Literature and Skills

What skills do you learn from studying literature and

creative writing?
The study of literature and creative writing offers intellectual rewards, personal
fulfilment and social, political and ethical awareness, and is a good thing in its own
right. It also is a vehicle for learning an array of skills which will be essential for
whatever you go on to do after graduating.
A major study of Higher education argued that are three groups of skills taught by a
university degree. The first are key skills, the basic transferable skills taught by any
degree. These are: communication skills numeracy the use of information
technology learning how to learn. The second group of skills are cognitive skills
common to any humanities degree and subject specific skills, which you will learn
only from an !nglish degree.
The tables below break these three groups down in more detail:
Table 1: ey skills
These skills key to your future success, whatever you intend to do in later life. They are
core transferable skills.
!ommunication
skills
Writing
writing fluently, in a specialised language and in
response to a range of different parameters.
Speaking prepared work: presentation to peers and
assessors
unprepared work: responding to "uestions,
following discussions
dialogue: group discussion and reporting #e.g. in
bu$$ groups%
"uestioning peers and staff
Listening evaluating what is useful
effective note taking
observing professionals at work
"umeracy !nglish degrees don&t claim to help you learn to be numerate. 'e
do, however, e(pect you to learn skills traditionally associated with
numeracy: for e(ample, abstract reasoning, the ability to manage
effectively both concrete and abstract systems of thought. #)ee
cognitive skills, below%
!omputer Skills #asic skills
use of computer software, especially word*
processing and presentation packages
use of various information technology resources
#e.g. the library catalogue, effective use of the
internet, virtual learning environments and other
networking media%
Learning how to
learn
$%plicit
skills
study skills
learning how to respond effectively to different
tasks #e.g. essay writing, seminar presentations,
creative writing workshops%
awareness of how to find and use appropriate
resources
&ntellectual
development
"uestioning peers and staff
providing models and methodologies which can
be applied to other areas
reflecting on your own practices #consultation,
revision, e(ams, reflective journals%
ability to judge significance of material
models of e(pertise
'ersonal
development
time management
task prioritisation
independent thinking
teamwork and co*operation
self discipline, both intellectual and social
pro*active self*motivation
Table (: !ognitive Skills
These are general skills in the arts and humanities that are concerned with gathering and
assembling knowledge #research% analysing knowledge #independent thinking%
reflection on both your knowledge and your analysis of that knowledge #active self-
reflection%. These are transferable skills.
nowledge
)generally to do with
gathering and
assembling
knowledge* or
research+,
disciplined and focussed attention to issues and te(ts
assembling and critically reproducing bodies of knowledge
techni"ues for analysing objects of knowledge
analysis of te(ts and ideas at the appropriate level of detail
sensitivity to language and to historical, cultural and
intellectual conte(ts
encountering different assumptions and world views
-nalysis )generally
to do with analysing
knowledge* or
independent
thinking+,
assessing the relevance of your research and ideas
using evidence
ability to make constructive comparisons and contrasts
understanding of the place of both detail, on the one hand
and overarching structures and designs, on the other.
learning to judge the appropriate level of detail.
understanding the terms, procedures, process, content and
style of others& arguments, which leads to+
effective use of the terms, procedures, process, content and
style of argument yourself
drawing conclusions, following both lateral and logical
inferences
evaluating and judging arguments
"uestioning others& assumptions and presuppositions
understanding the process of gathering professional
e(pertise
.eflection )generally
to do with reflecting
on both your
knowledge and your
analysis of that
knowledge* or active
self-reflection+,
judging the relevance of your material and ideas
judging the effectiveness of your use of evidence
judging the effectiveness of your comparisons and contrasts
judging the effectiveness of your understanding of detail
and of intellectual structures. evaluating the effective use of
the terms, procedures, process, content and style of your
own argument
techni"ues for analysing your own intellectual practices
"uestioning your own assumptions and presuppositions
reflecting on the process of gathering professional e(pertise
Table /: Subject specific skills
These are skills and knowledge that you will specifically learn from studying !nglish and
!nglish with ,reative writing.
the intellectual rewards, personal fulfilment and social, political and ethical awareness
specific to the study of literature and creative writing
knowledge about literatures in !nglish, including a knowledge of the historical,
cultural and intellectual conte(ts of their production and reception
an understanding of the creative, cultural and intellectual forces active in shaping
literature in !nglish and !nglish literary studies
a knowledge of contemporary debates about literature
a knowledge of literary uses of language, form and genre
a knowledge of the technical and professional language of literary studies, and
reflections on its use
an understanding what it is to become an e(pert in this particular field
0ow are these skills to be learnt?
There are two ways in which skills can be taught: either by embedding them in the
course or by creating special courses explicitly for developing them. 'hile the
-embedded model& is harder to set up and run, it is significantly more successful and
has considerable long*term advantages.
In this department, although there are some parallel modules e(plicitly for -skills
development&, we believe that you learn best * and we teach best * by embedding the
skills in the degree scheme. All the skills outlined above are embedded in the
different activities that you take part in during your degree #the -learning practices& in
-a range of different learning environments&%.

