THINKING LIKE A CRITIC - 2025/6

Module Overview

This module introduces students to key theoretical debates and critical methodologies relating to literature and literary studies. It extends the student's knowledge of the different approaches we can take to literary studies, the various questions we can ask of literature, and the diverse forms of knowledge and insight that the study of literature can yield. Simultaneously, it allows students to identify the approaches and concerns in which they have been previously (and often unwittingly) been trained and those which most interest them going forward; it then helps them develop and enhance their understanding and application of their preferred methodologies. The module is in this way both complementary and foundational to all the other modules students will take in both their first year and in subsequent years: it gives them a vital toolkit they will deploy on all modules.

Topics and methodologies to be explored include questions of form and the close reading of literary texts; the political and ideological implications of literary texts; the interrelationships between texts, genres and culture more generally; the relationship between texts and their various historical contexts; and the evolution of the academic discipline of English Literature from the early 20th to the early 21st century. Students are trained not only to understand some of the most influential literary theories and methodologies, but also to appraise, compare and critique these different approaches.

Together with a rigorous study of a wide range of theoretical traditions, students will also analyse, through collaborative exercises and seminar discussions, short texts and cultural phenomena. In this way, they will develop the critical skills necessary to appreciate how theoretical texts can provide us with powerful tools to discuss important social questions that affect contemporary societies.

Module provider

Literature & Languages

Module Leader

THOMPSON Carl (Lit & Langs)

Number of Credits: 30

ECTS Credits: 15

Framework: FHEQ Level 4

Module cap (Maximum number of students): N/A

Module Availability

Year long

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

None

Module content

The module introduces students to a wide range of critical and theoretical traditions in literary criticism and cultural studies. Students will draw into conversation schools of thoughts that have been foundational for literary and cultural studies. Indicative topics and traditions include:

•  Formalism
• Structuralism and poststructuralism
• Critical race theory
• Gender and sexuality
• Postmodernism
• Marxism
• Postcolonialism and decoloniality
• Psychoanalysis
• Ecocriticism

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

Students unable to participate in the group presentation should contact the module leader to discuss alternative forms of assessment.

Assessment Strategy

The assessment strategy is designed to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate achievement of the module learning outcomes. Seminar discussion with ongoing formative feedback from tutors is designed mainly to develop transferable skills in working as part of a group and practical/professional skills in expressing complex ideas and performing critical analysis through oral communication. It also develops subject knowledge in the different forms of critical theory used in English literature and cognitive/analytical skills in critical thinking and in using theory in the close reading of literary texts.The critical analysis requires students to apply a specific literary theory or methodology in the close reading of a selected short text; it also requires them to discuss and appraise the theory they have chosen. The deadline for the critical analysis is usually in the middle of the first term. The feedback offered on this assessment can therefore feed forward to inform the second assessment, i.e. the essay.The oral presentation with written report assesses practical/professional skills in expressing ideas and critical analysis in oral communication and, as a group presentation, it assesses transferable and professional skills in working as part of a group and presenting idea effectively and concisely. Feed-forward will be provided to the students so that they can integrate it in the final assessment, i.e. the exam.The essay and exam assess practical/professional skills in expressing ideas and critical analysis in written communication and transferable skills in working independently. They require students to compare, contrast, appraise and critique two different theoretical approaches, thereby training them in critical thinking and more abstract theoretical thinking.Thus, the summative assessment for this module consists of: In semester 1: 

• Critical analysis (500 words) 15% 
• Essay (1500 words) 35%

• Oral presentation with collaborative written report (600 words) 15% 
• 4-Hour Take-Home Exam (2 hours) (1200 words) 35%

Module aims

• introduce students to a range of critical theory and provide students with the skills necessary for using that theory in the analysis of literary texts
• establish connections among different critical traditions and broaden students' understanding of how theories relate to social, political, and cultural processes
• advance students' ability to apply theory to literary texts, in particular through the process of interpretive analysis, close reading, and connective thinking
• develop skills in oral and written communication
• improve presentation and communication skills in synthesising and presenting a large body of knowledge

