SCHOOL OF ENGLISH
INFORMATION
BOOKLET
FOR
SECOND ARTS
2014-2015
School of English
Head of School – Professor Claire Connolly
Second Arts Committee:
Dr Barry Monahan
Dr Eibhear Walshe
Prof. Alex Davis
Dr Tom Birkett
Dr Edel Semple
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
-o-o-o-O-o-o-o
Plagiarism Officer (Teaching Period 1): Dr Anne Etienne
[email protected]
Plagiarism Officer (Teaching Period 2): Dr Heather Laird
[email protected]
Teaching Officer: Dr Heather Laird [email protected]
Extensions: Apply to Dr Barry Monahan [email protected]
Seminar Registration: Dr Edel Semple [email protected]
o-o-o-O-o-o-o
School of English Office
O’Rahilly Building, ORB1.57
Opening Hours:
Monday – Friday
9.15 a.m. – 11.00 am.
&
2.30 p.m. – 5.00 p.m.
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 021- 4902241, 4902664, 4903677
Table of Contents
Essay Calendar ………………………………
1
Timetable
..………………………………….
2
Programme requirements ……………..
3
Reading List
5
………..…………………..
Critical Skills Seminars …………………
13
Seminar registration …………………….
15
3rd Year Seminar List………………….…
17
Policies on Assessments………………….
37
Essay Guidelines ….……………………….
39
Plagiarism Policy ……..………………….
46
TurnItIn ………………………………………
50
Guidelines for a students planning
a teaching career………………………….
53
SECOND ARTS ESSAY CALENDAR 2014/2015
EN2011 THE CANTERBURY TALES (KR)
Set Essay submission date – Tuesday, 4th November 2014.*
Class Test – To be Confirmed**
EN2012 OLD ENGLISH LANGUAGE (TB)
Class Test – Friday 24th October 2014, 11.00 – 12.00 p.m.
Class Test – Friday, 5th December 2014, 11.00 a.m. – 12.00 p.m
Set Essay submission date – Friday 19th December 2014.*
EN2021 SEVENTEENTH-CENTURY LITERATURE (CO’M)
Set Essay submission date – Monday 3rd November 2014 *
Class Test – To be Confirmed**
EN2036 AMERICAN CINEMA (GY)
Set Essay submission date – Monday 10th November 2014.
Class Test – To be Confirmed**
EN2077 INVENTING MODERN DRAMA (AE/LL)
Set Essay submission date – Wednesday 12th November 2014.*
Class Test – To be Confirmed**
EN2078 COLONY AND NATION: IRISH LITERATURE BEFORE 1900 (COG/CC)
Set Essay submission date – Thursday 6th November 2014.*
Class Test – To be Confirmed**
*Set Essays: TWO copies of each essay must be handed in to the School of English office before 4.00 pm on
or before the date of submission. To avoid queues, please have your submission form completed and attached to
one copy of your essay BEFORE calling to the counter. Submission forms (green for 2nd Year) are available
in the rack to the right of the office door. You must also submit your Turnitin receipt with your essay. ESSAYS
WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED IN THE OFFICE WITHOUT A VALID TURNITIN RECEIPT.
** Class tests will take place in December 2014. Times, dates and venues will be posted on Blackboard once
they are confirmed.
1
SCHOOL OF ENGLISH
SECOND YEAR ENGLISH 2014-2015
Semester 1
Mon. 12.00
Boole 2
&
Tues.10.00
Kane G01
Tues. 4.00
KANE G19 &
Wed. 12.00
Kane G01
Tues. 1.00
WGB G05 &
Weds.10.00
GG LT
Tues. 5.00
Boole 2 &
Wed. 2.00
Boole 1
Wed. 1.00
FSB A1 &
Fri. 2.00
Boole 1
Thurs.1.00
WGB 107 &
Fri. 11.00
GG LT
08-Sep-14
Introductory Lecture: Monday 8th September at 12.00 noon, Boole 2
15-Sep-14 EN2021
EN2011
EN2078
EN2036
EN2077
EN2012
22-Sep-14 Seventeenth-
Canterbury
Colony and
American
Inventing
Old
29-Sep-14 Century
Tales
Nation: Irish
Cinema
Modern
English
Drama
Language
(AE, LL)
(TB)
06-Oct-14 Literature
Literature
13-Oct-14
before 1900
DIRECTED READING
20-Oct-14
27-Oct-14
03-Nov-14
10-Nov-14
17-Nov-14
24-Nov-14 (CO'M)
(KR)
(CÓG, CC)
(GY
01-Dec-14
STUDY/REVIEW WEEK/CLASS ESSAY WEEK
08-Dec-14
SEMESTER 1 EXAMINATIONS
15-Dec-14
SEMESTER 1 EXAMINATIONS
Tues. 4.00 Boole 4
&
Wed.
12.00
7 Jan-18
Feb Kane G01;
25 Feb-27 Mar WGB
G05
Tues. 1.00
Boole 2 &
Weds. 10.00
Boole 4
Tues. 5.00
Boole 2 &
Wed. 2.00 WGB
G05
Wed. 1.00
Boole 1 &
Fri. 2.00
Boole 1
Thurs.1.00
CE 110 &
Fri. 11.00
Kane G18
12-Jan-15 EN2046
EN2073
EN2043
EN2066
EN2023
EN2071
19-Jan-15 Nineteenth-
Introduction
Romance
Drama:
Eighteenth-
Women
26-Jan-15 Century
to
and
Medieval and
Century
and
02-Feb-15 American
Shakespearean Realism
Renaissance
Literature
Literature
09-Feb-15 Literature
Drama
(GA,CÓG)
(HL)
Semester 2
Mon. 12.00
Kane G01 &
Tues. 10.00
FSB A1
16-Feb-15
DIRECTED READING
23-Feb-15
02-Mar-15
09-Mar-15
16-Mar-15
23-Mar-15
30-Mar-15 (AG)
(ES)
(GA, AD)
(KR, ES)
06-Apr-15
Recess
13-Apr-15
Recess
20-Apr-15
STUDY/REVIEW WEEK
Key to Locations: BHSC = Brookfield Health Sciences Complex; FSBA1 = Food Sc. Building Block A Lev.1 GG = Geography/Geology
Building; Boole = Boole Lecture Theatre: WGB = Western Gateway Building; W = West Wing;
UNIVERSITY COLLEGE CORK
SCHOOL OF ENGLISH
Second Year English Courses for 2014-2015
This is an outline list of English courses for the session 2014-15. Every effort is made to
ensure that the contents are accurate. No guarantee is given that modules may not be
altered, cancelled, replaced, augmented or otherwise amended at any time.
Before deciding which courses you are going to choose you will also need a timetable
and fuller details of course arrangements which will be available from the School
Office in August.
PLEASE NOTE THAT IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF EACH INDIVIDUAL
STUDENT TO DISCOVER AND FULFILL THE EXACT REQUIREMENTS OF
THE COURSE ASSESSMENT SYSTEM.
OUTLINE OF MODULE REQUIREMENTS
Note: with the exceptions of EN2006, 2007 and 2009, modules timetabled in
Teaching Period 1 are examined by assessment during that Teaching Period, while
modules timetabled in Teaching Period 2 are examined in the exams in May.
50-credits in English (Single Honours)

Students take 50 credits as follows: EN2009 (20 credits) and EN2012 (5 credits) plus
two modules (10 credits) from Teaching Period 1 and three modules (15 credits) from
Teaching Period 2. EN2009 is made up of two seminars. Each seminar must be
passed separately. Compensation between seminars is not permitted.

As well as EN2012, students must take at least one lecture or seminar course
from the range of Old English, Middle English and Renaissance courses. (These
are designated with the letters OMR.)

Students may substitute one module from Teaching Period 1 with one module
from GR2019 or LL2003.
40-credits in English (Major)

Students take 40 credits as follows: EN2006 or EN2007 (10 credits) and EN2012
(5 credits) plus two modules (10 credits) from Teaching Period 1 and three
modules (15 credits) from Teaching Period 2As well as EN2012, students must
take at least one lecture or seminar course from the range of Old English, Middle
English and Renaissance courses. (These are designated with the letters OMR.)

Students may substitute one module from Teaching Period 1 with one module
from GR2019 or LL2003.
3
30-credits in English (Joint Honours)

Students take 30 credits as follows: EN2006 or EN2007 (10 credits) plus two
modules (10 credits) from Teaching Period 1 and two modules (10 credits) from
Teaching Period 2.

Students must take at least one lecture or seminar course from the range of Old
English, Middle English and Renaissance courses. (These are designated with the
letters OMR.)

Students may substitute one module from Teaching Period 1 with one module
from GR2019 or LL2003.

Applications to change from joint to major/single subject English in third year will
not be considered unless students have taken EN2012 in their second year.
20-credits in English (Minor)

Students take 20 credits as follows: Two modules (10 credits) from Teaching
Period 1 plus two modules (10credits) from Teaching Period 2.

Students may not take any of the following: EN2006, EN2007, EN2009, GR2019,
LL2003.

For students taking the BA in Film and Screen Media programme, EN2036 is a core module for
the major subject (Film and Screen Media). Therefore, these students are not allowed to include
EN2036 in their 20 credit requirement for English.
10-credits in English (Single)

Students take 10 credits as follows: One module (5 credits) from Teaching Period
1 plus one module (5 credits) from Teaching Period 2.

