English 2391: Introduction to Literary Studies
TR 9:30 -- 10: 50
Spring 2016

Course Description
This is a writing-intensive course, designed to give extensive practice in writing critical essays about literature. Through reading, discussing, and writing about a small group of texts, students will build close reading skills, engage in both formal and thematic analysis of literary texts, learn research practices and proper use and citation of sources, and develop the kind of critical vocabularies essential to successful participation in the English major. All students will be responsible for participating in class discussion, completing and revising writing assignments, and reading and commenting on each other’s writing. This course fulfills the Humanities requirements for TTU’s Core Curriculum. Prerequisite: ENGL 1301, 1302.

Learning Outcomes and Methods of Assessment
Students completing this course should be able to write well-structured paragraphs about literary texts, with identifiable topic and supporting sentences; write well-structured, multi-paragraph essays about literary texts, with identifiable, arguable thesis statements, supporting evidence, and conclusions; demonstrate the ability, through writing and discussion, to read texts closely, analytically, and interpretively; revise their writing effectively; identify and use acceptable basic research tools and methods, both in the library and online; integrate their research on others’ literary scholarship into their writing, using proper citation and acknowledgment practices; and effectively and responsibly read and comment upon their fellow students’ writing.
Students should also be able to identify methodologies of historical, literary, philosophical, and/or aesthetic research and recognize their applicability to everyday life; develop analytical arguments in written and/or oral forms; and evaluate events, ideas, artistic expressions in terms of multiple cultural contexts and value systems.
As a course fulfilling the Humanities Core requirement, this course will help students think critically and demonstrate an understanding of the possibility of multiple interpretations, cultural contexts, and values.
These outcomes will be assessed through class discussions, worksheets, short papers, and a research paper.

Required Work
NB: students must complete all assignments in order to pass the course. Consult the detailed handouts/webpages for each assignment for specific guidelines.

Schedule of Readings and Assignments (subject to change)
Readings can be found in the Broadview anthology unless otherwise noted. Readings with the notation "online" will be available online, either as online texts or as password-protected PDFs through the Course Readings page. You must bring these readings to class. For all readings, you are responsible for reading the relevant headnotes and introductions. Note that the amount of reading will vary throughout the semester, but you should be prepared to read around 30 pages per day.