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Doing English: A Guide for Students
 
 

Doing English: A Guide for Students (Paperback)

by Robert Eaglestone (Author) "To understand why English is the way it is today, it's important to understand where it came from ..." (more)
3.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)

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Product details

  • Paperback: 176 pages
  • Publisher: Routledge (23 Sep 1999)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 041519136X
  • ISBN-13: 978-0415191364
  • Product Dimensions: 19.8 x 12.6 x 1.1 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 326,918 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in this category:

    #91 in  Books > Study Books > Undergraduate & Postgraduate > Arts & Humanities > Literature & Drama > Student Guides
  • See Complete Table of Contents

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Product Description

Product Description
Aimed at A level students, this immensely readable book provides an ideal introduction to studying English at degree level. Illustrated with examples from essential A level texts, Doing English examines the evolution of English as a subject and questions the assumptions that lie behind approaches to literature. Doing English includes chapters on: the history of English doing Criticism jargon and technical terms language English as Heritage the Canon Dealing with exciting new ideas and contentious debates that make up English today, this volume is an essential purchase for those students embarking on English at degree level.

From the Author
Why I wrote it: why the Slovakian reviewer didn't like it
I wrote Doing English after a great deal of experience teaching undergraduates and A-level students English. I wanted to explain the changing nature of the subject in the UK because English has changed enormously over the last 20 years or so. At A-level, this is reflected in the new Assessment Objectives that all students must fulfil. At University level, these changes are often reflected by an ever increasing range of approaches to literature. I wanted to explain what you might expect English to be, and, more importantly, why it was like that.

I am not surprised by the review from Slovakia. One of the odd things about English and the study of literature in general - unlike many science subjects - is that it is done very, very differently in different countries. (For example, only English Language students study the 'History of the Language' in the UK: in Slovakia, it is a large part of the curriculum for all English Students. I don't discuss it, so no wonder the Slovakian reader didn't find it, and was, consequently, disappointed). I wrote this book for British A-level and Undergraduate students of English. If you are one, you won't be disappointed. If you are not (if you want a book about linguistics, say, or learning how to speak English), you will be.


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To understand why English is the way it is today, it's important to understand where it came from. Read the first page
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Customer Reviews

5 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
3.2 out of 5 stars (5 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars A Friendly Introduction To New Approaches, 19 Oct 2003
By A Customer
'Doing English' serves excellently as an introductory guide to the attitudes and debates which literary theory has placed on to the agenda of English Studies, at university and now sixth-form levels. It is easy-to-read, lively, stimulating and clear, revealing theory to be far more pertinent and less arcane than it often seems in raw form. The issues Eaglestone discusses are now central concerns of the discipline, for better or worse, so students will need to be acquainted with them, and Eaglestone presents them in an unusually friendly, accessible form. For some undergraduates this introduction will be too basic, but for most it will be very useful.

Yet there are limitations: Eaglestone is clearly an advocate of the new approaches he describes, which means that he does not present a balanced view of the debates, but presents simplified versions of 'traditionalist' arguments as naive and outmoded. Readers should be warned not to take his dismissals as the final word. The book would perhaps be better entitled 'Doing Literary Theory', to avoid giving the impression that English departments no longer engage with 'canonical texts' on respectful terms, only with a deconstuctive eye. Fortunately, at most universities this is not the case, whatever Eaglestone might wish. So don't worry if you prefer the literary classics to postmodern philosophy, you can still enjoy studying English. But if you are uncomfortable with new approaches and yet are willing to give them a chance, this book is for you.

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8 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent book for the audience it caters for., 11 May 2001
By A Customer
I read Eaglestones' book as a mature student about to embark on an English degree. It taught me a lot about the origins of studying English (did you know that it had roots in the East India Company?)as well as introducing me to different critical approaches.For the right audience, this book is excellent.
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10 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars One of the worst books ever written, 17 Feb 2006
By William Burn "gingerburn" (Nottingham, UK) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)      
I'm not sure at whom this book was aimed, but it seems people with even halfway developed critical faculties were not considered. Mindlessly trite, poorly expressed and deliberately infuriating jargon fills the pages. This was recommended for a PGCE course: read it only if you're considering dropping out and need confirmation of why you don't like English. If you do love the subject and want to see it dealt with in an intellectually honest, thoughtful and sensible way, don't go anywhere near this book.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent intorduction to literary criticism
I found this book to be a straightforward guide to literary criticism. It is a good basis for the breech between A-Level and first year English degree study. Read more
Published on 27 Feb 2000

1.0 out of 5 stars A total waste of time - ridiculously useless
Eaglestone's Doing English promises much in presenting an introduction to students embarking on University study of English language and literature, yet ultimately delivers very... Read more
Published on 22 Feb 2000

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