Research Seminar “Text: Creating, Interpreting and Editing”

Master 2026/2027

Type: Elective course (Foreign Languages and Intercultural Communication)

Delivered by: School of Foreign Languages

Where: Faculty of Humanities

When: 1 year, 4 module

Open to: students of all HSE University campuses

Language: English

ECTS credits: 3

Contact hours: 20

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Abstract

This course consists of two components: 1) to equip students with the knowledge and skills needed to write and edit both essays and short fiction; 2) to explore key theoretical approaches to the study and interpretation of texts. The aim of the course is to provide students with the tools needed to write elegant prose in various genres with a view to improving overall writing competence. In practice, this entails closely analysing essays and short stories written by some of the masters of the form (with a focus on 20th–21st centuries), as well as learning about key editing strategies used by said authors. The course assignments have been designed with a view to mastering register, form and key linguistic elements most fitting to the communication purpose. Regarding the theory component of the course, students will learn to think more critically about genre, audience, and the ways in which a text’s form is both a constraint and a possibility for its author. Appropriate for Year-1 MA students, this course is intended to enhance reading, writing and editing skills; enrich vocabulary; unpack complex grammatical constructions; and encourage thought-provoking seminar discussions. Having completed this course, students are expected to master the fundamentals of good editing practice; understand key interpretative approaches to texts; and, finally, produce their own nonfictional essays and fictional stories.

Learning Objectives

to differentiate between academic and belletristic/literary registers in essay writing
to understand and practise the fundamentals of essay writing
to understand and practise the fundamentals of story writing
to explore various theoretical approaches to the study of texts of different genres
to analyse the linguistic and formal characteristics of effective writing practice

Expected Learning Outcomes

to distinguish fictional and nonfictional genres and their respective applications and possibilities
To distinguish between different elements of fiction
to explore key theoretical approaches to the study and interpretation of texts
to identify literary techniques and creative uses of language in literary texts
to articulate a thesis and present evidence to support it
to be able to explain the relevance of themes found in literary texts to contemporary, personal, and cultural values
to identify genres, conventions, and period-specific discourses and their relevance to broader historical forces
to apply relevant theoretical concepts to literary or other texts and practices

Course Contents

Course Introduction
Author vs narrator. Interconnection of points of view.
The Short Story.
Theory of the Text: Genre Criticism.
Theory of the Text: Reader-Response.
Creative writing.
Essayistic Form.
The Opinion Essay.
Dialogue in Fiction.
Author and narrator - interaction.

