Salma Aliyu Umar (PhD)

aliyusalmaumar84@gmail.com
Department of Arts and Humanities
School of Continuing Education
Bayero University, Kano

ENG 3203 Studies in Orature

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course is designed to introduce students of English to the Study of Oral

Literature in Africa. Oral literature, Orature or folk literature as it is variously
called refers to all forms of spoken or sung oral art forms. The course covers
discussions on the terms Oral Literature and Orature, oral literature as a universal
practice, African oral literature and it’s origins, the nature and forms of oral
African literature and much more. The course will be taught using the following
topics:
1. Description of Terms: Orature, Oral Literature Folk Literature.
2. The Universality of Orature
3. Origins of the African oral Literature
4. The nature and forms of Orature – the poetic, dramatic and prose forms
(songs, dirges, folktales, myths, legend and so on)
5. Formal Elements of Orature
6. Functions of Orature
7. Orature Today
Assessment
1. Attendance is compulsory. You need at least 70% attendance to qualify to
write the exams at the end of the semester. For this reason, attendance
carries 10% of your total marks.

2. Continuous Assessment: You are required to write a semester paper in

groups. This carries 15% of your assessment. You will present the paper to
 the class and field questions. In addition, there will be a class test which will
carry 15% of your assessment too.
3. The end of semester examination carries 60% of your assessment.
Term Paper Question
Write, in detail, on any of the following:
G1 – Myths
G2 – Legends
G3 – Folktales
G4 – Oral Poetry
G5 – Praise Songs
G6 – Performance in Orature
G7 – Orature and Globalization
G8 – Functions of Orature
Suggested Secondary Reading
Finnegan, R. (2012) Oral Literature in Africa. Cambridge: Open book.
Okpewho, I. (1992) African Oral Literature: Background, Character, Continuity.
Indianapolis: Indiana University Press.
Kaschula, R (2001) African Literature in Contemporary Contexts. Claremont:
New Africa Books.
All the best