Students may not take any of the following EN2006, EN2007, EN2009, GR2019,
LL2003.
4
COURSES AND TEXTS
EN2011 CHAUCER: THE CANTERBURY TALES AND RELATED TEXTS (KR)
5 Credits, Teaching Period 1. (OMR)
This module consists of a detailed study of Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, a late
fourteenth-century tale collection which embraces every kind of medieval writing: comic
tales, romance and fantasy, stories of human vice and fragility, in every style imaginable –
from the philosophical to the downright filthy – all narrated through astonishing varieties of
voice and perspective. We will some of the most important and attractive examples from the
Tales, gauging the importance of the collection’s innovative (and strikingly modern)
structure, and exploring how the collection presents new questions on authorship and the uses
of literature; on human relations (and in particular the role of women in medieval society)
and how it provocatively opens medieval society and religion open to satire and debate. We
will also consider the Tales’ relationships to other aspects of medieval culture (including art
and music), and modern film.
Required textbook:
The Riverside Chaucer. Ed. L.D. Benson. Oxford: Oxford UP, 1987.
EN2012 UNLOCKING THE WORDHOARD: AN INTRODUCTION TO OLD
ENGLISH (TB)
5 Credits, Teaching Period 1. (OMR)
Course description:
Old English was the language spoken in Anglo-Saxon England from ca. 500-1100 AD and
preserved in manuscripts from ca. 800-1200 AD. This course will provide students with the
skills and linguistic competency to read and translate Old English to a high level of proficiency
over twelve weeks. This is achieved through a mix of introductory lectures and small-group
teaching with a designated Old English tutor. Our tutors will introduce students to the basics
of Old English pronunciation, grammar and vocabulary and invite them, from the first week,
to test and improve their language skills by reading and translating original texts, from accounts
of battles to obscene riddles.
This course should provide students with the skills to analyse and discuss the workings of the
language in a critical, academic manner; these skills can be applied to any language, medieval
or modern, and should enhance the student’s understanding of the construction of language and
its application in the written word. It will provide them with the critical idiom to talk about
language and the skills to read and appreciate the nuances of Old English texts and the beauty
and craft of Old English poetry in its original form.
Set Text:
Course pack based on O. D. Macrae-Gibson’s Learning Old English, available from the
School of English office.
You may also like to consult Murray McGillivray’s online course from the University of
Calgary http://www.ucalgary.ca/UofC/eduweb/engl401/, or the accessible introduction by
Carole Hough and John Corbett, Beginning Old English. Houndmills: Palgrave Macmillan,
2006.
5
EN2021 SEVENTEENTH-CENTURY LITERATURE 1: (CO’M)
5 Credits, Teaching Period 1. (OMR)
England in the seventeenth century was a turbulent place of social change and literary
innovation. This course will explore a variety of early modern British authors and their
respective poetic genres in the context of the significant social and cultural shifts which
resulted in the first modern revolution, the British Civil Wars (1642-49). Topics include lyric
poetry, religious expression, estate poetry, the masque culture and early modern women
writers; authors that will be studied include Robert Herrick, Ben Jonson, John Donne and
Katherine Phillips, amongst others.
Building on this foundation, the course will then focus on the work of two of the period's
most significant poets: Andrew Marvell's personal and political poems, and John Milton's
seminal epic, Paradise Lost.
Set Texts
You are required to have copies of these two books:
Rumrich, John and Gregory Chaplin, eds. Seventeenth-Century British Poetry, 1603-1660.
Norton edition. New York: Norton, 2006.
Milton, John. Paradise Lost. Norton Critical Editions. 3rd revised edition. Ed. Gordon Teskey.
New York: Norton, 2005 (or earlier Norton editions).
EN2023 EIGHTEENTH-CENTURY LITERATURE (GA /COG)
5 Credits, Teaching Period 2.
This module aims to develop students’ understanding of the relationship between literature
and society in the eighteenth century. The texts included will be drawn from different
periods in the eighteenth-century and from a variety of genres, which may include the novel
and poetry. Special attention is given to the rise of the novel form, to changes in poetic and
literary models, and subsequent changes in notions of literature, authorship and literary
meaning. The course may also focus on questions of class, gender, ideology and nation in
relation to literary texts.
EN2023.1
Defoe, Daniel. Robinson Crusoe, 2nd edition. New York: W.W. Norton & Co., 1993.
Henry, Fielding, Joseph Andrews. Oxford: Oxford World’s Classics. 1999.
EN2023.2
Selected poetry, available as a photocopied booklet.
6
EN2036 AMERICAN CINEMA/GENRE, 1895 to 1960: (GY)
5 Credits, Teaching Period 1.
This module introduces students to the area of Film Studies, with particular reference to
American cinema.in the pre-1960 period. Part I offers a detailed examination of films from
the early cinema period to the end of the 1930s, making reference to the development of
narrative cinema and the rise of the studio system. Part II offers a detailed examination of
films from the 1940s and 1950s, making reference to key directors, cinematic styles and to
the decline of the studio system. The course places the films within their socio-historical,
cultural and cinematic contexts and offers readings from a variety of critical perspectives.
Cook, David. A History of Narrative Film, New York, W.W. Norton, 2004.
Cook, Pam. The Cinema Book, London, British Film Institute, 2008.
EN2043 ROMANCE & REALISM: (GA/AD)
5 Credits, Teaching Period 2.
This module introduces students to the main narrative features of the novel tradition from the
late eighteenth to the early twentieth century, concentrating on the generic and formal
features of the two most dominant narrative forms of the era, romance and realism. Students
are introduced to the formal features of narrative fiction as it developed from the 1790s on,
and to the changing historical contexts in which it was produced. The texts under discussion
offer examples of the wide variety of novel forms during this period of literary history,
including gothic fiction, domestic realism, the sensation novel, imperial romance and
Decadent fiction
EN2043.1
Godwin, William. Caleb Williams, ed. Pamela Clemit. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2009.
Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein, ed. J.P. Hunter. New York: W.W. Norton, 1995.
EN2043.2
Wilkie Collins, The Moonstone (Ware: Wordsworth, 1999)
H. Rider Haggard, She (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991)
Arthur Machen, The Great God Pan [online ebook] Project Gutenberg
<http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/389>
7
EN2046 NINETEENTH-CENTURY AMERICAN LITERATURE (AG) 5 Credits,
Teaching Period 2.
The objective of this module is to introduce students to a range of nineteenth-century
American texts in various genres. This module is an introduction to the literature of the
United States from the American Renaissance of the 1850s to the end of the century.
Reading a range of texts in several genres drawn from the relevant period, students will trace
developments in American literary aesthetics and explore themes of nation building, race and
gender, slavery and the South, focusing on the role of literature in the formation of American
national identity.
Ralph Waldo Emerson, essays: ‘Nature’ and ‘The American Scholar’ (these will be made
available in photocopied form).
Emily Dickinson, selected poems (these will be made available in photocopied form).
Herman Melville, The Confidence Man. Penguin Classics.
Charlotte Perkins Gilman, 'The Yellow Wall-paper'. Dover Publications.
Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Scarlet Letter. Penguin.
Harriet Jacobs, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl. Dover Publications.
EN2066 DRAMA: MEDIEVAL TO RENAISSANCE (KR/ES)
5 Credits, Teaching Period 2 (OMR)
This course introduces English drama in its physical, social, and intellectual contexts, from
some of its earliest forms in the Middle Ages to the Jacobean period. We will read some of
the extraordinary plays of the York Mystery cycle: a history of the world from creation to
Doomsday, designed for performance in a single midsummer's day on the streets of medieval
York. We then explore the theatre of the early modern period, which saw the popularisation
of bloody revenge tragedies and racy city comedies. In particular, we will consider some of
the era’s dramatic innovations in the areas of performance, audience reception, and
genre. This course will be useful for students interested in exploring not only the cultural
inheritance of Shakespeare and his contemporaries, but also the surprisingly subversive ways
in which medieval audiences could imagine history, society, and religion.
Texts studied: York Mystery Plays (selections); Ben Jonson’s Epicoene; Thomas
Middleton’s The Revenger’s Tragedy.
Required Texts:
York Mystery Plays, ed. Richard Beadle (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1999)
Ben Jonson, The Alchemist and Other Plays, ed. Gordon Campbell (Oxford: Oxford
University Press, 1995) - for Epicoene
Thomas Middleton/Cyril Tourneur, The Revenger’s Tragedy, ed. R. A. Foakes (Manchester:
Manchester University Press, 1996)
8
EN2071 WOMEN AND LITERATURE: (HL)
5 Credits, Teaching Period 2.
This module examines literature as a gendered institution in society and discusses the
principal ways in which this gendering functions. We




