FACULTY OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE

BA English Literature Programme Specifications

Revised to May 2011

PROGRAMME SPECIFICATIONS ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Awarding institution/body Teaching institution Programme accredited by Final award Programme UCAS code Relevant subject benchmark statement Date of programme specification University of Oxford University of Oxford Not applicable B.A. (Hons) English Not applicable English September 2002 (revised December 2003, revised May 2008, revised May 2011, revised February 2013)

CONTACT DETAILS Undergraduate Studies Officer: Director of Undergraduate Studies: Tel: E-mail: Ms Kate Gear Dr Emma Smith (2012-2014) 01865 271 055 english.office@ell.ox.ac.uk

9. EDUCATIONAL AIMS OF THE PROGRAMME: The programme aims to enable and encourage its students to: read widely, acquiring knowledge of written texts in most or all periods of English literary history; develop as independent learners and thinkers; develop their critical, analytical and comparative skills by engagement with a wide range of texts written in English; pursue a curriculum that is broad and balanced in respect of historical and generic range, analytical approach, depth, and conceptual sophistication; acquire knowledge and understanding of the expressive resources of the English language and the ways in which this relates to and impacts on the production of literary and other texts; develop skills in the marshalling and deployment of evidence, and in the oral and written exposition of complex ideas through discursive analysis and argument; develop understanding of the relationship between literary theory and practice, including an awareness of debates regarding the acts of reading and writing; think critically and in an historicised manner about the complex relationship between literary texts and their social, political, cultural and other relevant contexts; develop their understanding of the formal and aesthetic dimensions of literary texts; acquire intellectual and personal skills which are transferable to a wide range of employment contexts and life experiences; select and analyse appropriate examples; weigh evidence; to investigate, analyse, and assess competing historical and critical viewpoints; engage and enhance their enthusiasm for the subject and their awareness of its social and cultural importance; be appropriately prepared for further academic work in English or related disciplines.

10. PROGRAMME OUTCOMES A. Knowledge and understanding Students will develop a knowledge and understanding of: literature written in English between the early Medieval period and the present day; aspects of the use of the English language in literary and other texts in modern and / or earlier times, based on an appropriate level of theoretical understanding; the intellectual processes involved in the collection and deployment of primary evidence in literary criticism and scholarship; a precise and professional technical vocabulary, appropriately deployed; some aspects of literary theory, and of the history of literary criticism; the processes of literary production and dissemination operative in different historical period. Related teaching/learning methods and strategies: Teaching is by means of Faculty lectures and classes, alongside tutorials and classes arranged by students colleges (see also Section 11 below). The general Faculty lectures and classes (open to the whole University) offer instruction in and demonstrations of the application of critical method to literary materials. Faculty seminars are also the vehicle for delivering one of the third year extended essay papers (see also Section 11 below) and are an opportunity for group analysis and discussion of a specific literary or linguistic subject area. College classes (typically about 8 students) may address contextual or textual issues and will encourage assimilation of material and oral analysis and exposition. The tutorial (typically 2 students) will focus on written essays and will often allow the students own writing to set the intellectual agenda. The essay will form the basis for a wide-ranging discussion, It tests, on a regular (but non-examined) basis, the students developing abilities in assimilation and analysis, presentation and persuasiveness. Classes and tutorials, and preparatory work for them, require active learning from the student. The course requires students to read and analyse literature from a very wide range of historical periods and in most recognised literary genres. Cumulatively it allows students to develop their own intellectual archive of texts, approaches and contexts, and encourages them to synthesise, historicise and compare writings across the complete history of literature in English while also allowing work in other Anglophone literatures. While not making obligatory any explicitly theorised syllabus content, the course expects all students to develop a sensitised awareness of theoretical issues by exposure through lectures and other forms of teaching to a wide range of theoretical and ideological approaches to literary and cultural history. In Year 1 students study a core skills-led paper and three period-based papers. The skills-led paper is studied concurrently with, and supports, the period-based papers. The period papers avoidance of set texts (except for commentary work in the Old and Middle English Moderations and FHS papers) encourages wide reading, gives the students freedom to negotiate their own portfolio of authors and allows exploration and innovation alongside study of the canon, all within the parameters of guided tutorial work. Work in subsequent years completes the core of period papers and allows more specialised study of specific genres and authors, whilst also requiring compulsory work on the English language. Skills are developed cumulatively and are embedded in the assumptions and expectations of the syllabus.

Assessment: Formally, aspects of the required knowledge and understanding are tested through written University examinations held during the course of the third and ninth terms, portfolios submitted in the third and seventh terms, and by two extended essays submitted in the seventh and eighth terms. At college level, extensive preparation for the organisation and communication of such knowledge and understanding is provided by highly personalised formative assessment offered in (typically) weekly tutorials and by practice examinations set and marked by college tutors. All colleges also have a regime of termly report writing that offers regular valuable feedback and formative assessment to the student. B. Skill and other attributes

Students will have the opportunity to develop the following skills during the course: i. Intellectual skills: The ability to: listen and read with an open but critical mind; exercise critical judgment and undertake sophisticated synthesis, analysis and evaluation of varying kinds of evidence; read closely, analytically, and with understanding, texts from a wide range of historical periods and in many different styles and genres; argue persuasively and with appropriate illustration and evidence, both orally and in writing; approach literary texts and critical issues with imagination, sensitivity and creativity; develop independence of mind, including an ability to challenge received opinion. Teaching/learning methods and strategies: There is emphasis throughout the programme on the skills relevant to the careful and critical reading and exegesis of primary texts and of secondary studies. These include the ability to gather, sift, and assess evidence, and the development of sophisticated skills of literary criticism. Faculty lectures will aim to demonstrate the professional deployment of these skills in high-level analysis of texts and contexts, ideas and ideologies. The skills of presentation and discussion are honed within the tutorial context, and in classes at college and Faculty level. Student essays and presentations must demonstrate the ability to identify issues, and to marshal evidence and analysis in a logical and coherent way. These attributes, allied to the exercise of disciplined imagination, are regarded as essential if students are to comprehend the often disparate and unfamiliar values and expectations of past cultures and their texts. All learning strategies are designed to inculcate these skills of independent thought and expression, although they will be displayed and tested most obviously in college tutorials and classes. Assessment: The formative assessment provided by classes and tutorials is critical to the development and monitoring of the intellectual skills set out here. In tutorials, students are subjected to regular scrutiny on these skills through presentation and defence of written essay material in front of an 4

