English (ENGL) 211

Overview

In ENGL 211 students will examine a variety of fictional works in prose. The texts that will be studied in this course include American, British, and Canadian short stories and novels, ranging from the nineteenth to the twenty-first century. By examining these works and the accompanying commentaries in the Study Guide, students will encounter major literary concepts, terms, and analytical strategies.

Outline

• Units 1 and 2 examine a range of short stories by authors such as Ernest Hemingway, Eudora Welty, Amy Tan, and Thomas King. These units also provide an introduction to the strategies of close reading, analytical writing, and selected key concepts in literary studies.
• Units 3, 4, and 5 examine, respectively, a twenty-first century American novel, a twentieth-century Canadian novel, and a nineteenth-century British novel, as well as relevant literary and analytical concepts.

Evaluation

To receive credit for ENGL 211, you must achieve an overall grade of at least D (50 percent) and at least “D” (50 percent) on the final exam. All assignments are required in order to pass the course. The weighting of the course assignments is as follows:

The final examination for this course must be requested in advance and written under the supervision of an AU-approved exam invigilator. Invigilators include either ProctorU or an approved in-person invigilation centre that can accommodate online exams. Students are responsible for payment of any invigilation fees. Information on exam request deadlines, invigilators, and other exam-related questions, can be found at the Exams and grades section of the Calendar.

To learn more about assignments and examinations, please refer to Athabasca University’s online Calendar.

Materials

Physical course materials

The following course materials are included in a course package that will be shipped to your home prior to your course’s start date:

Dickens, Charles. Great Expectations. 1861. New York: Oxford UP, 2008.

Findley, Timothy. The Wars. 1977. Toronto: Penguin, 2017.

Gardner, Janet E. and Joanne Diaz. Reading and Writing About Literature: A Portable Guide. 5th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2021.

Lahiri, Jhumpa. The Namesake. Boston: Mariner, 2003.

Other materials

The course materials also include an online Course Information, Study Guide, and AU Student Manual.

Challenge for credit

Overview

The challenge for credit process allows you to demonstrate that you have acquired a command of the general subject matter, knowledge, intellectual and/or other skills that would normally be found in a university-level course.

Full information about challenge for credit can be found in the Undergraduate Calendar.

Evaluation

To receive credit for the ENGL 211 challenge registration, you must achieve a grade of at least 50 per cent on the examination and a grade of at least D (50 percent) overall.

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