identify the fundamental aims of studying literature from a feminist viewpoint
outline the principal forms which feminist critique of the institutions of literature has
taken
briefly trace the development of feminist literary criticism
read three novels comparatively, as case-studies for feminist interpretation,
identifying and examining the main thematic, ideological and formal issues in the
context of the above discussion.
Required Reading
For 2071.1, readings will be provided in photocopy form.
For 2071.2, you will need copies of two of the following:
Bronte, Charlotte. Jane Eyre. 1848. Oxford: Oxford World’s Classics, 2008.
Rhys, Jean. Wide Sargasso Sea. 1966. London: Penguin, any reprinting.
Dangarembga, Tsitsi. Nervous Conditions. 1988. Banbury, Oxfordshire: Ayebia
Clarke Publishing Ltd., 2004.
EN2073 INTRODUCTION TO SHAKESPEAREAN DRAMA: (ES)
5 Credits, Teaching Period 2. (OMR)
This module introduces students to key concepts and approaches in the detailed textual study
of Shakespearean drama. It will involve an introduction to some of the central issues in
Shakespearean studies, an exploration of the question of genre within Shakespeare’s drama,
close study of representative examples of two or more dramatic genres, and some
consideration of the drama’s socio-historical and cultural contexts. The plays studied this
year will be: Richard III, The Winter’s Tale, Antony and Cleopatra, and As You Like It.
Set Text: William Shakespeare, The Norton Shakespeare, ed. Stephen Greenblatt
et al. 2nd ed. New York and London: W. W. Norton and Company, 2005.
9
EN2077 INVENTING MODERN DRAMA: (AE/LL)
5 Credits, Teaching Period 1.
This module introduces students to works which transformed drama at the end of the 19th
century and inaugurated modern theatre. We will study plays by European playwrights such
as Ibsen and Strindberg who dominated and revitalized theatre from the 1870s to the 1910s,
leading experiments in naturalist, expressionist and social-problem drama. These dramatists
inaugurated major shifts in theatrical and literary meaning and forms at the threshold of
modernity. The module will locate selected plays in the cultural contexts of late19th-century
Northern European societies, and explore their shared and differentiated ideological and
aesthetic purposes. The precise focus of the module and the dramatists studied may vary from
year to year.
Case studies:
Dion Boucicault's The Colleen Bawn
Henrik Ibsen's Hedda Gabler
August Strindberg's The Ghost Sonata
George Bernard Shaw's Major Barbara.
EN2078 COLONY AND NATION: IRISH LITERATURE BEFORE 1900 (COG/CC)
5 Credits, Teaching Period 1.
This module outlines the context for the emergence of Irish literature in English and to enable
students to explore this literature through the introduction of key concepts and major authors.
It focuses on the emergence of Irish literature in English, a literature that had its roots in
conquest and colonization, but which proved to be highly dynamic, giving voice to diverse
views and developing distinctive forms. The texts included give students an opportunity to
explore literary expressions of Anglo-Irish identity, as well as critiques of the colonial
process and early examples of hybrid texts that combine Anglo-Irish and Gaelic elements.
Authors may include Swift, Edgeworth, Burke, Owenson and Somerville and Ross.
Owenson, Sydney. The Wild Irish Girl. Ed. With an Introduction by Kathryn
Kirkpatrick. Oxford: Oxford U. P., 2008.
Le Fanu, Sheridan. Uncle Silas. Harmondsworth: Penguin, 2006.
Somerville and Ross The Irish RM Abacus 1990
George Bernard Shaw;John Bull's Other Island . Modern Irish Drama (Norton
Critical Editions)
Additional course material will be made available in the form of a course booklet.
10
INTERDEPARTMENTAL MODULES
Students may substitute one module from Teaching Period I with one module from GR2019
or LL2003. For further information contact the module co-ordinators.
GR2019 GREEK MYTHOLOGY [5 credits]
Course co-ordinator: Sean Murphy (Dept. of Ancient Classics) - Tel. 490 2359.
Teaching Period 1: Tuesday, 10-11 a.m., West Wing 9 and Thursday, 10-11 a.m., ORB2.12
The objective of this module is to introduce students to the study of Greek mythology. We
will study an overview of principal themes and concerns of Greek mythology; man’s
relationship with the gods and with other men, the great deeds of heroes, the use made of
Classical mythology in later literature and art.
LL2003 ASPECTS OF THE CLASSICAL TRADITION [5 credits]
Course co-ordinator: Dr Daragh O’Connell (Dept. of Italian) - Tel.: 4902554
[email protected]
- Email:
Teaching Period 1: Dr Daragh O’Connell (Italian), Professor Graham Allen (English), Kathleen Hamel
(French)
Teaching Period 2Professor Alex Davis (English) Mr Stephen Boyd (Hispanic Studies), Ms Catherine Burke
(French), Dr Lee Jenkins (English)
The works of Homer (Iliad and Odyssey), Virgil (Aeneid) and Ovid (Metamorphoses) have played a vital part in
the shaping of Western civilisation. This course will examine the ways different societies at different times have
responded to the classical mythology of antiquity through literature and art. The course ranges from an overview
of the classical books to their presence in medieval/ renaissance Italy, Dante and Machiavelli in particular, the
paintings of Velásquez (17th century Spain), Renaissance and twentieth century English writers, as well as
contemporary Irish and Caribbean writing.
11
NOTE:
Staff Member
GA =
MB =
TB =
CC =
VC =
PC =
AD =
AE =
AG =
JG =
LJ
=
AK =
HL =
LL =
BM =
OM =
COG =
CO’M=
KR =
ES =
EW =
GY =
Professor Graham Allen
Dr Mary Breen
Dr Tom Birkett
Professor Claire Connolly
Ms Valerie Coogan
Professor Patricia Coughlan
Professor Alex Davis
Dr Anne Etienne
Dr Alan Gibbs
Dr Jools Gilson
Dr Lee Jenkins
Dr Andrew King
Dr Heather Laird
Dr Liam Lanigan
Dr Barry Monahan
Dr Orla Murphy
Dr Clíona Ó Gallchoir
Dr Cian O’Mahony
Dr Kenneth Rooney
Dr Edel Semple
Dr Éibhear Walshe
Dr Gwenda Young
12
SEMINAR MODULE 2014-15
EN2006 Critical Skills Seminar 1: Teaching Period 1 - 10 Credits taken by assessment.
EN2007 Critical Skills Seminar II: Teaching Period 2 - 10 Credits taken by assessment.
EN2009 Critical Skills Seminar IV: Teaching Periods 1 & 2 - 20 Credits taken by
assessment. (NOTE: EN2009 consists of any two seminars from those offered in EN2006
and EN2007)
This module is designed to develop students’ skills in reading, writing and critical
practice through closely-directed study and constructive discussion of a range of
selected texts. Students must choose one from the wide range of topics offered by the
staff of the School of English. The range of topics will cover a variety of forms, genres
and periods. Once a student has signed on for a seminar, attendance is required.
ATTENDANCE
Attendance will be noted at each class and failure to attend will be penalised as below.
NON-ATTENDANCE PENALTY
If a student misses eight hours of scheduled classes, without supplying relevant
documentation to the co-ordinator, s/he automatically fails the module. Scheduled
classes include 24 class-contact hours plus any other events scheduled for the group. In
film modules the same level of attendance is required at screenings and the same penalty
applies.
The seminar co-ordinator will email students who have missed four hours of scheduled
classes without supplying relevant documentation, to remind them of this rule and
penalty. S/he will use the student’s official UCC address when contacting the student.
A student who has failed a seminar due to non-attendance may continue to attend and
hand in essays. These marks will not, however, be submitted for the summer exam
board but will be held over for the autumn board. Any essays not submitted during
the academic year will have to be submitted before a date designated by the school
office, plus an extra essay in lieu of the participation mark. The student may then pass
this module for the autumn exam board, but the result for the module will be capped at
40%.
ASSIGNMENT of MARKS in SEMINAR MODULES
1.
2.
3.
4.
Participation
15%
Oral presentation (or equivalent)
15%
In-class written assignment(s)
20%
Take-home written work*
50%
*not exceeding 4,000 words in total
13
DISTRIBUTION OF MARKS EXPLAINED BY CATEGORY
1. Participation: 15%
Students can gain these marks by contributing actively to each class. This
means carrying out all tasks assigned, being ready and willing to discuss the
material and the topics addressed in class, and co-operating with other class
members and the co-ordinator.
2. Oral presentation (or equivalent): 15%
Marks awarded here for committed, organized and effective preparation and
delivery of set oral assignment(s), e.g. discussion of a text, author or topic, or
another type of project assigned by the co-ordinator.
3. In-class written assignment(s): 20%
These may take various forms, e.g. a quiz or exercise, short essay, or
discussion of a text or excerpts from texts.
4. Take-home written work, not exceeding 4,000 words in total: 50%
This may consist of one, two or more essay(s) or other assignments, of varying
lengths, e.g. a write-up of the oral presentation, or another type of project as
assigned by the co-ordinator.
WRITTEN OUTLINE OF ASSESSED WORK
At the start of the Teaching Period each co-ordinator will give a written outline
of the work expected for nos. 2, 3 and 4 to students in each seminar.
CONSULTATION AND ADVICE ON TAKE-HOME WRITTEN WORK
Seminar co-ordinators will offer individual consultations to students concerning
their performance in the seminar module. Co-ordinators may
 respond to students’ questions or difficulties about the material
 explain marks given for assignments
 give students advice about how to improve their written style
 help students with essay planning.
Co-ordinators will not
 Read or correct drafts of essays or other assignments or offer detailed
advice about their improvement, in advance of their being handed in for
marking.
14
SEMINAR REGISTRATION INFORMATION
NB* Steps for signing up to Second Years Seminars – Note you must
COMPLETE each of the steps below in order to ensure registration on a
seminar.
NB* It is your responsibility to ensure that the seminar you choose does not
clash with your other modules.
Important steps to be completed in the seminar registration process:
1. Attend the 2nd Year Introductory Lecture on Monday 8th September at
12 noon in Boole 2. At this lecture, each student will draw a numbered
ticket which will determine their time-slot for seminar registration on
Thursday 11th September. Check your ticket number against the table
below for the time allotted to your ticket number.
Time
Ticket Numbers
9.30 – 9.50 a.m.
1 - 50
9.50 – 10.10 a.m.
51 - 100
10.10 – 10.30 a.m.
101 – 150
10.30 – 10.50 a.m.
151 – 200
10.50 – 11.10 a.m.
Latecomers who missed their allotted
time or who have no ticket
Note: If you leave the lecture hall without a ticket, or if you lose your
ticket, you may collect a new ticket from the School of English office
during office opening hours (9.15 – 11.00 a.m. and 2.30 – 5.00 p.m.).
2. On Thursday 11th September 2014, assemble in the Social Area near the
School of English (Block B, 1st Floor) at the appointed time (according to
your ticket number). Students will be called up in groups of ten (in
numerical order) to proceed to ORB_1.65, where they will register for a
seminar. As the number of places on each seminar is limited, please
have at least three seminars selected in order of preference in case
your first option is unavailable.
15
3. You will receive a record card on which you will be required to indicate
the seminar in which you have secured a place as well as the other
modules that you are taking. You should complete and sign this card and
return it immediately to the School Office (ORB 1.57).
4. Ensure that your online registration is correct. Make a note of the
modules you have selected and check this against your online
registration. Check also that you are registered for the correct seminar
module code, as follows:
Teaching Period 1 Seminar:
Teaching Period 2 Seminar:
EN2006
EN2007
Students are asked not to go to the reception area until their allotted time and to
move away immediately after registration. Start times for number sequences
will be strictly adhered to. No queuing will be allowed.
CHANGES AND LATE REGISTRATION
You will be able to change your module registration online until Friday 3 rd
October 2014. However, if you wish to withdraw from a seminar or transfer
to a different seminar, you must contact Dr Edel Semple: Email:
[email protected] Office: 1.84 in ORB or during her office hour on Wednesdays
2-3 p.m. Note: No changes can be made to seminars after 3rd October.
16
Seminar Leader
TP
Module
Code
Seminar
Code
DAY & TIME
VENUE
Ms Donna Alexander
TP2
EN2007
MOD2.01
Wednesday. 2-4 pm
Prof. Graham Allen
TP2
EN2007
Dr Tom Birkett
TP2
EN2007
MOD 2.02
OMR 2.03
Tuesday, 2-4 pm
Thursday, 11 am – 1 pm
Dr Mary Breen
TP2
EN2007
MOD 2.04
Wednesday, 10-11 am*
Thursday, 3-4 pm*
Elderwood
5_G01
Boole 6
Bloomfield
Terrace
BL4_G01
ORB 1.85
ORB G38
*students must attend both sessions
Ms Miranda Corcoran
TP2
EN2007
MOD 2.06
Tuesday, 10 am – 12 noon
Dr Anne Etienne
TP1
EN2006
MOD 2.07
Mr Paul Griffin
TP1
EN2006
Dr Lee Jenkins
TP2
EN2007
Dr Barry Monahan
TP1
EN2006
MOD 2.08
MOD 2.09
MOD 2.10
Dr Barry Monahan/Nicholas
O’Riordan
TP1
EN2006
MOD 2.11
Mr Eoin O’Callaghan
TP1
EN2006
MOD 2.12
Wednesday, 3-4 pm*
Thursday, 3-4 pm*
*students must attend both sessions
Thursday, 4-6 pm
Monday, 4-6 pm
Monday, 3-5 pm (screenings)*
Wednesday, 4-6 pm*
*students must attend both sessions
Monday, 3-5 pm (screenings)*
Thursday, 2-4 pm*
*students must attend both sessions
Tuesday, 2-4 pm
Dr Maureen O’Connor/ Dr E.
Walshe
TP1
EN2006
MOD 2.13
Tuesday, 11am -1 pm
Dr Cliona O Gallchoir
TP2
EN2007
MOD 2.14
Wednesday, 3-4 pm*
Thursday, 10-11 am*
*students must attend both sessions
Elderwood
1_G01
Bloomfield 4
_G01
Dr Cian O’Mahony
TP1
EN2006
Ms Niamh O’Mahony
TP1
EN2006
OMR 2.15
MOD 2.16
Monday, 2-4 pm
Dr Ken Rooney
TP2
EN2007
OMR 2.17
Tuesday, 2-4 pm
Mr David Roy
TP2
EN2007
Dr Edel Semple
TP2
EN2007
Ms Flicka Small
TP2
EN2007
OMR 2.18
OMR 2.19
MOD 2.20
Tuesday, 10 am – 12 noon
Thursday, 12-2pm.
Monday, 4-6 pm
Bloomfield
Terrace 4_G01
Carrigside
3_G01
ORB_220
ORB_326
Conn_J7
17
Elderwood
5_G01
AL_G32
ORB3.26
WGB_G16
WW_4
Windle
ORB 201
Windle
West Wing 4
Carrigside
3_G01
Bloomfield
Terrace 4_G01
Module Code
Seminar Code
Seminar Title
Seminar Leader
EN2007
MOD2.01
American Gothic Fiction
Donna
Maria Alexander
Teaching Period
2
Day
Wednesday
Time
2.00 – 4.00
Venue
Elderwood5_G01
Seminar Content
This seminar will examine American gothic fiction from the 19 th to the mid-20th century. Using a range of
texts we will examine how authors use Gothic stylistic conventions to explore socio-cultural issues related
to the U.S. Of particular interest are issues of wilderness and frontier, Puritanism, race and otherness,
nationalism and historical memory. This seminar will begin with classic examples of early American
gothic before considering examples of new American gothic and Southern gothic literature to investigate
how later writers adapted the genre to address contemporary concerns.
Primary texts
*Washington Irving. “Rip Van Winkle”, “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.”
*Nathaniel Hawthorne. “Young Goodman Brown”, “The Minister’s Black Veil.”
*Edgar Allan Poe. “The Imp of the Perverse”, “The Cask of Amontillado”, “The Black Cat.”
Flannery O’Connor. A Good Man is Hard to Find and Other Stories. London: Thomas Learning, 1982.
Print.
Harper Lee. To Kill a Mockingbird. NY: Harper Collins, 2007. Print.
*Texts marked with an asterisk are available in online open access repositories.
Learning outcomes
 To become well-versed in the American Gothic genre and its sub-genres and apply these to the
set texts.
 To gain an understanding of the relationship between literary genre and socio-cultural context.
 To critically analyse the set texts.
 To compare and contrast the set texts to one another.
 Development of close reading, critical thinking, writing, and presentation skills.
 Participation in class discussions.
18
Module Code
Seminar Code
Seminar Title
Seminar Leader
EN2007
Teaching Period
MOD 2.02
Day
Reading Blake
Time
Professor Graham Allen
Venue
TP 2
Tuesday
2.00 – 4.00 pm
Boole 6
Seminar Content
In Reading Blake, students are introduced to the illuminated prophetic books of William Blake,
concentrating on the productions of the 1790s. The seminar finishes by moving to the 1820s and the end
of Blake’s career, with an analysis of his illuminated Book of Job. Students in this seminar are introduced
to the major poetic, political and religious ideas in Blake’s art, they are also encouraged to explore the
material conditions in which Blake produced his unique illuminated books and to discuss ways in which
these material conditions are reflected in and helped to shape Blake’s aesthetic, political and religious
beliefs. Students are also encouraged to read the poetry within its illuminated context; the seminar, in
other words, concerns the study of visual art as well as Romantic poetry.
Primary texts
Songs of Innocence and Experience; The Marriage of Heaven and Hell; Visions of the Daughters of
Albion; America a Prophecy; Europe a Prophecy; The Illustrated Book of Job .
Textbook
Bindman, D. Ed. The Complete Illuminated Books of William Blake. London: Thames and Hudson, 2000.
Learning outcomes
By the end of this course students should be able to:
•
•
•
Discuss the poetic, political and philosophical ideas expressed in a number of
Blake’s illuminated works
Use both visual and poetic aspects of Blake’s work in an analysis of the meaning of his work
Relate aspects of Blake’s work to its historical contexts
Relate aspects of Blake’s work to its material conditions of production
19
Module Code
Seminar Code
Seminar Leader
OMR 2.03
Seminar Title
Beyond Beowulf: Old
English Heroic Poetry
EN2007
Teaching Period
Day
Time
Venue
TP2
Thursday
11.00 am – 1.00 pm
Bloomfield Terrace
BL4_G01
Dr Tom Birkett
Seminar Content
Early Anglo-Saxon society followed a Germanic, warrior-class ethos based on martial prowess, gift
giving, loyalty and revenge. This seminar explores the Old English poetry that encapsulated the heroic
ideals of the Anglo-Saxons and how various factors, such as Christianization, challenged and changed
their traditional values.
This seminar delves deeper into the tribal world of Beowulf with texts such as The Fight at Finnsburh and
Widsith, exploring the elements and formulae that comprise a heroic poem. It examines themes such as
nationalism, loyalty, and community, as well as conventional motifs such as the beasts of battle and the
heroic boast. It also considers the historical account of the Battle of Maldon and its poetic reflection,
exploring the importance of memorial record as well as the transition from orality to literacy.
Old English literature also features a number of female warrior saints and we shall examine how the
traditional portrayal of the warrior-hero is challenged in texts such as Judith.
Texts will be read in translation.
Primary Texts
E. M Treharne, ed., Old and Middle English c.890-c.1450: An Anthology. Third Edition (Oxford:
Blackwell, 2010)
Selections from the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles will be made available in class.
Learning Outcomes