established academic literary scholar and one or more of the students peer group. In classes, presentations to a larger group of peers need to be thorough, professional, appropriately pitched, and critically and textually persuasive. ii. Practical skills advanced literacy and communication skills (oral and written) and the ability to apply these for specific audiences and in appropriate contexts; the ability to acquire, process, order and deploy large quantities of information (literary, theoretical, contextual and critical); active learning; critical and self-reflective reasoning; research and bibliographic skills, developed through guidance and allowing independent critical working of a high order of reliability and accuracy; IT skills such as word-processing, and the ability to access, manipulate and assess electronic data; group working and presentation skills through seminar and class participation. Teaching/learning methods and strategies Classes and tutorials require constant verbal and written interaction with peers and tutors in differently constituted audiences. Longer extended essays require fuller documentation than timed examination papers. Guidance is given through Faculty lectures on preparation for such long essays, and Faculty Handbooks and college guidance offer assistance with communication and study skills. There are induction sessions at Faculty and college levels, covering both study skills and IT skills. There are regular opportunities for the development of new skills (e.g. through Faculty and University IT training or the University Language Centre). The Facultys employment of different modes of assessment, and the imposition of regular long and short term deadlines throughout the course, demand a high level of time management and a commitment to managing personal learning. Assessment Formative assessment is offered both through the college tutorial, in which the tutor will give feedback on the weekly essays submitted, and through presentations given regularly in college and Faculty classes. These enable continuous monitoring of the development of practical skills. Timed three hour examinations, two portfolios (of 3,000 and 4,500 words), a 6,000 word extended essay and an 8,000 word dissertation require different strategies of learning and organisation, and encourage the development of a range of writing skills. Termly tutorial reports identify points of excellence and of concern, e.g. the ability to present and defend an argument or thesis convincingly and cogently. More formal assessment through college practice examinations provide opportunities to assess and provide feedback on skills associated with timed written examinations.

iii. Transferable skills At the end of the programme the student should be able to: find information, organise and deploy it; draw on such information and, with a trained analytical intelligence, explore complex issues in ways that are imaginative yet sensitive to the integrity of the materials under discussion and the needs of different target audiences; formulate opinions and argue these confidently, whilst remaining appropriately responsive to the ideas of others; work well independently, with a strong sense of self-direction, but with the ability to work constructively in co-operation with others; effectively structure and communicate ideas in a variety of written and oral formats; analyse and critically examine different forms of discourse; plan and organise the use of time effectively, particularly in relation to the weekly timetable of tutorials and associated essays; where relevant, make appropriate use of language and IT skills. Teaching/learning methods and strategies The programme requires: information retrieval and highly competent bibliographic work, including the informed use of IT. (This is integral to all aspects of the programme which, although providing guidance and reading lists, also requires students to exercise their initiative and research skills as active learners to explore available resources); the ability to present ideas effectively and to respond to the ideas of others constructively. (Tutorials, classes and lectures each require different forms of engagement with ideas and arguments); the ability to produce material within time constraints and against tight deadlines, whether within the framework of the written examination, in submitting the extended essays, or in the programme of tutorials and classes; independent work in preparing for tutorials and extended essays, and more collaborative work in classes organised by the Faculty and within colleges; Assessment The transferable skills identified above are essential elements of the programme. As such their presence or absence is the focus of much of the regular comment provided by tutors in their contacts with students; and in the varying modes of formative assessment and formal feedback provided to students throughout the course. They are implicit in timed examination papers and highly relevant to the Facultys classification criteria.

11. PROGRAMME STRUCTURES AND FEATURES A. General teaching/learning methods and strategies

For a brief description of the three main teaching methods (lectures, classes and tutorials) see section 10a above. The three-year course consists of eleven assessed units, comprising four papers examined in Year 1 (Moderations), and seven examined in Year 3 (Final Honour School). Year 1 offers training in reading skills and in approaches to linguistic and literary analysis, alongside the exploration of critical issues and concepts (Paper 1 Introduction to Language and Literature). This paper provides core skills which students can profitably employ in their work on papers in the second and third years. Paper 1 is taught through Faculty core lectures and college tutorials and classes. It requires students to acquire knowledge of the historical development of English and to be able to demonstrate, principally through the commentary section of the paper, ability to analyse the characteristics and effects of a range of discourses and genres, both literary and non-literary. Students need to learn a new critical meta-language and to be able to use electronic corpora and IT materials to inform their work. Support for IT learning is provided through Faculty lectures and though workshops organised by the English Faculty Library staff. Paper 2 in Year 1 (Literature in English 650 1350) offers an introduction to Medieval Studies, in both Old English and Middle English. Commentary work is an integral part of the paper, requiring close knowledge of the grammatical and literary features of either Old or Middle English language. The essay components provide for literary and cultural study. This paper is taught by college classes and tutorials, supported by Faculty lectures. Paper 2 in Finals (English Literature 1350 1550) extends this work into the later Medieval period, informed by an understanding of Medieval literature and its contexts. A commentary component is retained, building on skills from the year 1 paper. This paper is also taught by college classes and tutorials, supported by Faculty lectures. In the first year course, two further period papers, covering Victorian literature (1830-1910) and Modern literature (1910-present), are offered. Both of these papers are taught by college tutorials which may be supplemented by classes. Faculty lectures are also provided. The core of the syllabus in Years 2 and 3 is provided by four period papers which cover English Literature from 1350 to 1830, as well as a paper devoted to Shakespeare. These are all taught through a combination of college classes and tutorials, supported by Faculty lectures. While the style of teaching may be varied from period to period and from college to college, these papers provide for an in-depth study of literary texts informed by knowledge of their historical context. More advanced and specialised work is possible in Year 3 option papers. One paper (Paper 6), allows for sustained study of a single topic, chosen by students from a list published each year. This paper is the only one delivered entirely through Faculty classes, providing students with the opportunity to engage in some inter-collegiate group work. It is assessed by a 6,000 word extended essay, due in at the end of the seventh term. The other specialized paper is the Dissertation (Paper 7) which allows for an in-depth study of any genre or topic. Students are given four individual tutorials with their dissertation supervisor, and must submit an extended essay of 8,000 words at the end of the eighth term. These coursework papers foster the

