Бакалавриат 2025/2026

Литература Великобритании

Статус: Курс по выбору (Иностранные языки и межкультурная коммуникация)

Кто читает: Школа иностранных языков

Где читается: Школа иностранных языков

Когда читается: 2-й курс, 1, 2 модуль

Охват аудитории: для всех кампусов НИУ ВШЭ

Преподаватели: Ананьева Елена Петровна, Колыхалова Ольга Алексеевна

Язык: английский

Контактные часы: 44

Course Syllabus

Abstract

English literature is a rigorous two-module course designed for the undergraduate students; it offers an opportunity to study writing and writers in the English language, and to learn about cultural nuances, linguistic habits, and historical contexts. Literature serves as a gateway for students to comprehend the intricacies of different social, cultural, and linguistic backgrounds, which have contributed to the development of literature in English. Many writers influenced the development not only of their national literature but also established their literary reputation in other countries and cultures. Students who decide to join this course will explore English literature in all its major forms — prose, poetry and drama — and relate it to key social and historical contexts. Through guided discussion and independent research, this course will enable students to study English literature in depth, strengthen their ability to read and write critically about literary texts and help them develop a deeper appreciation of the country's entwined literary history. To fulfill the course requirements, students need to have a good command of written and spoken English (required language proficiency level is B2 / C1).

Learning Objectives

• To broaden one’s knowledge about the body of written works produced in the English language by the inhabitants of the British Isles from the 7th century to the present day, putting it in the larger context of the thematic concerns of the writers, as well as the specific historical events and cultural influences to which these writers responded.
• To engage with, close read, reflect upon, and respond to a range of assigned Key Texts in the three main forms (prose, poetry, and drama), noticing such features as tropes and figures of speech, structural elements, oppositions and correspondences, themes, motifs, symbols, allusions, and cultural or historical references, as well as to discuss the reception and present-day relevance of these texts.
• To hone one’s Critical Reading, Critical Thinking, and Critical Writing skills necessary for advancing clear and compelling arguments in the interpretation of a text, which in its turn will enable students to further apply the knowledge gained in professional, scholarly, and interpersonal communication in the multicultural world of today.

Expected Learning Outcomes

• • Knows key historical events, cultural developments, and artistic movement, terms and personalities related to Old English literature; reads critically, comprehends, and produces clear, informed, independent opinions and judgements on the assigned Key Text(s); formulates - both orally and in writing - arguable claims and reacts to others’ ideas about the assigned Key Text(s).
• • Middle English literature: knows key historical events, cultural developments, and artistic movement, terms and personalities related to Middle English literature; reads critically, comprehends, and produces clear, informed, independent opinions and judgements on the assigned Key Text(s); formulates - both orally and in writing - arguable claims and reacts to others’ ideas about the assigned Key Text(s).
• • British Renaissance and Reformation literature: knows key historical events, cultural developments, and artistic movement, terms and personalities related to British Renaissance and Reformation literature; reads critically, comprehends, and produces clear, informed, independent opinions and judgements on the assigned Key Text(s); formulates - both orally and in writing - arguable claims and reacts to others’ ideas about the assigned Key Text(s).
• • British Enlightenment (Augustan) literature: knows key historical events, cultural developments, and artistic movement, terms and personalities related to British Enlightenment (Augustan) literature; reads critically, comprehends, and produces clear, informed, independent opinions and judgements on the assigned Key Text(s); formulates - both orally and in writing - arguable claims and reacts to others’ ideas about the assigned Key Text(s).
• • British Romanticism: knows key historical events, cultural developments, and artistic movement, terms and personalities related to British Romanticism; reads critically, comprehends, and produces clear, informed, independent opinions and judgements on the assigned Key Text(s); formulates - both orally and in writing - arguable claims and reacts to others’ ideas about the assigned Key Text(s).
• • Victorian literature: knows key historical events, cultural developments, and artistic movement, terms and personalities related to Victorian literature; reads critically, comprehends, and produces clear, informed, independent opinions and judgements on the assigned Key Text(s); formulates - both orally and in writing - arguable claims and reacts to others’ ideas about the assigned Key Text(s).
• Aestheticism: knows key historical events, cultural developments, and artistic movement, terms and personalities related to Aestheticism; reads critically, comprehends, and produces clear, informed, independent opinions and judgements on the assigned Key Text(s); formulates - both orally and in writing - arguable claims and reacts to others’ ideas about the assigned Key Text(s).
• Modernism;: knows key historical events, cultural developments, and artistic movement, terms and personalities related to Modernism; reads critically, comprehends, and produces clear, informed, independent opinions and judgements on the assigned Key Text(s); formulates - both orally and in writing - arguable claims and reacts to others’ ideas about the assigned Key Text(s).
• • Epic fantasy: knows key historical events, cultural developments, and artistic movement, terms and personalities related to Epic fantasy; reads critically, comprehends, and produces clear, informed, independent opinions and judgements on the assigned Key Text(s); formulates - both orally and in writing - arguable claims and reacts to others’ ideas about the assigned Key Text(s).
• Dystopian fiction: knows key historical events, cultural developments, and artistic movement, terms and personalities related to Dystopian fiction; reads critically, comprehends, and produces clear, informed, independent opinions and judgements on the assigned Key Text(s); formulates - both orally and in writing - arguable claims and reacts to others’ ideas about the assigned Key Text(s).
• • British literature of the 21st century: knows key historical events, cultural developments, and artistic movement, terms and personalities related to British literature of the 21st century; reads critically, comprehends, and produces clear, informed, independent opinions and judgements on the assigned Key Text(s); formulates - both orally and in writing - arguable claims and reacts to others’ ideas about the assigned Key Text(s).

