Teacher's Guide
Information for Teachers
The English Literature undergraduate programme at the University of Surrey introduces students to a range of literary themes, genres and theories. It explores key trends and movements, allowing students to develop an understanding of historical and contextualised approaches to literary interpretation. There is a firm grounding in the Anglophone canon and a chance to develop specific interests in contemporary and global literatures, as well as in creative writing. Unusually for English Literature programmes Surrey offers the opportunity to undertake a professional training year, and the development of professional skills and experience is an important element in the programme’s design.
The following information is designed to give you a sense of the programme’s content and to provide information about teaching, assessment and library resources.
Level 1:
Modules at level 1 provide students with essential self-reflexive learning and writing skills, and the methodologies for analysis. These modules also develop and ground students’ understanding of the Anglophone canon, introduce students to world literatures, and encourage an awareness of the need for contextualisation.
Level 2:
Compulsory modules ensure a more in-depth knowledge of the Anglophone canon, contemporary writing, world literatures and an engagement with current theoretical debate. Other modules at level 2 are optional, providing students with the possibility of developing specific interests in period, genre, comparative literature, and creative writing.
Professional Training Year:
At the University of Surrey the optional professional training year takes place between levels 2 and 3.
Level 3:
All students write a dissertation or creative writing submission, the topic of which is based on their personal research interests. At level 3 all modules incorporate research-led teaching that grows out of staff’s current work. Current optional modules include: Gothic to Goth; The 21st Century British Novel; Identity and Imagination in 19th Century Poetry; James Joyce; and Censorship, Freedom of Speech and Literature.
Teaching
English at Surrey is committed to offering a variety of teaching methods in order to maximise students’ achievement of their potential in terms of both knowledge and skills. These methods include more traditional formats such as lectures, tutorials and seminars, and also include workshops, individual supervisions, and directed independent study using electronic materials, ULearn, and work experience.
Assessment
The programme recognises that student achievement, in terms of both knowledge and skills, is enhanced through the use of a wide range of assessment methods: essays, long research-led pieces, examinations, commentaries, self-reflexive journals, portfolios, reports, oral presentations, group work, and a dissertation or project. In addition, modules that focus on creative writing include narrative texts, creative portfolios and an extended creative writing submission.
Library Resources
The University Library is located close to all main teaching buildings. With a varied physical environment designed to provide an appropriate location for different kinds of learning activity and offering choice between silent, quiet and group study to suit individual preferences, the building is open for 104.5 hours per week during Semester (08.30-01.30 Monday - Friday, 10.30-17.00 Saturday; 10.30-22.30 Sunday). Electronic resources and services are available 24 hours a day on and off campus from the Online Library.
The collecting policy for English ensures the widest possible availability of texts and background material via electronic full text resources. Subscriptions include LION (Literature Online from Chadwyck Healey) and Project MUSE, supplementing wide ranging e-resources including JSTOR Arts and Science Collections, Arts and Humanities Citation Index, Times Digital Archive, and extensive collections of e-journals and e-books. Primary set texts and material recommended on reading lists are available in printed form, together with a wide range of background material.
If you would like any further information, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Professor Diane Watt (d.watt@surrey.ac.uk)