opportunity for students to engage in independent research and to acquire the skills to sustain an extended, researched argument at length, supported by correct scholarly apparatus. Faculty lectures are increasingly being used as a centralised means of instruction in introductory parts of the syllabus, or where new approaches need to be learnt. Elsewhere in the course, they remain a valuable source of orientation, enlightenment, enrichment and intellectual challenge. The Faculty Lecture List gives full details of each terms lecturing provision, listing each lecture course in relation to the most closely relevant paper in Moderations or Finals. There is also a Guide to the Lecture List (sent to each student) which allows lecturers to give more detail about their course. Faculty and college classes can be used for contextual discussion, linguistic work (such as translation and commentary), and for exploring as part of a larger group ideas and critical issues central to the study of the subject. However, with the exception of FHS paper 6, the tutorial, remains at the heart of the learning experience in this course. Within each paper, an individual students trajectory is negotiated with the tutor who advises on coverage, scope and range within the subject area. Essays are written after the provision of bibliographic guidance, though students are also encouraged to use their intellectual initiative. The essays are criticised rigorously and constructively in terms of substance and style; the themes that they raise are explored in an open, detailed discussion. Tutorials offer a crucial blend of support and guidance from the tutor on the one hand and the liberty for the student to explore and experiment on the other. While essays do not form part of the summative assessment of the course, the detailed feedback which the tutorial system offers provides valuable formative assessment of a students intellectual progress. The tutorial is the major and distinctive vehicle in which the learning outcomes of this programme are secured: the students acquisition of knowledge and understanding; the practice of new approaches and skills; the assimilation of new ideas and concepts, and the fostering of their intellectual development. In order to ensure an appropriate relationship between college teaching and Faculty lecturing and examining, formal Examination Regulations and Faculty Handbooks are sent to all students and tutors at the beginning of Year 1 and Year 2, and updated whenever necessary thereafter. The Faculty Handbooks and Examination papers from previous years and examiners reports (both internal and external) are made available through the Facultys website. These provide information and guidance for students about the levels and expectations of the course. The Handbooks include classification criteria and detailed descriptions of each paper to be studied. The Faculty website offers links to an extensive array of web resources. These include a teaching course pack in Old English which is specifically designed for the Oxford course, and which introduces students both to the study of electronic editions and includes links to on-line resources which facilitate the learning of the technical aspects of Old English Language. There are also other paper-specific sub-sites, for instance, the Shakespeare website, which provides links to a variety of resources for this paper, including performance history. These sites are developed and maintained by Faculty members. B. Progression and Development

Progression through this three-year programme is by a process of interlinked consolidation and development. After the core skills-led Paper 1 of Moderations, skills are developed through the implicit reinforcement of their importance in the design of the programme (in particular the

growing emphasis on independent learning) and an explicit fostering of their growth by extensive formative assessment. Progression is monitored in absolute terms by public examinations and in relative terms by internal college assessments of the students development. The common base line is high-level academic performance by the student prior to admission. On admission the student will already have demonstrated the ability or potential: to write and talk intelligently and perceptively about literary texts; to take account of the importance of relevant contexts; to weigh and present evidence; to deal with complex ideas and concepts; to function as an active and independent learner. The programme aims progressively to expand and develop these skills and abilities in line with the objectives outlined in sections 9 and 10a above. i) Year 1

Teaching The objective of the first-year course is to ensure that students have a grounding in basic critical and theoretical skills, while moving them rapidly by means of demanding period-based and option work to a higher level of subject knowledge and critical understanding than they possess at entry to the programme. Bibliographies will point to monographs and scholarly articles, and will require extensive use of Faculty and University libraries, developing students study skills beyond school level. The blend of lectures, classes and tutorials will normally change as the year passes and as the students mature as independent learners. Students study four papers for examination in Moderations at the end of term 3. Subjects Paper 1. An Introduction to Language and Literature: A skills and techniques paper introducing students to the disciplines of Language and Literature, and to a variety of approaches to literary criticism and work on the English language. Taught centrally through two Faculty-organised lecture courses running weekly through terms 1 and 2 and supplemented by 8 classes and 4 tutorials organised at college level. Paper 2. Early Medieval Literature, 650-1350: This paper introduces students to early literature, to the cultural history of medieval England, and to language issues. There are set texts to be prepared for a commentary question in the examination. Essays will be set on recommended texts, but students will also equally be able to write essays on a wider range of Old or Middle English literature, and on aspects of Old or Middle English history, culture and language. Students are invited to compare the two languages within the essay component of the examination, but this is not obligatory. Taught in colleges through 12 classes and 6 tutorials, and supplemented by Faculty lectures. This paper is an important shop window for Course II, the post-Moderations course in the English Language and Early English Literature but also raises issues studied in more detail in Course I, through Final Honour School Paper 2 (English Literature 1350-1550).

Paper 3. Literature in English, 1830 1910 / Paper 4. Literature in English 1910 - present: These papers are the first of the period papers which are a distinctive feature of the Oxford course. There are no prescribed authors or texts. Candidates will be encouraged to read widely within the period, and writing about any literatures originally written in the English language is acceptable. There are no exclusions based on the authors citizenship, country of origin, or residence. Teaching will be delivered through 4 college classes and 6 tutorials for each paper, supplemented by Faculty lectures and a selection of online materials. Assessment Formative assessment will be provided by tutorial comments, college examinations and termly reports. Summative assessment is offered by the four-paper university Moderations examinations taken at the end of term 3. Colleges receive details of each students performance at the end of the examination process, and this forms part of the process of formative assessment carried forward into Year 2. Paper 1. An Introduction to Language and Literature: A portfolio of two 1,500 - 2,000 word essays. Candidates are required to write one commentary piece, selecting their own texts for linguistic analysis, and one literary essay in response to set themes. The portfolio is to be submitted to the Examination Schools on Thursday of week 5 of term 3. Paper 2. Early Medieval Literature: One three-hour examination, comprising two essays and one commentary on a passage from Old English or Middle English set texts. Papers 3 and 4. Victorian or Modern Literature: One three hour examination for each paper, comprising three essays. Essay questions tend to be based on topics rather than authors. This gives candidates the opportunity to either write across a range of authors addressing thematic and stylistic issues, or to focus on the work of one or two authors. Specimen topics and authors are listed in the Faculty Handbook. ii) Years 2 and 3 (Course I)

