This course will introduce students to some classic plays from different times in Britain and America. The focus is to introduce the participants to this literary genre, examining the plot, characters, theme, setting, scene, dialogue, conflict, rhetorical and linguistic devices, and dramatic forms, such as tragedy, comedy, theatre of the absurd, etc. The students will examine the cultural contexts of these plays to see how these contexts are reflected in the literary works and how reality is depicted in the plays.
This is an interdisciplinary course that explores British culture in the 20th and 21st century through the nation's history, sociology, literature and the arts, politics and mass media. It builds on students' previous experiences to examine the British popular and ethnic cultures, and how historical, social, religious and political movements have shaped the nation's culture. The course highlights the difficulty of defining what "culture" is with special reference to the British context, and how the different ethnic groups emigrating to Britain have contributed to its sub-cultures.
This course will introduce students to some classic plays from different times in Britain and America. The focus is to introduce the participants to this literary genre, examining the plot, characters, theme, setting, scene, dialogue, conflict, rhetorical and linguistic devices, and dramatic forms, such as tragedy, comedy, theatre of the absurd, etc. The students will examine the cultural contexts of these plays to see how these contexts are reflected in the literary works and how reality is depicted in the plays.
This course introduces students to influential British and American poets, novelists and play and screen writers and their most important works. It covers authors from the 1880s to the present. It examines the socio-economic and cultural environments during which their works were written.
The course presupposes critical examination of the novel, including social, cultural, historical and religious context.
The course presupposses to research the key principes of effective and efficient academic writing.
Lecturer: Dr Tang Renfang, Assistant Professor
Email: renfang.tang@xmu.edu.my
Office: A1 #314
Consultation hours: Monday 2.00 pm - 4.00 pm Thursday 2.00 pm - 4.00 pm (Please book an appointment with the Lecturer before coming.)
Introduction:
This course offers an introduction to creative writing through the study and practice of both fiction and non-fiction forms. Students will explore a variety of genres, including short stories, novels, poetry, script writing, comic writing, alongside creative non-fiction such as memoir, personal essays, content creation, boardgames. Throughout this course, you’ll learn methods for appealing to the senses, strategies for building characters, and ways to create compelling dialogue. Along the way, you’ll glean tips from a wide range of fiction, poetry and scripts. Emphasis is placed on understanding key narrative techniques, including voice, characterisation, structure, and style. Through a combination of guided instruction and practical writing exercises, students will develop their ability to express ideas creatively and effectively. The course adopts a workshop-based approach, encouraging experimentation, peer feedback, and revision, enabling students to refine their craft and cultivate an individual writing voice.
Required References:
Hill, A. (2023). Digital Storytelling and Ethics: Collaborative Creation and Facilitation. Routledge Studies in Creative Writing: Taylor & Francis Ltd, 2023 (ISBN: 9781032061238).
Mura, D. (2018). A Stranger’s Journey: Race, Identity and Narrative Craft in Writing. University of Georgia Press.
Scott, J. (2023). Creative Writing and Stylistics, Revised and Expanded Edition: Critical and Creative Approaches. Bloomsbury Publishing PLC, 2023 (ISBN: 9781350372955).
Zinsser, W. (2016). On Writing Well: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction, 30th Ed. New York: Harper Perennial.
Further Readings:
Jon McGregor, Sarah Hall, Jessie Greengrass. (2022). Reverse Engineering. Publisher: Scratch Books. (ISBN: 1739830105, 9781739830106).
Lecturer: Dr Tang Renfang, Assistant Professor
Email: renfang.tang@xmu.edu.my
Office: A1 #314
Consultation hours: Monday 2.00 pm - 4.00 pm Thursday 2.00 pm - 4.00 pm (Please book an appointment with the Lecturer before coming.)
Introduction:
This course offers an introduction to creative writing through the study and practice of both fiction and non-fiction forms. Students will explore a variety of genres, including short stories, novels, poetry, script writing, comic writing, alongside creative non-fiction such as memoir, personal essays, content creation, boardgames. Throughout this course, you’ll learn methods for appealing to the senses, strategies for building characters, and ways to create compelling dialogue. Along the way, you’ll glean tips from a wide range of fiction, poetry and scripts. Emphasis is placed on understanding key narrative techniques, including voice, characterisation, structure, and style. Through a combination of guided instruction and practical writing exercises, students will develop their ability to express ideas creatively and effectively. The course adopts a workshop-based approach, encouraging experimentation, peer feedback, and revision, enabling students to refine their craft and cultivate an individual writing voice.
Required References:
Hill, A. (2023). Digital Storytelling and Ethics: Collaborative Creation and Facilitation. Routledge Studies in Creative Writing: Taylor & Francis Ltd, 2023 (ISBN: 9781032061238).
Mura, D. (2018). A Stranger’s Journey: Race, Identity and Narrative Craft in Writing. University of Georgia Press.
Scott, J. (2023). Creative Writing and Stylistics, Revised and Expanded Edition: Critical and Creative Approaches. Bloomsbury Publishing PLC, 2023 (ISBN: 9781350372955).
Zinsser, W. (2016). On Writing Well: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction, 30th Ed. New York: Harper Perennial.
Further Readings:
Jon McGregor, Sarah Hall, Jessie Greengrass. (2022). Reverse Engineering. Publisher: Scratch Books. (ISBN: 1739830105, 9781739830106).
