Contemporary Literary Theories Field of study: English Studies: Literature and Culture
Programme code: W1-S1EL25.2025

Module name: Contemporary Literary Theories
Module code: W1-FCELS1-WTL-3
Programme code: W1-S1EL25.2025
Semester: winter semester 2026/2027
Language of instruction: English
Form of verification: exam
ECTS credits: 4
Purpose and description of the content of education:
The course’s aim is to familiarize students with the goals, development and methodology of contemporary literary theories. The lectures focus on selected, mainly twentieth-century, approaches to literature together with their historical and ideological contexts, as well as the relations between literary studies and other areas of reflection in the humanities (e.g., philosophy, aesthetics, linguistics, anthropology, psychology and semiotics). The discussion classes aim at deepening students’ knowledge of the presented literary theories through the analysis of source texts and their application in interpretation of literary works.
List of modules that must be completed before starting this module (if necessary): not applicable
Learning outcome of the module Codes of the learning outcomes of the programme to which the learning outcome of the module is related [level of competence: scale 1-5]
is aware of their knowledge and competence [K01]
 EL_K01 [2/5]
analyses and interprets the postulates of most important literary-theoretical schools [U01]
 EL_W02 [1/5] EL_U04 [2/5]
perceives literature from an interdisciplinary perspective, in its relation to the arts, other fields of the humanities and the historico-cultural background; can read and interpret literary texts using this perspective [U02]
 EL_U02 [3/5] EL_U03 [1/5] EL_U04 [3/5]
can read, understand and analyze a literary-theoretical text of intermediate difficulty and use the thus-acquired information in his/her own interpretation of a literary work [U03]
 EL_U04 [3/5]
has a basic knowledge of the goals, development and assumptions of the most important, mainly twentieth-century, literary theories and methodologies [W01]
 EL_W02 [2/5] EL_W06 [2/5] EL_W07 [2/5]
has knowledge of the most relevant philosophical and cultural contexts of contemporary literary theories [W02]
 EL_W01 [2/5] EL_W07 [3/5]
Form of teaching Number of hours Methods of conducting classes Assessment of the learning outcomes Learning outcomes
practical classes [C] 30 Activating method – discussion / debate [b04] 
Screen presentation [c07] 
Individual work with a text [f02]  		course work K01 U01 U02 U03
lecture [W] 15 Formal lecture/ course-related lecture [a01] 
Problem-based lecture [b01] 
Screen presentation [c07]  		exam K01 U02 W01 W02
The student's work, apart from participation in classes, includes in particular:
Name Category Description
Literature reading / analysis of source materials [a02] Preparation for classes
reading the literature indicated in the syllabus; reviewing, organizing, analyzing and selecting source materials to be used in class
Production/preparation of tools, materials or documentation necessary for class participation [a05] Preparation for classes
developing, preparing and assessing the usefulness of tools and materials (e.g. aids, scenarios, research tools, equipment, etc.) to be employed in class or as an aid when preparing for classes
Studying the literature used in and the materials produced in class [c02] Preparation for verification of learning outcomes
exploring the studied content, inquiring, considering, assimilating, interpreting it, or organizing knowledge obtained from the literature, documentation, instructions, scenarios, etc., used in class as well as from the notes or other materials/artifacts made in class
Implementation of an individual or group assignment necessary for course/phase/examination completion [c03] Preparation for verification of learning outcomes
a set of activities aimed at performing an assigned task, to be executed out of class, as an obligatory phase/element of the verification of the learning outcomes assigned to the course
Analysis of the corrective feedback provided by the academic teacher on the results of the verification of learning outcomes [d01] Consulting the results of the verification of learning outcomes
reading through the academic teacher’s comments, assessments and opinions on the implementation of the task aimed at checking the level of the achieved learning outcomes
Attachments
Module description (PDF)
Information concerning module syllabuses might be changed during studies.
Syllabuses (USOSweb)
Semester Module Language of instruction
(no information given)