At this point, most students continue with Course I (General Course in English Language and Literature), but some students choose to follow Course II (Special Course in English Language and Early English Literature). The Course I Finals course further develops and extends the range of skills identified in sections 10 a and b above, and builds on the foundations of Year 1 to support the intended programme outcomes. The modes of assessment used in Years 2 and 3 diversify from those experienced in Year 1. The Final Honour School examines one subject by portfolio (submitted at the end of term 8), one subject by extended essay (submitted at the end of term 7), on subject by dissertation (submitted at the end of term 8) and four subjects by written examination (in term 9). Formative assessment remains central to the collegiate tutorial system throughout Years 2 and 3. No papers may be repeated from the Moderations course, though students may choose to revisit areas they were not able to cover when picking their dissertation topic or choosing from the list of Special Options in term 7.

10

Broadly speaking, Year 2 completes the study of period papers while Year 3 allows more detailed work on single authors, genres and research-led topics (Shakespeare, Special Options and dissertation topics). Students are encouraged to develop their own interests and emphases within the framework of the period paper and options model. In practice this allows great flexibility in the number of pathways available in both courses. All papers are supported by Faculty lecture courses on relevant subjects. Subjects and Modes of Assessment Formative assessment is provided by tutorial comments, college examinations and termly reports. Summative assessment is provided by timed examinations and extended essays; the mode of assessment for each course is described in italics after the course description. Paper 1. Shakespeare. (May be studied in Year 2 or 3) This paper gives students an opportunity to think critically about the whole range of Shakespeares output and his reception. Students are encouraged to demonstrate knowledge both of the range of Shakespeares writings and of the detail of specific plays. The style of the paper enables a wide variety of approaches. Candidates may be invited to think in terms of genres and modes. They may be prompted to pursue a more topic-based approach. The paper also generally provides opportunities to think critically about the history of performance (stage, film, and/or television), about specific interpretative approaches to Shakespeare, and about questions of disputed authorship, collaboration, textual variance, and revision. There is a Faculty website dedicated to Shakespeare. Assessment: The paper will be examined by a portfolio of three 1,500-word essays. Of the three essays, one can be an attempt to edit a passage (the passage will not be included in the word total; only the glossing will count towards the word limit); a commentary; a practical theatrical piece about blocking or staging; or something similarly innovative not catered for in the usual exam format. There is no obligation for the third essay to be different in this way: an analytical essay in the normal format is equally acceptable. The portfolio will be due at the end of Hilary term of the third year. Paper 2. Literature in English 1350 - 1550. (Normally studied in Year 2) Assessment: The written examination for this paper will comprise two essay questions and one commentary question, the latter included in order to ensure that candidates study of Middle English Literature is accompanied by a good acquaintance with its language and registers. Paper 3. Literature in English from 1550 to 1660. (Normally studied in Year 2) Paper 4. Literature in English from 1660 to 1760. (Normally studied in Year 2) Paper 5. Literature in English from 1760 to 1830. (Normally studied in Year 2) For the above three papers, students will read a wide range of texts and will study writings of each period by author, theme or genre. Full details are given in the Handbook. Assessment: Three-hour, three-question written examinations. Paper 6. Special Options. (Must be studied in term 7)

11

Students choose for detailed study one topic from a list of 22 supplied by the Faculty. Topics are likely to span the whole range of periods covered by the syllabus, and will not only be author-, period- or subject-based, but also adopt a wide variety of theoretical, interdisciplinary, trans-historical, generic or cross-generic approaches. Candidates will be taught in centrally organized classes. Options for each year will be published in the Gazette and circulated to students and tutors in the Hilary Term of the preceding academic year. Assessment: Extended Essay of 6,000 words at the end of term 7 Paper 7. Dissertation (Must be studied in term 8) Students have the chance to explore a particular interest, to develop work on genres in more detail, or to do something completely new (like American Literature). Students can write an extended essay under Paper 7 for any topic deemed to fall under the Faculty of English Language and Literature. Assessment: Dissertation of 8,000 words at the end of term 8. The above two papers require from the students high-level research and bibliographic skills, and develop and test their abilities in the marshalling and deployment of evidence over a longer span than the usual tutorial essay or three-hour examination. Each essay must be word-processed and presented in scholarly format with annotation and bibliography. (Detailed guidance on preparation and presentation of the essay is provided in the Handbook.) After the conclusion of teaching for paper 6 in fifth week of term 7, the student is not allowed to consult tutors and must certify that the resulting essay is their own unaided work. For Paper 7 the students devise an abstract and can discuss this with their tutor until approval of the abstract in week 6 of term 8, after which they are not allowed to consult tutors and must certify that the resulting essay is their own unaided work. Drawing on their subject knowledge acquired through the period papers, students must first select and then explore an area of English Language and/or Literature in significant detail to produce a significant and substantial piece of academic writing. ii) Years 2 and 3 (Course II: Special Course in English Language and Early English Literature) Course II concentrates on work on Old and Middle English literature and language, and related subjects and disciplines. It enables students to build on work in Old and Middle English literature and language done in Year 1. It seeks particularly to develop specialised academic skills in linguistic analysis, textual criticism, transmission and dissemination of texts, cultural theory and contextual analysis. It also allows work on many early non-English languages and literatures. Subjects and Modes of Assessment Course II has four core literature and language papers, normally studied in Year 2. These papers are taken as examinations in Finals. They allow work in detail on Old and Middle English literature and language, and the development of skills in textual criticism. One paper (English Literature 1350 1550) is shared with Course I students, allowing integration between the two programmes. Students also choose three special subject papers, of which one (Special Options) is taken as an extended essay in term 7, one submitted as a portfolio in term 8, and one as a dissertation in term 12

