BTAN1004MA, Advanced Academic Writing
The purpose of the course is to further develop students’ academic writing skills and thus to assist them in writing nuanced arguments and a substantial MA thesis. The course is designed to deepen students’ awareness of what makes a skilfully written academic essay (primarily in literary and cultural studies), develop their critical thinking, and refine their academic writing skills in practice. We shall begin by revisiting some of the fundamentals of (academic) writing and then move on to the development of advanced writing competence, with particular attention to coherent textual structure, the construction of effective arguments, lexico-grammatical accuracy at clause level, and appropriate academic register and style. Students will further develop their ability to construct scholarly arguments through the effective use of textual analysis, the integration of primary and secondary sources, and the application of theoretical frameworks to the analysis of literary and cultural texts. Particular emphasis will be placed on developing research skills, including the evaluation of academic sources and the responsible use of AI in the research and writing process. Having acquired a certain level of MLA proficiency in the BA program, students will also become more confident in applying its conventions by the end of the semester.
BTAN32004BA, Dystopia and Utopia in Anglophone Literature
This course introduces students to the dystopian and utopian literary traditions—two distinct yet intertwined modes of thinking and writing that have been central to the optimistic or pessimistic outlook with which people have viewed the developments taking place in the world for the last few centuries. Focusing on the dystopian and utopian literature of the 20th century, the course familiarises students with the recurring concepts and concerns that define these traditions. Students will analyse how writers within Anglophone literary history have imagined both dystopian societies and their ideal counterparts in response to the political, cultural, and technological developments of their time. Readings range from classic dystopian novels critiquing totalitarian regimes to works incorporating science fiction and apocalyptic elements, aiming to cover a broad range of topics pertaining to dystopian and utopian fiction. The theoretical background of the course is comprised of secondary literature on dystopia and utopia, complemented by social theory, political philosophy, and political anthropology. Through close readings of canonised as well as lesser-known works, students will develop their critical thinking skills, acquire the ability to compare thematic concerns across different time periods and to link literary texts to present-day social issues, and gain insight into how literature reflects social, political, and cultural anxieties and aspirations, ultimately also influencing public debate.
BTAN2203OMA, Introduction to Literature and Visual Culture
The aim of the course is to help students acquire the basic skills and terminology needed for analysing literary, visual, and digital texts, as well as to introduce them to some major critical approaches. Through the analysis of selected cultural texts, seminars will discuss key concepts in literary and cultural analysis, particular cultural forms and media, critical approaches and theoretical perspectives, and fields of study related to contemporary culture.
BTAN1002OMA, Skills Development: Writing and Composition
This course is the first one in a series that introduces the students to the skills and formats of academic writing in English, ultimately leading to the types of writing expected of university students. The Writing and Composition course develops students’ written language skills, with a focus on composing and editing a variety of texts, primarily descriptive and argumentative essays, across a wide range of topics. Apart from organisation in texts, students will also learn about internal sentence structure and different ways of combining sentences, as well as mechanics and the importance of unity, coherence, and cohesion in paragraphs and essay-length pieces of writing. In the form of self-study, some aspects of grammar are planned to be revised during the semester to further improve the linguistic quality of students’ essays. The course aims to provide students with insights useful not only for preparing for the writing component of the end-of-the-year EYE examination, but also for other future writing endeavours, such as the writing of (literary) research papers. By the end of the semester, students will have developed strategies for generating, supporting, and articulating their ideas. The ultimate goal of the course is to develop students’ ability to produce clear, coherent, and persuasive written texts that meet international academic standards.