing styles; (5) understanding theatricalism including the absurd and minimalism; (6) understanding playwriting at the millennium including feminist drama, docudrama, and interculturalism. As time allows, students will view video performances in addition to reading a projected number of eight to ten plays. Students will be evaluated in part by occasional short quizzes, two comprehensive essay exams, in addition to two medium-length (5-10 pages) research papers.
Advanced Language Studies Courses
LS001. Performing Arts: Acting [舞台藝術：表演技巧]
3 credits
Dr. Llyn Scott
For Sophomores and above
Class size: 10-28; Non-English Dept.: 0
Textbook: Tom Isbell. The Craft of Acting: Truthful human behavior on stage and screen. Colorado Springs, CO: Meriwether Publishing Ltd., 2006.
This course introduces students to a series of Acting Lessons based on (1) acting approach; (2) fundamentals of stage work; (3) process of rehearsals; (4) performance strategies; and (5) steps to becoming a professional actor. A substantial amount of class time will be devoted to the art of improvisation and developing the actor's instruments of voice and body to include character voices, mime, interpretive dance, and stage combat. Periodical Scene Studios (short 10 minute duets or small scenes) will help students to measure their progress and learn from each other. Other means of evaluation will be based on observation diaries, actor biography paper, and short quizzes to reinforce student understanding of stage and acting terms.
LS002. Child Language [兒童語言]
3 credits
Mr. Thomas Nash
For Juniors and above
Class size: 10-45; Non-English Dept.: 5
Prerequisite: Introduction to Linguistics
In this course we will look at how children learn language(s). What qualities are they born with that help them learn language? How do they learn phonology? The lexicon? Morphology and syntax? Pragmatics? What is the role of the input they get, the language they hear from others? How can their learning be explained?
Requirements: group observation of a young child, with written report; journal article reviews (one for in-class discussion, one written), chapter quizzes, exercises, active class participation, group oral report (depending on class size).
Textbook: Gleason, Jean Berko (Ed.) (2001). The Development of Language. 5th ed. Allyn and Bacon.
Important: Because we need to observe young children, interested students must help find children between the ages of 9 months and 3 years (roughly) who can be observed at least 3 times during the semester.
LS003. Teaching English through Children's Literature[兒童文學與英語教學]
3 credits
Ms. Sherri Wei
For Juniorsand above
Class size: 10-45; Non-English Dept.: 0
Prerequisite: Introduction toLinguistics
This introductory course is designed to approach children's literature from a pedagogical perspective in order to answer the following questions: "Is children's literature a good choice for ESL/EFL learners? Why and how?" We will first explore various themes and different genres of children's literature including nursery rhymes, fairy tales, folktales, poetry and fantasy. Next, you would need to observe the actual reading behavior in natural setting and look closely at the children's responses to understand the physical and mental interactions taking place during the reading process. With this understanding in mind, we would then read related language teaching theories, e.x. Whole Language Approach, and hands-on techniques on integrating children's literature into English teaching. The very last task is your own creation of a lesson plan to integrate these theories and materials into classroom practices.
Grading policy: Observation paper 20% + Journal 30 % + Presentation 30 % + Online Discussion 10 % + Attendance 10 %
LS004. TESL Methodology[英語教材教法]
3 credits
Ms. Ying-ping (Tina) Kuo
For Juniors and above
Class size: 15-35; Non-English Dept.: 0
Prerequisite: Introduction to Linguistics
Course Descriptions
TEFL Methodology is a survey course to provide prospective English teachers an overview of both traditional and innovative language teaching methods for learners of diverse learning background. Not only the principles guiding language learning and teaching will be discussed, we will also try to incorporate techniques to be applied in the real classroom setting. As long as you believe that you enjoy English teaching, are capable of providing "motivating and comprehensible" language input, patient and enthusiastic enough to find solutions for difficulties encountered in class, you may join the world of ET(English teachers).