8. Special Options subjects from Course I Paper 6 are available to Course II students, in addition to Special Option Course II choices which enable students to develop particular interests in types of medieval literature (Medieval English and related literatures, or Medieval French, for instance), language work (both medieval and modern), or work in different medieval languages (other languages available include Old Irish, Old Norse, and medieval Welsh). Archaeology is also an option on Course II. Some of these options draw on expertise from medievalists in other faculties. In addition, Course II students may choose either to study the Course I Shakespeare paper (submitted as a portfolio) or alternatively a Material Text option allowing work on bibliographic subjects or textual criticism, and also assessed by portfolio. A. Compulsory Papers (Normally studied in Year 2) A1. Literature in English 650 1100 A2. Medieval English and Related Literatures 1066 1550 A3. Literature in English 1350 1550 (shared with Course I) These papers, equivalent to the period papers of Course I, will expect students to have covered a wide range of Old and Middle English literature in prose and verse, and to be able to locate it within its historical and cultural contexts. Assessment: Two three-hour examinations. A1 and A3 require three essays and A2 requires two essays. A4. The History of the English Language to c. 1800 This paper covers the development of the written language from the earliest records to c. 1800, with particular attention to the emergence of a standard form. The aim of the paper is to trace the gradual evolution of an agreed written standard, rather than to require detailed linguistic knowledge of specific texts. Guidelines for this paper are set out in the Faculty Handbook. Assessment: The students will complete a portfolio of two commentary passages and two essays, to be written and submitted in Year 2, and held over to be examined in Finals. B. Optional Papers (Normally studied in Year 3) B1. Shakespeare (Course I) OR The Material Text One portfolio of three 1,500 word essays, submitted at the end of term 8. B2. Special Options Candidates may choose from any of the 22 options available under Course I Paper 6, or from an additional list of Old and Middle English topics, for example Old Norse, Medieval Welsh, Old Irish, Medieval French, Archaeology of Anglo-Saxon England. Assessment will be by extended essay at the end of term 7. B3. Dissertation

13

As for Course I students, candidates have free choice over their dissertation topic. Course II students may take the opportunity to explore a particular interest in their period, or alternatively might use the dissertation to study alternative periods, genres or authors not falling under the Course II remit. Assessed by a dissertation of 8,000 words in term 8.

14

12. SUPPORT FOR STUDENTS AND THEIR LEARNING A. Libraries Oxford University has an extremely rich and diverse library service provided by over 100 libraries, making it the largest university library system in the UK. English students have access, for example, to major research libraries: the Bodleian Library, founded in 1602 by Sir Thomas Bodley and one of the great libraries of the world. The Upper Reading Room in the Old Bodleian and the S.T. Lee Reading Room in the Radcliffe Camera provide open-shelf access to major holdings in English Literature, History and Theology; the Taylor Institution Library (European languages and literature); the Sackler Library (Classics, History of Art).

This substantial provision is complemented by large Faculty libraries (English, History, Modern Languages, Philosophy, Theology) which provide lending collections (the Bodleian does not lend) and multiple copies of titles in heavy demand. English students have borrowing rights at any library which holds material relevant to their course of study, but most particularly at: the English Faculty Library, which holds over 100K volumes, including original and critical works, journals, audio-visual materials in support of work on film, poetry and Shakespeare, rare books and special collections.

College libraries offer yet another level of provision and services such as 24-hour opening and long loans. The range of general and specialised library resources and the quality of holdings and accessibility support the breadth of the work required in the English syllabus. Oxfords online library catalogue (OLIS) lists the holdings of all the major libraries and most of the college libraries. Although library support for English at Oxford reflects the nature of the subject as primarily a text-based discipline, the provision of electronic resources is also exceptionally good. This includes collections of original works such as Early English Books Online, electronic versions of textbooks, e-journals, and bibliographic databases. Expert library staff offer training in the use of these resources. B. IT resources

There is an extensive network of IT resources and support within Oxford. Major subject related resources are available through the Faculty web page and the university gateways: SOLO, OxLip+ and OU e-journals. Colleges provide comprehensive IT resources and Support Officers prepared to train and assist students. The Oxford University Computing Services also provides facilities for undergraduates, and a variety of training programmes, several of which are specifically geared to students in the Humanities. The Faculty Library offers several specialised IT courses and options geared to the

15

needs of English students. Contact with IT support is offered through the Faculty web contact page. There is a well equipped Faculty computing room where students can work and receive tuition on Oxfords online databases and other related topics. The use of IT within the undergraduate degree course is firmly established. Students are introduced to the bibliographic resources of the Web as part of an induction session. Some course bibliographies are on the Web. A number of courses make substantial use of learning materials that are to be downloaded from the Web; other courses direct students to such resources as alternatives to Library provision. C. Advice concerning the Syllabus

Guidance to the range of options available to students in this course is readily available. The structure of the course and short descriptions of its various elements are available in the two Course Handbooks, one covering the First Years work, the other outlining the Second and Third Year Course (also available from the Facultys website). Guidance concerning the syllabus and choices within it is primarily provided in a more personal forum, by the students College tutor. The tasks that fall to the tutors are wide-ranging, though all involve easy access and informal but informed discussion. Tutors have a pastoral role if students have academic or personal difficulties and they may advise on future employment, but their key responsibility is to realise the students full intellectual potential within the course. To this end, they monitor their students progress through the syllabus, they help them with the choice of papers, and they either teach, or arrange the teaching for the options that they have selected. D. Student representation on Faculty committees

Students are represented on all the major committees of the Faculty and attend meetings of the full Faculty. They are fully consulted on and involved with course development, most extensively through the Joint Consultative Committee, which administers and analyses an annual questionnaire to the entire student body. E. Welfare provision

The University and colleges have an extensive network of welfare support. Full details are given in Faculty Handbooks and in advice given by colleges. The college Personal or Moral Tutor (often also an academic tutor) is a key figure in this support network.

