Bachelor of Arts Honours in English Studies

The purposes are more extensively pursued within a three-track system that allows learners to focus upon the three related main areas of study making up the discipline of English as it is understood today: Language/Writing; Literary Studies; Cultural Studies. Learners may emphasise those tracks within English Studies that suit their vocational interests and support these with a selected range of ancillary and substitute courses from other disciplines (e.g. language skills to strengthen their Language/Writing interests; media and communication courses to strengthen their cultural studies interests; comparative literature courses to strengthen their literary interests). Learners may also select all of the offerings within English in order to give themselves a thorough grounding in all the elements of contemporary English studies.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

The institution conducts RPL in terms of the policy and guidelines of the institution to recognise other forms of formal, informal and non-formal learning and experience. In cases where learners do not comply with the formal admission requirements, the institution applies its RPL policy.

Entry Requirements

The minimum entry requirement for this qualification is

• Bachelor of Arts, NQF Level 7.

1. Demonstrate a capacity for self-directed study;
2. Work both individually and as a member of a group;
3. Communicate clearly in writing and speech;
4. Absorb and organise a substantial body of information;
5. Interpret and evaluate primary literary and cultural texts;
6. Summarise and evaluate commentaries on those texts;
7. Demonstrate a capacity for historically contextualised understanding of primary and other texts;
8. Understand the concept, underlying philosophies and concerns of literary and cultural criticism;
9. Understand and synthesise the formative relationship between the particular (literary-cultural and vocational) focus of his/her English studies and the ancillary disciplines selected for study, and to transfer the knowledge established in one discipline to another;
10. Use the language skills and the interpretative, critical and analytical skills, as well as the knowledge and the values taught in the programme inappropriate ways in educational and other institutions in society, or other spheres of employment;
11. Demonstrate an advanced critical understanding of the range of literature in English;
12. Engaged at an advanced level with the concepts, underlying philosophies and concern of literary and cultural criticism;
13. Apply these concepts in extended (proto-research) written assignments;
14. Understand the general requirements of research and use the particular methods appropriate to his/her own research.

The following associated assessment criteria apply across all Exit Level Outcomes

• Demonstrate a thorough knowledge of the general field of inquiry;
• Demonstrate a detailed knowledge of specific areas of inquiry in the programme: the production of literary-cultural texts in English in their context and the interpretation and criticism of those texts;
• Understand the interrelationships amongst various areas of the field of knowledge: language, culture, textual production, history and criticism;
• Independently analyse texts in their relations to contexts;
• Demonstrate an understanding of the theoretical and philosophical underpinnings of the field of study;
• Demonstrate a thorough knowledge of current critical debates;
• Summarise, compare and evaluate a substantial body of knowledge;
• Construct a sustained argument, formulate questions and work towards solutions;
• Demonstrate command of the conceptual discourse of literary-cultural studies;
• Contextualise criticism within the present social environment and indicate a historical understanding of earlier criticism;
• Develop a clear understanding of the historical and current state of literary-cultural studies and of their possible future development;
• Demonstrate command of academic English at an appropriate level;
• Use information technology at an appropriate level;
• Understand the social-cultural diversity of the place of study and of the objects of study;
• Study individually and work in groups;
• Present work at an appropriate level, both orally and in writing;
• Carry out a substantial independent research project conforming to acknowledged scholarly protocols.
• Write a research article, or a mini dissertation, or a full dissertation that is based on independent research and which shows familiarity with the primary texts, engagement with the relevant theoretical and critical texts and with the current and/or historical debates about the primary texts.

Integrated Assessment

Integrated assessment appropriately incorporated to ensure that the purpose of the qualification is achieved.

The institution is currently reforming its assessment strategies to include the assessment of applied competence for each qualification. In the meantime, a combination of continuous assessment and traditional written examinations serve to assess the integration of all/most of the learning outcomes for each module in a qualification.