A PG-level introduction to the practice of Comparative Literature, this course is one of two which is mandatory for students on the MLitt in Comparative Literature. This course provides hands-on experience in doing comparative work, and builds therefore on the theoretical work of the Semester 1 Course called 'Introduction to Comparative Literature'.

Weekly 2-hour seminar for 11 weeks.

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The standard assessments for this course are: 

■ Annotated Bibliography: (2,000 words) - 20%

■ Presentation: a 15-minute Powerpoint presentation on the proposed Dissertation topic - 20%

■ Writing Assignment: Project Application, including an abstract, rationale for the study, research questions, proposed title, contexts/methods/sources, and KE potential (2,500 words + 500-word Reflective Appendix - 60%

If required, for instance where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, the following alternatives are available: 

■ Presentation: Choice between live or pre-recorded presentation (audio or video) / Powerpoint with substantial presentation notes.

■ There is no alternative to the Annotated Bibliography nor to the Writing Assignment, but extensions to the deadlines can be offered as reasonable adjustment (students should follow the usual process for extensions).

Further reasonable adjustments may be provided where necessary. Students are encouraged to consult with the course convenor.  

It is the default expectation that all courses will offer opportunities for reassessment or deferred assessment. Where it is not possible to offer this in some assessment components, the grade achieved at the first attempt will be counted towards the final course grade, and any exceptions for this course are described below.

[No exceptions]

The aims of this course are to provide:

■ A solid background in the real-life intercultural and interdisciplinary encounters, including Literary (Cultural) Reception History, and Intermedial, Interdisciplinary and Intercultural analysis, based on the work of staff and research students in the SMLC as well as students' own forays into the current scholarship;

■ A forum for developing, in discussion with staff and other students, viable research questions, and setting about the research decided upon;

■ Skills training specific to student's own emerging project in finding resources, keeping an annotated bibliography, writing a research plan and funding application, giving a public spoken presentation as well as defending a poster.

Intended learning outcomes:

By the end of the course students will be able to:

■ Identify and locate a range of relevant academic sources for their own research ideas and projects, and organize these in a coherent fashion;

■ Articulate in oral and written form their own response to readings (whether these are self-identified readings or ones from other students or staff) as well as to oral presentations encountered on the course, demonstrating an open but critical awareness of research projects different to their own, and demonstrating a global awareness of the issues confronting the study of Comparative Literature;

■ Articulate in appropriate critical language in a variety of oral and written forms their own plans for a sustained research project, showing a deeper grasp of the (inter)-cultural, historical, theoretical and/or aesthetic issues their research questions have thrown up, as well as of the issues and problems involved in working in the field of Comparative Literature.