These activities are, in the main:
independent study, thinking and reflection
resource work #e.g. library work%
essay writing
dissertation writing
seminars
lectures
consultations
computer courses
study groups
student*led curricular activity
student*led e(tra curricular activities.
!ach learning activity has a number of skills embedded in it . a total list would be
very long, but here are three e(amples.
'hen you research* plan and write an essay, you are also learning, developing and
using a number of embedded skills and knowledges. In terms of specific skills you
are learning about a specific subject or issue, its historical, cultural and intellectual
conte(ts, its role in contemporary debates about literature, how it relates to literary
uses of language, form and genre and how to use the technical and professional
language of literary studies. In terms of cognitive skills, you are developing a
disciplined and focussed attention to issues and te(ts, assembling a body of
knowledge, assessing the relevance of your research and ideas, using evidence,
learning how to make constructive comparisons and contrasts, analysing and using
effectively the terms, procedures, process, content and style of argument, drawing
conclusions, following both lateral and logical inferences and "uestioning your own
and others& assumptions. And, finally, in terms of key skills, you are developing your
communication skills by writing in response to a specific tasks, fluently and in a
specialised language, developing your IT skills in using computer software and
various information technology resources #e.g. the library catalogue, the internet%, and
learning how to learn by judging the relevance of material, and developing your
ability to think independently and your self* discipline.
'hen you go to a consultation, to have written work returned, you are also learning
skills. /ou have a chance to reflect on how successfully you have learnt and deployed
the subject specific skills, and how you might improve these skills and knowledge.
/ou have the opportunity to improve your cognitive skills, by discussing and judging
the relevance of your material and ideas, the effectiveness of your use of evidence, the
effectiveness of your comparisons and contrasts, and the effectiveness of your
understanding of detail and of intellectual structures. In conversation, you can
evaluate the use of the terms, procedures, process, content and style of your own
argument and discuss techni"ues for analysing your own intellectual practices. In
terms of your key skills, you are developing your abilities in communication skills,
though responding to "uestions, and learning how to learn by reflecting on your own
practices, what you did less effectively and what you did well.
In seminars, you develop specific skills, by discussing works of literature in !nglish
and their historical, cultural and intellectual conte(ts, the creative, cultural and
intellectual forces active in shaping them, their reception, contemporary debates they
may be involved in, their literary use of language, their form and genre. This will
take place in the professional language of literary studies. This will help develop your
cognitive skills by focussing your attention on issues and te(ts, providing techni"ues
for analysing objects of knowledge and heightening your sensitivity to language and
to historical, cultural and intellectual conte(ts. It will help you assess the relevance of
your research and ideas, use evidence, make constructive comparisons and contrasts,
understand of the place of both detail, on the one hand and overarching structures and
designs, on the other and judge the appropriate level of detail. It will also develop
your understanding the terms, procedures, process, content and style of others&
arguments, which in turn leads to the effective use of the terms, procedures, process,
content and style of argument yourself. )eminars will help you draw conclusions,
follow both lateral and logical inferences, evaluate and judge arguments and "uestion
your own and others& assumptions and presuppositions. 0inally, seminars are a place
to learn and develop embedded key skills. /our communication skills are developed
by presenting prepared work to peers and assessors, -thinking on your feet& by doing
unprepared work #responding to "uestions, following discussions%, engaging in
dialogue, group discussion and group reporting and "uestioning peers and staff.
Through learning how to respond effectively to tasks, "uestioning peers and staff,
reflecting on your own practices, independent thinking, teamwork and co*operation,
self discipline, both intellectual and social, you also learn how to learn.
1ut like this, it seems rather overwhelming. 2ut because the skills are embedded in
the degree scheme, they will be introduced to you in conte(t as you proceed through
your degree. 'here you might need specific guidance #on, for e(ample, giving
seminar presentations% this will be provided, or you can ask your advisor. 3oreover,
learning is a cumulative process: you are involved in the process of learning these
skills and nobody e(pects you to have them all immediately #if you did have them all
already, well developed, what would be the point of coming to university4%. The aim
of what you have been reading is to make clear the skills that you will be learning.
1rofessor 5obert !aglestone
1rofessor 6udith Hawley
6une 7897