Module Information

Module Identifier
EN10120
Module Title
Critical Practice
Academic Year
2025/2026
Co-ordinator
Dr Louise Marshall
Semester
Semester 2 (Taught over 2 semesters)
Other Staff
 

Course Delivery

 

Assessment

Assessment Type Assessment length / details Proportion
Semester Assessment Critical Practice Portfolio  3 x 500-word writing tasks and 1 online test presented as a portfolio of work submitted during the semester 1 examination period. 1500 Words  40%
Semester Assessment Attendance and Participation  Engagement with all teaching activities throughout the course of the module. 0 Words  10%
Semester Assessment Essay  Critical essay in response to one of the module texts. 2000 Words  50%
Supplementary Assessment Critical Practice Portfolio  Resubmit failed or missing portfolio. Weekly entries c 1500-2000 words in total - online writing tasks responding to prompts.  40%
Supplementary Assessment Attendance and Participation  Students WILL NOT be permitted to make good the marks available for "attendance and participation".  10%
Supplementary Assessment Resubmit Essay Assignment  Resubmit missing or failed essays (2 x 2000 words)  50%

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this module students should be able to:

Deploy critical and interpretative skills appropriate to a given analytical task;

Use appropriate critical vocabulary in written work and discussion;

Demonstrate awareness of the relevance of cultural / philosophical / historical contexts to the interpretation of literary texts;

Conduct basic research, using appropriate tools, in response to a given task;

Present their academic writing in accordance with given conventions;

Engage effectively with the full range of learning activities (lectures / seminars / workshops / VLE) utilised in undergraduate-level literary studies teaching

Brief description

This module will introduce you to the essential skills required for success in critical practice. You will encounter a broad range of issues and skills that will be developed and honed through a range of learning environments. Over the course of the module you will discuss four literary texts which, taken together, encompass the range of genres, historical periods, and philosophical issues that will underpin your engagement with literary studies as an undergraduate student. Assessment for this module is varied and designed to provide opportunities for experimentation and stepped progression.

Aims

This module is designed to bridge from previous study / experience to university-level learning. It delivers skills that are specific to the study of English Literature alongside transferable skills pertinent to students’ broader academic and professional development.

Content

This is a long-thin module taught across both semesters. Each week students will attend a lecture and a workshop or seminar. The topics for each session will focus on core skills such as close reading, engaging with critical material, and integrating theory. Over the course of the module students will engage with the set texts as case studies for the types of genre, historical period, and forms of literary production that they will engage with in other areas of the curriculum.

SEMESTER 1
Week 1: Introduction to the module
Weeks 2-4: Eliza Haywood, Fantomina
Weeks 5-9: William Shakespeare, Hamlet
Week 10: Semester 1 Round-Up: Putting it all together

SEMESTER 2
Weeks 1-4: Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Rime of the Ancient Mariner
Weeks 5-9: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Americanah
Week 10: Semester 2 Round-up: Putting it all together

Module Skills

Skills Type Skills details
Application of Number N/A
Communication Written communication in essays. Spoken communication in seminar participation. Group discussion and presentation.
Improving own Learning and Performance Developing time-management skills. Independent reading and research Reflective tasks
Information Technology Effective information retrieval and IT for research tasks Effective presentation of written work
Personal Development and Career planning Critical self-reflection and development of transferable communication and research skills.
Problem solving Developing evaluative analysis and critical skills in a controlled argument.
Research skills Developing independent study skills. Relating literary texts to historical and interpretative contexts.
Subject Specific Skills Skills for critical/ theoretical analysis of literary texts and evaluation of broad theoretical concepts.
Team work Group work and problem-based learning tasks

Notes

This module is at CQFW Level 4