Reading Critically in English for the Contemporary Humanities
Code: 45368 ECTS Credits: 5| Degree | Type | Year |
|---|---|---|
| English Studies: Linguistic, Literary and Sociocultural Perspectives | OP | 1 |
Contact
- Name:
- Maria Rosa Garrido Sarda
- Email:
- mariarosa.garrido@uab.cat
Teachers
- Nicholas Livingston Spengler
- Maria Rosa Garrido Sarda
Teaching groups languages
You can view this information at the end of this document.
Prerequisites
Apart from fulfilling the general requirements of this MA programme, in particular as regards linguistic and academic skills, registering for this subject entails the need to take an active role in class and demands intense intellectual curiosity about the way in which textual meaning is established, transmitted and debated.
Objectives and Contextualisation
This course offers an introduction to the critical analysis of academic texts and analytical arguments in English literature, criticism, and linguistics.
Specific objectives:
- Understand the key concepts in critical reading.
- Select relevant, up-to-date and reliable texts for research projects in English linguistics and literature.
- Analyse the structure, argumentation and ideological positioning of academic texts.
- Reflect upon reading and subjective processes.
- Communicate, orally and in writing, complex ideas in English at C2-level.
Learning Outcomes
- CA18 (Competence) Critically analyse academic texts selected by students and related to their research interests.
- CA19 (Competence) Design actions for the improvement of the comprehension of academic texts through group analysis of the structure of arguments and rhetorical patterns.
- KA19 (Knowledge) List the main theoretical currents in the field of academic writing.
- KA20 (Knowledge) Identify the differences between corpus-based and non-corpus-based text analysis.
- KA21 (Knowledge) Distinguish the main types of academic writing in the fields of language, literary and cultural studies in the English language.
- SA27 (Skill) Critically analyse the linguistic features that are typical of academic writing based on texts from various sub-disciplines within the field of English studies.
- SA28 (Skill) Identify types of argumentation and implicit political-ideological positions in academic texts selected from the field of English Studies.
- SA29 (Skill) Produce written texts at an advanced level that address key aspects of academic writing and correspond to the rhetorical requirements of such texts.
Content
This introduction to critical reading skills in English literature and linguistics analyses a variety of academic texts. The subject is divided into two parts: the first on critical reading of texts in the field of sociolinguistics and the second on critical reading of texts in the field of literary studies. However, these two parts share a common thematic frame: the politics of the English language. Throughout the semester, we will collaboratively examine the sociopolitical implications of the English language through our critical reading of texts in these two fields.
An anthology of primary source excerpts and a selection of related secondary sources/ academic articles will be provided at the beginning of the semester.
PART 1: SOCIOLINGUISTICS
Dr. Maria Rosa Garrido Sardà, 29th September – 29th October 2025
- The power of language
- English as a 'lingua franca'
- Multilingualism and migration
PART 2: LITERARY STUDIES
Dr. Nicholas Spengler, 3rd November – 3rd December 2025
- The power of language
- English as a 'lingua franca'
- Multilingualism and migration
Activities and Methodology
| Title | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type: Directed | |||
| Practical exercises | 16.25 | 0.65 | |
| Presentation of theoretical concepts | 15 | 0.6 | |
| Type: Supervised | |||
| Critical analysis of texts | 10 | 0.4 | |
| Discussion of academic texts | 15 | 0.6 | |
| Type: Autonomous | |||
| Project preparation | 30 | 1.2 | |
| Reading academic texts | 38.75 | 1.55 |
This course methodology will be predominantly dialogical. Students are expected to contribute actively to in-class discussions and to do all the preparatory reading.
We will use Academic Reading Circles as a methodology for students to engage with academic texts. Groups of 5 students will read the same text and each of them will be assigned a different role for preparation. Attendance and active class participation is therefore essential given the collaborative nature of the course. Academic Reading Circles will also shape the student's individual portfolios.
The lecturers will provide a course calendar and a list of primary and secondary texts (literature) / academic articles (linguistics) at the beginning of the semester. These will all be related to the shared thematic framework: the politics of the English language.
Annotation: Within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.
Assessment
Continous Assessment Activities
| Title | Weighting | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Active participation | 10% | 0 | 0 | CA18, CA19, KA19, KA20, KA21, SA27, SA28, SA29 |
| In-class essay | 40% | 0 | 0 | CA18, KA19, KA21, SA27, SA28, SA29 |
| Portfolio (Part 1) | 25% | 0 | 0 | CA18, CA19, KA19, KA20, KA21, SA27, SA28, SA29 |
| Portfolio (Part 2) | 25% | 0 | 0 | CA18, CA19, KA19, KA20, KA21, SA27, SA28, SA29 |
ASSESSMENT of the module is based on the following PERCENTAGES:
-
Portfolio (linguistics) 25%
- Portfolio (literature). 25%
- In-class final essay 40%
- Active participation and contribution 10%
The minimum pass mark is 5/10 for all essays and activities.
For each individual assessent activity, the teacher will inform the students (via Moodle) of the procedure and date for reviewing the grades.
NOT ASSESSED AS FINAL GRADE:
Students will obtain a Not assessed/Not submitted course grade unless they have submitted more than 30% of the assessment items.
ITEM-BY-ITEM RE-ASSESSMENT:
a) Students should have a course average mark of 3,5 or higher to be eligible for re-assessment.
b) The maximum mark awarded for each reassessed item is 5/10.
c) Class attendance and active participation will not be re-assessed.
SINGLE-ASSESSMENT OPTION:
Students will be assessed on the basis of the following components:
- Portfolio (literature). 25%
- Portfolio (linguistics) 25%
- In-class final essay 40%
- Active participation and contribution 10%
By contrast to the continuous assessment, the due date for the portfolios will be the same as the date of the final essay.
The same re-assessment methodas continuous assessment will be used.
PLAGIARISM:
In the eventof astudent committing any irregularity that may lead to a significant variation in the grade awarded to an assessment activity, the student will be given a zero for this activity, regardless of any disciplinary process that may take place. In the event of several irregularities in assessment activities of the same subject, the student will be given a zero as the final grade for this subject.
Irregularities refer, for instance, to copying in an exam, copying from sources without indiacting authorship, or a misuse of AI such as presenting workas original that has been generated by an AI tool or programme. These evaluation activities will not be re-assessed.
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI):
This subject allows the use of AI technologies exclusively for linguistic correction. The work of critical reading and searching for bibliography is solely the responsibility of the student.
Bibliography
During the semester detailed bibliographical references will be provided for each of the main topics.
(*) Accessible through our library webpage (Biblioteca d'Humanitats (UAB)
GENERAL REFERENCES
DiYanni, Robert and Brost, Anton (2017). Critical Reading Across the Curriculum: Humanities. Wiley. (*)
Fairclough, Norman (2006). Language and Globalization. Routledge.(*)
Freire, Paolo (1987). The Importance of the Act of Reading. In Paolo Freire and Donaldo Macedo (Eds.), Literacy: Reading the Word and the World (pp.29-36). Bergin & Garvey.
Handford, Michael and James P. Gee (2023) (Eds.), The Routledge Handbook of Discourse Analysis (2nd Ed.). Routledge. (*)
Wallace, Mike and Wray, Alison (2021, 4th Ed). Critical Reading and Writing for Postgraduates. Sage.
https://subjectguides.york.ac.uk/critical/reading
Software
No specific software will be required.
Groups and Languages
Please note that this information is provisional until 30 November 2025. You can check it through this link. To consult the language you will need to enter the CODE of the subject.
| Name | Group | Language | Semester | Turn |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (TEm) Theory (master) | 1 | English | first semester | morning-mixed |