Programme (taught in English)

The general theme for the course will be crime/thriller novels, covering different eras and locations with the objective of developing a critical sense of language and how it is expressed by different authors. The syllabus also includes video resources to ensure the variety of exposure to spoken English and to increase students’ knowledge of vocabulary and register. The course also includes a section on the crimes of grammar, where the structure, motive and solution to mistakes are analyzed to be better understood and corrected.

The main objective is to explore different forms of written expression and to analyse the differences and similarities by comparing different authors, different eras and places. Students should develop an awareness of the difference in register and in language, therefore widening the scope of linguistic knowledge of formality and expression of processes and/or ideas. In terms of grammar, the analysis of common mistakes will allow for the consolidation of knowledge and the exposure to more complex structures will allow for the progression to a higher level of linguistic skill.

Evaluation

Students should do exercises of Listening, Reading, Speaking and Listening. The focus will be on Speaking and Listening in class, and Reading and Writing outside the class. The majority of exercises will be of class discussion of crime fiction and guidelines for writing essays and debating. Additional written practice will be done as homework.

The two main objectives will be, on the one hand, to expose students a variety of resources and motivate the perception of the way different authors use language in the narrative process, and, on the other hand, to increase the students’ grammar and vocabulary in written and oral production and comprehension. The written evaluation will focus on writing a comparative analysis of texts discussed in class or the production of a creative text. This evaluation includes grammar and vocabulary. Oral evaluation is based on participation in debates in an informative, persuasive and accurate manner. The remainder of the evaluation will focus on attendance and participation and on the cooperation with other students and teacher.

Distribution of evaluation is as follows: 20% participation in class and debates; 20% for 3 written assignments; 30%  writing test; 30% participation in final debate.

 

Bibliography

Freeley & Steinberg: "Argumentation Debate", Wadsworth Publishers, Boston 2004

Learning Express: "Reasoning skills success",  Learning Express, 2010, New York

Binyon, T J: "Murder Will Out". The Detective in Fiction (Oxford, 1990, ISBN 0-19-282730-8)

The Crown Crime Companion. The Top 100 Mystery Novels of All Time Selected by the Mystery Writers of America, annotated by Otto Penzler, compiled by Mickey Friedman (New York, 1995, ISBN 0-517-88115-2)

De Andrea, William L: Encyclopedia Mysteriosa. A Comprehensive Guide to the Art of Detection in Print, Film, Radio, and Television (New York, 1994, ISBN 0-02-861678-2)

The Hatchards Crime Companion. 100 Top Crime Novels Selected by the Crime Writers' Association, ed. Susan Moody (London, 1990, ISBN 0-904030-02-4)

McLeish, Kenneth and McLeish, Valerie: Bloomsbury Good Reading Guide to Murder. Crime Fiction and Thrillers (London, 1990, ISBN 0-13-359092-5)

Symons, Julian: Bloody Murder. From the Detective Story to the Crime Novel: A History (Harmondsworth, 1974).

Waterstone's Guide to Crime Fiction, ed. Nick Rennison and Richard Shephard (Brentford, 1997).

Fiction (books) - provisional list

“Lamb to the slaughter” by Roald Dahl

"King Solomon's Carpet" by Barbara Vine

“Live Flesh” by Ruth Rendell

"Crooked House" by Agatha Christie

“Ordeal by Innocence” by Agatha Christie

"An Officer and a Spy" by Robert Harris

 

Fiction (Video) - provisional list

"Broadchurch" (2013 / ITV)

"Crooked House" (2017)

“Ordeal by Innocence” (2018)