16

13. CRITERIA FOR ADMISSION A. School/College leavers Applications are made to the Colleges of the University, not to the Faculty. Applicants who are offered places will usually be required to attain grades of AAA at A-level, equivalent marks in Scottish Advanced Highers (AAAAB or AAAAA), or 3840 points on the IB. Offers are made on the basis of students academic records, examples of their written work, the recommendations of their teachers, their performance on the English Literature Admissions Test (ELAT), taken in October / November, and their performance in interviews held in the Colleges in December. The purpose of the interviews is to select those students, from an excellent cadre of applicants, who might best benefit from the intensive, tutorially based learning methods employed in the University. The published selection criteria for English are: B. Literary sensibility Sensitivity to the creative use of language Evidence of careful and critical reading An analytical approach Coherence of argument and articulacy of expression Precision, in the handling of concepts and in the evidence presented to support points Relevance to the question Originality. Mature and overseas students

Applicants in these groups, and those who have completed the Foundation course in English offered at the Department of Continuing Education, are considered on an individual basis, but the submission of written work, and its discussion in interview is equally important. Overseas applicants are encouraged to attend an interview in Oxford, but where this is not possible, colleges may make arrangements to interview candidates over the telephone, by video conference, or over the internet using Skype. Applicants whose first language is not English are required to have satisfied the Universitys English language requirements. English language support is available at the University.

17

14. METHODS FOR EVALUATING AND IMPROVING THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF LEARNING Responsibility for the course is vested in the Board of the Faculty of English Language and Literature which is part of the Humanities Division. The Divisional Board has formal responsibility for the maintenance of educational quality and standards across its subject area and exercises its responsibility through its Academic Committee, and in particular the consideration it gives to reports of examiners, course revisions, and academic appointments. The activities of the Faculty in seeking to improve standards of learning are supported by the Oxford Learning Institute which seeks to foster a research-informed approach to learning and teaching and to the development of educational policy; to conduct research into approaches to learning and teaching in Oxford, and in higher education more generally; to promote and facilitate the professional and vocational development of all of the University's staff. Student feedback on lectures and seminars is requested through lecture and tutorial feedback forms, a Finalist questionnaire, a questionnaire undertaken by the Joint Consultative Committee with undergraduates, and through OxCort (the colleges tutorial feedback and reporting system). The comments are reviewed by the individual lecturer, the Director of Undergraduate Studies and the Chair of the Faculty Board. The results are also discussed at meetings of the Faculty, the Faculty Board, the Undergraduate Studies Committee and the Appointments, Finance and Planning Committee. Student concerns are also discussed in the termly meetings of the Joint Consultative Committee, formed by student representatives from every college and by members of the Faculty. There are junior members on the Undergraduate Studies Committee, the Joint Standing committees, the Faculty Board and at the meeting of Faculty. Students opinions on new course proposals or suggested changes to the curriculum are solicited and given serious consideration. Such discussions are likely to include scrutiny of sample examination papers. Close attention is also given to the robustness of relevant teaching resources and to the depth of library provision. Detailed reports from internal and external examiners, produced at the end of each examining session, are also widely discussed throughout the Faculty, and many of these meetings include student representation. These reports have an important role to play in improving the quality of teaching and learning as well as in refining the examination process itself. They are circulated to all Faculty members and the internal reports are made available to students through colleges and online. Any changes to the programme agreed by the Faculty have to be reviewed and approved by the Humanities Board and by the Educational Policy and Standards Committee of the University. Student comment on tutorial provision is regularly requested by their colleges and is reviewed by the Senior Tutors of the Colleges. Colleges have responsive internal mechanisms for assessing the quality of the teaching provided by them. Provision is also made for improving the quality of learning from a staff-training perspective through the Oxford Learning Institute. The Institute exists to support the quest for excellence in learning, teaching, and research at the University. It has three primary aims: to foster a research-informed approach to learning and teaching and to the development of educational policy;

18

to conduct research into approaches to learning and teaching in Oxford, and in higher education more generally; to promote and facilitate the professional and vocational development of all University staff. New appointees to Faculty posts undertake an induction programme as part of the Developing Academic Practice scheme, have opportunities to attend a number of seminars and lectures at the Learning Institute, and enjoy the mentorship of an experienced post-holder in the same field through the course of their probationary period. Faculty postholders also have the opportunity to undertake a year-long Postgraduate Diploma in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education delivered by the Learning Institute which can result in HEA Fellowship Status. Several Faculty members who hold the diploma assist in devising academic practice courses in the Faculty and mentoring those who take them. The Faculty provides courses that develop academic practice in relation to teaching and learning at every level within the framework of the Universitys Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL) overseen by a faculty coordinator. Research graduates undertake a subjectspecific one day course Preparing for Learning and Teaching in Oxford which allows them entry onto the Facultys list of graduate teachers from which postholders are encouraged to select graduate tutors. Research graduates can progress to a year-long course (Developing Learning and Teaching) under the mentorship of college tutors in their subject area which provides opportunities to observe and deliver teaching in different forms and with undergraduates at different stages of their degrees. The latter course is supported by regular reading groups in higher education teaching literature and can result in a portfolio to secure HEA teaching accreditation.

19

15. REGULATION OF ASSESSMENT Examinations under the Board of the Faculty of English, in common with those in every Faculty and Department, are subject to Proctorial complaint procedures. The English Faculty Board is responsible for establishing the marking and classification conventions for all taught degrees, and for publishing these (in conjunction with the guiding conventions established by the Division). The Committee also nominates - subject to the approval of the Vice-Chancellor and Proctors - the internal Examination Boards for each of its degrees, and nominates External Examiners, who are invited by the Vice-Chancellor to serve with the Examination Boards. Boards of Examiners, under their elected Chairs, are responsible for setting all papers, and marking the scripts of the examinees. They may appoint Assessors to assist in the setting and marking of the more specialist papers, where the subject matter is not within the expertise of two of the examiners. All public examinations in English involve blind marking of anonymised scripts. Scripts in Moderations, which is an unclassified Pass/Fail examination, are single marked. Each Finals script is marked by two examiners or assessors. Where their marks differ they will discuss the script to obtain an agreed mark and if they are unable to agree, a third examiner will be asked to read the script and give it a mark. After scripts have been marked, the Board of Examiners meets to classify the students in accordance with the criteria established by the Faculty Board. A key role in this process in Finals is played by the three External Examiners. They act as impartial advisors, providing the English Faculty and the University with informed comment on two major issues: i) To verify that standards are appropriate to the award, in part by comparison with the standards of comparable institutions, and to ensure that the assessment procedures and the regulations governing them are fair and otherwise appropriate. iii). To ensure that the conduct of the examination and the determination of awards has been fairly conducted; that individual student performance has been judged in accordance with the regulations and conventions of the Examining Board. This entails signing the Results Summary Sheet as an endorsement that the processes of examination and classification have been fairly conducted. External Examiners are expected to report to the Vice-Chancellor in each year in which they act. Their reports are expected to cover all the following points: the standards demonstrated by the students; the extent to which standards are appropriate for the award; the design, structure and marking of assessments; the procedures for assessment and examinations; whether or not external examiners have had sufficient access to, and the power to call upon any material necessary to make the required judgments; students performance in relation to their peers in comparable courses;

