Simon Fraser University
Engaging the World

Course Outlines

Fall 2021 - ENGL 111W D100

Literary Classics in English (3)

Class Number: 4056

Delivery Method: In Person

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    Sep 8 – Dec 7, 2021: Tue, 10:30 a.m.–12:20 p.m.
    Burnaby

  • Exam Times + Location:

    Dec 17, 2021
    Fri, 7:00–10:00 p.m.
    Burnaby

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

Examines literary “classics”, variously defined, apprehending them both on their own terms and within larger critical conversations. May incorporate the comparative study of work in related artistic fields and engage relevant media trends. Includes attention to writing skills. Students with credit for ENGL 101W may not take this course for further credit. Writing/Breadth-Humanities.

COURSE DETAILS:

Trying Forms: The Secret History and Possible Futures of The Essay 

Essays. We all know and either love or hate them. But have you ever stopped to think about the history of the form (which literally means "to try") and how it got to be so pervasive, especially in educational institutions like the one you are currently attending? This course answers all. We start by going back to the writer who might be considered the originator of the essay, Michel de Montaigne, as we consider how, isolated and surrounded by books in his private tower, he came to "invent" this radical form of prose. We follow the course of the essay through the exploding marketplace for print and the corresponding increase in literacy in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries and consider its position as a format for mass communication and education in the twentieth century. One of the key themes we will return to in the course is the connection between form and content (material and ideas). So we'll end by considering current forms that seem to provide the same informational hit as the essay: podcasts, anyone? And we'll dabble in the speculative as we contemplate the possible futures of the essay (or lack thereof). 

You'll encounter a whole range of ideas in this course as we examine a selection of effective and important essays that address issues such as language and identity, science and society, race and gender, technology and creativity. You may not agree with all the writers (in fact, guaranteed that you won't). But you'll learn to appreciate how they say their piece, as, over the semester, we will develop a toolbox of critical skills that you can use to analyze the works we are studying.

And yes, you will be writing essays yourself as you put what you learn into practice. Expect to do both informal weekly writing and formal essays as you develop your own writerly skills.

COURSE-LEVEL EDUCATIONAL GOALS:

1. understand the history of the essay form
2. understand the relationship between material form and the communciation of ideas 
3. evaluate, practice and demonstrate techniques of effective written and oral communication

Grading

  • midterm #1 (in class) 25%
  • midterm #2 (in-class) 25%
  • final exam 25%
  • informal writing, reflection, tutorial attendance and participation 25%

NOTES:

PLEASE MAKE SURE TO HAVE THE TEXTBOOKS BY THE FIRST WEEK OF THE COURSE. YOU WILL NEED TO ORDER THEM AS THEY ARE NOT AVAILABLE THROUGH SFU'S BOOKSTORE.  

REQUIREMENTS:

To receive credit for this course, students must complete all of the assignment requirements, including attendance and participation. 

Materials

REQUIRED READING:

The Broadview Anthology of Expository Prose – Third Canadian Edition. Edited by Laura Buzzard, Don LePan, Nora Ruddock and Alexandria Stuart. 2017.

THIS BOOK IS NOT AVAILABLE THROUGH SFU'S BOOKSTORE. 

You can order it here: https://broadviewpress.com/product/the-broadview-anthology-of-expository-prose-canadian-third-edition/#tab-description

Or you can bundle it with The Broadview Pocket Guide to Writing here: https://broadviewpress.com/product/engl-111w-davis/#tab-description





ISBN: ISBN: 9781554813469

The Broadview Pocket Guide to Writing – Revised Fourth Canadian Edition
by Doug Babington; Don Le Pan; Maureen Okun; Nora Ruddock

THIS BOOK IS NOT AVAILABLE THROUGH SFU'S BOOKSTORE.

You can order this as a book bundled with The Broadview Anthology of Expository Prose here: https://broadviewpress.com/product/engl-111w-davis/#tab-description

Or you can order it as an ebook here: https://broadviewpress.com/product/the-broadview-pocket-guide-to-writing-revised-fourth-edition/#tab-description


ISBN: 9781554813360

Department Undergraduate Notes:

IMPORTANT NOTE Re 300 and 400 level courses: 75% of spaces in 300 level English courses, and 100% of spaces in 400 level English courses, are reserved for declared English Major, Minor, Extended Minor, Joint Major, and Honours students only, until open enrollment begins.

For all On-Campus Courses, please note the following:
- To receive credit for the course, students must complete all requirements.
- Tutorials/Seminars WILL be held the first week of classes.
- When choosing your schedule, remember to check "Show lab/tutorial sections" to see all Lecture/Seminar/Tutorial times required.

Registrar Notes:

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS

SFU’s Academic Integrity web site http://www.sfu.ca/students/academicintegrity.html is filled with information on what is meant by academic dishonesty, where you can find resources to help with your studies and the consequences of cheating.  Check out the site for more information and videos that help explain the issues in plain English.

Each student is responsible for his or her conduct as it affects the University community.  Academic dishonesty, in whatever form, is ultimately destructive of the values of the University. Furthermore, it is unfair and discouraging to the majority of students who pursue their studies honestly. Scholarly integrity is required of all members of the University. http://www.sfu.ca/policies/gazette/student/s10-01.html

TEACHING AT SFU IN FALL 2021

Teaching at SFU in fall 2021 will involve primarily in-person instruction, with approximately 70 to 80 per cent of classes in person/on campus, with safety plans in place.  Whether your course will be in-person or through remote methods will be clearly identified in the schedule of classes.  You will also know at enrollment whether remote course components will be “live” (synchronous) or at your own pace (asynchronous).

Enrolling in a course acknowledges that you are able to attend in whatever format is required.  You should not enroll in a course that is in-person if you are not able to return to campus, and should be aware that remote study may entail different modes of learning, interaction with your instructor, and ways of getting feedback on your work than may be the case for in-person classes.

Students with hidden or visible disabilities who may need class or exam accommodations, including in the context of remote learning, are advised to register with the SFU Centre for Accessible Learning (caladmin@sfu.ca or 778-782-3112) as early as possible in order to prepare for the fall 2021 term.