Assessment Elements

Active Seminar Participation
Active Seminar Participation is assessed cumulatively across up to seven substantive seminar sessions. This element evaluates students’ intellectual engagement with course materials through discussion, close reading, interpretation, editing and analytical activities, responses to other participants’ arguments, and application of theoretical concepts to specific textual problems. Attendance itself is not assessed. The grade reflects the quality, relevance, consistency, and independence of a student’s contributions rather than the mere frequency of speaking. This is an assessment element that cannot be repeated: it evaluates participation in real-time seminar discussion and interaction within a particular learning situation, which cannot be reproduced retrospectively. Missed seminar participation cannot be completed, substituted, or reassessed at a later date, irrespective of the reason for absence.
Applied Text Labs
This element comprises up to five short applied text tasks conducted during the course. Tasks require students to work directly with fictional and/or nonfictional texts and may involve interpretation, editing, rewriting, comparison, transformation, annotation, audience adaptation, analysis of voice or register, or critical evaluation and revision of human- or AI-produced text. Tasks may be completed individually or collaboratively, primarily during seminar sessions. Where collaborative work is involved, a short individual response may be required for assessment. Individual tasks may vary substantially in scope and format depending on the materials and problems addressed in the course. The element is designed to assess practical work with texts rather than extended academic writing. Applied Text Work is repeatable for the purposes of the comprehensive course retake. Individual Text Labs are not separately made up or retaken during the teaching period, irrespective of the reason for absence or non-completion.
Theory Check
One short Theory Check is conducted during the course. It assesses understanding of the principal theoretical concepts and interpretive approaches introduced in the seminar and the ability to recognize, distinguish, compare, and apply them to textual material. The specific format may be written, oral, or combined and is announced in advance. The assessment may include short definitions, comparison of concepts or theoretical positions, identification of an appropriate interpretive framework, and application of theory to short fictional or nonfictional examples. The Theory Check focuses on functional understanding and application rather than reproduction of theoretical texts from memory. The Theory Check is repeatable for the purposes of the comprehensive course retake but is not separately made up or retaken during the teaching period, irrespective of the reason for absence or non-completion.
Individual Text Assignment
One individual extended text-based assignment is completed during the course. The assignment demonstrates the student’s ability to create, interpret, revise, edit, and/or critically analyze textual material. The specific format is determined by the instructor and may include an analytical essay, fictional or nonfictional writing accompanied by an analytical or editorial commentary, a comparative interpretation, an editing and revision task, a small portfolio of interconnected textual materials, or another text-based format consistent with the learning outcomes of the course. Where the assignment involves creative writing or editing, assessment includes the student’s ability to explain and critically evaluate significant textual decisions. Where generative AI is permitted or required, assessment focuses on the student’s ability to evaluate, revise, contextualize, and take responsibility for the resulting text rather than on generated output itself. Any use of generative AI must be disclosed in accordance with HSE regulations. The Individual Text Assignment is repeatable for the purposes of the comprehensive course retake. A separately assessed replacement or resubmission is not provided during the teaching period, irrespective of the reason for non-completion, unless a late-submission procedure is explicitly specified by the instructor for the assignment.
Collaborative Project and Presentation
One collaborative project is completed in small groups and presented during the concluding sessions of the course. The project addresses an applied problem of text creation, interpretation, editing, transformation, reception, or communication. Students work with one or more fictional and/or nonfictional texts and apply at least one relevant theoretical, interpretive, or analytical framework addressed in the course. The specific project format may vary. A substantial written report is not required. Assessment focuses on the quality of the project and its oral presentation and defence rather than on visual presentation alone. All group members are expected to understand the project as a whole and may be asked individual questions. Individual grades within the same group may differ on the basis of demonstrated contribution, understanding, and performance during the oral defence. The Collaborative Project and Presentation is repeatable for the purposes of the comprehensive course retake. A missed project presentation is not separately made up or repeated during the teaching period, irrespective of the reason for absence or non-participation. During the official retake, the relevant learning outcomes are assessed individually through an applied text case and oral defence; the original collaborative format is not reproduced.

Interim Assessment

2026/2027 4th module
0.2 * Individual Text Assignment + 0.25 * Collaborative Project and Presentation + 0.1 * Theory Check + 0.2 * Applied Text Labs + 0.25 * Active Seminar Participation

Bibliography

Recommended Core Bibliography

Key concepts in creative writing, Morrison, M., 2010
Key terms in literary theory, Klages, M., 2012
Literary theory : a very short introduction, Culler, J., 2000
Mokhtari, T. (2015). The Bloomsbury Introduction to Creative Writing. Bloomsbury Academic.
Richter, D. H. (2018). A Companion to Literary Theory. Chichester, West Sussex, UK: Wiley-Blackwell. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=1713325
Rivkin, J., & Ryan, M. (2016). Literary Theory : An Anthology (Vol. Third edition). Hoboken: Wiley-Blackwell. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=1457299
Wolfreys, J., Womack, K., & Robbins, R. (2014). Key Concepts in Literary Theory: Vol. Third edition. Edinburgh University Press.

Recommended Additional Bibliography

Castle, G. (2007). The Blackwell Guide to Literary Theory. Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=181521
Literary theory : a practical introduction, Ryan, M., 2017
The practice of creative writing : a guide for students, Sellers, H., 2021
Литературное мастерство: Creative Writing - Михальская А.К. - НИЦ ИНФРА-М - 2024 - https://znanium.com/catalog/product/2058784 - 426972 - ZNANIUM

Authors

Chernetsova Ekaterina Vladimirovna
Bakulev Aleksei Valentinovich

Course Syllabus