Advanced Reading: American
Short Stories
進階英語閱讀︰美國短篇小說
Instructor: Dr. Joseph C.
Murphy
必備先修課:文學課一門 (pre-requisite:
one literature course)
This course will focus on
sixteen classic American short stories. Its purpose is to offer
students advanced training in reading and analyzing literature in
English, as well as an enriched understanding of American culture,
geography, and literary history. The stories are arranged in four
groups according to their central conflicts: Vision vs. Reality,
Nature vs. Civilization, Doubles, and Family Conflicts. Each story
will also be introduced in its historical and geographical
context.
The course will be
conducted in dual mode: half online and half in-class. Students
are required to keep up with the weekly reading, watch online
lectures, answer online study questions, and keep a reading
journal. Six
three-hour class meetings over the course of the semester will
offer opportunities for oral discussion and group presentations.
註︰本課為混網課;學生必須到校六次進行英語討論與報告.
Course Requirements
Participation (in class
and online): 10%
Study
Questions: 20%
Reading Journals:
30%
Presentation: 10%
Midterm and Final
Exams: 30%
Participation.
Complete all assignments on time, and attend all six in-class
Saturday meetings.
Study
Questions.
Respond online to one “Question for Reflection” for each story
(16 total, about 300 words each), and later respond to another
student who answered the same question.
Reading Journals.
Write one journal for each of the four sections of the course (4
journals total, about 1200 words each), reflecting on the
relationships among the readings in that section.
Presentation.
Give one presentation (individually, or in a group, depending on
the class size) on a cultural or historical topic related to the
stories. Students will choose from among a list of topics, to be
announced.
Midterm and Final Exams.
These tests will include mostly objective questions, plus some
very short essays. The midterm will cover the first two sections
of the course, and the final will focus on the second two
sections; however, the final may contain some opportunity for
reflection on the course material as a whole.