Sumários
Presentation of Course Program and Evaluation
25 Janeiro 2023, 11:00 • Cecília Maria Beecher Martins
General Objects for English
in the World of the Arts: C2
At the end of this UC, students
will know how to develop a reflective and analytical encounter with the arts
(literature, cinema, TV and comics) in English. They will learn a range of
analytical techniques such as close reading of literary texts, visual literacy,
adaptation studies and other academic techniques of literary and film analysis
while considering how the arts reflect society and drive social change.
Students will express themselves
spontaneously in the spoken and written form of the language, with a high level
of fluency and accuracy in accordance with CEFR standards for level C2.
Program
The role of the
arts in society in general and the
potential of the arts as vehicles for epistemic justice (Fricker Epistemic
Injustice 2007), and personal reflection (Holland Meeting Movies 2006,
Holland & Schwartz Know Thyself 2008) will be explored.
Also, working with literature, film and TV series, students will be
introduced to the vocabulary and techniques of close reading for literary texts
as well as visual literacy applied to film and TV series, and then perform
individual exercises. They will also be introduced to the concepts associated
with adaptation from text to screen and discuss different approaches and
methods. Students will then work individually with one of the set novels.
Moreover, as this is a C2 English language level, throughout the
semester, students will perform a variety of writing and oral exercises to
illustrate their dominion of the English language, as well as CPE Use of English exercises.
Students will use tools offered in the aforementioned texts in their written assignments. However, while working on technical analysis, students will also be encouraged to reflect on the following questions:
What is art?
What makes great literature?
How come some artists and writers die in poverty but
their work makes them immortal – other enjoy fame and fortune while alive, but
their work is quickly forgotten?
What contemporary writers/artists will be still valued
in the next century and what best-selling authors’ names will be forgotten in
the next generation?
Why are some classics, not only revered in their
original form, but also transposed into other art forms and/or returned to by
successive generations of artists and writers?
Do the arts reflect or impulse change in society?
Are the arts changed by society?
Reference Reading:
Barnet,
Sylvan and William E. Cain. A Short Guide
to Writing about Literature 12th Ed. Longman. 2011.
Corrigan,
Timothy. A Short Guide to Writing about
Film 8th Ed. New York: Longman, 2012.
Fricker,
Miranda Epistemic
Injustice: Power and the Ethics of Knowing. OUP. 2007.
Herman, David (ed) The Cambridge Companion to
Narrative. CUP. 2007.
Holland,
Norman Meeting Movies. Fairleigh
Dickinson University Press, 2006.
Holland,
Norman & Murray Schwartz. Know Thyself: The Delphi Seminars. PsyArt
Foundation. 2008
Relevant extracts from these
texts will be found in the Anthology available at the beginning of the
semester.
Students
must also read one the following novels:
Patricia Highsmith. The
Talented Mr. Ripley. 1955.
Harper Lee. To Kill a
Mocking Bird. 1960.
Harper Lee. Go Set a
Watchman. 2015.
And
work with one the following films:
John Madden. dir. My Shakespeare in Love. 1998.
Anthony Minghella. dir. The Talented Mr. Ripley. 1999.
Robert Mulligan. dir To Kill a Mocking Bird. 1962.
Notes on
Participation Attendance and Punctuality: Active
participation in both class and group discussions is not only reflected in your
final mark but it also ensures you develop fluency and confidence. Classes
start ten minutes after the hour. Your presence and arrival on time is
essential and will be reflected on your final mark — being late not only
disturbs class but is also a sign of disrespect for your classmates and your
teacher. Please let me know at the beginning of class if you need to leave
class early for any formal motive or if you are expecting an urgent phone call.
Smart Phones, tablets and laptop are
only to be used for class purposes.
Please note that
the Test date has been set, but extenuating circumstances sometimes require
changes in the Course Calendar.
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Grading
and Assessment
A
student-centred teaching approach will be used following a task-based
methodology.
Students
will be presented with the working/research methods and then work individually
with the materials in the research set of their choice for their oral
presentation and research essay.
40% Written test – this will be based on the theoretical content
presented and set novel 21st
April 2023.
15% Continuous
Assessment: students will be expected to
read and discuss the theoretical texts presented during the semester.
15% Oral
Presentation: Students will deliver a 10-minute
close reading of a film still, short clip or short extract from either the film
or the book in their research set.
A 100-150-word section of the literary text will
suffice for the close reading.
1-2 film stills or a 1-minute excerpt will suffice
for the visual literacy exercise.
Both exercises should begin:
1) locating the extract/still/scene in the original
text and contextualise it in terms of relevance
2) read the text/show the still and ask students to
pick out the elements that stand out to them – because of class size there will
be 2-3 discussants for each presentation.
3) perform the analysis – incorporating the elements
illustrated by students
4) finish by referring to how the extract/stills/scene
selected informed, drive or altered the narrative flow of the film.
30% Essay (1,000
words) Students will work individually and write a research
essay on any aspect of the novel they have read that connects with the
theoretical texts worked with during the semester. The final essay must be
submitted by 5th
May.
A 150-word
abstract presenting the central research question and
methodology and at least 2 references will be submitted by email on 24th March 2023 to permit discussion.