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EL1536: RETHINKING READING (2022-2023)

Last modified: 07 Dec 2022 12:21


Course Overview

'Rethinking Reading' complements the module ‘Acts of Reading’. Intended primarily for students with degree intentions in English, this course introduces key areas in critical theory that inform the current work of staff at Aberdeen. It asks students to consider the history of English studies and its relationship to colonialism, and how this impacts on conceptions of literature and authorship, alongside topics such as gender and sexuality, and genre. Through a series of modules, the course introduces each area of theory alongside a literary text used as a case study. The course supports students in learning to read and use critical theory in your work, incorporating reflective learning and a practical focus on the techniques involved in critical writing. 

Course Details

Study Type Undergraduate Level 1
Term Second Term Credit Points 15 credits (7.5 ECTS credits)
Campus Aberdeen Sustained Study No
Co-ordinators
  • Dr Elizabeth Elliott

Qualification Prerequisites

  • Either Programme Level 1 or Programme Level 2

What courses & programmes must have been taken before this course?

  • Any Undergraduate Programme
  • English (EL)

What other courses must be taken with this course?

None.

What courses cannot be taken with this course?

None.

Are there a limited number of places available?

No

Course Description

'Rethinking Reading' complements the module ‘Acts of Reading’. Intended primarily for students with degree intentions in English, this course is structured around the exploration of key areas in critical theory: literature, authorship, genre, sexuality, and posthumanism. It will develop students' ability to reflect on foundational critical questions, offering a basis for understanding some of the main theoretical approaches and current methodologies informing the study of literature. Four literary texts are explored as case studies, together with indicative critical reading: the poetry of E. A. Markham, Naomi Novik’s Uprooted, Shakespeare’s Sonnets, and Karen Joy Fowler’s We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves.


Contact Teaching Time

Information on contact teaching time is available from the course guide.

Teaching Breakdown

More Information about Week Numbers


Details, including assessments, may be subject to change until 30 August 2024 for 1st term courses and 20 December 2024 for 2nd term courses.

Summative Assessments

Alternative Assessment

500-word Essay Plan with Bibliography 15%

Course Journal 15%

2000-word Essay 70%

Alternative Resit Assessment

2000-word Essay 100%

Formative Assessment

There are no assessments for this course.

Course Learning Outcomes

Knowledge LevelThinking SkillOutcome
FactualRememberILO’s for this course are available in the course guide.

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