Critically read and analyse a wide range of Old English poetry.
Understand the composition and transmission process of Old English poems.
Relate the poems to each other and identify common themes and tropes across the texts.
Discuss the poems within their historical context and understand their cultural function.
Interact with critical responses to the poems.
20
Module Code
Seminar Code
Seminar Title
Seminar Leader
EN2007
MOD2.04
Title: Reading Jane
Austen
Dr Mary Breen
Teaching Period
Day
Time
Venue
TP2
Wednesday
10.00 – 11.00 am
ORB1.85
Thursday
3.00 – 4.00 pm
ORB_G38
*students must attend both
sessions
Seminar Content
Seminar Content
“You will be glad to hear that every Copy of Sense and Sensibility is sold & that it has brought me
£140 – besides copyright, if that should ever be of any value – I have now therefore written myself into
£250 – which only makes me long for more.” (Letter from Jane Austen to her brother Frank, 3 July
1813)
Jane Austen has long been seen as an amateur lady writer who wrote in her spare time and who courted
neither fame nor profit. The quotation above affords quite a different view of Austen and her attitude to
her writing. It is as the work of a professional woman author that we will read her novels. During the
course we will make close readings of all six novels. We will read them in the context of the
development of the novel as a literary form in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. We
will also focus on the debates that surrounded the emergence of the professional woman author and the
controversy associated with women and the reading and writing of novels.
Primary Texts
Sense and Sensibility (1811), Pride and Prejudice (1813), Mansfield Park (1814), Emma (1815),
Persuasion (1817) and Northanger Abbey (1817)
Learning Outcomes:
On successful completion of the module students should be able to:
 Critically read and analyse the novels on the course
 Relate the set texts to one another and to other nineteenth-century texts.
 Discuss the cultural and historical background which framed the emergence of the novel in the
late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries.
 Define the terms and concepts central to the reading of the novel.
21
Module Code
Seminar Code
Seminar Title
Seminar Leader
EN2007
MOD 2.06
The Age of Spectres and Steam:
Horror and Science Fiction in
Nineteenth-Century America
Miranda Corcoran
Teaching Period
Day
Time
Venue
TP2
Tuesday
10.00 am – 12 noon
Elderwood 5_G01
Seminar Content
While America, as an independent republic, was created in the latter part of the eighteenth century, the modern United
States is largely a product of nineteenth century social and political upheavals. This tumultuous period witnessed a series of
formative cultural transformations - including the Civil War, the birth of the Industrial Age and the acceleration of
westward expansion - that irrevocably shaped the contours of the modern American nation, but also engendered a legacy of
violence, oppression and trauma that continues to haunt the American psyche to this day. Introducing students to some of
the popular genre fiction that proliferated through the mass-market literature and burgeoning magazine culture that defined
mainstream entertainment in the nineteenth century, this seminar will explore how fantastical genres such as horror and
science fiction articulated the anxieties of a culture in which progress and modernisation were often mirrored by violent
oppression and brutal imperialism. As such, this seminar will encourage students to read a representative selection of
popular nineteenth-century science fiction and horror texts in light of the unique socio-historical context in which they were
created and to consider how these works utilise the imaginative conventions of their highly sensational genres - from spirits
and ghouls to time travel and futuristic worlds - to engage with the dominant cultural concerns of nineteenth-century
America. In exploring how science fiction and horror of this period employed increasingly fantastic themes to foreground
issues of technological modernisation, social progress and the construction of national identity, as well as the hidden
anxieties that surrounded subjects such as race and gender during this period, students will assess the role of popular fiction
as a tool of social criticism and consider its importance in articulating many of the key political and cultural conflicts of the
era.
Primary texts
Bierce, Ambrose. “The Damned Thing”. 1893. *
---. “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge”. 1890. *
Dodd, Anna B. The Republic of the Future.
Hawthorne, Nathaniel. “The Birth-Mark”. 1846. *
---. “Young Goodman Brown”. 1835.*
Lane, Mary E. B. Mizora: A Prophecy. 1881*
London, Jack. “A Thousand Deaths”. 1899.*
Poe, Edgar Allan. “The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar”. 1845.*
---. Extracts from The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket. 1838.*
---. “The Unparalleled Adventure of One Hans Pfaall”. 1835*
Twain, Mark. A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court. 1889.
(Texts marked with * will be provided in a course booklet, to be collected from the School of English office)
Learning outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course students should be able to:





Critically read and analyse a selection of nineteenth-century American horror and science fiction texts
Compare and contrast the manner in which these texts utilise the aesthetic and thematic conventions of the science
fiction and horror genres in order to comment upon a wide variety of social and political issues.
Engage with a selection of relevant critical and secondary material in order to understand the social, historical and
political context from which these texts emerged, and identify how they use the distinctive generic tropes of
science fiction and horror to reflect the primary cultural concerns of nineteenth-century America.
Define terms and concepts central to relevant aspects of genre theory.
Apply these terms and concepts to the set texts.
Understand the vital role of genre fiction and popular entertainment as a mode of reflecting and critiquing broader social
and cultural concerns.
22
Module Code
Seminar Code
Seminar Title
Seminar Leader
EN2006
MOD2.07
Pinter: sexual
politics and political
discourse
Dr Anne Etienne
Teaching Period
Day
Time
Venue
TP1
Wednesday
Thursday
3.00 – 4.00 pm
3.00 – 4.00 pm
AL_G32
ORB3.26
*students must attend
both sessions
Seminar Content
The seminar focuses on four of Pinter’s plays. The Birthday Party, The Caretaker, The Lover and The
Collection will give us the opportunity to explore the term and concept of the ‘comedy of menace’ which
is often associated with Pinter’s entire work, and to reflect on his political discourse from the 1960s.
Pinter’s early plays will also enable us to reflect on his place within the theatre of the 60s in England, at a
time when both the Angry Young Men and Beckett were hailed as evidence of a renaissance in drama,
and on his perspective of sexual politics in the Swinging 60s.
Primary and secondary texts
Required Texts:
The Collection
The Lover
The Birthday Party
The Caretaker
Additional reading:
Martin Esslin. The Theatre of the Absurd. (Boole Call No. 809.2.ESSL)
---. The Peopled Wound. (Boole Call No. 822.9.PINT.E)
Learning outcomes
By the end of this course students should be able to:






Understand the term, ‘comedy of menace’.
Understand the difference between existential theatre and the theatre of the Absurd
Discuss the political and philosophical ideas expressed in a number of Pinter’s plays
Discuss the place of Pinter’s work between two traditions (Absurd and social realism)
Show extensive knowledge of British theatre in the 1960s
Assess his perspective on sexual politics of the time
23
Module Code
Seminar Code
Seminar Title
Seminar Leader
EN2006
MOD 2.08
Confronting the Gothic
Paul Griffin
Teaching Period
Day
Time
Venue
TP1
Thursday
4.00 – 6.00 pm
WGB_G16
Seminar Content
The Gothic has become one of the most popular genres in literature and film. The oxymoronic term
“Gothic Novel” suggests a confrontation between the old and the new, the archaic and the modern
and ultimately between reason and irrationality. Yet, what makes a novel or film Gothic? Critics are
still in dispute to categorically answer this question -some maintain that Gothic is a specific literary
event with an exact timeline, others consider it as a compendium of narrative devices and thematic
concerns; while others appreciate it as a literary mode. In this module, you will participate in this
debate and become familiar with critical approaches that you may choose to challenge or adopt for
yourself. For example, is the Gothic inherently conservative and/or liberal? How consistent are later
incarnations of the Gothic with their original counterparts? Topics that will be addressed include an
outline of the genre’s conventions, the sublime, the uncanny, the taboo, gender studies, Gothic
Spaces, the Other, the differentiation between terror and horror and the dichotomy between reason
and irrationality. Ultimately, this module will allow students’ to appreciate the genre’s legacy and the
reasons why the Gothic continues to attract readers and writers alike.
Primary texts
Coleridge, S.T. The Rime of the Ancient Mariner
Dacre, Charlotte. Zofloya, or The Moor
De Quincey, Thomas. Confessions of an English Opium Eater
Le Fanu, J.S. Sheridan In a Glass Darkly
Falkner, J. Meade The Lost Stradivarius
Stevenson, Robert, L. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde !
The Woman in Black. Dir. James Watkins. Perf. Daniel Radcliffe, Ciaran Hinds, and
Emma Shorey. Hammer Film Productions, 2012. !
Botting, Fred. Gothic. London: Routledge, 2007.
Hogle, Jerrold, E. ed. The Cambridge Companion to Gothic Fiction. Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press, 2002.
Punter, David. and Byron, Glynn. The Gothic. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing, 2004.
Punter, David. ed. A Companion to the Gothic. Oxford: Blackwell Press, 2004.
Spooner, Catherine. and McEvoy, Emma. eds. The Routledge Companion to Gothic.
London: Routledge Press, 2007.
Watt, James. Contesting the Gothic. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2004.
. Learning outcomes
Upon successful completion of the module, you will be able to:
• Provide a detailed account of Gothic literature and its conventions.
• Critique the Gothic as a transgressive genre and discuss how the genre has transformed
since its genesis.
• Explain how Gothic texts reflect concurrent cultural anxieties, identify themes of sexuality,
discuss the psychological significance of Gothic Spaces, and examine the nature
of the “other”.
• Improve your critical abilities through in-class discussion and presentation.
• Submit a structured essay that adheres to MLA regulations.
24
Module Code
Seminar Code
Seminar Title
Seminar Leader
EN2007
MOD2.09
Lee Jenkins
Teaching Period
Day
From Douglass to
Django:
Representing
American Slavery
Time
Venue
TP2
Monday
4.00-6.00 pm
WW_4
Seminar Content
This seminar explores the representation of slavery with reference to a range of American texts, including:
Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass; Herman Melville, ‘Benito Cereno’; short stories by Joel
Chandler Harris and Charles Chesnutt; Mark Twain’s Adventures of Huckleberry Finn; Quentin
Tarantino’s Django Unchained; Steve McQueen’s Twelve Years a Slave. Issues explored include: the
slave narrative and black autobiography; slave revolts and the white American imagination; plantation
fiction and black responses to stereotypes of the slave; blackface minstrelsy; the case for reparations; the
representability of slavery in American cinema; slavery and music in the ‘Negro’ spirituals, the blues, and
in British and Jamaican reggae.
Primary texts/Required textbooks





Frederick Douglass, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass (Dover)
Herman Melville, Bartleby and Benito Cereno (Dover)
Mark Twain, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (Oxford)
Quentin Tarantino (dir.), Django Unchained
Steve McQueen (dir.), Twelve Years a Slave
Other required reading—short stories by Joel Chandler Harris and Charles Chesnutt, and extracts
from Amiri Baraka, The Case for Reparations, will be available in photocopied form.
Learning outcomes
On successful completion, students should be able to:
 Critically read and analyse a selection of texts, in various genres, by American authors and
directors, on the topic of American slavery and its cultural representation
 Relate the set texts to one another, and to their wider historical and cultural contexts
 Discuss the cultural and historical backgrounds which framed and informed these texts
 Define terms and concepts central to the topic
 Apply these terms and contexts to the set texts
 Deliver fluent written and oral responses to the set texts
 Discuss and debate the set texts and the issues raised by the module topic in class
25
Module Code
Seminar Code
Seminar Title
Seminar Leaders
EN2006
MOD2.10
Barry Monahan & Nicholas
O’Riordan
Teaching Period
Day
Contemporary Irish
Film: Directors and
Directions
Time
TP1
Screening:
Monday
3.00 – 5.00 pm
Windle Old Lecture Room
Seminar :
Wednesday
4.00 – 6.00 pm
ORB 2.01
Venue
*students must attend
both sessions
Seminar Content
This course will look at a series of trends that developed in Irish cinema following the reactivation of the
Film Board in 1993. By considering aesthetic, sociological and historical contexts, students will analyse a
number of contemporary indigenous films and will acquire knowledge about the changes in the relationship
between the written and the filmed text. The course will also place some of the more conservative Irish
films of the last two decades within the context of their historical precursors, and it will bring up questions
of the position of cinema as cultural artefact in postmodern Ireland. Key themes of the course include:
politics, genre, stardom, representations of the city, comedy, and financing.
Primary texts (screenings)
The Commitments (Parker, 1991)
Guiltrip (Stembridge, 1995)
I Went Down (Breathnach, 1997)
When Brendan Met Trudy (Walsh, 2000)
About Adam (Stembridge, 2001)
Breakfast on Pluto (Jordan, 2005)
Isolation (O’Brien, 2006)
Garage (Abrahamson, 2007)
Love/Hate (Carolan, 2010)
Required textbook
Barton. Ruth. Irish National Cinema. London & New York: Routledge, 2004.
OR
McLoone, Martin. Irish Film: The Emergence of a Contemporary Cinema. London: BFI Publishing, 2000.
Learning outcomes
By the end of this course students should be able to:





Outline aesthetic and thematic tendencies in contemporary Irish film
Discuss the evolution of indigenous cinema within the context of Irish film history
Apply a variety of theoretical concepts in the analysis of recent Irish film
Identify the aesthetic characteristics of a number of Irish film makers
Demonstrate knowledge of key institutions related to Irish cinema (from distribution to
classification)
26
Module Code
Seminar Code
Seminar Title
Seminar Leaders
EN2006
MOD2.11
Barry Monahan & Nicholas
O’Riordan
Teaching Period
Day
Contemporary Irish
Film: Directors and
Directions
Time
TP1
Screening:
Monday
3.00 – 5.00 pm
Windle Old Lecture Room
Seminar:
Thursday
2.00 – 4.00 pm
West Wing 4
Venue
*students must attend
both sessions
Seminar Content
This course will look at a series of trends that developed in Irish cinema following the reactivation of the
Film Board in 1993. By considering aesthetic, sociological and historical contexts, students will analyse a
number of contemporary indigenous films and will acquire knowledge about the changes in the relationship
between the written and the filmed text. The course will also place some of the more conservative Irish
films of the last two decades within the context of their historical precursors, and it will bring up questions
of the position of cinema as cultural artefact in postmodern Ireland. Key themes of the course include:
politics, genre, stardom, representations of the city, comedy, and financing.
Primary texts (screenings)
The Commitments (Parker, 1991)
Guiltrip (Stembridge, 1995)
I Went Down (Breathnach, 1997)
When Brendan Met Trudy (Walsh, 2000)
About Adam (Stembridge, 2001)
Breakfast on Pluto (Jordan, 2005)
Isolation (O’Brien, 2006)
Garage (Abrahamson, 2007)
Love/Hate (Carolan, 2010)
Required textbook
Barton. Ruth. Irish National Cinema. London & New York: Routledge, 2004.
OR
McLoone, Martin. Irish Film: The Emergence of a Contemporary Cinema. London: BFI Publishing, 2000.
Learning outcomes
By the end of this course students should be able to:





Outline aesthetic and thematic tendencies in contemporary Irish film
Discuss the evolution of indigenous cinema within the context of Irish film history
Apply a variety of theoretical concepts in the analysis of recent Irish film
Identify the aesthetic characteristics of a number of Irish film makers
Demonstrate knowledge of key institutions related to Irish cinema (from distribution to
classification)
27
Module Code
Seminar Code
Seminar Title
Seminar Leader
EN2006
MOD 2.12
Eoin O’ Callaghan
Teaching Period
Day
Depictin’ Dixie:
Representing the
American South in
Short Fiction and Film
Time
TP 1
Tuesday
2-4pm
Carrigside 3_G01
Venue
Seminar Content
This seminar seeks to explore representations of the American South in literature and film, beginning with its
literary origins in nineteenth-century humourist writing and concluding with contemporary cinematic
representations. In 1962, Frank O’ Connor declared the short story the national artform of America, and this
seminar seeks to analyse the Southern, regional variant of this national genre. It will thus draw upon a range
of nineteenth and twentieth-century examples of Southern short fiction—including works by William
Faulkner, Eudora Welty and George Washington Harris—in order to identify a series of themes and tropes
relevant to Southern Studies. The portrayal of the South in these stories will then be compared and contrasted
with cinematic representations, including those by John Boorman and the Coen Brothers, which both
reinforce and trouble stereotypes of the South. Students will also be encouraged to consider the ways in
which authors and directors have engaged with important cultural issues of the South, including race, gender
and the significance of place.
Other topics to be addressed in this seminar include African-American folklore; the Southern humourist
tradition; the Southern Renaissance; and folk music of the South.
Primary texts
All short stories will be available in a course booklet. DVDs are available via the video libraries or
through the seminar leader.
George Washington Harris, “Sut Lovingood’s Daddy Acting Horse”
---. “Sut Lovingood Blown Up”
Joel Chandler Harris, “Uncle Remus initiates the Little Boy”
---. “How Mr. Rabbit was too sharp for Mr. Fox”
Charles Chesnutt, “Po’ Sandy”
Alice Walker, “Everyday Use”
Kate Chopin, “The Storm”
---. “Desiree’s Baby”
William Faulkner, “Spotted Horses”
---. “A Rose for Emily”
Eudora Welty, “Death of a Travelling Salesman”
---. “Why I Live at the P.O.”
Flannery O’ Connor, “A Good Man is Hard to Find”
---. “A Late Encounter with the Enemy”
Deliverance (1972)
O Brother Where Art Thou? (2000)
C.S.A (2004)
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module, student should be able to:
 Critically read and analyse a range of Southern literature
 Identify and critique depictions of the American South in cinema
 Discuss the historical and cultural background of the nineteenth/twentieth- century South
 Define the key terms and concepts relevant to Southern Studies
 Apply these concepts to the set texts
28
Module Code
Seminar Code
Seminar Title
Seminar Leader
EN2006
MOD2.13
Inventing Oscar
Drs Maureen O’Connor/Eibhear
Walshe
Teaching Period
Day
Time
Venue
TP1
Tuesday
11.00 am – 1.00 pm
Bloomfield Terrace 4_G01
Seminar Content
This seminar will study the prose, plays and autobiographical writings of Oscar Wilde and will investigate
Wilde’s theories of aesthetics as well as his contributions to contemporary politics of culture in current
popular art forms including music and film.
Primary texts/Required textbooks
The Collected Works of Oscar Wilde
Learning outcomes
On successful completion of the second-year seminar, students should be able to:






