Guia Academica - Facultad de Filología - Universidad de Salamanca

GUÍA ACADÉMICA 2009-2010 FACULTAD DE FILOLOGÍA 300
UNIVERSIDAD DE SALAMANCA
b) The ability to work closely and collaboratively with members of a small team, and be able to present ideas to the larger group.
c) The ability to express ideas cogently in a range of modes, including class discussions, and essays.
d) The ability to develop reasoned arguments, and present them in accessible forms, both orally and in writing (i.e. develop an interpretation of
a literary text, collect research from appropriate sources, support the interpretation with evidence, and cite the source material).
e) The ability to locate critical texts through responsible research and retrieval of information.
COURSE CONTENT (OUTLINE)
A. Introduction: what is a short story and why do writers choose this form.
B. Analyzing short stories I: different kinds of story tellers; the concept of narrative point of view; characters: varieties of character; building
characters in narrative; descriptions of consciousness.
C. Analyzing short stories II: the relationship between plot and form; writing our experience of time; comparing writing styles; figurative language.
D. The self in its cultural worlds: stories about gender, race and identity.
E. A brief history of the short story.
F. Defining terms: realism; fantasy, anti-realism, postmodernism: accessible definitions provided.
LEARNING AND TEACHING METHODS
The course will meet for 3 hours per week and will consist of a mixture of lectures, student and teacher-led presentations, and tutorials. In the
lectures I will discuss some of the narrative techniques this literary form employs. I will also outline some different kinds of short story and provide
accessible definitions of important concepts. The remainder of the time will be spent discussing particular stories. A list of these, and the dates on
which we will discuss them, will be provided at the beginning of the course.
Journal: You will be required to keep a journal, recording responses to the stories we read. These responses will also be used to stimulate class
discussion. Journal assignments will help you to prepare for class discussion, for writing the paper, and to review for the exam.
Oral Presentation: At the beginning of the semester, you must sign up for one oral presentation, which means you will be responsible for leading
class discussion and analysis of a short story.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS AND GRADING
• Regular attendance, participation, and class discussion. Although some class time will be taken up with lectures, the majority of the class
will involve class discussion. Because much of the material that you will be tested on is generated in class discussion, you are very important
not only to your success in this class, but also to the success of others in the class.
• The course follows a seminar format; therefore you must complete weekly reading assignments on time and participate actively in class.
All texts will be read in English.
• The table below illustrates the final grade distribution:
Presentation 25%
Final Exam 50%
Journal 15%
Class Participation 10%
COURSE COMMUNICATION
Information for this course and lecture material will be posted on the course portal in advance of each class meeting (located at
http://studium.usal.es/como_acceder). There you will find updates to this syllabus, electronic copies of selected readings, assignments, and regular
announcements. You are responsible for printing and reviewing this material before coming to class.