Students learn to appreciate and understand individual works and genres, to discuss critically the material under review, and to write critical essays. Through the study of genres, students are introduced to the language, content and methods of the discipline. 100 level courses are suitable for students with little or no background in English studies and are of interest to both non-English majors as well as English majors and minors. Courses at this level assume an understanding of the basics of literary analysis and a competency in writing. Skill-building continues, and students develop a more sophisticated understanding of the vocabulary, content, and methods of the discipline.
Students develop skills needed to read texts critically and to write successfully.
Students should begin to grasp some of the contoversies in the discipline such as gender issues and canon formation. Students are also expected to read criticism and secondary material on their own and present ideas and information clearly both in seminars and essays. The assigned literary works and essays require relatively sophisticated reading and writing skills. All rights reserved.