The following are topics we might explore and have in-depth discussions for:
- Theoretical & Empirical Perspectives on Language Competence
- Traditional & Innovative Approaches/ Methods in Language Teaching:
Grammar-Translation Method; The Direct Method; The Audio-Lingual Method
The Silent Way; The Total Physical Response Method; Suggestopedia
Community Language Learning; The Communicative Approach
- Motivation & the Affective Filters; Innovative Ideas in Teaching Aids
- Curriculum Design & Lesson Plans; Evaluation of Teaching materials
- Designs & Implementation of Activities for Four-skill(Reading/Writing/Speaking/Listening) Instruction
- Error Correction Strategies and Techniques in Asking Questions
- Classroom Management; Practicum
(* It’s subject to change.)
Recommended Texts
D. L. Freeman (1986). Techniques and principles in language teaching. Oxford: OxfordUniversity Press. ISBN 0-19-434133-X.
H. D.Brown (1994). Teaching by principles. An interactive approach to language pedagogy. Prentice Hall Regents. Englewood Cliffs, N.J. ISBN 0-13-328220-1.
Course Requirements and Evaluation
Readings, Quizzes & Discussions-Familiarize yourself with assigned readings beforehand and actively participate in group discussions. Some quizzes will be given to “estimate” your learning. (10 %)
Two Presentations- In groups, prepare a 30-40 minute presentation on a designated teaching method which demonstrate your understanding of the principles and procedures of your lesson plans. The other presentation requires you to discuss activities to be used to teach different levels of students. (30 %)
Cooperative Teaching Project- Students will be invited to participate in a cooperative teaching project with an elementary school or a high school. Assist school teachers in presenting a specific topic or carrying out a project which demonstrates your understanding of the principles of a teaching method and explain the designs and rationale of your lesson plan. A written lesson plan should be submitted for teaching accomplished. (20 %)
Observation Report – Each student is required to make at least two observations at a language schools where English is taught and write a five-page report. It should be with an emphasis on curriculum design with detailed description of the teaching process and evaluation of the teaching methods, materials chosen and activities selection. (15 %)
"Knowledge Pump" & Attendance (10 %)
You are encouraged to attend speeches given by guest speakers or participate workshops or seminars held outside. Absence more than five times is considered failing this course.
Mid-term Exam(15 %)
Details and test format will be announced in class.
LS005. Pragmatics [語用學]
3 credits
Ms. Zixuan Li
For Juniors and above
Class size: 10-45; Non-English Dept.: 0
Prerequisite: Introduction to Linguistics
The goals of this introductory course are: to make students know about the relationship between language use and human action; to give students a basic understanding of pragmatics and its relationship to syntax and semantics; to make students aware of recent work in the field; to suggest interesting research topics; and to promote a general approach to the study of linguistic phenomena which is based on the analysis of naturally-occurring data, and which draws on insights from all relevant areas of linguistic theory.
Topics to be covered in this course are listed as followings:
Reference & context (including discourse entities and anaphora)
Implicature (including a brief overview of truth-functional meaning)
Presupposition: semantic and pragmatic
Functions of syntactic constructions (including information-packaging; given/new, topic/comment, etc.)
Other topics (including politeness and speech acts)
Course Requirements & Grading Policy:
Students are expected to attend class regularly and to participate fully in class activities. During class hours, they are required to practice the wide-ranging set of discussion questions and exercises. Aside from these, the following tasks are demanded as well:
- Class participation (20%)
- Exercises and assignments (20%)
- Midterm Examination (30%)
- Class project (30%):Locate an interesting set of data in some language, and give a critical summary/review of the arguments in previous studies. Discuss the nature of the data set, and propose the solution. The project consists of the following three parts:
- A one-page written statement of the name of the language, a short description of the data of interest, and a list of references.
- A ten-minute oral presentation on the nature of the problem and solution. Make a handout showing the data, and the analysis.
- A complete write-up, which shows the data, review of previous arguments, the solution, along with references and any comments, approximately 4-6 pages.