AJ2306 British History, Culture and Literature

Faculty of Education
Spring 2025
Extent and Intensity
0/3/0. 5 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
In-person direct teaching
Teacher(s)
Mgr. Zdeněk Janík, M.A., Ph.D. (lecturer)
Mgr. Zuzana Kršková, Ph.D. (seminar tutor)
Guaranteed by
Mgr. Lucie Podroužková, Ph.D.
Department of English Language and Literature – Faculty of Education
Contact Person: Jana Popelková
Supplier department: Department of English Language and Literature – Faculty of Education
Prerequisites
AJ2102 Practical Language 1B
General prerequisites for the semester apply.
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
there are 7 fields of study the course is directly associated with, display
Course objectives
Students are introduced to history, literature and culture of Great Britain from the period of Roman Britain to the half of the 20th Century. The goal is to introduce important authors, literary movements, historical events and cultural context of the given period and analyze their interrelation. Students will understand how literary texts reflect historical events and cultural myths. They will learn to identify cultural values and interpret them with the purpose to enhance respect to otherness. Students will discuss the role of context, gender, race, and ethnicity in history and in forming of literary genres and topics. The class includes practical demonstrations of how to use literary texts to promote critical and creative thinking in class as well as to raise cultural and intercultural awareness. The class models an integrated format of teaching history, literature and culture, with an emphasis on cross-curricular learning and tandem teaching.
Learning outcomes
By the end of the course the student:
  • • will be able to read and interpret literary texts in English in both the literary and historical context
  • • will be able to grasp the interdepedence of historical development and its reflection in the arts
  • • will have produced a given number of short response papers throughout the semester
  • • will have read three literary works of the period.
    • Syllabus
    • 1. Britain from the Roman Occupation to Anglo-Saxon Period: the cult of warrior, Alfred the Great, Beowulf
    • 2. The Medieval England and the Ideals of Chivalry: Feudalism and Arthurian Legends
    • 3. From the Middle Ages to Renaissance: Geoffrey Chaucer and the Tudors
    • 4. The World as Stage: English Reformation and Renaissance Theater
    • 5. From Monarchy to Republic and Back: Religious schisms of the 17th Century. John Milton and Paradise Lost
    • 6. Classicism and Enlightenment: Rise of English Novel (Daniel Defoe)
    • 7. Romanticism: The Legacy of the French Revolution and the Revolt against the power of reason (the Lake Poets. Gothic novel)
    • 8. Early Victorian Period and the Rise of Victorian Novel
    • 9. British Imperialism and the Late Victorian Period. Social criticism in Charles Dickens and Robert Luis Stevenson's novels
    • 10. The late 19th and early 20th Century. Literary Modernism
    • 11. World War I and the Retreat of British Empire: the War poets and Virginia Woolf
    • 12. Period between wars and World War II: Orwell's dark vision of the future
    Literature
    • A short history of English literature (Orig.) : [Starší anglická literatura do roku 1700] : Stručné dějiny anglické literatury. info
    • ALEXANDER, Michael. A history of English literature. 3rd ed. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2013, xx, 443. ISBN 9780230368316. info
    • PECK, John and Martin COYLE. A brief history of English literature. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2002, xiii, 353. ISBN 0333791770. info
    • A companion to Old and Middle English literature. Edited by Laura C. Lambdin - Robert T. Lambdin. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 2002, xi, 433 p. ISBN 0313310548. info
    • CRAWFORD, Robert. Devolving English literature. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1992, viii, 320. ISBN 0-19-811298-X. info
    • OLIVERIUSOVÁ, Eva. A survey of English literature. Vyd. 1. Praha: Státní pedagogické nakladatelství, 1972, 134 s. URL info
    • DAICHES, David. A critical history of english literature. 2nd ed. London: Secker & Warburg, 1969, vii, 534. ISBN 0436121050. info
    • NEEDLEMAN, M. H. and W. B. OTIS. An outline-history of English literature. New York: Barnes & Noble, 1966, 653 s. info
    • BATESON, Frederick Wilse. A guide to English literature. Garden City, N.Y.: Anchor Books, 1965, xi, 259. info
    • ELTON, Oliver. A survey of English literature. London: Edward Arnold, 1912, xv, 456. info
    • OLIPHANT, Mrs. (Margaret). The Victorian age of English literature. Vol. 2 (Přít.) : The Victorian age of English literature. Vol. 1. Leipzig: F.A. Brockhaus, 1912, 320 s. info
    Teaching methods
    Activities for reading skills, language skills and critical thinking skills; debates; topic-based learning, issue-based learning, learning centres and project work. Focus on cooperation and collaboration (communicative competence), SEL, autonomous and sustainable learning.
    Assessment methods
    CONTINUOUS ASSESSMENT: class attendance and participation, intensive and extensive reading, home and class assignments SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT: test The passmark for all assessment is 70%.
    Language of instruction
    English
    Study support
    http://moodlinka.ics.muni.cz/course/view.php?id=2545
    Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
    The course is taught annually.
    The course is taught: every week.
    Teacher's information
    https://moodlinka.ics.muni.cz/course/view.php?id=2545
    Please note the subject is taught by two instructors, each of whom have their own continuous assessment criteria. The summative assessment (test) is one for both history and literature.
    The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2024.
    • Enrolment Statistics (recent)
    • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/ped/spring2025/AJ2306