Critical Reading (Online)

1. Introduction: what is literature?

• Critical reading
• Critical writing
• The function of critical readings

2. Close reading and criticism

• Criticism and ‘practical criticism’

3. Comparing literary texts

• Poetry
• Figurative language

4. Narrative and structure

• Narrative and narrative voice
• Perspective
• Dialogue

5. Description and devices

• Literary descriptions
• Description of place and the elements
• Analysing description in longer passages
• Descriptions of character

6. Analysing Poetry

• Reading poetry
• Analysing a modern poem

7. Writing critically

• Opinion versus argument
• Developing arguments in writing
• Writing about place
• Writing about character
• Writing about dialogue

8. Developing as a writer and reader

• The second assignment

9. Other approaches to texts

• What is critical theory?
• Formalist approaches
• Structuralist approaches
• The starting-point
• Case or subject position

10. Honing and keeping up your skills

• Using the work of other critics
• Criticising the critic
• Literary periodicals
• Book clubs and reading groups

We strongly recommend that you try to find a little time each week to engage in the online conversations (at times that are convenient to you) as the forums are an integral, and very rewarding, part of the course and the online learning experience.

To participate in the course you will need to have regular access to the Internet and you will need to buy the following books:

• Royle, Nicholas, and Bennett, Andrew, An Introduction to Literature, Criticism and Theory, 4th edn. (London: Longman, 2009)
• Goring, P., Hawthorn, J., and Mitchell, D., Studying Literature: The Essential Companion 2nd ed (London: Bloomsbury Academic, 2010)
• Lodge, D., The Art of Fiction (Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1994)

Please note: new editions of these texts exist, but the course refers to these editions. If you have later editions, the pagination may be different.

To earn credit (CATS points) for your course you will need to register and pay an additional £10 fee for each course you enrol on. You can do this by ticking the relevant box at the bottom of the enrolment form or when enrolling online. If you do not register when you enrol, you have up until the course start date to register and pay the £10 fee.

See more information on CATS point

Coursework is an integral part of all online courses and everyone enrolled will be expected to do coursework, but only those who have registered for credit will be awarded CATS points for completing work at the required standard. If you are enrolled on the Certificate of Higher Education you need to indicate this on the enrolment form but there is no additional registration fee.

Assignments are not graded but are marked either pass or fail.

All students who successfully complete this course, whether registered for credit or not, are eligible for a Certificate of Completion. Completion consists of submitting the final course assignment. Certificates will be available, online, for those who qualify after the course finishes.

By the end of this course students will be expexted to:

• Have an enhanced understanding and enjoyment of literary texts.
• Understand basic concepts of the critical idiom.
• Distinguish between opinions and appreciations, and analysis.
• Produce close critical analyses of prose and poetry.
• Have a working knowledge of the broad chronological, thematic, and stylistic categories of English Literature.
• Make effective use of online resources in English Literary Studies.
• Begin to build a personal reading list.

• Introductory section
• Reading required and recommended
• Online forum
• Online personal reading diary
• Posted short responses to literary extracts and exercises
• Tutor responses to forum and exercises
• Assessment and feedback

By the end of the course you will know:

• Basic concepts of the critical idiom.
• Key arguments relating to literary value.
• Key arguments relating to the methods and function of literary analysis.
• Your own position as literary and critical theorists.
• Differences between opinions and appreciations, and analysis.

You will be set two pieces of work for the course. The first of 500 words is due halfway through your course. This does not count towards your final outcome but preparing for it, and the feedback you are given, will help you prepare for your assessed piece of work of 1,500 words due at the end of the course. The assessed work is marked pass or fail.

English Language Requirements

We do not insist that applicants hold an English language certification, but warn that they may be at a disadvantage if their language skills are not of a comparable level to those qualifications listed on our website. If you are confident in your proficiency, please feel free to enrol. For more information regarding English language requirements please follow this link: https://www.conted.ox.ac.uk/about/english-language-requirements

FHEQ level 4, 10 weeks, approx 10 hours per week, therefore a total of about 100 study hours.