ENGL 2122/Fall 2021/Requirements

From Gerald R. Lucas
Requirement %[1]
Reading 40%
Writing 40%
Tests 20%

This course is composed of three requirements: reading, writing, and tests. Each requirement will be on-going throughout the semester, will require regular contributions, and may be comprised of various assignments. Each weekly unit will end with a test of that week’s materials.

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The following detail the general requirements for the course. For specific assignments and a recommendation for proceeding in your work, see Schedule § Daily Work.

Reading

Each lesson’s major focus will be reading primary texts (the literature) and secondary texts (critical response to the literature). Reading quizzes will test your comprehension, like knowledge of the materials, focusing on factual details like plot points, rather than interpretative readings. Students should take thorough notes as they read—like character names, plot points, and other details—that will help them on quizzes and later analysis of the texts in their writing. Building research into your reading schedule might also be required for more difficult texts.

Writing

Each lesson will have students responding to assigned readings in the class forum. The forum is a written class discussion that encourages student interaction about the course materials. These posts should be focused, interpretive, and supported by primary and secondary texts (see Academic Forum Posts). These forum posts should show what you’re reading and thinking about in relation to the course content—it is a place to share and develop ideas about the texts.

In addition to regular responses, the Short Lit Crit Response will have students research and write about any one of the primary texts we have studied in class. This will be due at the end of the course, but you may submit it at any time.

Tests

Students’ knowledge of the course texts, both primary (the literature) and secondary (editor’s introductions, notes, and research), will be tested in each lesson. These “short-answer quizzes” are not really tests in that they don’t ask for objective facts, but posit questions to get you to consider the texts in certain ways. That said, the best answers employ an objective knowledge of the material, thoroughness, depth of insight, precision, and originality. The best way to prepare for these tests is to read the assigned literature thoroughly and have a general understanding of the main themes of the work. Additional research always helps (see Daily Work).

Required Materials

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Our study of this semester will require two texts, both of which should be available in the campus bookstore or via these Amazon affiliate[2] links:

  • Greenblatt, Stephen, ed. (2018). The Norton Anthology of English Literature. The Major Authors. 2 (Tenth ed.). New York: W. W. Norton. ISBN 9780393603095.
  • Ishiguro, Kazuo (1990). The Remains of the Day. New York: Vintage International. ISBN 9780679731726.

Amazon has an option to rent the Norton anthology for the semester which you should feel free to use. However, you should note that there may be restrictions on how you’re allowed to use rented textbooks. Likewise, you may use a Kindle or other etext version of the Ishiguro novel, though as of July 2021, the paper version is cheaper. Also be aware that it may be more difficult to reference passages in your writing if using an electronic version.



notes

  1. This is the general percentage breakdown for these requirements. As I use a point system for evaluation, the percentages are just an estimate.
  2. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases; links to Amazon contain my associate ID. All revenue earned goes to support the costs associated with maintaining this web site.
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