This course takes an integrated approach towards the theory as well as the practice of verbal and non-verbal professional communication, with a particular emphasizes on the practical skill of public speaking. It is designed to help students improve their ability to communicate effectively in varied cross-cultural contexts and professional settings. Classes are designed to encourage students to develop an awareness of how their personal and beliefs and values can mesh with their professional persona in order to exert a positive influence on the professional environment. Students will be trained in various techniques of multimodal communication integrating verbal, non-verbal, written, digital and audio-visual modes.
This course offers a practical and theoretical introduction to the new creative and interpretive possibilities opened up by digital forms of literature. It explores what is happening to literature and its study in the digital age. Digital technologies are profoundly affecting how literature is produced, read, and analyzed. We will explore new theoretical perspectives on literature arising from this context—from innovative conceptions of textuality, authorship, and reading to changing understandings of the book, publishing, and the library. Engaging with digital archives and computational techniques in literary analysis, we will ask what new insights we can gain into literature once it is digitized. Is the digital age making literature more accessible, more inclusive, and more interactive? Or will the digital age, with its many multimedia distractions, make literature obsolete?
This course goes beyond analyzing existing literary objects by having students create their own digital literary works. Students will gain hands-on experience with quantitative textual analysis and learn to use accessible digital tools. Crucially, students will develop strategic competency: the ability to critically assess, select, and adapt digital methods and platforms to address specific literary research questions and creative goals. By the end of the course, students will be equipped not only to critically navigate the future of literature in a digital world but also to make informed, strategic decisions about which digital tools and approaches best serve their scholarly and creative purposes.
This course provides a comprehensive survey of literary theory from Ancient Greece to the present, encompassing both Western and non-Western traditions. Students will learn to interpret novels, poems, plays, prose, and video games through diverse theoretical lenses, developing professional competencies in literary analysis that complement existing courses in literary history and genre appreciation.
G1143 Introduction to International Relations and Communication 1st semester, academic year 2026-2027
British and American Thought and Culture, 1st semester academic year 2026-2027
This course introduces students to British and American influential poets, novelists and play and screen writers and their most important works. It covers authors from 1880s to present. It examines the socio-economic and cultural environments during which their works were written.
This course takes an integrated approach towards the theory as well as the practice of verbal and non-verbal professional communication, with a particular emphasizes on the practical skill of public speaking. It is designed to help students improve their ability to communicate effectively in varied cross-cultural contexts and professional settings. Classes are designed to encourage students to develop an awareness of how their personal and beliefs and values can mesh with their professional persona in order to exert a positive influence on the professional environment. Students will be trained in various techniques of multimodal communication integrating verbal, non-verbal, written, digital and audio-visual modes.
This course presents the evolution of English literature from the Anglo-Saxon period to the contemporary era in broad outline. The course will look at the relationship
between literary movements and genres and the history of ideas and place them within their socio-cultural, historical and political contexts in Britain and the USA as well
as in settler and postcolonial societies which have produced literatures in English. The course will trace the evolution of literary style through readings of short poems
and extracts from longer works and students will be encouraged to relate changes in style and thematic concerns to changes in social and personal values.
This course is an introduction to the theory and basic elements as well as the history of Western classical music. All these elements will be reinforced through practical sessions on recorder technique, supplemented by asynchronous guided listening sessions. At the end of course, you should be able to play a simple melody on the recorder, and this will form a major part of the assessment.
This course introduces influential aesthetic theories, guiding students to appreciate, interpret, and create literary works. It explores the historical development of aesthetics and aims to equip students with diverse perspectives for identifying, experiencing, and creating beauty, pleasure, and meaning in literature and the arts. Through observation, contemplation, sensation, reading, writing, attendance at literary events, and heightened self-awareness, students will engage as both aesthetic observers and active participants in the world.
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 provides an overview of both fundamental and more advanced aspects of English grammatical structures, with particular emphasis on their use in formal academic contexts. Students will develop their knowledge of the form, meaning, and use of English grammatical structures in order to enhance their accuracy and effectiveness in written and spoken academic communication. Emphasis will be placed on the accurate and appropriate use of grammatical structures, as well as the identification and analysis of grammatical errors.
This course empowers students to conduct holistic, linguistic analyses of novels by examining their constituent and structural elements within social, cultural, historical, and religious contexts.
This course introduces students to the key principles of effective and efficient academic writing.
This course provides a holistic and systematic introduction to the scientific study of language, examining its fundamental components and structural organization as a system.
This course introduces the theories and methodologies of Discourse Analysis for examining authentic spoken and written English discourse. It covers the development, assumptions, and principles of discourse studies, including verbal and non-verbal communication and the linguistic, social, and cultural dimensions of discourse across various genres. Through the integration of relevant theoretical and analytical perspectives, students examine discourse-related issues and develop problem-solving skills for understanding language use beyond the sentence level in diverse contexts. The course focuses on larger linguistic units such as conversations, interactions, and written texts while promoting academic integrity.