Lecturer: Dr Tang Renfang, Assistant Professor
Email: renfang.tang@xmu.edu.my
Office: A1 #314
Consultation hours: Monday 2.00 pm - 4.00 pm Thursday 2.00 pm - 4.00 pm (Please book an appointment with the Lecturer before coming.)
Introduction:
This course introduces students to poetry written in English, especially those written during the Romantic and Modern periods. They will learn the key elements of the poetic art, including voice, image, metaphor and form. Poems written by representative authors from the periods will be used as examples for students to read, recite and critically analyze. Students will develop their critial reading and writing skills through the journals they will write in responding to these poems and the critical essays they will write analyzing the works. In doing so, they will get insight into the power of poetry and the pleasure of enjoying this genre of literature.
Required References:
• Drinkwater. J (2019). Revival: English Poetry: An Unfinished history (1938). Routledge.
• Ferguson, M., Kendall, T. & Salter, M. J. (2018). The Norton Anthology of Poetry, 6th Ed. New York: W. W. Norton & Company.
• Gerard, A. S. (2023). English Romantic Poetry: Ethos, Structure, and Symbol in Coleridge, Wordsworth, Shelley, and Keats. University
• Gill, P. (2022). An Introduction to Poetic Forms. Taylor & Francis.
Further Readings:
• Texts on different poets will be assigned.
Lecturer: Dr Tang Renfang, Assistant Professor
Email: renfang.tang@xmu.edu.my
Office: A1 #314
Consultation hours: Monday 2.00 pm - 4.00 pm Thursday 2.00 pm - 4.00 pm (Please book an appointment with the Lecturer before coming.)
Introduction:
This course introduces students to poetry written in English, especially those written during the Romantic and Modern periods. They will learn the key elements of the poetic art, including voice, image, metaphor and form. Poems written by representative authors from the periods will be used as examples for students to read, recite and critically analyze. Students will develop their critial reading and writing skills through the journals they will write in responding to these poems and the critical essays they will write analyzing the works. In doing so, they will get insight into the power of poetry and the pleasure of enjoying this genre of literature.
Required References:
• Drinkwater. J (2019). Revival: English Poetry: An Unfinished history (1938). Routledge.
• Ferguson, M., Kendall, T. & Salter, M. J. (2018). The Norton Anthology of Poetry, 6th Ed. New York: W. W. Norton & Company.
• Gerard, A. S. (2023). English Romantic Poetry: Ethos, Structure, and Symbol in Coleridge, Wordsworth, Shelley, and Keats. University
• Gill, P. (2022). An Introduction to Poetic Forms. Taylor & Francis.
Further Readings:
• Texts on different poets will be assigned.
In this module, students will attend a few lectures to review the basics in thesis, but most of the time will be spent in writing their theses, and meeting up with their supervisors and revising their works.
This course provides a review of both essential and fine points of the grammatical structural features of formal written English. The students will be instructed to develop their knowledge of the form, meaning and use of English grammar structures in order to enhance their written and spoken performances in academic setting. Emphasis will be placed on active production and error analysis of standard English.
| This course will address the complexity of the contemporary aesthetic experience through a related series of questions that drive the discourse in contemporary Literature and arts: How do we open ourselves to what is unfamiliar in the arts and literature and what is the purpose in doing so? Who decides what is of value in the arts and literature and how are these determinations made? How do the arts literature respond to culture and how do they lead them? Whose voice is allowed access to speak through the arts and literature? What is the place of beauty in the arts literature and how has that concept changed over time? Through exploring aesthetic thoughts from Ancient Greece to the main theories of the subject, the questions above will be discussed. Through observation, contemplation, sensation, reading, writing, attendance at some events of literature, and heightened self-awareness, the student will engage as an aesthetic observer and participant in the world. |
| Thus course presents a broad outline of the development of British and American literature. It offers a chronological and critical survey of British literature from AngloSaxon period, the Middle Ages, through Renaissance to modern period. It offers a chronological and critical survey of American literature from colonial period to modern times. It examines the different movements and genres developed during these periods and places them in their social-cultural contexts. Students will have the opportunity to know about some influential works of prose, poetry, drama and fiction in relation to their historical, social, political and cultural contexts. |
This course introduces students to English novels and short stories written in 18th and 19th centuries.
The students will critically examine the constituent elements of the novels and the short stories, including the social, cultural, historical and religious contexts, as well as the characters, plot and setting.
They will read few novels and short stories representative of the periods.
This course is designed to help students improve their ability to communicate professionally. Students will learn the tools they need to adapt their writing in varied professional, cross-cultural contexts and to translate it into effective verbal presentations in these settings. In particular, students will develop an awareness of professional language, written conventions, and multimodal communication, including verbal, written, and digital/visual modes. Students will learn skills in rhetorical analysis, which will enable them to adapt to multifaceted professional writing scenarios in the future. It emphasizes the practical skill of public speaking, including techniques to lessen speaker anxiety, and the use of visual aids to enhance spearker presentations.
The course will examine the origins and development of the English language, from its earliest beginnings in the Old Germanic dialects brought by the Anglian and Saxon settlers to Britain in the fifth century CE to varieties of Present-Day English spread across the globe and its use as a second language by a large portion of the world's population.
This course emphasizes the students’ improvement in expressive abilities and aims at broadening their minds and horizons. The course consists of three main
components: acting training, appreciation of theatre, and imitation of classic plays from different eras.
The students are guided to look at the major Languages of the world with examples, as well as how languages are grouped into families and branches according to their clharacteristics. The students will also learn about and recognize the writing systems of the world.