Welcome to English Studies with a Didactic Focus (91-120), 30 Credits (25%)

Information från kursansvarig

English Studies with a Didactic Focus (90-120) 30 credits consists of 4 separate modules:

Diversity in English Language Teaching and Learning (Spring Term 2026)
Oral and Written Proficiency in Teaching (Fall Term 2024)
English Literature Didactics (Spring Term 2025)
Didactic Perspectives on the Analysis of Pupils’ and Upper-Secondary School Students’ Texts (Fall Term 2025)

All modules meet online every other Friday from 13-15.

Oral and Written Proficiency starts on Friday in week 36. There will be 8 seminars for this module and attendance and active participation at seminars is mandatory. The reading for all modules can be found in the course plan.

Oral and Written Proficiency
In the Oral and Written Proficiency in Teaching module you are given specialised knowledge in oral and written language skills in different genres with a focus on how the comprehensive communicative ability can be developed on the basis of current research.

Didactic Perspectives on the Analysis of Pupils’ and Upper-Secondary School Students’ Texts
In this module you will learn about the analysis, assessment and teaching of language structure and lexis (vocabulary), including discussion of relevant didactic methods focusing on these aspects of learner texts and analysis and assessment of actual learner texts. The course literature you will need is all available as e-books at the University of Gävle library and listed in the course plan.

English Literature Didactics
This module deals with the role of literature in the teaching of English as a school subject, based on the syllabi for grades 7-9, upper secondary school and adult education at upper secondary level. Concepts such as the multicultural classroom, globalization, democracy, criticality and critical thinking are discussed based on film as well as youth and adult literary texts from different genres (fiction, drama, poetry) and time periods. In connection with literature, the students read texts that reflect both the Swedish and the international state of research in English literature didactics. In this way, the students are given the tools to make a well-thought-out and varied selection of literature for their teaching on a scholarly basis. Based on the syllabi for English in grades 7-9 and in upper secondary school and through the study of practical handbooks, the students investigate different methods and forms for teaching literature. The module thus includes elements of a more practical nature, such as planning teaching modules in literature, grading and formative assessment. Only a selection of titles (ca. 1500 pages in total) from the literature list in the English Literature Didactics module will be studied. That selection will be communicated via Canvas by the module instructors no later than ten weeks before the beginning of the module.

Diversity in English Language Teaching
This module deals with diversity in English teaching in grades 7-9 as well as upper secondary school and adult education at upper secondary level. The students analyze various theories about diversity, multilingualism and cultural conditions and based on these, develop the ability to critically examine and justify didactic choices and methods in English teaching. Diversity in teaching is discussed, problematized and exemplified in seminars and lectures in light of current research in order to understand how diversity is defined in teaching. The students learn how pupils and upper-secondary students develop an understanding of living conditions, social issues and how cultural conditions can be promoted.

On Canvas, you will find specific information, such as detailed course descriptions, class schedule, teaching materials, course requirements, discussion forums, and assignments. A great part of your work will be carried out via Canvas, too. It is therefore essential that you register, which will enroll you in the course on Canvas before the semester starts. Course registration opens two weeks before course start, in week 34. See the link to register at the start of this welcome letter. Once the module has started, you should check the course site on Canvas on a daily basis. Important information will be posted by your instructors on the first page of the course site (as “Announcements”).
All the meetings for this course are online, in “digital classrooms” via the web conferencing system Zoom. Access to the digital classrooms will be provided through links posted in the course site on Canvas. Please note that you need to have a headset, a microphone and a webcam so as to be able to fully participate in our Zoom sessions. You will find a user guide to Zoom and information about the software at .https://www.hig.se/Ext/En/University-of-Gavle/Library/Learning-Center/Web-meetings-with-Zoom.html

First class meeting

Your first meeting will be in the Oral and Written Proficiency module and will be on Friday, September 6, from 13–15, online via Zoom. Zoom links can be found on Canvas in the individual module folder.


Bear in mind that this is a 25% course and you should expect to put in about 10 hours a week on the course. Please contact the course coordinator with questions on the course itself. You will find answers to your questions on the individual modules on the Canvas course site.

Cheating and plagiarizing are serious academic offences, which result in failing the module in question and being reported to the college’s disciplinary commission. To learn about plagiarism and get basic information on how to avoid it, please read the following disclaimer carefully before the beginning of the course: https://hig.se/download/18.1a5c0163b4c29a902f8/1527755508111/Plagiarism.pdf External link.