20

the coherence of the policies and procedures relating to external examiners and their consonance with the explicit roles required of them; the basis and rationale for any comparisons made; the strengths and weaknesses of the students as a cohort; the quality of teaching and learning which may be indicated by student performance. The reports are addressed to the Vice-Chancellor, and will be considered by the Humanities Board and by the Educational Policy and Standards Committee of the University. The reports are also scrutinised by the English Faculty Board and its various Committees and discussed by the Faculty as a whole at one of its termly meetings of all faculty members. All faculty members receive a full set of all of the examiners reports. Where an External Examiners Report contains particular suggestions or criticisms, these are discussed by the relevant committees and appropriate responses devised. Full feedback is given to external examiners on actions taken. Classification Criteria: i) Moderations The Mods Examination is unclassified, and has three categories Distinction, Pass, Fail. Pass marks for each paper will be awarded in the range from 40 to 100. Marks below 40 will be given to any paper not judged to have reached a sufficient standard to receive a pass mark. Short weight (incomplete work) will be penalised by a proportionate reduction of the mark(s). Candidates for Moderations in English Language and Literature must receive a pass mark in all four papers. Distinctions will be awarded to those candidates who achieve at least the following level: two marks of 70 and above, an average of 67, and no mark below 60. ii) Final Examination

Extract from the Faculty Handbook, sent to all students at the beginning of Year 2: The FHS Examination has six categories; First, Upper Second, Lower Second, Third, Pass, Fail. The following lists: i) ii) the marks used by examiners to designate work of a particular class; the numerical criteria for placing a candidate in that class.

The marking criteria for all classifications can be found listed below. I (First Class) i) ii) i) ii) 70 and above Two marks of 70 or above, an average mark of 68.5 or greater and no mark below 50. 60 to 69 Two marks of 60 or above, an average mark of 59 or greater and no mark below 40.

II.i (Second Class, Upper Division)

21

II.ii (Second Class, Lower Division) i) ii) i) ii) Pass i) ii) Fail i) ii) 0 to 29 More than two marks below 30. 30 to 39 Average mark of 30 or greater. 50 to 59 Two marks of 50 or above, an average mark of 49.5 or greater and no mark below 40. 40 to 49 Average mark of 40 or greater and not more than one mark below 30.

III (Third Class)

Marking Criteria: i) Criteria for Examination Questions

These criteria will be used in marking all three-hour question papers in both public examinations (Mods; FHS), and in the marking of College Collections. Engagement - incisiveness of engagement with the question; - depth and sophistication of comprehension of issues and implications of the question; - relevant awareness of literary history and theory and critical traditions; - directness of answer to the question; - grasp and handling of critical materials. - coherence of argument; - analytical clarity and power; - intellectual penetration and sophistication of conceptualization; - originality of argument; - quality of critical analysis of text in the service of argument. Information - relevance of deployment of information;

Argument

22

- depth, precision and detail of evidence cited; - accuracy of facts; - relevant knowledge of primary texts. Organisation & Presentation - clarity and coherence of structure; - clarity, fluency and elegance of prose; - correctness of grammar, spelling, and punctuation.

ii)

Criteria for Extended Essays

These criteria will be used in marking all extended essays in public examinations. Engagement Argument Information identification and clear delineation of a subject, appropriate to a 6000 word essay; relevant awareness of literary history and theory and critical traditions; depth and sophistication of comprehension of and engagement with issues; grasp and handling of critical materials. coherence of argument; analytical clarity and power; intellectual penetration and sophistication of conceptualization; originality of argument; quality of critical analysis of text in the service of argument. use of primary texts; relevance of information deployed; depth, precision, detail and accuracy of evidence cited; relevant knowledge of primary texts.

23

Organisation & Presentation

clarity and coherence of structure; clarity, fluency and elegance of prose; correctness of grammar, spelling, and punctuation; correctness of apparatus and form of footnotes and bibliography.

iii)

Mark descriptors Criteria: Extended Essays Work of a very high standard, excellent handling of scholarly apparatus, wide-ranging research, command of a wide range of primary and secondary material. Excellent choice of subject and handling of arguments to suit the limits of a 6000-word essay. Essays will excel across the range of the criteria. Essays will excel in more than one area, and be at least highly competent in other respects. That is, they must be excellent for some combination of the quality of choice and delineation of an appropriate subject, incisiveness of argument and critical analysis, quality of primary evidence, textual and otherwise, on display, as well as being presented clearly and coherently. Truly outstanding features may compensate for mere high-competence elsewhere. Essays will be at least very highly competent across the board, and probably excel in at least one group of criteria. Relative weaknesses in some areas may be compensated by

Numerical Class Criteria: Examination scripts Marks

86+ I

Scripts will be so outstanding that they could not be better within the framework of a three-hour exam. Work of marked originality and sophistication.

80-85 75-79

I I

Scripts will excel across the range of criteria. Scripts will excel in more than one area, and be at least highly competent in other respects. That is, they must be excellent for some combination of sophisticated engagement with the issues, incisiveness of argument and critical analysis, and quality of knowledge, as well as being presented clearly and coherently. Truly outstanding features may compensate for mere highcompetence elsewhere. Scripts will be at least very highly competent across the board, and probably excel in at least one group of criteria. Relative weaknesses in some areas may be

70-74

24

compensated by conspicuous strengths in others.