This course introduces the theories and methodologies of Discourse Analysis for examining authentic spoken and written English discourse. It covers the development, assumptions, and principles of discourse studies, including verbal and non-verbal communication and the linguistic, social, and cultural dimensions of discourse across various genres. Through the integration of relevant theoretical and analytical perspectives, students examine discourse-related issues and develop problem-solving skills for understanding language use beyond the sentence level in diverse contexts. The course focuses on larger linguistic units such as conversations, interactions, and written texts while promoting academic integrity.
This course introduces fundamental research methods in English language and literature. Students will learn to identify research problems and gaps through critical evaluation of scholarly sources, understand research ethics and approaches, and apply quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods to collect, analyze, and interpret research data with transparency. Emphasis is placed on investigating the interrelationships among linguistic, literary, cultural, social, and contextual factors influencing English language and literature phenomena. The course also develops students' academic writing and referencing skills and introduces digital tools to support the research process.
The course introduces students to traditional and modern linguistic theories of translation, and factors involving translation including text types, readership, purpose, cultural and psychological aspects of translation in the modern world. Students will get to read articles on translation theories, both traditional and modern, critique translations of different text types, including classical literary works, advertisements, menus, functional writing, etc. They will draw on modern linguistic theories to examine concepts such as equivalence and compensation, and problems relating to the translation of registers, sociolects and dialects.
This course is designed for students who have previously taken Beginning and Intermediate German courses. On the one hand, it focuses on communicative competence and linguistic functional ability. The lessons cover grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation as well as skills in speaking, listening, reading, and writing. On the other hand, the focus of this course will be on real-life language use, the integration of German and Germanic culture and language, and the acquisition of the four skills: reading, listening, writing, and speaking. Students will practice spoken German in a variety of contexts and will develop communicative tactics and vocabulary to improve oral expression and conversation. Through a variety of activities, students will improve their phonetic production while developing vocabulary and the capacity to express ideas in a myriad of functional settings. Topics may include: Germanic culture, current events, travel, music, and sports. Through the development of successful reading, writing, speaking, and listening comprehension skills, the students will reach the advanced-level in German learning. In order to achieve a much greater effect, instructor will adapt the content of this course to students’ needs.
This course is an introduction to German language and culture. It is designed for students with little or no knowledge of German language or culture.In this course, students will develop fundamental oral and written skills in German. The fundamentals of German pronunciation, grammar, and culture are presented through a balanced development of all four skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. It provides typical themes, grammar and vocabulary fields for German learning beginners.
This course is the continuation of work began in Beginning German. It is designed for students who have previously taken German course LGS004. In this course, students will learn how to express themselves and communicate more effectively in German. Students will review what they have already studied and further develop their ability to speak, read and write in German by listening and using the language to communicate with each other. More topics about German culture will be explored.
Lecturers:
Dr Tang Renfang—Course Coordinator
Email: renfang.tang@xmu.edu.my
Office: A1-314
Cunsultation Hours: Wednesday 3:00 pm -5:00 pm Thursday 3:00 pm-5:00 pm
Dr Mario Maritan
Email: mario.maritan@xmu.edu.my
Time: Friday 10.00am-12.00pm (Weeks 1-6)
Venue: A3#511
Introduction:
This course does not include formal lectures. Instead, tutorials will be conducted by the co-teaching lecturer, Dr Mario Maritan in Teaching Weeks 1-6. The Course Coordinator, Dr Tang Renfang, will provide and manage course information on Moodle and communicate important instructions, announcements, and notifications to students through Moodle and email.
Students will spend most of their time independently working on their theses, meeting regularly with their supervisors, and revising their work based on supervisory feedback. A clear supervision system and timeline will be established to guide students through the different stages of the thesis-writing process, ensuring that they make steady progress, complete their theses on time, and are well prepared for the final submission and viva.
Credit Value: 6
Course Learniing Outcomes (CLOs):
CLO1: Formulate a coherent and feasible thesis proposal that identifies a significant research gap within English literature, linguistics, Applied Linguistics, language learning & teaching, culture, communication, or a related language field, and rigorously justifies the chosen methodology;
CLO2: Compose a sustained, evidence-based research project by systematically collecting, analysing, and synthesizing primary and/or secondary data, culminating in a well-structured, academically rigorous written thesis that adheres to disciplinary conventions;
CLO3: Propose integrated, sustainable solutions to complex language or literary problems by synthesizing the thesis findings, and defend these solutions against professional academic scrutiny during the viva.
Assessment and Due Dates:
Finalized Proposal: 10%
Defence & Gantt Chart – 4 pm, 2 October 2026 - Week 1
Thesis: 70%
First submission of thesis – 6 pm, December 10, 2026 - Week 11
Viva: 20% - Week 13
Final submission of thesis – 6 pm, December 31, 2026-Week 14
Course Summary:
Lecturer: Dr Tang Renfang, Assistant Professor
Email: renfang.tang@xmu.edu.my
Office: A1 #314
Consultation hours: Wednesday 3.00 pm - 5.00 pm Thursday 3.00 pm - 5.00 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).