Course Contents

• Old English Literature
• Middle English literature
• Renaissance and Reformation. Elizabethan Literature.
• The Enlightenment (Neoclassical) Literature. Augustan Literature.
• Romanticism and the major Romantic poets.
• The Victorian period
• Aestheticism. A revival of drama.
• Modernism, the stream-of-consciousness method
• Non-modernism Fairy Tales
• Dystopian fiction
• Fantasy and Science Fiction

Assessment Elements

• Tests
  During seminars, ongoing tests will evaluate students’ understanding of required topics, content of required reading and/or videos. It is up to the instructor to decide whether to give a test; students may not be warned about it in advance. The grade depends on the percentage points a student gets for the test (see below). Tests are compulsory and final and cannot be retaken. If the absence is excused, the grade for the test is not taken into account. The grade for tests is the average grade of all the tests and tests taken by the student during the course.
• Written tasks 0.2%
  There will be two compulsory written tasks as a way for students to demonstrate understanding and mastery of the Key Texts in their own unique way. Instructions and scoring rubrics will be given via Smart LMS per task. The tasks are chosen on a “first come, first served” basis. The mean grade for all these tasks is not rounded. Students must submit their papers on time. Otherwise, they will get a zero regardless of any excuses.
• Presentations
  There will be two compulsory presentations as a way for students to demonstrate understanding and mastery of the Key Texts in their own unique way. Instructions and scoring rubrics will be given via Smart LMS per task. The tasks are chosen on a “first come, first served” basis. The mean grade for all these tasks is not rounded.
• Seminar Attendance
  Active participation in group discussions and in-class assignments is required at every seminar. If a student actively participates in class discussions during 15 classes or more, they will get a +1 bonus point added to their scaled grade (масштабированная оценка). Students should inform their instructor about their excused absences before the class (not after) by email, and provide the doctor’s notes and other documents about them. An excused absence is an absence due to a number of accepted reasons such as a medical or personal issue beyond one’s control, participation in a significant extracurricular university event, conference etc. If the absence is excused, the grade for seminar attendance will not be reduced.
• Exam essay
  The written examination consists of a literary analysis essay (3–5 A4 pages long PLUS a References page), the purpose of which is to carefully examine an aspect of a Key Text discussed during seminars (module 4) and to present an argument / claim about it. The list of topics and guidelines will be given via Smart LMS two weeks before the deadline. Each student taking the exam must choose a topic from the list provided and write their essay during hours of self-guided work. Plagiarism will not be tolerated. For each plagiarized sentence, the student loses one point (for example, 8 → 7). If there are more than three plagiarized sentences in one’s work, the grade for the essay is a zero. This paper should incorporate at least two additional sources. These sources may include critical perspectives, authorial commentaries, and / or historical assessments.
• Final Project