65-69 IIi

conspicuous strengths in others. Essays will demonstrate considerable competence across the range of the criteria. They must exhibit some essential features, identifying a clear subject and offering a coherent argument based on accurate primary evidence and textual analysis, the whole being clearly-presented. Nevertheless, additional strengths (for instance, the sophistication of the arguments, or the quality of literary analysis) may compensate for other weaknesses.

Scripts will demonstrate considerable competence across the range of the criteria. They must exhibit some essential features, addressing the question directly and relevantly, and offering a coherent argument substantiated with accurate and relevant evidence, the whole being clearly-presented. Nevertheless, additional strengths (for instance, the sophistication of the arguments, or the quality of literary analysis) may compensate for other weaknesses.

60-64

IIi

Scripts will be competent and should manifest the essential features described above, in that they must offer relevant, substantiated and clear arguments; but they will do so with less range, depth, precision and perhaps clarity. Again, qualities of a higher order may compensate for some weaknesses. Scripts must show evidence of some solid competence in expounding information and analysis. But they will be marred by a failure on one criterion or another: failure to discuss the question directly, irrelevant citing of information, factual error, lack of detail, or poor organization and presentation, including incorrect prose. Scripts will fall down on a number of criteria, but will exhibit some vestiges of the qualities required, such as the ability to see the point 25

Essays will be competent and should manifest the essential features described above, but they will do so with less range, depth, precision and perhaps clarity. Again, qualities of a higher order may compensate for some weaknesses.

50-59

IIii

Essays must show evidence of some solid competence in research and analysis, but they will be marred by a failure on one criterion or another: failure to offer a clear argument, lack of research and primary evidence or irrelevance in its deployment, or poor organization and presentation, including incorrect prose and inadequate apparatus. Essays will fall down on a number of criteria, but will exhibit some vestiges of the qualities required, such as the ability to identify a

40-49

III

of the question, to deploy information, or to offer some coherent analysis towards an argument. Such qualities will not be displayed at a high level or consistently, and will be marred by irrelevance, incoherence, error and poor organization and presentation.
30-39 Pass

subject, to deploy evidence found in research, or to offer some coherent analysis towards an argument. But such qualities will not be displayed at a high level or consistently, and will be marred by irrelevance, incoherence, error and poor organization and presentation. Essays will display a modicum of knowledge or understanding of some points, but will display almost none of the higher qualities described in the criteria, and will not be based on any meaningful research. They will be marred by high levels of factual error and irrelevance, generalization and lack of information, and poor organization and presentation; and they may be very brief. Essays will fail to exhibit any of the required qualities.

Scripts will display a modicum of knowledge or understanding of some points, but will display almost none of the higher qualities described in the criteria. They will be marred by high levels of factual error and irrelevance, generalization and lack of information, and poor organization and presentation. Scripts will fail to exhibit any of the required qualities. Candidates who fail to observe rubrics and rules beyond what the markingschemes allow for may also be failed.

Less than or equal to 29

Fail

26

16. INDICATIONS OF QUALITY AND STANDARDS The Faculty received the highest possible grade in the three Research Assessment Exercises conducted in 1992, 1996, and 2001. Most recently, under the new criteria of the 2008 RAE, 40% of the Facultys submissions were judged to be at the highest level of 4*, putting Oxford second in the overall RAE results for English Language and Literature. The Faculty is subject to regular review by the Education Committee (formerly Educational Policy and Standards Committee) of the University. These reviews involve a panel chaired by the Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Academic), and consisting of three external members and one internal member. The report from the 2010 Education Committee review of English was highly favourable, and praised in particular the Facultys commitment to diverse teaching methods. The recommendations outlined in this report were considered extensively by the Faculty Board and its standing committees, and appropriate actions were taken. The English Faculty was voted the top university for English in 2010 and 2011 by the Guardian University Guide, with a score of 100 per cent, and it has been consistently voted in the top five universities in the UK in the Times Good University Guide. English at Oxford remains a high-prestige course with large numbers of exceptionally highly qualified applicants each year (over 1,000 across the single and 300 across the joint honours programmes). The quality of graduates from programmes in English is suggested by their success in the job market and in their admission to postgraduate courses. This data is collected by the University careers service and is regularly communicated to Faculty members. Student feedback is very important to the Faculty. In the 2010 National Student Survey, 97 % of English respondents at Oxford agreed with the statement Overall, I am satisfied with the quality of the course and 100 % agreed that the course was intellectually stimulating. Results from this, and other internal surveys of student opinion, are regularly reviewed by our Faculty Board and its standing committees. Areas of relative weakness are reviewed and potential solutions suggested and implemented. The Faculty places great importance on the views of external representatives and has an External Advisory Panel, drawn from a range of backgrounds, which gives strategic guidance to the Faculty. Comments from the most recent meeting (in 2008) were overwhelmingly positive and a number of helpful suggestions were made that are being progressed. Reports from both internal and external examiners regularly address issues relating to the quality and standards of the Facultys programmes. Their comments and recommendations are discussed in detail by the Faculty Board, its standing committees and by all faculty members at its termly faculty meeting. Recent comments from external examiners include: The examining models main strength is that it enables a breadth of reading and maturing critical skills to accumulate so that candidates are at the peak of their academic competence when it comes to examination. The model encourages candidates to achieve a sense of the broad historical development of English literary writing. (FHS) Candidates for all three Schools showed excellent standards of achievement. I was particularly struck by the very high quality of written expression by comparison with students in other institutions, and the wide range, both of material and of skills, displayed by individual 27

candidates It seems likely to me that the high standard of self-expression among the students is a direct result of the Oxford tutorial system and the large number of essays that students write during their time. (FHS) There was consistent evidence of high ability, hard work, wide reading in primary and secondary sources, and theoretical sophistication The overall quality of teaching and learning appeared to have been high. Questions were answered on a strikingly wide range of works, some of them very out-of-the-way, and to a professional level, sometimes using very recent material. (FHS)

28