Course Description : the Aim of This Course, Which Is a Follow up Seminar to British Literature

Course description: The aim of this course, which is a follow up seminar to British Literature to 1945, is to make students get acquainted with selected works (see weekly schedule below) and discuss them in a profound analytic manner from the period covered by the lecture course.

REQUIREMENTS:

Presence at classes: no more than three absences are allowed. In the case of a longer absence (either due to illness, or official leave), the tutor and the student will come to an agreement of how to solve the problem.

Assigned reading: The seminar format and the reading requirements suppose that the assigned texts are read for the classes. Tests on the assigned readings can be expected at each seminar (plot-related questions in the case of fiction and drama, vocabulary tests in the case of poetry). The result of these tests contributes to the seminar grade (“small tests”: 20).You must pass at least 66% of these tests, otherwise your seminar is a failure (the grade is a one). You will be granted, though, one chance to make up for the failure of these minor tests as agreed with your course tutor.

Reader’s journal: students are required to keep a reader’s journal in a separate notebook, recording opinions, impressions and raising questions. The journals are to be in class, and to be used for facilitating discussions. Prior to reading the assignments I will suggest some crucial thematic issues along which you can direct your reading process. The journals are subject to be collected at any time of the semester.

Participation in classroom discussions: students are expected to take part in classroom discussions, and this activity contributes to the final seminar grade by 20 points of the overall achievement. Do NOT come to class without either the hard copy or a digital version of the assigned reading material. The classroom discussion is predominantly based on a close reading of the texts without which you simply cannot follow the analysis.

End-term test: an objective test on the works discussed during the term (60). The test must be written at the time scheduled in the syllabus. Failing to do so or not achieving 50% of the total score will count as a course failure, and only one re-sit test will be scheduled to make up for the failure on condition of having a pass mark for the small tests!

NB #1: Out of all the course components, only one re-sit will be granted; in case you fail in more than one component, the course is a failure.

NB #2: Students’ linguistic competence has a considerable impact on their final grade!

GRADING POLICY

WEEKLY SCHEDULE

Assignment

(Texts are available in the Institute’s library!)

A Social Cross-Section of the Medieval Period

Geoffrey Chaucer, The Canterbury Tales,“The Prologue”

(digital copy available on the “Course Materials” site of the instructor)

CONSULTATION WEEK