Critically read and analyse a selection of Wilde texts
Relate the set texts to one another as well as to a range of contemporary cultural productions
Discuss the cultural and historical background which framed the emergence and development of
Wilde’s aesthetic
Define terms and concepts central to literary criticism and apply these terms and concepts to the
set texts
Prepare and present an oral paper on a relevant text of your choice
Write clearly structured essays in correct Standard English that adhere to the School of English
style sheet
29
Module Code
Seminar Code
Seminar Title
Innocence and
Experience: An
Introduction to
Children’s
Literature
Seminar Leader
EN2007
MOD 2.14
Teaching Period
Day
Time
Venue
TP2
Wednesday
Thursday
3.00 – 4.00 pm
10.00 – 11.00 am
Elderwood 1_ G01
Bloomfield 4 _ G01
Dr Clíona Ó Gallchoir
Seminar Content
Writing for children and young adults is currently going through a “golden age.” In commercial terms,
the success of series such as Harry Potter, Twilight and The Hunger Games has made this sector one of
the most profitable in publishing. But it is also claimed that the quality and variety of writing for children
is higher than it has ever been, and the phenomenon of crossovers to an adult readership has also
increased the status and prestige of children’s literature. In this seminar students will learn about the
historical emergence of children’s literature in the eighteenth century, and will also discuss the theoretical
questions specific to the study of children’s literature. Texts range from the late eighteenth century to the
present day, while topics and themes explored include fantasy in children’s literature, gender, imperialism
and the depiction of relationships between children and parents/authority figures.
Primary texts/Required textbooks
Achebe, Chinua. Chike and the River. (Available to buy from lecturer)
Carroll, Lewis. Alice in Wonderland. In Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking
Glass. Ed. Donald J. Gray. London:Norton, 2013.
Nesbit, E. The Story of the Amulet.
Pullmann, Philip. Northern Lights/The Golden Compass.
Thompson, Kate. The New Policeman. London: Red Fox, 2006.
Other short texts and some secondary literature will be made available as photocopies.
Learning outcomes
By the end of this course students should be able to:
 Identify the historical, cultural and social factors that contributed to the emergence of children’s
literature in Europe
 Compare and contrast children’s literature from different historical periods
 Consider issues of nationalism, imperialism and globalization in relation to children’s literature
 Apply appropriate historical, critical and theoretical frameworks to the discussion of texts
 Write coherent essays with appropriate and accurate use of sources and citations
 Participate effectively in class discussion
 Practise and improve oral presentation skills
30
Module Code
Seminar Code
Seminar Title
Seminar Leader
EN2006
OMR2.15
Dr Cian O’Mahony
Teaching Period
Day
Written in Blood and
Ink: Representations
of War in Early
Modern England (c.
1588-1650)
Time
1
Seminar Content
Tuesday
4.00-6.00
West Wing 3
Venue
The language and imagery of war has a pervasive influence on our day-to-day lives through a variety of
platforms such as news, film and social media. The upcoming centenary of celebrations
commemorating the great conflicts of the twentieth century will serve to remind us of the influence of
war on the writings of some our great literary figures. Focusing on a period spanning from the defeat of
the Spanish Armada until the end of the British Civil War (c.1588-1650), this seminar will investigate
the artistic inspiration of war and how it serves as a catalyst for new forms of literary expression. Texts
such as the epic poetry of Samuel Daniel and Michael Drayton will be assessed alongside innovations
in printed images and book illustrations, drama and pamphlet publications, the burgeoning newspaper
industry and the iconography of contemporary paintings in order to fully appreciate the centrality of
war and its literary influence in this period.
Primary Texts
- Samuel Daniel, The Civil Wars
- Michael Drayton, The Battle of Agincourt
- selections of early modern newspapers and war reports (Thompson Tracts index; Early English Books
Online; 1641 Depositions project)
All texts will be accessed using electronic databases (demonstrated in class) or through selected class
handouts
Learning Outcomes:
On completion of the module, students will:
- Gain a clear understanding of the socio-political background of the period
- Appreciate the importance of differing poetic forms, such as epic poetry and ballad, and their social
relevance
- Understand the formative influences that led to the birth of the newspaper industry in early modern
England
- Analyse the iconography of the period through extensive engagement with printed imagery and
painting
- Investigate issues of censorship and state control over literary expression
- Utilise effectively the relevant electronic resources available through the Boole library (Early English
Books Online) in order to independently engage with primary texts and early modern newspapers in
their original formats.
31
Module Code
Seminar Code
Seminar Title
Seminar Leader
EN2006
MOD 2.16
American Women’s Poetry
from Emily Dickinson to
Vanessa Place.
Niamh O’Mahony
Teaching Period
Day
Time
Venue
TP1
Monday
2.00 – 4.00 pm
Bloomfield Terrace 4_G01
Seminar Content
This seminar traces the history of American women’s poetry from Emily Dickinson (1830-1886), writing
during the American Civil War, through the twentieth and twenty-first centuries with poets such as H.D.
(1886-1961), Gwendolyn Brooks (1917-2000), M. NourbeSe Philip (1947-), Susan Howe (1947-) and
Vanessa Place (1961-). We will investigate issues such as the changing definition of lyric in women’s
poetry, the development of a uniquely American poetic voice, and the implications of race and gender in
women’s writing. Students will be encouraged to take account of the way these poets have negotiated a
place for themselves and their poetry in a male-dominated literary tradition, and to consider the ways this
negotiation is manifested in the innovative form and challenging ideas of their poems. Close readings of
the poetry will be supplemented with live recordings of those contemporary poets, as well as critical
essays and statements on poetics surrounding the poetry.
Primary texts
Brooks, Gwendolyn. Annie Allen. Harper and Brothers, 1949. [and some other poems]*
Dickinson, Emily. “My Life had stood—a Loaded Gun,” “I’m Nobody!,” “Because I could not stop for
Death,” “They shut me up in Prose,” “There’s a certain slant of light,” “I felt a Funeral, in my Brain.”
The Complete Poems of Emily Dickinson. Little, Brown and Company, 1976.*
Doolittle, Hilda [H.D.]. Helen in Egypt. New Directions, 1974.*
Howe, Susan. The Nonconformists Memorial. New Directions, 1993.
Philip, M. NourbeSe. Zong! Wesleyan University Press, 2008.
Place, Vanessa. Gone with the Wind. oodPress, 2013. (available as PDF from publisher)
Secondary Reading, excerpts from:
Riley, Denise. The Words of Selves. Stanford University Press, 2000. *
Howe, Susan. My Emily Dickinson. New Directions, 2007. *
Du Plessis, Rachel Blau. The Pink Guitar. University of Alabama Press, 2006.*
Place, Vanessa. Notes on Conceptualisms. Ugly Duckling Press, 2009. (available as PDF from publisher)
(Texts marked with * will provided in a course booklet, to be collected from the School of English office.)
Learning outcomes
On completion of this course, students will be able to:
-
Close read and analyse poems from different eras and contexts.
Identify the features of lyric poetry and discuss the forms of lyricism adopted by these American
poets.
Discuss race and gender as they inform poetic form.
Relate the poems to each other and identify common themes and tropes across the texts.
32
Module Code
Seminar Code
Seminar Title
Seminar Leader
EN2007
OMR2.17
Knights’ Tales:
Popular Fictions of
the Middle Ages
Dr Ken Rooney
Teaching Period
Day
Time
Venue
TP2
Tuesday
2.00 – 4.00 pm
Carrigside 3_G01
Seminar Content
An English knight who must enter Purgatory through an Irish lake, a man who wakes up to find that his
life has been taken over by a mysterious double; a young woman who sends young men to their deaths in
the service of God; erotic encounters with immortals, heroic quests in this world and the next: these are
some of the energetic, sensational narratives enjoyed by medieval audiences - fantasies of wish-fulfilment
and models of conduct - which we will read on this course, and which show for modern readers how the
medieval period was a great age of storytelling.
We will explore the linked genres of romance and saints’ lives, including, in the Stanzaic Morte Arthur,
one of the earliest versions of the Fall of the Round Table in English. We will explore some of the original
contexts and sources of these narratives, and how they were adapted and changed in interesting ways by
both medieval and later writers.
Students will find this course helpful for related courses such as EN2011, EN3065, EN3015, or as a
standalone introduction to some of the more attractive kinds of writing in early English.
Primary texts/Required textbooks
Chaucer: The Second Nun’s Tale from The Canterbury Tales;
Anonymous: The Stanzaic Morte Arthur; Sir Launfal, Robert of Sicily, Thomas of Erceldoune, Sir Owain.
These texts are studied in helpfully-annotated editions, and present no significant linguistic obstacles for
first-time readers.
We will be using editions of these texts from the TEAMS online series at
http://www.lib.rochester.edu/camelot/teams/tmsmenu.htm. Other texts will be provided in photocopy.
Learning outcomes
On successful completion of this course, students will be able to
 Critically read and analyse a selection of earlier verse texts on a variety of subjects
 Relate the set texts to one another
 Discuss the cultural and intellectual background which framed the emergence of this writing
 Define terms and concepts central to earlier literature
 Apply these terms and concepts to the set texts
33
Module Code
Seminar Code
Seminar Title
Seminar Leader
EN2007
OMR 2.18
'Gubshites and Goosegiblets': Renaissance
Satire
David Roy
Teaching Period
Day
Time
Venue
TP2
Tuesday
10.00 am – 12.00 noon
ORB_220
Seminar Content
Satire, the art of strategic and usually very funny exposure of human vices and follies, has been a
central literary mode since at least Roman times. In the English Renaissance, satire took on a
powerful, if controversial, role as a corrective for public figures of unbridled vanity and power. As
such, it was often a politically subversive, even risk-taking mode – officially censored as dangerous
and punishable in the Bishops’ Ban of 1599. This seminar will look at a range of key English
Renaissance, mostly, non-dramatic texts: satires by John Donne, Ben Jonson, Edmund Spenser, and
in particular Thomas Nashe and Gabriel Harvey, who were singled out in the Bishops’ Ban for their
salacious and (to us) hilarious verbal sparring. We will study the different voices and modes of satire,
understanding how the form is not only entertaining and instructive, but also often politically potent.
We will also look at a few modern day instances of satire.
Primary texts
• Donne, John. Five Satyres (1590s)
• Jonson, Ben. Sejanus: His Fall (1605 excerpts)
• Spenser, Edmund. Prosopopoia: Or Mother Hubberds Tale (1591)
• Greene, Robert. Menaphon (1589 Preface)
• Nashe, Thomas. Pierce Penniless, His Supplication to the Devil (1592)
• Harvey, Gabriel. Pierce's Supererogation (1593)
(All of the above texts will be provided in modern spelling in the Seminar.)
Learning outcomes
By the end of this course students should be able to:
• Define the key elements of Satire
• Identify the different traditional strands of satire
• Explore satire's political impact on Renaissance culture
• Critically engage with Renaissance prose texts
• Discuss the contexts which led up to the Harvey-Nashe controversy
34
Module Code
Seminar Code
Seminar Title
Seminar Leader
EN2007
OMR 2.19
Rebels, Revengers, and
Deviants in
Renaissance Drama
Dr Edel Semple
Teaching Period
Day
Time
Venue
TP2
Seminar Content
Thursday
12.00 – 2.00 pm
ORB326
Revenge, regicide, transvestism, tyranny, theft, witchcraft, class disobedience, and disrupting the domestic
order – these are just some of the ways to get into trouble in the Renaissance. This module explores the
sensational and scandalous, the disorderly and the deviant, the rebellious and the dangerous, in drama by
Shakespeare and his contemporaries. Focussing on the related issues of transgression, order, authority and
punishment, we will examine the varied forms of transgression and the purpose, staging, and audience
reception of representations of disorderly individuals, relationships, and spaces in the theatre. Key areas of
interest include of violence, criminality, the violation national, natural, and bodily boundaries, religious
and social mores, as well as power, order and disorder. We will also explore these exciting and diverse
plays in relation to their performative and socio-historic contexts, and within recent critical debates that
surround Shakespeare and his fellow dramatists.
Primary texts/Required textbooks
Primary texts:
Kyd’s The Spanish Tragedy
Marlowe’s Tamburlaine (Part One)
Shakespeare’s Macbeth
Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew
Middleton and Dekker’s The Roaring Girl
Any editions of these plays will suffice, but the following are recommended:
William Shakespeare, The Norton Shakespeare, ed. Stephen Greenblatt et al. 2nd ed. New York
and London: W. W. Norton and Company, 2005.
Kyd, Thomas. The Spanish Tragedy. (New Mermaids). Ed. J.R. Mulryne. London: Methuen,
2009.
Marlowe, Christopher. Tamburlaine. (Revels). Ed. J.S Cunningham & Eithne Henson. Manchester:
Manchester University Press, 1998.
Middleton, Thomas. The Roaring Girl. (New Mermaids). Ed. Elizabeth Cook. London: Methuen,
2003.
The three non-Shakespeare texts can also be found in English Renaissance Drama: A Norton
Anthology, ed. David Bevington. New York and London: W. W. Norton and Company, 2002.
Learning outcomes
On completion of this module students will have:
 acquired a strong familiarity with a range of dramatic works and genres from the Renaissance
 gained a nuanced understanding of the complex relationship between transgression, order, and
authority in the early modern period
 furthered their understanding of the links between early modern drama and its socio-historical
contexts
 developed their knowledge of theoretical debates about Shakespeare and his fellow playwrights
 progressed their skills of criticism and analysis through discussion, presentation, and an essay
35
Module Code
Seminar Code
Seminar Title
Seminar Leader
EN2007
MOD 2.20
Consuming Ireland
Flicka Small
Teaching Period
Day
Time
Venue
TP2
Seminar Content
Monday
4-6 pm
Connolly Building_J7
‘What is home without Plumtree’s Potted Meat? Incomplete. With it an abode of Bliss.’
Advertising, consumer culture and social commentary come together in this advertisement featured in
James Joyce’s Ulysses.
This Seminar introduces students to the cultural and historical background of commodity culture in
Ireland in the twentieth century. We will look at how magazine articles, journals and advertising have
evolved, and at the writings of some contemporary food commentators. We will also analyse through a
selection of short stories and novels, how food practices have been represented in Irish fiction
Primary texts
 James Joyce: ‘Lestrygonians’ from Ulysses and ‘The Dead’ from Dubliners
Frank O’Connor: ‘Fish for Friday’ from My Oedipus Complex
 Mary Laverty: Never No More and Full and Plenty
 Claire Keegan: Selected short stories
 A Selection of Advertisements, Journals and Magazines *
 Critical writings by scholarly food commentators. Extracts from these will be available in the
Seminar Booklet *
*Photocopies of selected material will be provided
Learning outcomes
On successful completion of ‘Consuming Ireland’, students should be able to:
 Critically read and analyse a selection of writings on commodity culture in Ireland
 Discuss the cultural and historical background which frames these writings
 Appreciate the literary value of food writing
 Demonstrate how food practices are used as a code or signifier in Irish short stories and novels
 Prepare and present an oral paper demonstrating a critical evaluation of a meal, a food market, or
a food display
36
ASSESSMENTS
Assessments must be handed in to the School of English before 4.00 p.m. on
the date of submission. Students are required to submit two copies of their
essay with a signed submission form attached to one copy. Students must also
process their essay through turnitin.com. All essays must be signed in.
Students can collect a copy of their essay from the School once the essays have
been corrected. Please note that essays which have not been collected from
the School office by 1st July 2015 will be destroyed.
It is the responsibility of each individual student to check their essay results on
notification of their release.
POLICY ON EXTENSIONS
All applications for extensions should be made to Dr Barry Monahan, Head
of the Second Year Committee ([email protected]). In general, applications
should be made ahead of the submission date. Extensions without loss of marks
will normally only be allowed where there is a relevant medical certificate or
written evidence of other significant difficulties that have interrupted work.
Computer problems, such as failure of printer and inability to access shared
facilities, will not constitute a reason for the granting of an extension.
A student seeking an extension must submit a written request on a School of
English extension form. This form is available at
http://www.ucc.ie/en/english/undergrad/. The completed form should be sent to
the Head of the Second Year Committee as an attachment. Requests for
extensions will be responded to via e-mail. If an extension is sanctioned, the
late essay, on submission, must be accompanied by the supporting
documentation (medical certificate, etc.). An initial request, if agreed, will
generally amount to a one-week extension.
On a discretionary basis, a further extension may be sanctioned. In such cases,
students will be required to present further evidence of a compelling reason for
late submission. Again, the extension must be agreed to in writing.
Where an extension has not been agreed in advance, or where a student submits
an essay after agreed extensions have expired, the appropriate penalties for late
submission will be imposed.
37
Penalties (for late submission of Course/Project Work etc.)
 Where work is submitted up to and including 7 days late, 10% of the
total marks available will be deducted from the mark achieved.