  The final project includes two parts:  submitting a research paper (0.1)  making a presentation (0.1) Students are to find, read, analyze, and comment on a book from the list compiled by the course instructor. Next, they are to prepare a compulsory presentation and a research paper summarizing their thoughts. The books are chosen on a “first come, first served” basis. Further instructions will be given via Smart LMS. Thus, the project includes a research paper and an oral presentation. In reporting on the project, students should show that they can: identify a meaningful issue relevant to the theme of the chosen book; collect up-to-date information about the issue; analyse, interpret and discuss the information; draw conclusions; and write and present a paper in accordance with academic standards at the graduate level. Students must prepare and present their project together as a team of two people. Group projects can improve student learning, retention, and overall academic success. Properly structured, group projects can reinforce skills that are relevant to both group and individual work, including the ability to:  break complex tasks into parts and steps;  plan and manage time;  refine understanding through discussion and explanation;  develop stronger communication skills. Group projects can also help students develop skills specific to collaborative efforts, allowing students to:  tackle more complex problems;  delegate roles and responsibilities;  pool knowledge and skills;  establish a shared identity with other group members
• Reading Journals
  There will be four compulsory written home assignments in the format of journal writing (analyzing selected poems of a given period: students might focus, for instance, on matters related to genre, on social issues and moral concerns, or on how language (imagery, rhythm, diction, syntax) generates meaning within a single poem). The Reading Journal entries should be typed and follow basic academic style conventions and formatting rules. Instructions will be given via Smart LMS per assignment. Even if a student’s absence is excused, they are still responsible for turning in their Reading Journal entries on time; because they will have at least a week’s lead time, the due date for these remains the same regardless of one’s absence. Thus, students should meet assignment deadlines by all means. In case one’s assignment is 1-2 days late, they lose 50% of their grade. In case one’s assignment is 3 or more days late, it is not accepted or assessed – the grade is a zero.
• Midterm Essay 0.1%
  The purpose of this literary analysis essay (3-5 A4 pages long PLUS a References page) is to carefully examine an aspect of a Key Text discussed during seminars (module 3) and to present an argument / claim about it. The list of topics and guidelines will be given via Smart LMS two weeks before the deadline. Each student must choose a topic from the list provided and write their essay during hours of self-guided work. Plagiarism will not be tolerated. For each plagiarized sentence, the student loses one point (for example, 8 → 7). If there are more than three plagiarized sentences in one’s work, the grade for the essay is a zero. This paper should incorporate at least two additional sources. These sources may include critical perspectives, authorial commentaries, and / or historical assessments. The essay should be uploaded before the deadline. If one’s essay is late, it is not accepted or assessed – the grade is a zero.

Interim Assessment

• 2025/2026 2nd module
  0.1 * Exam essay + 0.2 * Final Project + 0.1 * Midterm Essay 0.1% + 0.05 * Presentations + 0.05 * Presentations + 0.05 * Reading Journals + 0.05 * Reading Journals + 0.05 * Seminar Attendance + 0.05 * Seminar Attendance + 0.05 * Tests + 0.05 * Tests + 0.1 * Written tasks 0.2% + 0.1 * Written tasks 0.2%

