Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics

FOUN 1104 Writing about Literature

Pre-requisite: Students must have one of the following in order to register for FOUN 1104:

• CXC English Language (General Proficiency) - Grade I
• GCE English Language - Distinction (Grade A or I or II)
• General Paper - Grade A or B
• CAPE Communication Studies - Grade I or II
• TOEFL (Minimum writing score of 22)
• UWIDEC/Open Campus Language and Communication – Grade B or above
• A Pass in the English Language Proficiency Test (ELPT)
• A Pass in FDMU 0005

Course Description:

This course introduces students to strategies for reading and writing about literature. The emphasis will be placed on how to read literature insightfully and how to write critical analyses competently. Writing About Literature is intended to guide students to develop strategies for literary analysis and to apply frameworks for interpretation; as well as to decode essay questions and to plan, research, draft and revise critical essays. Where possible, Writing About Literature will make linkages with the introductory prose, poetry and drama courses, so as to encourage participants to master and apply tertiary level essay writing skills.

This course is compulsory for students of Humanities and Education whose major is either Literatures in English (LIE) or English Language and Literature with Education (ELLE). It is also highly recommended for students doing Spanish and French. The purpose of the course is to assist students in developing sound analytical writing skills that will enable them to critically assess prose, poetry and drama, and produce related essays that are well-researched and documented and reflective of the level of analysis and presentation required at the tertiary level.

The aim of this course is to build students’ analytical and critical thinking skills in the analysis of the traditional genres of literature and the production of academic writing based on sound research and documentation appropriate to tertiary level studies.

At the end of the course, students should be able to:

• explore the purpose of literature and of literary criticism;
• define literary genres;
• analyse the elements of fiction;
• apply a range of critical approaches to the analysis of literature;
• apply tools of critical reading to evaluate the quality of a literary work;
• Conduct research on literary assignments;
• interpret and plan a literary essay, and
• produce a well researched and documented essay utilising selected strategies and the approved MLA documentation format.