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The learning and teaching strategy is designed to explore a wide range of literary and cultural theories and to apply their study to the understanding of literary studies, culture, and society.This will involve directed reading and listening / viewing, class discussion, and the formation of critical responses to secondary literature in the coursework essay and exam. Specifically, the weekly lectures deliver subject knowledge related to the different forms of critical theory used in English Literature and develop cognitive/analytical skills in using theory in the close reading of literary texts and in critical thinking.The weekly seminars offer student-led discussions that develop skills in expressing ideas and critical analysis in oral communication, and in working as part of a seminar group. Seminars, in which students are expected to have done core reading and to discuss this in class, serve to ground this subject knowledge further and to give students tools to position themselves in relation to the theories discussed and to the social, political, and cultural questions they raise.Tutor feed forward and collaborative work using a wide range of resources help students to build resourcefulness and resilience in locating and analysing resources and in learning from setbacks when discussing dense theoretical texts.Discussions in seminars and workshops aim to give students further practical and transferable skills in working with others and in using rhetorical skills for argument. The learning and teaching methods include a combination of lecture materials, seminar discussions, captured content, guided learning and independent learning.

Indicated Lecture Hours (which may also include seminars, tutorials, workshops and other contact time) are approximate and may include in-class tests where one or more of these are an assessment on the module. In-class tests are scheduled/organised separately to taught content and will be published on to student personal timetables, where they apply to taken modules, as soon as they are finalised by central administration. This will usually be after the initial publication of the teaching timetable for the relevant semester.

Reading list

https://readinglists.surrey.ac.uk
Upon accessing the reading list, please search for the module using the module code: ELI1042

Other information

Surrey's Curriculum Framework is committed to developing graduates with strengths in Employability, Digital Capabilities, Global and Cultural Capabilities, Sustainability, and Resourcefulness and Resilience. This module is designed to allow students to develop knowledge, skills and capabilities in the following areas.

Employability: students will acquire transferable and professional skills by practicing critical thinking, by carefully analysing theoretical texts, and by applying these skills in small group discussion and in the oral presentation. The presentation and the written report will allow students to develop skills in presenting ideas effectively and concisely, and in summarising and synthesising a large body of knowledge. These are highly sought skills in a wide range of professional environments where clear and compelling communication is paramount. The written assignments must also be written, proof-read, formatted and referenced to a high standard: training in all these aspects of the assignments is given in the module's two skills sessions.

Digital Capabilities: The module requires students to use and navigate Surrey University¿s Virtual Learning Environment, SurreyLearn. The supplementary captured content supplied to them via SurreyLearn requires them to navigate other online resources (for example, YouTube, social media pages, blogs). For assignments, they must draw on a variety of online research tools (for example, the University Library¿s online catalogue and its various databases; Google Scholar; JSTOR) to identify relevant critical and theoretical material. Skills sessions, in the middle and at the end of each semester, are built into the module to help students develop and improve these digital research capabilities.

Global and Cultural Capabilities: The module provides an important intellectual and conceptual tool-kit for understanding, articulating and critiquing many of the fundamental structures and processes that underpin any culture, past or present, local or global. The intersections between culture, politics and economic systems, for example, are explored in several sessions, while others address the global legacies and psychological/cultural effects of colonialism and empire. English literature and its study are also explored from many different cultural perspectives, with being taken to ensure diversity in the texts and theorists we use as the starting points for debate.

Sustainability: students will be able to understand what it means to be ethically, culturally, and environmentally responsible by reading works that address the social, cultural, and historical causes of contemporary inequalities. They will develop critical skills in addressing and discussing a wide range of theoretical and practical issues from a wide and evidence-based perspective. In this way, they will be encouraged to reflect on solutions for building a more just and sustainable future.

Resourcefulness and Resilience: students will actively participate in seminar discussions and explore a wide range of resources both individually and through group work. Through the collaboratively written report and presentation, students will gain expertise in working as a part of a group and in learning from others. They will also practice effective communication and connective critical thinking. Throughout the module, students will have the opportunity to receive feedback, learn from setbacks, and reflect on their progress.

Please note that the information detailed within this record is accurate at the time of publishing and may be subject to change. This record contains information for the most up to date version of the programme / module for the 2025/6 academic year.