Course for international guest/part time students
- Faculty
- Faculty of Humanities
- Organization
- BTK Department of English Studies
- Code
- OT-ANG-125
- Title
- The History of British Literature: an Overview
- Usual semester
- Autumn
- Published semester
- 2026/27/1
- ECTS
- 3
- Language
- en
- Learning outcomes
- The aim of the course The aim of this course is to give an overview of the history of British literature, from the beginnings to modern, postmodern, and contemporary literary trends. The lecture series will provide students with the basic foundations for understanding and interpreting British literature systematically, as well as part of complex historical and cultural discourses. Through a chronological overview, the course will link English literature to the historical and literary knowledge familiar to students from their studies in secondary school, thus helping them to build a solid foundation for their further courses in British literature and culture in the upcoming semesters. A) Knowledge Awareness of the traditional chronology of European literary history and an understanding of the phenomena of English literary history and culture integrated into this already familiar system Confident use of language and advanced vocabulary, both in comprehension and in composition Knowledge of various possible literary and cultural interpretations, trends, tendencies, and an awareness of their logical connections B) Abilities Ability to read and interpret literary texts in English Ability to learn independently, and to carry out relevant research Ability to place literary texts in cultural and historical context Ability to express themselves clearly about the topics with a correct use of English Ability to recognise the connections and links between various texts, media products or works of art and their cultural/historical contexts Ability to analyse works of art in a broader sense, applying them to our everyday lives C) Attitude Openness towards the topics, methods and opinions raised in class Accepting of opinions, even if they are contrary to their own Openness to the possibility of a variety of interpretations Striving to master various analytical methods Trying to address any use-of-English problems that may arise, and showing an openness to literary texts that may prove difficult to comprehend for a first reading Readiness to engage in constructive discussion and debate with peers and instructors D) Autonomy Ability to work independently with literary texts based on the material presented in the lecture Formulating their own opinions and contrasting them with those of their peers and instructors Carrying out independent research and formulating the results independently E) Responsibility Patient listening to and respect for informed opinions Developing educated and ethically responsible opinions, ready to communicate them to prospective students Maintaining a critical and open-minded approach to the material presented
- Course content
- The course seeks to illuminate the main trends and tendencies of British literature clearly and concisely from the beginnings, through the Middle Ages, the Tudor and Stuart periods, and the literature of the 18th and 19th centuries, to the literature of the 20th and 21st centuries, focusing on the most important literary texts in English. Students will be able to rely on their existing literary and cultural knowledge in understanding the main directions and trends of the periods and core works of English literature.
- Assessment method
- Oral exam at the end of the semester, where students will demonstrate a basic knowledge of The required literary texts, supported by the material of the lecture and relevant chapters of the recommended secondary literature. It is essential that students are able to formulate their opinions and views on literary works from different periods in a clear and concise manner, and to place and interpret the works in the appropriate cultural historical context.
- Bibliography
- Literature (2-5 compulsory and/or recommended items): Sanders, Andrew: The Short Oxford History of English Literature, 3rd Edition, OUP, 2004. Greenblatt, Stephen (ed.): Norton Anthology of English Literature, Norton, 2018. Hollander, John, and Frank Kermode: Oxford Anthology of English Literature, OUP, 1974. Bényei, Tamás and Géza Kállay (eds.): Az angol irodalom története 1-4, Kijárat Kiadó, 2021.