Bibliography

Recommended Core Bibliography

• A Short History of English Literature, Evans, I.B., 1976
• Brown, D. (2014). Tolkien : How an Obscure Oxford Professor Wrote The Hobbit and Became the Most Beloved Author of the Century. Abingdon Press.
• Cavanagh, D., Gillis, A., & Keown, M. (2014). The Edinburgh Introduction to Studying English Literature: Vol. 2nd ed. Edinburgh University Press.
• Charles Dickens : a critical study, Gissing, G., 2007
• Charles Dickens in cyberspace : the afterlife of the nineteenth century in postmodern culture, Clayton J., 2003
• Christopher Cannon. (2004). The Grounds of English Literature. OUP Oxford.
• Cook, D. (2016). Shakespeare and the Culture of Romanticism. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsbas&AN=edsbas.DEA5D2BE
• Devido, B. A. (2012). From Utopian Dreams to Twentieth-Century Dystopian Nightmares: Modern Fears of the World State and “Big Brother” in Huxley, Orwell, and Burgess. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsbas&AN=edsbas.B5E85920
• English literature in the age of Chaucer, Mehl, D., 2001
• George Orwell : the critical heritage, , 2011
• Greenblatt, S. (2010). Soul of the Age: A Biography of the Mind of William Shakespeare. Biography: An Interdisciplinary Quarterly, 33(1), 293–294. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=asn&AN=51499717
• Mastering English literature, Gill, R., 2006
• My first English literature reading : учебное пособие / составители С. М. Тиллоева, П. В. Кропотухина. — Екатеринбург : УрГПУ, 2017. — 133 с. — ISBN 978-5-7186-0929-5. — Текст : электронный // Лань : электронно-библиотечная система. — URL: https://e.lanbook.com/book/182610 (дата обращения: 00.00.0000). — Режим доступа: для авториз. пользователей.
• Oscar Wilde and the theatre of the 1890s, Powell, K., 2009
• Oscar Wilde, Robbins, R., 2011
• Sava, T. (2016). From Plato to Swift and Orwell, from Utopia to Dystopia. Journal of Humanistic & Social Studies, 7(1), 9–16. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=asn&AN=117400424
• Seaman, D. (2012). The Art of the Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien. Booklist, 109(5), 11.
• Studying English literature, , 2010
• The Cambridge companion to British Romanticism, , 2005
• The Cambridge companion to Old English literature, Godden, M., 2013
• The Cambridge history of early modern English literature, , 2004
• The Cambridge History of Early Modern English Literature. (2003). Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/chol9780521631563
• The Cambridge History of Early Modern English Literature. (2003). Cambridge University Press. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsnar&AN=edsnar.oai.pure.rug.nl.publications.0ef2238e.ac7f.4845.92a2.6c061dff4190
• The Cambridge history of English literature, 1660-1780, , 2005
• The Cambridge history of twentieth-century English literature, , 2004
• The Norton anthology of English literature. Vol.1: ., , 2006
• The Norton anthology of English literature. Vol.2: ., , 2006
• The Oxford illustrated history of English literature, Rogers, P., 2001
• Шевченко, Л. Л. History of English Literature (from Anglo-Saxons to the Age of Reason) : учебное пособие / Л. Л. Шевченко. — Барнаул : АлтГПУ, 2015. — 198 с. — ISBN 978–5–88210–788–7. — Текст : электронный // Лань : электронно-библиотечная система. — URL: https://e.lanbook.com/book/112312 (дата обращения: 00.00.0000). — Режим доступа: для авториз. пользователей.
• Шевченко, Л. Л. History of English Literature (from Romanticism to Modern Period) : учебное пособие / Л. Л. Шевченко. — Барнаул : АлтГПУ, 2016. — 236 с. — ISBN 978–5–88210–828–0. — Текст : электронный // Лань : электронно-библиотечная система. — URL: https://e.lanbook.com/book/112313 (дата обращения: 00.00.0000). — Режим доступа: для авториз. пользователей.
• Шевченко, Л. Л. The Outline of English Literature : учебно-методическое пособие / Л. Л. Шевченко. — Барнаул : АлтГПУ, 2018. — 88 с. — Текст : электронный // Лань : электронно-библиотечная система. — URL: https://e.lanbook.com/book/112314 (дата обращения: 00.00.0000). — Режим доступа: для авториз. пользователей.

Authors

• Kolykhalova Olga Alekseevna