 Where work is submitted up to and including 14 days late, 20% of the
total marks available will be deducted from the mark achieved.
 Work submitted 15 days late or more will be assigned a mark of zero.
38
School of English
First, Second and Third Year Students
Guidelines for the Writing of Essays for Course Assessment
Section l. Basic Procedure
1.
Essays should be about 1,500 words in length for Second and Third Years, unless
differently specified.
2.
List the title of your essay, your name, the course, your lecturer’s/tutor’s name, and
the date
on a title page. Use a simple, easily-read type-face such as Times New
Roman font size 12, and double-space your work, using only one side of the page.
Pages should be numbered at the bottom in the centre.
3.
Leave a reasonable margin on the left-hand side of the page. A minimum of 1-1½” is
recommended. Indent your paragraphs 5 spaces.
4.
A good essay is a carefully organized argument dealing with a text or texts.
Developing an argument requires a careful consideration of the topic, a familiarity
with the text(s) to be discussed and with some relevant criticism. Please remember
that this is your essay and that the material you present is evidence in support of your
argument. Quoting long passages of texts or retelling stories is not what is required.
The material you use is there to illustrate your argument and to demonstrate your
developing ability as a critic.
5.
In general, use the present tense when considering a writer’s work. For example, you
say: “Hamlet is unable to murder Claudius as the king prays” and not, “Hamlet was
unable to murder Claudius as the king prayed.”
6.
Keep your prose active whenever possible. Replace “A rewriting of Dr Jekyll and Mr
Hyde is achieved by Valerie Martin” with “Valerie Martin rewrites Dr Jekyll and Mr
Hyde.”
7.
Do not be afraid to use “I” in an essay. However, be careful not to use it so often that
it becomes annoying for your reader. Used sparingly it brings life to your essay; overindulged it will irritate your reader.
8.
Avoid long and convoluted sentences because the more complex the directions, the
more likely the fog, and the more likely the fog, the more difficult it becomes for the
reader to grasp your intentions, and it is the reader’s attention you need, and so on and
so on. Keep your sentences in hand!
39
Section II. Technical Points
As a piece of scholarly work, an essay must conform to certain technical requirements. The writing conventions
adopted by this School are those set out in the following book:
MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. 7th ed. New York: Mod. Lang. Assn., 2009.
Copies are available in the library on Q+3, # 808 GIBA but make sure you only refer to the 2009 edition. An
online version may be accessed at www.mla.org, then choose the MLA Style option.
Listed below are just some of the main points to note. Please consult the MLA Handbook for further guidance or
examples.
1.
Titles
Italicise the titles of books, journals, plays, newspapers, films, and television or radio programmes - in short,
anything that is a complete publication on its own. For example:
Madame Bovary - (book)
Death of a Salesman - (play)
Wild Strawberries - (film)
The Waste Land - (long poem published as a book)
North - (collection of poems)
A Modest Proposal - (pamphlet)
Eire-Ireland - (periodical)
The Irish Examiner - (newspaper)
If you are hand-writing your essay or writing an exam, underline titles as you won’t be able to italicise. It is
important to do this as you will need to differentiate between, say, Hamlet the character and Hamlet the play.
Titles of articles, essays, short stories, poems and chapters in a book, in other words all works that appear in
larger works, should be enclosed in quotation marks. For example:
“The Pattern of Negativity in Beckett’s Prose” - (article)
“The Dead” - (short story)
“Kubla Khan” - (poem)
“The American Economy before the Civil War” - (chapter in a book)
2.
Quotations
If you quote up to three lines of poetry or four lines of prose, you should incorporate the material into the body
of your text. Use quotation marks to indicate that they come from a different source. Never use a quotation as a
sentence on its own, or separate a short quotation from your own text. For example:
When the ghost first informs Hamlet that he has been murdered and must be avenged, Hamlet states he will act
accordingly. He vows that he will ‘[h]aste, haste me to know it, that I with wings as swift / As meditation or the
thoughts of love / May sweep to my revenge’ (1.5.32-5).
AND NOT
When the ghost first informs Hamlet that he has been murdered and must be avenged, Hamlet states he will act
accordingly. ‘Haste, haste me to know it, that I with wings as swift / As meditation or the thoughts of love /
May sweep to my revenge’
(1.5.32-5).
A virgule (slash) should be used to signify the line breaks in poetry. In general, your quotation is complete
when you include a parenthetical citation that lists the page number, in brackets, from which the quoted material
is taken. For example, your essay might read as follows:
In the concluding lines of “After Dark”, Adrienne Rich uses some startling imagery: “your fears blow out, / off,
over the water. / At the last, your hand feels steady” (30).
40
Quoted material beyond the three-line/four-line rule, must be indented ten spaces and does not need to be
enclosed within quotation marks. This applies to prose as well as poetry. A colon generally introduces a
quotation displayed in this way. For example:
Rich concludes “After Dark” with some startling imagery:
but – this is the dream now - your fears blow out,
off, over the water.
At the last, your hand feels steady. (30)
Notice the accuracy of both quotations and the way in which the final full stop is used: after the page reference
in the integrated quotation and before the page reference in the indented quotation.
If you want to make any alteration to quoted material you must use square brackets to alert your reader to the
change. For example:
Rich makes some peace with her father when she says, “[a]t the last, [his] hand feels steady” (30).
3.
Parenthetical Citation
When you quote from or refer to a text, list the relevant page number in parentheses (brackets) at the end of the
quotation/reference. This is not for the convenience of the reader alone. It is also the means by which you
declare that this material is not of your making. Not to do so constitutes plagiarism, and, as such, will cost you
some marks or even be the cause of failing your assignment.
Generally, a page reference will suffice for quotations from novels, plays or some poems. For example, if you
wish to quote from page 12 of the novel Mary Reilly by Valerie Martin, and the text and author are obvious to
your reader, you simply list (12) after the quotation. If there is the possibility of confusion about either author
or text, you list (Martin 12), or (Mary Reilly 12), or (Martin Mary Reilly 12) depending on which gives your
reader the necessary information. Note the punctuation, or lack of, within the brackets. So if you are
considering two books by the same author, you must make it clear that the quotation or reference comes from
book X and not book Y. In the same way you must make clear which author you are referring to if there is more
than one.
For verse plays, cite acts, scenes and lines. For example, (Hamlet 3.1.5-6) or (Hamlet III.i.5-6) informs your
reader that you have quoted lines 5-6 from scene 1 in act 3 of Hamlet. If it is clear what play you are discussing,
you simply list (3.1.5-6) or (III.i.5-6). Note use of spaces and/or punctuation.
If you are quoting from poetry, which lists line numbers, use line references. For example if you quote lines 1014 from Donne’s “A Nocturnal Upon St. Lucy’s Day” list (“A Nocturnal Upon St. Lucy’s Day” 10-14) or (1014) if the title of the poem is clear.
The same convention of citation applies whether you are referring to a primary or secondary text. For example
an essay on Synge using two critical works might read like this:
In The Well of the Saints, the Saint is not a sympathetic figure. As Toni O’Brien Johnson points out, in a play
which is so concerned with physical beauty his “ascetic way of life has markedly impaired his physical vitality”
(36), while another critic more bluntly describes him as “a bit of a gom” (Corkery 173).
Here the author of the first book is mentioned by name so the citation only needs a page reference. The second
citation clearly requires the name of the author as well as the page reference. The citations here are not
complete until you have listed the two books in the Works Cited section (see below).Should you be dealing with
a text with more that one writer, list all the authors if they number three or less. For example: (Jain and
Richardson 12). For more than three writers, list them as follows: (Abrams et al. 12).
4.
Works Cited
At the end of your essay, give a list of works you have cited. This should be fairly brief, and should list only
those works on which you have drawn directly in the writing of the essay. It includes not only print but also
non-print sources, such as films and the internet. Creating this listing means ordering your primary and
secondary texts in alphabetical order on the basis of authors’ surnames. The form is simple. Give it the title:
Works Cited. Note this is neither underlined nor italicised but has capital letters. Each significant piece of
information gets its own full stop:
41
Author’s name. Title. Place: publisher, date. Medium.
For example:
Martin, Valerie. Mary Reilly. London: Black Swan, 1990. Print.
Note that the author’s name is reversed because this makes it easy to find in an alphabetical list. All other
authors’ names in the citation appear in the usual way (see ‘Harrison’ in the example below).
Books and articles
Some books require a little more information. However, the rule about the full stops remains:
Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. Ed. and introd. G.B.Harrison. Harmondsworth: Penguin,
1955. Print.
Here you tell your reader that you are listing a Shakespeare play and that you are using an edition published by
Penguin in 1955, edited by and containing an introduction by G.B. Harrison. Get all your information from the
title page of the book itself. If an entry goes on for more than one line, indent the second and subsequent lines
to make alphabetical reading easy.
Articles are listed by the same principles. Each significant piece of information receives a full stop:
Murray, Christopher. “Irish Drama in Transition, 1966-1978.” Ētudes Irlandaises 4 (1979):
278-289. Print.
This lists the title of an article by Christopher Murray, published in 1979 on pages 278-289 in number 4 of the
journal Ētudes Irlandaises. Note the form of page numbers and date.
A short list of works cited for an essay on Synge would look something like this:
Corkery, Daniel. Synge and Anglo-Irish Literature. Cork: Cork University
Press, 1931. Print.
Eckley, Grace. “Truth at the Bottom of a Well: Synge’s The Well of the Saints.”
Modern Drama 16 (1973): 193-198. Print.
Hunt, Hugh. “Synge and the Actor - A Consideration of Style.” J.M. Synge: Centenary Papers
1971. Ed. Maurice Harmon. Dublin: Dolmen Press, 1972. 12-20. Print.
Johnson, Toni O’Brien. Synge: The Medieval and The Grotesque. Gerrard’s Cross: Colin Smythe,
1982. Print.
Synge, J.M. Plays Poems and Prose. London: Everyman, 1985. Print.
In the list of works cited above, the first and fourth are examples of books, the second is an article in a journal,
the third is an essay in a collection, and the fifth is the edition of the primary text used. “J.M.” and not “John
Millington” is used in the last entry because “J.M.” is listed on the title page of the text. You must use initials if
the title page does.
Electronic entries
Most works on the Web have an author, a title, and publication information, and are thus analogous to print
publications. Electronic texts, however, can be updated easily and at regular intervals and may also be
distributed in multiple databases and accessed through a variety of interfaces. You therefore need to record the
date of access as well as the publication data when citing sources from the Web as the information may be
different on different days. It is not necessary to include the URL.
An example is:
Aristotle. Poetics. Trans. S. H. Butcher. The Internet Classics Archive. Web Atomic and Massachusetts
Institute of Technology, 13 Sept. 2007. Web. 4 Nov. 2008.
This is a book by Aristotle, translated by S. H. Butcher, found on the website, The Internet Classics Archive
(website italicised), published by Web Atomic and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (name of publisher
not italicised) on 13 September 2007, and accessed on 4 November 2008. Note punctuation and spacing.
42
Film
At its simplest the entry for a film begins with the title (italicised) and includes the director, the distributor and
the year of release.
An example is:
It’s a Wonderful Life. Dir. Frank Capra. RKO, 1946. Film.
Performance
This citation is similar to a film: begin with the title, follow with the director, musical director or choreographer,
the place performed, the date witnessed and the medium.
An example is:
The Habit of Art. Dir. Nicholas Hytner. Littleton Theatre, London. 22 April 2010. Performance.
Visual art
For visual art works cite the artist, name, date (if known), medium (sculpture, painting, photograph etc),
institution that houses the work (although this may be a private collection – in which case state ‘Private
collection’, minus the quotation marks).
An example is:
Evans, Walker. Penny Picture Display. 1936. Photograph. Museum of Modern Art, New York.
Medium
You have probably noticed that the medium is put last in all citations except the web, where it comes before the
date accessed, and visual art where it comes before the housing institution. The following are the usual media
used in scholarly citations: Print, Web, Film, DVD, Performance, Radio, Television, Lecture, as well as visual
art forms.
Section III. Assessment
Second and Third year
First term modules and all seminars are by continuous assessment. The standard for passing a module is 40%.
Take-home essays are to be handed in to the School of English main office before 4.00 p.m. on the day of
submission (two hard copies required) after submitting an e-copy through turnitin.com (see relevant section in
booklet). Where work is submitted up to and including 7 days late, 10% of the total marks available will be
deducted from the mark achieved. Where work is submitted up to and including 14 days late, 20% of the total
marks available will be deducted from the mark achieved. Work submitted 15 days late or more will be
assigned a mark of zero.
Dates and times for class tests are on the essay calendar
Copies of corrected take-home and class essays will be available for collection from the department. You
should take careful note of corrections and suggestions by staff on your returned essays. This is an
important part of the learning process. Please note that the department will only hold these essays until the
end of June of the current year.
If you are dissatisfied with your mark you are entitled to a re-consideration. First discuss your essay with the
person who marked it and, if you’re still not satisfied, ask for it to be re-marked. The marker will then give the
essay to a nominated member of staff with expertise in the same area, for consideration, and the second mark
will be deemed to be the final mark. Please remember that the result may go down as well as up. This is a long
standing practice in the School of English.
43
Marks Bands:
First Class Honours:
Second Class Honours:
Third Class:
Pass:
Fail:
70%+
60-69%
50-59%
45-49%
40-44%
39%-
2.1
2.2
Marking Criteria for Second and Third Year Assignments
These marking criteria are intended as a guide and may be adapted to specific written tasks.
Mark
85
(1H)*
Argument and
Understanding
A work of genuine
cogency and originality
Responding to Assignment
Sophisticated
understanding, directly and
thoroughly addressed to the
question
Depth of understanding
directly and effectively
addressed to the question
Sources, Reading and Critical
Capacity
Exemplary range of sources,
demonstrating excellent research
and analytical skills; originality in
choice and application of material
A very wide range of sources
consulted, demonstrating
excellent research and analytical
skills; sources used with
discrimination; independence of
judgement
80
(1H)
Considerable originality;
very coherent synthesis of
ideas; very high level of
subject mastery
75
(1H)
Coherent and original
synthesis of ideas; critical
and thorough
understanding of key
concepts
Depth of understanding
directly addressed to the
question
A wide range of sources
consulted; sources used with
discrimination; sound analysis of
evidence
70
(1H)
Some originality; well
argued and well
considered; critical and
thorough understanding
of key concepts
Depth of understanding
directly addressed to the
question
Well selected range of sources;
some signs of sophisticated usage
65-69
(2H1)
Good synthesis of ideas;
good understanding of
key concepts
Good understanding directly
addressed to the question
Well selected range of sources
consulted; careful assessment of
evidence; good use of examples
Competent synthesis of
ideas; good understanding
of key concepts
Good understanding directly
addressed to the question
60-64
(2H1)
Well selected range of sources
consulted; generally careful
assessment of evidence; good
use of examples
44
Written Expression
A sustained combination of
intellect and elegance; exemplary
citation and bibliography
according to School guidelines
Elegance in expression, including
an accurately applied
sophisticated vocabulary;
structured appropriately to the
purposes of the assignment;
exemplary citation and
bibliography according to School
guidelines
Lucid expression; no errors of
grammar; sophisticated
vocabulary; structured
appropriately to the purposes of
the assignment; exemplary
citation and bibliography
according to School guidelines
Predominantly lucid expression;
wide and well-deployed original
vocabulary; very few errors of
grammar; exemplary citation
practice according to School
guidelines
Effective expression; few errors of
grammar; appropriate use of
vocabulary; well-structured;
accurate and full citation and
bibliography according to School
guidelines
Generally good expression with
few errors of grammar; some
structural inconsistencies;
accurate and full citation and
bibliography according to School
guidelines.
55-59
(2H2)
Fair understanding of
key concepts; some
weaknesses of
understanding and
knowledge
Competent understanding
addressed to the question
A range of sources consulted;
some careful assessment of
evidence; some appropriate
examples
Expression such that meaning is
