Welcome to English Studies with a Didactic Focus (91-120) 30,0 Credits

Information from the course co-ordinator

This 30-credit advanced-level course consists of four modules of 7.5 credits each: Diversity in English Language Teaching and Learning, Didactic Perspectives on the Analysis of Pupils’ and Upper-Secondary School Students’ Texts, English Literature Didactics, and Oral and Written Proficiency in Teaching.

The first module will be studied in the spring of 2025 and the following ones in the upcoming three terms (autumn 2025, spring 2026, and autumn 2026). You may choose between "Diversity in English Language Teaching and Learning" and "English Literature Didactics," which are taught in parallel. This is a 25% course, and you should expect to put in about 10 hours a week on studying it.

ENG009 Diversity in English Language Teaching and Learning, 7.5 cr.

The module provides teachers with knowledge and develops abilities that enable them to contribute to an inclusive, innovative, and reflective society. In this course we address issues concerning gender, ethnicity, cultural diversity, and diverse abilities in English, including how to meet the needs of high ability students, as well as new arrivals who are less fluent in English. Students are offered an opportunity to study the relevant concepts and theories in the field of diversity studies, combining theoretical knowledge and practical experience.

There are three instructors in this module: Iulian Cananau, Caroline Sims, and Marko Modiano. Teaching consists of online lectures and seminars. The course starts in week 4 and meets every other week until the last meeting of the term in week 22. There will be eight seminars, and all seminars meet on Zoom on Fridays from 13-15. Attendance and active participation at seminars are mandatory.

A good idea is to get hold of all the books mentioned in the course bibliography as soon as possible. More information about the content and assessment procedures will be published by the instructors on the course site in Canvas.

ENA007 English Literature Didactics 7.5 cr.

This module provides teachers with in-depth knowledge of literary studies in English with an emphasis on learning and teaching literature in secondary and upper secondary schools. Concepts such as the multicultural classroom, globalization, democracy, criticality, and critical thinking are discussed in connection with film as well as youth and adult literary texts from different genres (fiction, drama, poetry) and time periods. We will also read texts that reflect both the Swedish and the international state of research in English literature didactics.

There are three instructors in this module: Fredrik Svensson, Jessika Nilsson, and Iulian Cananau. Teaching consists of online lectures and seminars. The course starts in week 5 and meets every other week until the last meeting of the term in week 23. There will be nine seminars, and all seminars meet on Zoom on Fridays from 13.00 to 15.00. Attendance and active participation at seminars are mandatory. As mentioned in the syllabus (kursplan), a selection of the titles in the bibliography will be studied, following the instructors’ specifications. Please find these books in the list below:

Adichie, Chimamanda Ngozi. Americanah.

Evaristo, Bernardine. Girl, Woman, Other.

Miller, Arthur. The Crucible.

Thomas, Angie. The Hate U Give.

In addition, one movie will be chosen by the participants and the instructor. A selection of poems and a couple of short stories (provided by the instructors) will also be studied.

The primary sources for literature didactics are:

Beach, R. et al. (Latest Edition). Teaching Literature to Adolescents. Routledge. A selection of chapters (approximately 200 pages).

McCann, Thomas M. & John V. Knapp. Teaching Literature in High School: Principles into Purposeful Practice. Rowman & Littlefield.

The latest versions of the Skolverket documents.

A selection of research articles (up to 200 pages) will also be studied. More information about the content and assessment procedures will be published in Canvas.

In Canvas, you will find specific information, such as detailed course descriptions, class schedules, teaching materials, course requirements and assignments. A great part of your work will be carried out via Canvas, too. Once the module has started, you should check the course site on Canvas on a weekly basis. Important announcements may be posted by your instructors on the course site at any time. If you have questions about the course, contact the course coordinator.

All the meetings for this course are online; all our classes will take place in "online classrooms" via the web conferencing system Zoom. Access to the digital classrooms will be provided through links posted on the course site on Canvas. It is recommended to have a headset, a microphone and a webcam to be able to fully participate in our Zoom sessions. At any rate, use a computer instead of an iPad, tablet, or cellphone, which does not work well for this activity.

Cheating and plagiarizing are serious academic offences, which result in failing the module in question and being reported to the college’s disciplinary commission. In Canvas, you are required to take a knowledge test about cheating before you submit any course assignments.