Основы создания, интерпретации и редактирования текста

Магистратура 2021/2022

Лучший по критерию «Полезность курса для расширения кругозора и разностороннего развития»

Лучший по критерию «Новизна полученных знаний»

Статус: Курс обязательный (Иностранные языки и межкультурная коммуникация)

Направление: 45.04.02. Лингвистика

Кто читает: Школа иностранных языков

Где читается: Школа иностранных языков

Когда читается: 1-й курс, 3, 4 модуль

Формат изучения: с онлайн-курсом

Онлайн-часы: 50

Охват аудитории: для своего кампуса

Преподаватели: Билмэс Леонид, Чернецова Екатерина Владимировна

Прогр. обучения: Иностранные языки и межкультурная коммуникация

Язык: английский

Кредиты: 4

Контактные часы: 60

Full Syllabus Ask Question

Abstract

This course consists of two components: 1) to equip students with the knowledge and skills needed to write and edit both essays and short fiction; 2) to explore key theoretical approaches to the study and interpretation of texts. The aim of the course is to provide students with the tools needed to write elegant prose in various genres with a view to improving overall writing competence. In practice, this entails closely analysing essays and short stories written by some of the masters of the form (with a focus on 20th–21st centuries), as well as learning about key editing strategies used by said authors. The course assignments have been designed with a view to mastering register, form and key linguistic elements most fitting to the communication purpose. Regarding the theory component of the course, students will learn to think more critically about genre, audience, and the ways in which a text’s form is both a constraint and a possibility for its author. Appropriate for Year-1 MA students, this course is intended to enhance reading, writing and editing skills; enrich vocabulary; unpack complex grammatical constructions; and encourage thought-provoking seminar discussions. Having completed this course, students are expected to master the fundamentals of good editing practice; understand key interpretative approaches to texts; and, finally, produce their own nonfictional essays and fictional stories. A short online course (Coursera.org) also needs to be completed as part of the assessment.

Learning Objectives

to differentiate between academic and belletristic/literary registers in writing
to understand and practise the fundamentals of essay writing
to explore various theoretical approaches to the study of texts of different genres
to understand and practise the fundamentals of story writing
to analyse the linguistic and formal characteristics of effective writing practice

Expected Learning Outcomes

to improve editing and revision skills of texts of various genres and to use linguistic means for impact
to be able to write essays for various communication purposes
to learn to write short fiction in various genres
to distinguish fictional and nonfictional genres and their respective applications and possibilities
to grasp key theoretical approaches to the study of texts

Course Contents

Course Introduction
The Short Story
Dialogue in Fiction
Genre Fiction I
Genre Fiction II
Fiction about the Present
Essayistic Form
Writing about the Arts
The Personal Essay
The Critical/Philosophical Essay
The Opinion Essay
Theory of the Text: Genre Criticism
Theory of the Text: Reader-Response
Theory of the Text: Intertextuality
Theory of the Text: Plot and Time

Assessment Elements

Class attendance and active participation
Active participation in group discussions and in-class assignments is required at every seminar. Students should inform their professor about their excused absences before the class (not after) by email, and provide the doctor’s note and other documents about them. An excused absence is an absence due to a number of accepted reasons such as a medical or personal issue beyond one’s control, participation in a significant extracurricular university event, conference etc. If the absence is excused, the grade for seminar participation will not be reduced. However, even if a student is absent, they are still responsible for any written homework assignments; because they will have at least a week’s lead time, the due date for these remains the same regardless of one’s absence.
Writing portfolio
The writing portfolio assignment consists of three parts: 1. A short story (500 words) 2. A book review (350-450 words) 3. A descriptive piece of prose (300–350 words) The topics for each portfolio component and further assignment instructions will be provided before Week 3 of Module 3.
Presentations
The presentation is a group assignment: students are required to work in pairs (groups of three may be possible in the event of an uneven number of students in a seminar group). Students may choose their own topic but the presentation needs to be based on the theoretical approaches and/or authors included on the course programme. To get the full grade, students need to deliver two presentations, one on a short story from the list provided during Module 3; and another on a theoretical topic of their choice at the end of Module 4.
Essay (exam)
The essay assignment is due near the end of Module 4 and is the de facto exam of the course. The minimum length is 1200 words and the essay should not exceed 1500 words. The essay may be written in one of several possible genres (e.g., the critical essay; writing about the arts/literature/cinema/theatre; the opinion essay). Essay topics will be shared at least four weeks before the end of Module 4. Plagiarism will not be tolerated. For each plagiarized sentence, the student loses one point (for example, 8 → 7). If there are more than three plagiarized sentences detected, the grade for the essay is zero. If an essay is late, it is not accepted or assessed – the grade is a zero.
Coursera assessment

Interim Assessment

2021/2022 3rd module
0.3 * Class attendance and active participation + 0.7 * Writing portfolio
2021/2022 4th module
0.25 * Writing portfolio + 0.3 * Essay (exam) + 0.2 * Presentations + 0.15 * Class attendance and active participation + 0.1 * Coursera assessment

Bibliography

Recommended Core Bibliography

Key concepts in creative writing, Morrison, M., 2010
The Cambridge companion to creative writing, , 2012
The elements of style, Strunk, W., 2014
The Penguin Book of the British Short Story : V.2, Hensher P., 2016

Recommended Additional Bibliography

Literature for composition : essays, stories, poems, and plays, Barnet, S., 2011
The practice of creative writing : a guide for students, Sellers, H., 2021

Presentation

The following online course is included as part of the assessment: 'Writing and Editing: Revising'

Authors

BILMES LEONID -

Course Syllabus