understandable; few serious
errors of grammar; inconsistent
citation and bibliography with
significant omissions
Some good source material which
is not analysed or integrated in
great depth; limited use of
appropriate examples
Some grammatical errors and
loose, wordy or repetitive
expression.
Some understanding
addressed to the question
Restricted range of sources
consulted; only basic
understanding of evidence;
limited range of examples,
sometimes inappropriate ones
Poor typography and layout;
considerable number of
grammatical errors; limited
vocabulary; inaccurate citation
and bibliography with significant
omissions
Partially addressed to the
question
Very limited use of sources and
understanding of evidence;
poorly chosen and predominantly
irrelevant examples
Only marginally addressed
to the question
Minimal range of sources
consulted; inadequate
understanding of evidence;
minimal use of examples
Competent understanding
addressed to the question
50-54
(2H2)
Faulty synthesis of
ideas; tendency to
describe rather than
analyse; significant
lapses in understanding
and knowledge
Lacking in synthesis of
ideas; tendency to
description rather than
analysis; limited
understanding of key
concepts
45-49
(3H)
Lacking in synthesis of
ideas, but some
understanding of key
concepts; largely
descriptive rather than
analytical
Considerable
misunderstanding of
key concepts; failure to
synthesise ideas
40-44
(Pass)
35
(Fail)
30
(Fail)
Misconceived in its
approach; fundamental
misunderstanding of
key concepts
Largely irrelevant to the
question
Little evidence of independent
reading; no relevant critical
examples
25
and
below
(Fail)
Fundamental
misunderstanding of
key concepts; only
fragmentary arguments
Almost entirely irrelevant to
the question
Little or no attempt to support
assertions; no use of sources
beyond direct paraphrase of
lectures
0
Poor presentation; basic
vocabulary; minor errors in
spelling and punctuation; faulty
paragraph structure
Errors of organisation so that
essay has very little obvious focus
or argument; numerous and
significant grammatical errors;
significantly restricted vocabulary;
inadequate citation and
bibliography
Poor presentation; significant
grammatical errors; highly
restricted vocabulary; little or no
citation and incomplete
bibliography
Poor grammar and vocabulary
makes it difficult to decipher any
intended meaning; no citation; no
relevant bibliography
No work submitted or
extensive plagiarism and/or
collusion*
* Please note that honours are not formally awarded to second-year students, and that grade bandings
(1H, 2H1 etc) for these students are intended as a guide only.
45
SCHOOL OF ENGLISH PLAGIARISM POLICY
The School of English operates a strict anti-plagiarism policy.
If you are unsure about any aspect of this policy, please contact the School’s Plagiarism Officer, Dr Anne Etienne,
prior to submitting any essays. You are responsible both for knowing what constitutes plagiarism and for ensuring
that you have not plagiarised. Ignorance will not be accepted as an excuse. With a view to making sure that your
submitted work has been done in accordance with this policy, you will be required to complete and submit a
coversheet with each essay (see below).
What is Plagiarism?
Plagiarism is presenting another person’s words or ideas as your own work. If you draw on someone else’s words,
be sure to put quotation marks around them and give the writer or speaker credit by revealing the source in a
citation – otherwise you are plagiarising. If you revise or paraphrase the words of someone else or just use their
ideas without giving the author credit in a note, you are also plagiarising. Plagiarism can occur in take-home
essays, in-class tests, class presentations or examinations; in every case it will be penalised according to University
policy.
Plagiarism includes the following:
(i)
Copying phrases, sentences, paragraphs, etc., without acknowledgement, from a published source (print
or electronic) or from an unpublished source (i.e. another student’s essay or notes);
(ii) Presenting phrases, sentences, paragraphs, etc., with only slight changes, from the printed, electronic or
manuscript material of others as your own work;
(iii) Presenting someone else’s arguments as if they were your own;
(iv) Buying a paper from the Web or elsewhere and presenting it as your own work;
(v) Paying someone else to modify your assignment;
(vi) Memorising someone else’s material and reproducing it without acknowledging the original source.
Jointly writing an individual assignment is known as collusion and it is not acceptable. If you allow someone to
copy your work, this is also collusion and both parties will be penalised.
Submitting work for assessment which you have already submitted, partially or in full, to fulfil the requirements
of another seminar/lecture course or examination, is also unacceptable (this may be defined as autoplagiarism).
46
Coversheets
When you hand in any essay, you will be asked to sign the following declaration:
Plagiarism is the substitution of other people’s work for one’s own including
the unacknowledged use of somebody else’s words or ideas.
I understand this definition of plagiarism, I have read the School’s Policy on
Plagiarism, and I state that this essay does not contain any plagiarised material.
I have not copied any of it from anywhere or anyone else. I have acknowledged
all the sources that I consulted when writing it and I have employed proper
citation when using somebody else’s words or ideas.
This essay complies with School of English regulations and guidelines:
YES
NO
(Please tick  one box.)
Signed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
47
Penalties for plagiarism and other unacceptable referencing:
Plagiarism (including the unacceptable practices listed above) is a serious offence. When done deliberately, it is
“cheating”, as specified in the UCC Plagiarism Policy. 1 Whether deliberate or inadvertent, plagiarism attracts
serious penalties:
(i)
An essay which contains plagiarised material (or commits another offence as listed above) will
automatically attract a fail grade. Whether the student submits for Semester 1 or 2 assessment, s/he
will be required to resubmit another essay from the list, for the autumn examinations board (at a
date that will be specified by the main office). In such cases, the School reserves the right to reevaluate any work previously submitted by the student in that academic year, and to notify the
school, department or unit in which the student is taking another subject.
(ii)
Depending on the judgement of the School, where an essay contains a negligible amount of
plagiarised material the student will be asked to submit another essay from the list of titles for a
capped mark of 40%. This must be done within a timeframe specified by the examiner (normally
within three weeks of the student being notified of the penalty applied).
(iii)
If the student is found to have plagiarised assignments for more than one module, her/his case may
be referred to the University Examinations Officer under Regulation 14 of the UCC Regulations for
the Conduct of Examinations. Penalties imposed may involve suspension or expulsion from the
University.
Where a case of plagiarism is suspected, an oral examination may be held to determine the extent of the student’s
knowledge of the subject. Any such oral examination will be conducted in the presence of the module coordinator/seminar leader, the School Plagiarism Officer and, where required, the Head of School.
Postgraduate Students
Instances of plagiarism by postgraduate students will be referred directly to the co-ordinator of the relevant
postgraduate programme. Plagiarism in postgraduate and research material is a particularly serious offence.
Penalties imposed may involve suspension or expulsion from the course and from the University.
Appeals Procedure
All students have a right of appeal to the Head of School. Students may appeal only on the grounds that the
allegation of plagiarism is unfounded, and appeals must be made in writing in the first instance. Medical, personal,
or other circumstances do not constitute a defence in cases of plagiarism. In the case of an unsuccessful appeal to
the Head of School, students have a right of appeal to the Examination Appeals Committee.
Students are advised that any proven case of plagiarism will be reflected in references sought from the
School.
How can you avoid plagiarising?
Acknowledge all sources. If you don’t, intentionally or not, it is plagiarism.
Some tips on avoiding plagiarism:
Part of your work as a student of literature is to read and engage with the critical discussions written by others and
published in books, articles, and on the Internet. When you come to write your own essays, however, it is essential
that you distinguish between your own ideas and insights, and those of others.
. “UCC Plagiarism Policy.” Registrar and Vice President for Academic Affairs. 30 January 2009.
University College Cork. 25 March 2009 <http://www.ucc.ie/en/exams/procedures-regulations/plagiarism/>
1
48
Time Management
Start preparing for your essay well in advance of its due date so that you have enough time to research, take notes,
write and revise your essay, and proof-read and cross-check your essay.
Taking Notes for Your Essay
(i)
When you are taking notes from secondary sources in preparation for an essay, always note the
following details:
Book: Author, Title, Publisher, Place and Year of publication
Periodical: Author, Title of Article and Periodical, Year, Volume, Issue and Page Numbers
Internet: URLs/Web address, Author, Title, and the Date site was
Accessed
(ii)
If you copy out material word for word from a secondary source, make sure that you identify it as
quotation (by putting quotation marks around it and marking it with a big Q for quotation) in your
notes. This will ensure that you recognise it as such when you are reading it through in preparation
of your written work.
(iii)
Always note the page numbers of any material that you do copy word for word from secondary
sources. This will make it easier for you to check back if you are in doubt about any aspect of a
reference. It will also be a necessary part of the citation.
(iv)
A paraphrase is a restatement in your own words of someone else’s ideas. If you paraphrase an idea
from a secondary source, make sure that you identify it as a paraphrased idea (by marking it with a
big S for source) in your notes and note the page numbers. You can mark your own insights ME.
Writing Your Essay
When you are writing your essay, always make sure that you identify material quoted from critics, or ideas and
arguments that are particularly influenced by them. Make clear - if necessary in the body of your text (i.e.
According to Edward Said, . . .) - the extent of your dependence on the arguments of a critic and, ideally, how
your views develop or diverge from this influence.
Proof-reading and Cross-checking your Essay
Proof-read and cross-check your essay with your notes and sources to make sure that everything coming from
outside sources has been acknowledged according to the guidelines contained in the School of English style sheet.
Collusion (jointly writing an individual assignment) is a form of plagiarism. For example, if students have set up
study-groups to work on an individual assignment, they should take note that material submitted for grading must
represent the work of the individual author. If such work duplicates, in whole or in part, work submitted by
another student, it will constitute collusion. This applies to all kinds of assessment, e.g. an essay, a translation
exercise from Old or Middle English, a short commentary. If you allow someone to copy your work, this is also
collusion and both parties are guilty of plagiarism.
Please Note
It is not acceptable to hand in an essay consisting largely of quotations, even if you have acknowledged them
correctly.
If you need additional assistance you can consult the co-ordinator of the lecture or seminar module, or the
School’s Plagiarism Officer. This should be done well in advance of your essay’s due date.
49
TURNITIN
In order
(a) to help students develop the skills necessary for academic (and later for other
professional) writing
(b) to help detect and prevent plagiarism, and make the assessment of students’ work fairer
for everyone
the university has signed up to the TURNITIN programme. You are required to run all your
essays through this programme before handing them in. Here is a brief users’ guide to
Turnitin.
What is it?
Turnitin is software that scans a typed document, then finds and highlights material in it that
has been taken from another source. This material includes quotations (whether or not they
have been placed in quotation marks) and all work previously submitted to the Turnitin
database. It provides an “originality report” showing the percentage of such material in an
essay. If, for example, one quarter of the essay is quotation from another source, the report for
that essay will be 25%.
How does it function?
Both students and teaching staff are given a password that allows them to access the Blackboard
site (blackboard.ucc.ie). When you have done so, on the left frame you will see an “assignment”
link: click on this, and you will find a list of assignments to choose from. Once you have chosen
the appropriate assignment, you can upload your essay – exactly as with any other email
attachment – and it is sent to the assigning tutor’s or lecturer’s prescribed Turnitin assignment
page.
What happens then?
When the deadline for handing in the assessment has passed, the tutor or lecturer accesses this
assignment page with the relevant codes in much the same way as the student has done. In the
“in box” will be a list of the work submitted by the class. This list is ordered – from top to
bottom – based on the percentages of copied and quoted material. The tutor or lecturer may
choose to look at all of these essay reports, or may randomly pick a number for perusal.
What form does each opened assignment take, once filtered through Turnitin?
Once a lecturer chooses an essay, the programme displays it in an easily legible form that
identifies the unoriginal material. The student’s original work appears in black print. The
material from other sources appears in other colours – a different one for each source used –
with these source(s) listed at the end of the essay. In less than half a minute, it is possible to
scan the essay to see if these sources have been appropriately referenced, and therefore
determine whether plagiarism has occurred.
50
Submitting an Essay
1. Hand in two typed copies of your essay to the office, on or before the due date, with
one signed submission form attached.
2. Submit your essay online via Blackboard using Turnitin.
Step 1– Log on to Blackboard (UCC’s Virtual Learning Environment or VLE)
Step 2
When you click on the user log in you will be prompted to enter your username and password –
this is your portal@ucc password.
Step 3
On your Welcome page under courses
51
Step 4
Click on course: eg. EN2014-EN2007:Critical Skills Seminar II
Then choose the Assignments tab from the menu bar.
Step 5
Select the essay title with the Turnitin logo
EN2007 Essay No. 1 (name of tutor)
And click
>>View/Complete
Step 6 Upload your essay
In the section where you are asked to Browse – this means that you must select your essay from
where you have stored it on your computer or on a removable disk.
Please give the file a meaningful title and save a digital copy of your essay.
Finally click upload
Please contact your Seminar Leader if you need help with Turnitin.
52
WWW.TEACHINGCOUNCIL.IE
GENERAL AND SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS
FOR
TEACHERS OF RECOGNISED SUBJECTS
IN
MAINSTREAM POST- PRIMARY EDUCATION
REQUIREMENTS FOR RECOGNITION AS A SUBJECT TEACHER
GENERAL REQUIREMENTS FOR RECOGNITION TO TEACH
Applicants must meet both the General Requirements below and the Special Requirements to teach one or more
recognised subjects detailed on pages 4 to 40.
GENERAL REQUIREMENTS
The applicant must meet the general requirement at either (1) or (2) below.
(1)
Satisfactory Completion of Sequential Teacher Education Qualifications
The applicant must hold the following qualifications from a nationally-recognised university or similar third
level college:
(a) A suitable degree or equivalent award, not including a training-in-teaching qualification, but with recognised
post-primary subject(s) taken as major component(s) of the degree programme. The duration of such a degree
programme must be at least three years of full-time study or equivalent.
and
(b) A recognised training-in-teaching qualification equivalent to the Postgraduate Diploma in Education - PGDE
(Previously known as the Higher Diploma in Education). The duration of such a programme must be at least
one year of full-time study or equivalent.
OR
(2)
Satisfactory Completion of Concurrent Teacher Education Qualification
53
The applicant must hold the following qualifications from a nationally-recognised university or similar third
level college:
A suitable degree or equivalent award with recognised post-primary subject(s) taken as major component(s) of
the degree programme, incorporating a training-in-teaching course recognised as being equivalent to the
Postgraduate Diploma in Education qualification. The duration of such a teaching degree course must be at least
four years of full-time study or equivalent.
SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS FOR RECOGNITION TO TEACH
ENGLISH
(In Addition to the General Requirements)
Applicants must provide officially certified evidence of satisfactory achievement in primary degree studies (or
equivalent) as outlined hereunder:

The study of English as a major subject in the degree extending over at least three years and of the order
of 30% at a minimum of that period

Details of the degree course content to show that knowledge and understanding required to teach English
to the highest level in post-primary education has been acquired

The study of a substantial body of relevant literature as an integral part of the degree course including
comprehensive study through the medium of English of any three of the following:
– Drama or Theatre Studies
– Poetry
– Fiction
– Media Studies or Communications or Film Studies

The list of texts and authors studied by the applicant throughout the degree course must be provided in
support of the above

Residential experience of at least three months in a country in which English is the vernacular

Explicit details of standards achieved in degree studies in English must be presented with at least an
overall Pass result in the examinations in English
Additional information (i) where greater clarity is requested or (ii) which would otherwise more fully support the
application must be provided as required.
54