This part of the course is an introduction to literature. You will look at the ways in which texts are produced, read, interpreted, responded to and performed, and reflect on the role of literature. You will focus on the words on the page, their literal meaning, the type of literary text being read, the plot, character, setting, word choice and stylistic features.
In this part of the course you will develop the skills and approaches required to successfully engage with texts. You will also be introduced to the process of assessing texts through critical reflection.
Use the six guiding conceptual questions for part one to help shape your study:
Why and how do we study literature?
How are we affected by literary texts in various ways?
In what ways is meaning constructed, negotiated, expressed and interpreted?
How does language use vary among literary forms?
How does the structure or style of a literary text affect meaning?
How do literary texts offer both insights and challenges?
Through close attention to processes of production and reception, you will become aware of unique features of literature as a communicative act and of their relationship with literary texts. While this part of the course is an introductory unit, you will note that ideas and skills that will be introduced here are integral to and embedded throughout the course.
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Unpacking the six guiding questions Why and how do we study literature? If you read a poem about migration or moving to a new country, you could also read a news article on the same topic. You could reflect in your learner portfolio on the special nature of literature: does a poem that engages with an idea function differently from a news article? Does a poem create similar or different emotions or thoughts? When considering how the two different texts are crafted, are there special skills and vocabulary needed to approach a literary text like a poem? Does a poem have a different value to you as a reader than an informational text? How are we affected by literary texts in various ways? You can keep a record of personal responses to the reading of each of the nine works in your learner portfolio and of the range of emotions and thoughts they inspire. How does a literary text affect your thinking about larger global issues? Does the literary text affect your emotions in different ways? Does your thinking about a character or event change your thinking about issues outside of the text? How can you think about a literary text as both entertainment and as an object for academic study? In what ways is meaning constructed, negotiated, expressed and interpreted? How do style and form vary among different literary forms? What are the conventions of literary forms? As you read different examples of each literary form it is important to notice that style and form change. What makes a specific stylistic or formal aspect of a literary form a defining one? What room for variation is there within a literary form? Has the literary form you are studying stayed the same through time or has it been reinterpreted or redefined? How does the structure or style of a literary text affect meaning? If you read a long novel with chapters, you might reflect on how this element of structure affects meaning. Is the length of the novel important? Does the length of the novel provide space for extended thought or the development of characters over time? What is the logic behind chapters? Do chapters end at moments in order to create suspense? Does a chapter help to clarify an idea or focus your attention on a key event? How does the language of the text affect meaning? Is the voice of the narrator very distinctive? Does the language of the story add to your experience of character or setting? How do literary texts offer both insights and challenges? When reading a literary text, sometimes you find yourself identifying with characters and situations. How does the text help you to gain a better understanding of yourself as a result of its exploration of such characters and situations? Does the text make you question your beliefs or see different situations in a new light? Does it allow you to become aware of different dimensions or layers of the reality around you? |